Los Angeles, Ca
Southern California school district changes gender-identity policy after lawsuit
A Southern California school district sued by the state has updated its policy requiring staff to notify parents that a student is using a different pronoun or bathroom designated for another gender and now will only mention that a child has requested a change to their student records.
The Chino Valley Unified School District board approved the updated policy on Thursday as the district fights a lawsuit filed by Democratic state Attorney General Rob Bonta, who called the original policy discriminatory. Bonta on Friday did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the board’s decision.
The policy maintains part of the original rule requiring staff to notify parents within three days of their child requesting any changes to their “official or unofficial records,” although it does not specify what that would include. All references to gender identification changes have been removed from the policy.
LGBTQ+ advocates said the new mandate is simply a legal loophole to repackage the same policy that continues to violate the rights of students.
“They’re just broadening the scope so that they don’t obviously single that population out,” said Kristi Hirst, who co-founded the public education advocacy group Our Schools USA. “But the intent behind it, in my opinion, is no different.”
Both Chino’s original and updated policies include other scenarios in which school staff would have to notify parents, such as when their child is significantly injured at school. But schools already were required to report when a child’s safety is threatened.
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Hundreds attended a heated Chino Valley school board meeting as a controversial policy requiring parental notification of any transgender children passed with a 4-1 vote on July 20, 2023. (KTLA) -
Hundreds attended a heated Chino Valley school board meeting as a controversial policy requiring parental notification of any transgender children passed with a 4-1 vote on July 20, 2023. (KTLA) -
Tony Thurmond, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, spoke against the policy at a board meeting with the Chino Valley Unified School District on July 20, 2023. (KTLA) -
Hundreds attended a heated Chino Valley school board meeting as a controversial policy requiring parental notification of any transgender children passed with a 4-1 vote on July 20, 2023. (KTLA) -
Student voices criticism of the controversial policy at an April 2023 meeting. The policy would require parental notification of transgender students in the Chino Unified Valley School District. (Chino Unified Valley School District)
The battle at the district in Chino, a city about 32 miles (52 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, is part of a nationwide debate over local school districts and the rights of parents and LGBTQ+ students. States across the country have sought to impose bans on gender-affirming care, bar trans athletes from girls and women’s sports, and require schools to “out” trans and nonbinary students to their parents. Some lawmakers in other states have introduced bills in their legislatures with broad language requiring that parents be notified of any changes to their child’s emotional health or well-being.
In California, proponents of the notification policies are trying to get a measure on the November ballot to require schools to notify parents if a child asks to change their gender identification at school, bar transgender girls in grades 7 and up from participating in girls sports, and ban gender-affirming care for minors.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom garnered attention last year when he threatened to fine another Southern California district, Temecula Valley Unified, for rejecting an elementary school social studies curriculum that included supplementary material mentioning politician and gay rights advocate Harvey Milk. The district later reversed course.
The Chino Valley Unified board introduced its policy last summer after a Republican lawmaker was not able to advance legislation in the state Legislature, which is dominated by Democrats, requiring school staff to notify parents about their child’s request for a gender identification change.
Chino Valley Unified school board President Sonja Shaw, who helped craft the original policy, said before the vote on Thursday that the board is committed to upholding the rights of parents and prioritizing the well-being of students.
“This new policy strikes a balance between these two important principles, ensuring that parents are kept informed every step of the way,” Shaw said in a statement.
Teachers, parents and advocates who oppose the school board policy say it could put students’ safety at risk if they live in abusive households. Andrea McFarland, a high school English teacher for Chino Valley Unified, said the policy the board approved last year was unfair to teachers.
“I don’t want to be put in that place to have to choose between potentially putting a child in an unsafe position when they walk in the door at home,” McFarland said. “I don’t know what they’re walking into.”
She said the updated policy is unclear about what would be considered “unofficial records,” a term she hasn’t heard used in her 13 years as an educator.
A judge last year halted part of the policy that required schools to tell parents if their child asks to change their gender identification. He did not grant the state’s attempt in October to block another part of the policy requiring schools to notify parents about a child’s request to make changes to information in their student records.
Emily Rae, a lawyer representing the district, said the board decided to consider the updated policy in response to the judge’s rulings so far in the case.
“The district still believes the existing policy is legally defensible and constitutional,” she said in a statement.
She cited a recent ruling over a similar notification policy at Temecula Valley Unified, where a judge allowed the district to require school staff to notify parents if their child asks to change their gender identification at school.
On Thursday night, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued a mandatory one-year moratorium, protecting homeowners’ insurance coverage in areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires.
The moratorium will prohibit insurance companies from enacting non-renewals and cancellations until Jan. 7, 2026.
In a statement, Lara said this rule applies to all homeowners within the perimeters or adjoining ZIP codes of the two fires in Los Angeles County, regardless of whether they suffered a loss.
“Losing your insurance should be the last thing on someone’s mind after surviving a devastating fire,” said Lara. “This law gives millions of Californians breathing room and hits the pause button on insurance non-renewals while people recover.”
Officials said residents can go to the Department of Insurance website to see if their ZIP code is included in the moratorium.
In addition, if homeowners believe their insurance company is in violation of this law, they are encouraged to contact the department at 800-927-4357 or via chat or email at insurance.ca.gov.
“As firefighters continue to battle wildfires across the region,” the statement noted, “the department may issue a supplemental bulletin if additional ZIP Codes are determined to be within or adjacent to a fire perimeter subject to this declared state of emergency for Los Angeles and Ventura counties.”
The department also provided the following list of tips for consumers during this time:
- Keep all receipts during your evacuation.
- Policy provisions, including deductibles, vary by company, and residents should check with their insurance company or agent as soon as possible to confirm coverage, limits, and any other limitations and documentation requirements. Most renter’s policies also typically include ALE coverage.
- Document the date, time, and names of any insurance company employees you speak to regarding your coverage.
- Consumers should make sure any insurance agent or public adjuster offering their services has a valid license by checking online with the Department of Insurance.
- Download the Department’s Top 10 Tips for Wildfire Claimants (also available in Spanish, Mandarin, and Vietnamese), which includes information about claiming ALE benefits.
- Under existing law, public adjusters cannot solicit business for seven calendar days after a disaster.
- Don’t forget copies of insurance policies, important papers, and a photo or video inventory of your possessions. An inventory can be completed quickly and easily on your smart phone and safely stored in the Cloud.
A 40-year-old Los Angeles millionaire, well known for his success in real estate, has deleted his X account, after facing intense criticism for pleading on the social media platform for private firefighters to save his Pacific Palisades home on Tuesday.
Keith Wasserman, whose X bio used to read “entrepreneur, investor, contrarian, compounding,” is a partner and co-founder at Gelt Venture Partners, described on his Linkedin page as “Multifamily Real Estate Investments with High Net Worth Individuals and Families.”
“Does anyone have access to private firefighters to protect our home in Pacific Palisades?” the 40-year-old posted on X Jan. 7 as the fire raged. “Need to act fast here. All neighbors houses burning. Will pay any amount. Thank you.”
The Palisades Fire, which was first reported at around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, quickly spread through residential and commercial districts, prompting immediate evacuations for tens of thousands of people and has since destroyed thousands of structures across more than 19,000 acres.
The wildfire is believed to be the most destructive natural disaster in L.A. history, with the damage estimated to be somewhere in the $50 billion range.
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A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire as it burns a structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
Sky5 view of devastation from the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, California on Jan. 9, 2025. (KTLA) -
A structure is burned by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) -
The devastation from the Palisades Fire is seen from the air in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Wasserman, who, according to the Daily Beast, had previously posted about his disdain for paying property taxes, writing “real estate ballers don’t pay any,“ was immediately “dragged” by other X users.
“Congratulations on no longer having to pay property taxes,” one user wrote, tagging Wasserman whose home reportedly burned down in the fire.
“You really can’t make this stuff up,” another X user said. “The rich guy Keith Wasserman bragged about not paying taxes & now wants private firefighters to protect his home while neighbors’ home burn.”
Not all the comments were entirely negative, however. Some users came to the real-estate investor’s defense.
“It’s deeply disheartening to witness the backlash against Keith Wasserman,” a user from San Diego wrote. “Keith was fighting to save his home and the cherished memories of his family. Almost anyone in his position, faced with flames at their doorstep, would have acted similarly.”
“If you’re sitting in the comfort of your home judging Keith Wasserman for trying to save his home – maybe realize that you are lucky and be thankful. We all need to be more gentle,” yet another X user posted.
It’s not entirely uncommon for those with the financials means, like Kim Kardashian and Kanye West in 2018, to get for-hire firefighters, though they were also heavily criticized at the time as well.
It’s unclear if Wasserman has any intentions of returning to X, but his account no longer existed by Jan. 9.
As devasting wildfires continue to burn Southern California, residents and organizations are stepping up to provide aid to those affected.
Here’s how you can support wildfire victims on their path to recovery.
- KTLA 5 parent company, Nexstar Media Group, has partnered with the American Red Cross to launch a donation page for Southern California wildfire victims. Donations can be placed here.
- Baby2Baby is accepting donations to support children impacted by the wildfires.
- GoFundMe has compiled a list of verified fundraisers for people impacted by the ongoing wildfires.
- SPCALA’s Disaster Animal Response Team is seeking donations to support emergency services, such as temporary animal shelters and front-line veterinary care.
- The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation is accepting donations to support firefighters on the front lines. The foundation is seeking monetary donations, wildland brush tools, hydration backpacks, and emergency fire shelters.
- The California Fire Foundation is looking for donations to support surviving families of fallen firefighters, firefighters, and the communities they serve.
- The Salvation Army is accepting monetary donations and items to support those affected by the wildfires.
- World Central Kitchen, spearheaded by Chef José Andrés, has a relief team in Southern California to assist first responders and families. The organization is accepting donations to support the ongoing relief effort.
- The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is accepting donations and looking for volunteers.
- Direct Relief is also accepting donations to support those impacted by the wildfires.
- Community Organized Relief Effort, or CORE, is accepting donations to support wildfire victims.
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