A typically routine vote to update the San Mateo Union High School District’s board policies to be in compliance with state law regarding protections for transgender and gender nonconforming students took three weeks to pass after a trustee raised concerns over the inclusionary language.
The update included moving detailed protections for transgender and gender nonconforming students, which were already established, to a different section of the policy book. At the board meeting Sept. 10, trustees unanimously approved these changes, but only after the item was questioned and pushed, inviting controversial comments from the public.
“It’s not as if we didn’t have this language on the books prior,” Superintendent Randall Booker said at the meeting Sept. 10.
At its meeting Aug. 14, the board was slated to approve the updated regulations to reflect recent changes in law as recommended by the California School Boards Association. When the matter was brought up, board Trustee Jennifer Jacobson said she needed more information on what exactly the updates were before she felt comfortable approving.
The changes approved largely aligned with exactly what was recommended by the CSBA, except the district added language to certain policies to include recognizing the need for guardian involvement in regards to a student’s gender identity.
“There are times when it is appropriate to have family involvement, and there are times when it is not appropriate," Booker said.
Changes to official student records still require proper documentation and custodial guardian approval for minors — as previous policy has stated — and school staff and faculty will be trusted to properly assess situations as they arise and gauge when to involve family, Booker said.
“Overall this ensures our compliance, it protects student rights, it involves families and remains adaptable to legal changes moving forward," Booker said.
In January, a federal court case rolled back an update to transgender and gender inclusionary Title IX protections made just a year prior, causing many California schools, including the San Mateo district, to update policies again.
In April 2024, the Biden administration broadened Title IX protections by including gender identity as prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, expanding the definition of sexual harassment to encompass sex stereotyping, gender identity and gender expression discrimination. This also changed how investigations and complaints were conducted.
The January court ruling, under the Trump administration, retracted this broadening policy. In response, CSBA advised moving existing policing supporting LGBTQIA+ students to a different policy section and clarified some definitions. No new policy was created and suggested.
At Jacobson' s request, the matter was pushed from the meeting Aug. 14, to Aug. 28. At the second board meeting, board President Robert Griffin announced the matter would be pushed yet again following questions and concerns raised by family members over the policy.
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Although the matter was delayed, public commenters at the meeting Aug. 28, already amassed to discuss the topic and shared their opinions — which were largely anti-trans in nature, and spoke to matters beyond the policy discussed — during public comment.
In addition to members of the public who had no connection to the district but have been national figures opposing trans inclusionary policies and laws was Jacobson's daughter who attends Hillsdale High School.
The Hillsdale girls varsity lacrosse team lost a tournament game to a team whose “best player” was described by Jacobson’s daughter as a boy who dominated the field. Jacobson’s daughter said she wished the district would establish a separate mixed-gender team instead of “disrupting or jeopardizing female athletics."
The delayed approval of the policy raised concerns among the LGBTQIA+ community and allies within the district, including students, staff and faculty. Many came waving pride flags to show support at the third meeting on Sept. 10.
One student, who said their name was Gabe and is a part of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance club at a school in the district, shared their concerns about keeping their transgender and gender nonconforming peers safe.
“I want to keep them safe and to make everything OK, to keep them close so that no one can hurt them, but I can’t. I need your help,” Gabe said. “The longer you postpone this decision, the more I lose faith in this district.”
After the board was provided further details and legal rationale for the policy updates at the meeting Sept. 10, Jacobson shared that she doesn’t agree with details of the policy. In a prepared statement, Jacobson said it “does raise concerns for me when it comes to specific ways we as a district support LGBTQIA students.”
Jacobson elaborated further and shared anti-trans statements including that most children who question their gender identity will “grow out of it” and described gender dysphoria as a “social contagion.” She added that “athletes should compete in sports based on sex,” and that allowing students to play with their identified gender is a failure in protecting girls.
Trustee Ligia Andrade Zúñiga reminded her board colleagues that “what we say means a lot” and expressed concern that some may negatively impact how students are going to feel.
Griffin acknowledged the length at which this matter was discussed and said it will be key to trust the quality employees and teachers hired within the district to practice good discernment about the appropriate time to involve others.
“I hope that we will use that wisdom to care and nurture our students,” Griffin said.
(18) comments
Jennifer Jacobson has her own agenda and is not representing the will of the voters in her area. She needs to go.
I agree that the tone of this article was very biased and seemed deliberately unclear. It is not “anti-trans” to object to boys in girls sports.
Females are just as important and valuable as males, which is why Congress passed Title 9.
I hope Ms. Mara educates herself more on this matter.
It sounds like our schools are trying to skirt around the law in favor of dangerous (and gross) trans ideology. It's a shame.
In today's environment with Charlie Kirk's assassination by a pro-trans 22-year-old, I am shocked that you would blatantly point out a board of trustee member's identity along with her family member, a minor's viewoints. Your article is insensitive and biased, and is a poor reflection of the ethics of a good reporter--which is objective reporting!
I wish our community displayed as much passion about improving our schools‘ curricula as it displays about topics like this.
A few months back, while being one of the only members of the public attending a session on a proposed SMUHSD math program change, I also spoke about the critical need to keep politics out of schools.
Since that time, matters have only gone further down the toilet as premier American universities, scientific, and public health institutions are attacked by ideological “purifiers.”
Despite all of the self-congratulatory rhetoric from the usual MAGA spokespeople here like Terrence Y., I predict that, although Trump will make some positive contributions, on balance the long-term effect on this country will be profoundly negative because too many extremists with limited expertise are being put in charge of organizations that are beyond their capability to manage.
The public should be **very** careful about giving such types an excuse to start swinging their sledge hammers against our local institutions.
Now read MichKosk's comment and update your commentary. Adults keeping secrets with minors has always been a hard no until now. Did you know that in CA out of State minors can come here and receive "gender affirming care." As you know because you read, GAC is not just a hug and a pat on the back. Read up on Chloe Cole and other kids who were manipulated and received life altering medical "treatment" Research the CA MD's and facilities.
David, it is not extremist to insist that girls and women retain the right to fair play in their own sports, or privacy in their bathrooms and changing rooms. Females are just as important as males. Their concerns and rights matter.
I agree Ruthie as did even Gavin Newsom recently! The problem I am referring to is that the MAGA movement excels at using hot button issues like this as an entry point to then create further havoc in other areas such as stopping research at universities, the NIH, and NOAA. This might, for example, lead to disastrous consequences such as not having an mRNA vaccine against a new version of bird flu that jumps to humans and creates a future pandemic. Watch on C-Span the recent RFK Jr. grilling, in several cases by REPUBLICANS, in front of the Senate Finance Committee if you need further examples. In their attempt to “Make America Great Again” they are damaging institutions that people around the world (with the exception of the MAGA movement) recognize as *real* cornerstones of American greatness.
P.S. - I don’t have time to respond to others here who spend literally every day cutting and pasting the same phrases into the SMDJ comments section. Such behavior is lacking in “insights” and is frankly bizarre.
Sounds like you need to write your own letter editorial David about the issues you find most important!
Meanwhile back to the school board: please read teacher Arienne Adamcikova's letter in today's DJ. The concerns raised by parents, teachers, Democrats, Republicans and LBT rights activists had nothing to do with "MAGA". Schools should not be in the business of keeping secrets from parents. And girls and women deserve fairness, safety and privacy in sports, bathrooms, locker rooms, prisons, shelters, etc. Changing the definition of "sex" and allowing men to claim to be women (and vice versa) because of feelings is not a minor, unimportant or fringe issue. Trump is on the right side on this one, but this isn't about Trump.
“I agree Ruthie as did even Gavin Newsom recently!” Yet, DavidKrisotfferson, Gavin Newsom, similar to those advocating for actions to reduce carbon emissions (such as climate conference attendees who take 400+ private jets to climate conferences, burning as much carbon as they desire) only talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk. What has Newsom done to prevent biological males from competing against biological females? Absolutely nothing – because Newsom is pandering. Fortunately, Newsom has shown us who he is and we should believe his actions, not his words. As for mRNA “vaccines” perhaps you should watch all of the recent RFK Jr. testimony. Remind us how well did mRNA jabs did to prevent COVID. Because millions of folks received breakthrough COVID infections, over and over and over.
To more important things… please explain why Democrats supporting criminals and terrorists over the American people, using violent rhetoric against those on the right, and celebrating political assassinations makes America great. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Michelle, as I just mentioned to Ruthie, I am sympathetic to a lot of these concerns. Once again, what concerns me is that both this issue and the anti-semitism issue, both of which have several valid points, are being used by the MAGA movement as excuses for “ideological purification” and punitive measures only marginally related to the actual topics. I am *not* claiming that every person on the conservative side of this issue at the meeting was a MAGA supporter. What concerns me is that by trying to address every social problem in America, our schools are being diverted away from their core role in basic education and becoming a battleground for political and culture war issues. This sucks away time and resources from educational matters at a time when the latest NAEP scores have hit bottom. In my opinion that is something that should bother any reasonable person.
Finally, I have no desire to write an editorial and deal with the easily predictable barrage of comments afterwards. I only dip into the comments section once in a while when something really outrageous comes up in a news story. I see that reasonable conservatives like Ray Fowler have also abandoned SMDJ comments lately. What reasonable person would want to spend any significant amount of time dealing with a lot of the repetitive drivel that sadly occupies this forum?? I realize that the small SMDJ editorial staff has limited time to review what gets posted, but there are significant downsides to not doing so as the national outcry against social media abuses attests.
"What concerns me is that by trying to address every social problem in America, our schools are being diverted away from their core role in basic education and becoming a battleground for political and culture war issues. This sucks away time and resources from educational matters at a time when the latest NAEP scores have hit bottom. In my opinion that is something that should bother any reasonable person."
I agree with you 100%. Which is why I write letters and speak to boards about their prioritizing issues such as trans lunacy, Ethnic Studies from an Oppressed/Oppressor viewpoint, DEI, and teacher protests based on hatred of Trump (see my letter yesterday regarding current teacher antics.) I would love it if they got back to educating kids! But I haven't seen a word from the local unions regarding the abysmal test scores. They are more upset that flags were lowered for a young father who wanted open conversations and was brutally murdered.
DavidKristofferrson, thanks for the shout-out and confirming you continue to read my valuable insights. I’m honored. I know you won’t want to admit it but Trump has made much more positive contributions than treasonous Obama and treasonous Biden ever did – combined. The long-term effect on this country is profoundly negative because too many extremists on the rabid left with limited expertise are being put in charge of organizations that are beyond their capability to manage. Why do you think our (yes, our) great President Trump was elected into office, twice?
Instead of writing about what you feel are attacks against our local institutions, perhaps you can explain why Democrats are swinging their sledge hammers against American citizens. Explain why supporting criminals and terrorists over the American people, using violent rhetoric against those on the right, and celebrating political assassinations makes America great. Or, will you give them a get-out-of-jail free pass? Similar to the passes you give to climate conference attendees who take 400+ private jets to climate conferences, burning as much carbon as they desire. Fortunately, people from all walks of life are exposing themselves for who they are. Let’s hold them responsible for their actions regardless of the many types of excuses they’ll dream up to explain their behavior. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
So are these policies in full compliance with federal law? If not, let’s hope the Trump administration is notified of what these policies are and whether they should withhold federal funds from San Mateo for not following federal law. And I can’t tell from this article, are biological boys still being allowed to compete against biological women? Because if so, these policies discriminate against women. Perhaps the board should discuss allocating more money into their legal fund – they may need it.
No. Federal law under Title IX is being violated. See my comment.
I was at the most recent SMUHSD board meeting and am disappointed though not surprised at the DJ's biased coverage regarding what happened. The board postponed the initial vote not because of one trustee, but because of public concern about some of the changes and the need for a legal opinion. To the board's credit, they ended up rejecting a CSBA recommendation to remove parents from the equation entirely if a child wishes to "change gender" at school. They also deleted a recommendation that would have made a student's sex "private information", which would have had very strange repercussions if implemented.
Here is more information the article missed:
-Trustee Jacobson's comments were factual and not "anti-trans". Studies have shown that if children with gender dysphoria are left alone they usually desist in their trans identity. Of course the transgender craze is a social contagion! When my son came home from 7th grade telling me that half the girls in his class claimed to be boys or "they/thems" what else could we be dealing with? (Thank goodness most of these girls no longer make these claims years later and were not medicalized.)
-Why weren't the brave parents who spoke of their children who had adopted a trans identity and then desisted not quoted? One was a teacher in the district and a life long LGB rights activist and Democrat.
-The boy that Jacobson's daughter mentioned had competed last year in girl's lacrosse at a local high school while SIMULTANEOUSLY competing on a boy's club volleyball team. Does his "gender identity" change depending on the sport? Everyone, including Gavin Newsom knows it is not fair for boys to compete in girls' sports, but this situation was utterly ridiculous. Not sure even the most pro-trans activist could defend this with a straight face.
-Most interestingly- two other trustees- Bob Griffen and Teri Chavez -also questioned the fairness and safety issues raised by boys allowed to compete in girls' sports based on a female "gender identity" They align with at least 80% of the country and 67% of Democrats in believing this is unfair.
Changes to board policy to align with Title IX to allow participation in sports and use of bathrooms and locker rooms only based on biological sex was not a question before the board. However, this issue will be back as the board and California are currently violating federal law. The Trump administration is already going after school districts in Virginia for Title IX violations and threatening pulling federal funding. And lawsuits will bring this issue to the Supreme Court this year. Stay tuned, the tide is turning. Girls will get fairness, safety and privacy back soon!
Thank you, MichKosk, for your informed comments and attending the SMUHSD board meeting. It’s glaringly clear that the DJ staff writer wove their own narrative into what should have been an objective report. This is yet another reason why trust in media continues to erode.
So heartening to read this. It is a shame Ms. Mata didn’t simply report the facts neutrally and with as much information as space permitted. Surely that is a reporter’s duty.
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