In July 2023, Chino Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) passed a controversial policy that required staff to notify parents if their children requested to use different names, pronouns or school facilities that don’t correspond with their biological sex.
At WVUSD, though there are no official rules regarding gender identity, superintendent Dr. Robert Taylor said that the district is dedicated to “creating a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students.”
The student section of the WVUSD board policies corroborates Taylor’s statement. WHS parents have the right to be notified about their student’s uncleared absences, standardized test scores, behavioral concerns and potential psychological testing (including the ability to deny permission), among others, but nowhere does it require parental contact for gender-related issues. In fact, it states that students can access “mental health treatment or counseling, without the consent of his/her parent/guardian.”
Comparatively, CVUSD’s policies show a different outlook. There were no mentions of more mundane instances like absences or test scores; the section began with required notification of changed gender identity, followed by physical injury while on school property, suicidal intentions and self harm, verbal or physical altercations and instances of bullying. A different section said that CVUSD respects the student’s “confidentiality of their personal information.”
On August 28, CVUSD was sued by California Attorney General Rob Bonta for this policy. Bonata argued that it violated California’s Equal Protection Clause, Education Codes Sections 200 and 220 and the students’ constitutional right to privacy, in addition to placing vulnerable populations “in danger of imminent, irreparable harm.” A San Bernardino Superior Court judge just issued a temporary restraining order on the gender disclosure policy on September 6.
When asked if CVUSD’s recent legal controversies have had or will have any effect on WVUSD, assistant principal Dr. Andrea Poma said that it’s “their business.” Although staff are aware of the situation, WVUSD is free to do things “according to what we think is best.”
At the moment, according to Poma, this means handling every student’s situation differently according to their needs, but always maintaining their “privacy, protection and confidentiality.”
