The Fight Against Bigotry Continues

“June is like a perverted marathon with July as an American flag at the finish line.”

– Supporter of saticoyelementaryparents

When a group calling itself saticoyelementaryparents attempted to violently stop an assembly celebrating inclusion last month, they were insistent that the protest had nothing to do with being against gay people and that they just wanted the LAUSD to listen to their concerns. This narrative was quickly destroyed as members of the group bombarded those protesting in support of the assembly with anti-gay slurs.

The messaging that followed the violent protest also made it clear that it is not enough for these parents that lessons of inclusion and diversity be kept away from their own children. While claiming to fight for parents to have a say in their children’s education, their demands would trample over the rights of parents who want their children exposed to these types of lessons. They were not just fighting for the ability to remove their children from the assembly, they did not want it held at all:

The end of Pride Month did not bring an end to the group’s hate-filled rhetoric. Posting on Instagram, they celebrated Independence Day by calling to #CancelLAUSDQueerAllYear. Their supporters responded with comments that expressed their happiness that “pedo month is over already” and referred to June as “a perverted marathon.”

Standing up to this bigotry, the Northridge East Neighborhood Council sent the following letter to the Los Angeles City Council’s Neighborhoods and Community Enrichment Committee urging them to support the promotion of Inclusion and Diversity in our schools:

On June 2, 2023, groups opposed to an assembly celebrating Pride Month protested violently outside Saticoy Elementary School in North Hollywood. These protesters assaulted those who were there to support LGBTQ+ rights and hurled homophobic, misogynistic, and anti-Semetic slurs. This event was followed by two protests in Glendale that were also based on hate and bigotry.

In light of these events, the NENC voted unanimously at its June 21, 2023, meeting to urge the City of Los Angeles to support the LAUSD's efforts at promoting inclusion and diversity. Reading a book to students that says “Some children have two mummies or two daddies” should not be controversial and all students deserve to feel supported.

While the LAUSD should be applauded for not backing down in the face of violent protesters, the fact that it signed a $6 million contract with the Florida Department of Education helped to fuel the political winds that led to protests during Pride Month. Under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis’ appointees, this Department has implemented the bigotry of his “Don’t Say Gay” and Stop-WOKE Act. Yet, the LAUSD still contracted with them to provide services related to remote learning for students who have not returned to physical campuses through the Florida Virtual School.

Concerned about this contract, the direct effects on students enrolled in virtual classes, and the message that it sends to LGBTQ families, the NENC also unanimously passed the following resolution on September 21, 2022:

“The NENC expresses concern about the contract signed between the LAUSD and the Florida Virtual School, an entity controlled by the Florida Department of Education. We urge the City of Los Angeles to investigate and scrutinize the origins of this contract, the way in which the Florida Department of Education was selected, and the process followed for the approval of the contract. Further, it should be evaluated whether this contract meets the educational standards of the State of California and if it violates the civil rights of Los Angeles students.”

The NENC urges the Neighborhoods and Community Enrichment Committee to join us in expressing to the LAUSD Board and Superintendent Carvalho that their efforts at Diversity and Inclusion are supported. These efforts are undermined when the District spends taxpayer funds with organizations that promote bigotry. The leadership of the LAUSD must be more vigilant.

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Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for public education, particularly for students with special education needs, who serves as the Education Chair for the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD’s District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him “a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles.” For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.