unbelievable

[Betsy]

I know Dana posted a link as this discriminatory debate was taking place, It blows my mind that 3 people can use their hate and fear to pass a statement that will lead to millions of lost funding for this school district:

^BC-CA--Transgender Rights,470
^Westminster school board approves own definition of gender
^pcfopvsjsa1
WESTMINSTER, Calif. (AP) Three trustees of an Orange County school district embroiled in a dispute over gender identification voted Monday for their own version of an anti-discrimination policy that could threaten the district's state funding.
Westminster School District trustees Judy Ahrens, Blossie Marquez-Woodcock and Helena Rutkowski adopted the new policy after repeatedly refusing to accept a state-mandated change that includes protection for transgender students.
The board members have said they oppose the state's policy change on moral grounds.
The state Department of Education threatened to withhold part of the district's funding if the board did not adopt the changes by Monday.
``Every child in this state deserves unequivocal protection from discrimination,'' Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said Monday afternoon in a statement. ``I am disappointed that in 2004 this fundamental civil right is being debated.''
O'Connell said the department's legal staff was reviewing the district's policy to see if it complies with state law. A decision was not expected Monday.
The policy adopted on a 3-2 vote differs from the one accepted by the other 1,400 districts in the state, said district spokeswoman Trish Montgomery.
The board's majority adopted its own language that defines gender in its discrimination complaint policy as ``the biological sex of an individual or the alleged discriminator's perception of the alleged victim.'' It goes on to say that the ``perception of the alleged victim is not relevant to the determination of 'gender' ... It is the perception of the alleged discriminator which is relevant.''
The board's majority ``don't want to give the person the right to define their own sex,'' Montgomery said.
The three board members did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.
The district, about 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles, serves 10,000 elementary and middle school students. More than $40 million of its $68 million budget comes from state and federal sources.
District officials initially thought about two-thirds of its state funding was threatened if the state policy was not adopted, but Montgomery said that amount was reduced to $10 million.
Bank of America already has withheld approval of a $16 million line of credit to pay for facilities improvements because the district's funding source is at risk, Montgomery said.
The three trustees last week voted to terminate the district's legal counsel. Many parents believe the trustees removed attorney Dave Larson because he advocated adopting the state's policy.
The trio's stance has angered some in the community and recall petitions are circulating to remove two of them.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[Dana Gold]

Looks like "they" won:( ...for now.

.
http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb/ocr/article.do?id=91231&section=NEWS&subsection=NEWS&year=2004

( sorry!;) ....see next thread for full article)

the board vs Calif State law:

State education Superintendent Jack O'Connell on Monday accepted the following definition adopted by the Westminster School District board on April 12:

"Gender" is the biological sex of an individual or the alleged discriminator's perception of the alleged victim's sex, and includes the alleged discriminator's perception of the victim's identity, appearance or behavior, whether or not that identity, appearance, or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with the victim's sex at birth. The perception of the alleged victim is not relevant to the determination of "gender" for purposes of the Uniform Complaint Procedure. It is the perception of the alleged discriminator which is relevant.

Title 5, Section 4910 of the California Code of Regulations sets rules for state education and includes this definition:

"Gender" means a person's actual sex or perceived sex and includes a person's perceived identity, appearance or behavior, whether or not that identity, appearance, or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with a person's sex at birth.

That state definition was adopted when Gov. Gray Davis signed AB537, the California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000. The act changed the state Education Code by adding sexual orientation and gender to the code's nondiscrimination provisions.


Like RGMCjim in an earlier post said, "they" have "clout"

:confused:

[Dana Gold]

the link won't open to non-registered "readers"; so here's the entire article:



WESTMINSTER – Three Westminster School District board members who have refused to follow a state law they consider immoral scored a major victory as the state Department of Education accepted their definition of "gender" for the district's anti-discrimination policy, and agreed not to withhold millions in funding.

State Superintendent Jack O'Connell issued a decision Monday afternoon that the district's policy adopted last week, which defines gender only as a "person's biological sex," complies with state law.

"This issue can be finally put to bed," said Judy Ahrens, one of the three board members who refused to adopt the state's definition of gender as "a person's actual or perceived sex."

The state's decision to accept Westminster's definition "will protect the health and safety of all children in this district," Ahrens said.

In his letter to the district, O'Connell also strongly cautioned board members against adopting further policies based on personal beliefs, and said he would watch the district closely to ensure no students or employees face discrimination based on anyone's moral stance.

"It appears the (three board members) may intend to deny protection from discrimination and harassment to a class of students the law clearly protects," O'Connell wrote. "I want to express my disappointment that those who took an oath to educate children would abuse their elected positions and attempt to flout the law."

O'Connell's decision means the district won't face sanctions for not adopting the state's gender definition. He had threatened to keep from the district up to $10 million in state and federal funding that pays for small classes, programs for low-income students, special education and other services.

Since February, Ahrens, Blossie Marquez-Woodcock and Helena Rutkowski have voted three times to reject the state's definition, which they said would promote cross- dressing and allow boys to say they perceive themselves as girls to enter girls' restrooms and locker rooms.

Mark Bucher, hired two weeks ago by the three board members to be the district's attorney, said the state's definition was vague because the "perceived sex" wording did not specify whose perception matters in a discrimination case.

Bucher crafted the district's gender definition using state penal code as a guide.

"These three trustees were right and had the backbone to stand up to the state," Bucher said. "They should be applauded."

Marquez-Woodcock and Rutkowski could not be reached for comment Monday.

Many parents said they will move forward with a recall effort against Ahrens and Marquez-Woodcock, and state Sen. Joe Dunn, D-Santa Ana, said he will continue to pursue legislation to have the Westminster district taken over by the state.

Dunn said he expects Ahrens, Marquez-Woodcock and Rutkowski to "allow discriminatory behavior to spread throughout the district."

He said he still wants to force the district to adopt the state gender definition and will introduce the state takeover bill later this week.

Patsy Ashcraft, a parent leading the recall effort, said she is still angry at the three board members because they were willing to jeopardize millions in school funding.

"(The board) has just pretty much gotten permission to discriminate," said Ashcraft of Monday's state decision.

The board majority now has confidence to use their personal beliefs to make decisions about textbooks and federal programs, Ashcraft said.

The parents want to unseat Ahrens and Marquez-Woodcock, whose terms end in 2006. Rutkowski's term expires in November.

They have until early June to collect 7,200 signatures to qualify for the November ballot.

Jim Morey, another parent leading the recall effort, said the gender debate has raised his and other parents' concerns about decisions made for the 10,000-student district by the board majority.

"There's only an end to this particular round," he said. "It's time to move on, but this one issue has caused such a rift.

"At every board meeting now, you're going to have plenty of parents showing up and keeping a close eye on them until we can get all of them out of office."