IE lawmakers to demand superintendent’s resignation over transgender policies
Two Inland Empire lawmakers tomorrow will publicly call for the resignation of Riverside Unified School District's superintendent based on policies that the pair argue are hostile to girls by promoting transgender policies that favor biological males.
"Riverside Unified has failed to protect young girls on campus, most recently at King High School in my district,'' Assemblyman Bill Essayli, R- Norco, said. "In their own words, young girls have repeatedly said they do not feel safe with boys in their locker rooms and bathrooms -- and still nothing has been done."
Essayli, a former federal prosecutor, will join Assemblywoman Leticia Castillo, R-Corona, in addressing the RUSD Board of Education during its regular meeting Thursday evening, specifically demanding that Superintendent Renee Hill step down.
"Recently, a female varsity cross-country co-captain was removed from the team so a trans athlete could compete in her place,'' Essayli said. "This is not the first time that King High School has made national headlines for endangering young girls on campus. It's time for Superintendent Hill to resign and put common sense student safety over radical gender identity politics."
Hill did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but RUSD acknowledged receiving the request early Wednesday afternoon.
Essayli and Castillo criticized the superintendent for actions that last month led to the filing of a federal civil rights lawsuit against RUSD, stemming directly from the treatment of two female athletes, identified in court papers only as "K.S.,'' a ninth-grade cross country competitor, and "T.S.," an 11th grader who is the girls' team captain at King High.
The plaintiffs' suit seeks injunctions against the school district, particularly King High, alleging First and Fourteenth Amendment violations.
"The suit contends that RUSD's policies unfairly restrict their freedom of expression and deny them fair and equal access to athletic opportunities,'' according to the plaintiffs.
The two girls wore shirts earlier this year bearing the messages "Save Girls' Sports'' and ``It's Common Sense -- XX (does not equal) XY.'' The plaintiffs are represented by Murrieta-based Advocates for Faith & Freedom, whose attorneys allege King High staff ``ordered the students to remove or conceal the shirts, claiming they created a `hostile' environment, comparing wearing these shirts to wearing a swastika.''
"The civil complaint highlights RUSD's failure to comply with Title IX, which guarantees equal athletic opportunities based on biological sex,'' according to the organization. "T.S. was ousted from her position on the varsity cross country team to make room for a biological male transgender athlete, who did not consistently attend practices and failed to meet the team's strict qualifying requirements. As a result, T.S. missed opportunities to compete at a high-profile meet, losing valuable chances for college recruitment and recognition."
King High has been a hotbed of activity connected to the presence of transgender students. Last year, a transgender student was reportedly expelled for allegedly assaulting a girl in a dispute over the individual's use of a designated female locker room.
"Students and parents alike have called for girls' bathrooms to be reserved for biological girls only,'' Castillo said. "Anything less is an assault on the rights and safety of female students and athletes.''
The lawmaker described Hill as "derelict in her duty'' for not doing everything in her power to ``ensure the safety of female students.''
"It is inappropriate to compare vulnerable young women to Nazis simply because they do not agree with a radical agenda that compromises their safety in order to appease well-funded and influential groups that have inserted themselves into public education,'' Castillo said. ``Superintendent Hill must resign.''
The school board meeting is slated for 4 p.m. Thursday at the district headquarters office, 6735 Magnolia Ave.
