Board of Education — July 8, 2025

Hi, we're going to start the meeting in just a minute, but right now we're figuring out the cards and figuring out how many we actually have this evening. We're at 6.13. Thank you all for coming. Welcome, everybody. Before we begin this evening, I'd like to thank several people while they're looking through these cards. First, I want to thank Superintendent Cabral for your tireless work helping us put our agendas together and answering numerous questions week after week for us. To Consuelo Posada for your continued administrative help with anything the board needs. We appreciate you. To our PIO, Christine Stevens, thank you for always being ready and willing to assist with information needed to be conveyed to our public. And to our media team, Rebecca, Karen, and Christine, for capturing all that we do. Our cabinet members, Jason Hill, Lisa Bruick, Patty Buckmiller, and Dr. Rudy Wilson, thank you for being here late into the night for every meeting. I appreciate you. To Kristen, Anna, Nicole, and Christine, thank you for your help in collecting speaker cards. These meetings would not run as smoothly without your help. A huge thank you to our SROs and our safety team. You, ladies and gentlemen, are amazing. Thank you so much for keeping these emotionally charged meetings safe and secure for everyone. And to our tech team, I want to thank you all for the work you do behind the scenes, from preparing presentations, coordinating our live streaming of these meetings, and keeping all our technology up and running. Thank you so much. And to Nick, our custodian, you are appreciated more than you will ever know. This boardroom is always spotless. Finally, I want to thank our teachers, librarians, and other staff members who engage in our board meetings. I respect and appreciate your passion and willingness to continue to show up and advocate for your beliefs. Okay. So we're going to do the Pledge of Allegiance. Patty, could you lead us? Please rise.

Put your right hand over your heart. Ready, begin.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Roll call. Board Member Ayala-Contero? Present. Board Member Olson? Here. Board Member Wilson? Here. Vice President Hollihan? Present. And I am here. So is there a motion to approve the agenda with flexibility?

So moved.

Second. Thank you, Patty. Thank you, Candy. And with the flexibility, I'd like to pull 13 ed services consent items, S, T, and U. And also, in 16, human resources action items, pull letter A. Oh, OK. To clarify, what?

What the board is motioning to pull is S13S, which is Board Policy 5010 notification, TAR5010 notification, and U5145.3, non-discrimination harassment. The reason for the... for the action that the board is proposing to take at the moment is due to the Office of the Attorney General, who we have an agreement with, is reviewing both 5010 and 5145.3. And the board is... People are interrupting people. It bothers me. board is taking action right now. The proposal is to wait for that review.

All right. Thank you. Do we need to vote on polling? Okay. So I made the motion to poll. Is there a second? Second. Any more discussion? All right. We'll call for the vote.

Board Member Ayala Quintero. Aye. Board Member Olson. Aye. President Rendler. Aye. Vice President Hollihan. Aye. Clerk Wilson. Aye. Motion carried, 5-0.

I need a motion to approve the minutes from June 2, 2025 and June 6, 2025 Special Board of Education meetings.

So moved.

Do we have a second? Second. Thank you, Patty. Thank you, Jeanette. Any discussion on that?

All right, call for the vote. Board Member Ayala Quintero?

Aye.

Board Member Olson? Aye. President Rendler? Aye. Vice President Hollihan? Aye. Clerk Wilson? Aye. Motion carried, 5-0.

In closed session, the board unanimously took action to accept the superintendent's recommendation to appoint J.J. Martinez to the position of principal of Beatty Middle School, effective July 9, 2025, as step five of the management team's salary schedule. J.J., do you have any family here tonight? Welcome. Welcome. Congratulations. In closed session, the board unanimously took action to accept the superintendent's recommendation to appoint Brian Davenport to the position of assistant principal at Citrus Valley High School, effective to be determined at step one of the management team's salary schedule. Brian. Do you have any family here tonight? Welcome, and welcome to Redlands. Welcome to Redlands Unified. In closed session, the board unanimously took action to accept the superintendent's recommendation to appoint Dr. Britta Davidson to the position of assistant principal at Redlands High School, effective July 9th, 2025, at step five of the management team's salary schedule. Britta, are you here? Oh, okay. Well, we welcome her anyway. In closed session, the board unanimously took action to accept the superintendent's recommendation to appoint Amy Prye to the position of coordinator for special education of special services. Effective July 9, 2025 at step five of the management team's salary schedule. Amy, are you here? No, but we'll welcome Amy into her new position. In closed session, the board unanimously took action to accept the superintendent's recommendation to terminate the employment of classified employee 2024-25-20, effective July 9, 2025, pursuant to Education Code Section 45113, and direct the superintendent or designee to send out appropriate legal notices. In closed session, the board unanimously took action to accept the superintendent's recommendation to immediately suspend without pay and to proceed to terminate the employment contract of Certificated Employee 2024-25-21 pursuant to Education Code Section 45123 and direct the superintendent or designee to send out appropriate legal notices. We now have a presentation from the San Bernardino Community College District. Welcome to Chancellor Rodriguez. Hello.

Good afternoon. Good evening, everyone. My name is Jose Torres. I'm the executive vice chancellor for San Bernardino Community College District. Our chancellor sends her deepest regrets. She could not be here. is tending to a personal emergency matter. She is in the hospital with a dear family member, so I apologize for that. But I'm here to represent our district. Our district represents both Crafton Hills College and Samaria Valley College, and I have a question for you all. Who here has attended one of those two institutions and or have family members that have attended? Please. Please. This is always one of my favorite parts that I love how the impact that both of our colleges have to our community. So before we give you an update as to what we're growing as a district and the community impact that we're making, I would like to show you a video of kind of demonstrates who we are a little bit.

Here in the largest county in the United States, big dreams find a home. S-B-C-C-D. What do these letters spell? Opportunity. We're home to Crofton Hills College, San Bernardino Valley College, and our very own PBS and NPR public media station, KVCR. This is where our community learns something new every day. Affordable tuition, uncompromised quality, over 20,000 bright students. Every year, 2,000 of them graduate to do big things. We're more than higher education. We're an economic engine. In total, we boost our local economy by $720 million every year, building things, supporting local jobs, and helping businesses grow. We also team up with our local schools so young students get a taste of college early on. Our students learn by doing. They clock in over 40,000 hours of community service a year, helping make our neighborhoods even better. And for anyone looking for new career skills or a second chance, our Economic Development and Corporate Training Center is here, welcoming everyone and ready to lend a hand. To every neighbor, every taxpayer, know that every dollar, every effort is an investment in our shared future. At SBCCD, every day is about creating opportunities right here.

Because it's finished and I just want to say I love this video and it highlights our history of almost 100 years next year. It's also important to tell you who we are and the great leadership that we have, the missionaries of our district. beginning by our Board Chair, Dr. Nathan Gonzalez, who is a resident of your Redlands, beautiful Redlands. Our Board Vice Chair, Joseph Williams. Our Board Clerk, Dr. Sharina Betters. Our Trustee, John Longville. Frank Reyes, the Trustee. Dr. Stephanie Houston, Trustee as well. Trustee Carlos Aguilera. And our two student trustees representing Valley, Crafton, Christian Espinosa, and Jasmine Garcia, our chancellor you see there. And then our Crafton Hills president, who is also a resident of Redlands as well, Dr. Kevin Horan. And our newest president of Valley College, Dr. Gilbert Contreras. So thanks to all of them for the leadership that they provide to our district. So as you can see on the screen, we serve approximately 28,000 students. They come from all over, and they get served at Corrective Hills College and Seminole Valley College. We serve over 22 cities and communities within the geographic area, and we have seven feeder districts, which one of you is yours. And also, we think we have, we say we have over 4 million plus students that we serve through our KVCR, both TV and radio, where we always say they learn something new every single day. ALSO, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW AFFORDABLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS. AS YOU CAN SEE THERE ON THE SCREEN, OUR CRAFTON HILSON VALLEY COLLEGE, OUR COST OF ATTENDANCE IS $1,250 PER YEAR. WHEN YOU COMPARE THAT TO A UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, CLOSE TO $14,000. EVEN THOSE NOT-FOR-PROFIT FOUR YEARS, CLOSE TO $45,000. SO I WON'T GO INTO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE NUMBERS. The quality and affordability is tremendous in our community colleges. We're also growing to offer modal career training. There's another video also that I want to show you here to highlight two of the latest projects that we have done at both of our campuses. So if we can play the video, please.

In 2018, you made a smart investment in the future of the San Bernardino Community College District to upgrade classrooms, labs, and career training facilities with Measure CC. Here's a quick look at the return on that investment. Over the last five years, we didn't just start building new facilities. We started raising the bar for local education with spaces that will strengthen our community, like the Future Workforce Training Building at San Bernardino Valley College and the Public Safety Training Center at Crafton Hills College. And we're just getting started. It's about building a cleaner, greener future with solar power lighting our classrooms, energy efficient buildings, and electric vehicle stations helping us all breathe easier. This isn't just about new buildings, it's about lifting our whole community. More than 20,000 local students, veterans, and neighbors are getting hands-on training and the skills they need for good paying careers. And that's good for all of us. We're creating local job opportunities for our neighbors. More than half the people building these projects are from right here in our community. $8 million in wages has stayed local and $163 million is supporting the local businesses that keep us strong. Great colleges make great communities, and thanks to Measure CC, we've made smart investments in the infrastructure and quality of education at Crafton Hills College and San Bernardino Valley College. Along the way, we've saved taxpayers over $64 million and laid the foundation for something we can all take pride in. But this is just the beginning. At the San Bernardino Community College District, your tax dollars are working for a stronger future.

So our latest project that is coming online is a performing arts center at Crafter Hill College. We hope to have you there at the ribbon cutting, which will be on Friday, September 19th. We'd love to have you there. So how do we support your students? We have this great thing called Duo Enrollment, where we serve approximately 4,000 students in the entire region. And They are enrolled in our campus, work campuses, and 473 of those students come from your district. So thank you for your partnership when it comes to that. Thank you for the local high schools, some of the instructors that you provide, that we provide as well. It's all a partnership of making sure that we continue serving you and serving the community that we serve. To show you a little bit of where our students are doing enrollment come from, you can see there in the map, the blue dots are all of our students that come from many different areas. We hope that this just highlights where they come from, and we hope that next year, if you get invited, that you get to see even more blue dots in the screen as well. Some of the classes and courses that our students, our dual enrolled students take, you can see here on the screen. One of the most popular is history, and that has a 94% success rate. That's pretty amazing, the success rate that our dual enrolled students are having in their classes. You can see there, the freshman composition, 88%. And kudos to those trying to take intro to probability statistics. That's a hard class to take. But you can see their success rates as well. Before we get to the end, just want to tell you a little bit more about KVCR, PBS, and NPR in our backyard. Very proud of the work that they're doing there. FNX, First Nation Experience, the first and only TV dedicated to indigenous people. We also, the show that I want to highlight is Learn With Me. It is in collaboration with the county superintendent of schools that this show was developed. It is a half an hour show. We use instructors, teachers from the region. And it's half of the show, 15 minutes in English, and half of it is in Spanish. It is amazing to see that kind of show at KVCR as well. So to probably run out of time, but just want to close out by saying thank you again for having us. Thank you for your partnership. We hope to see you at the Performing Arts Center. And anytime you're welcome to attend, to come and visit us at KVCR or any of our campuses, please feel free to reach out to us. And again, thank you so much for your leadership.

Thank you. Anybody have any questions? Anybody have any questions? No? No questions? Thank you so much. Appreciate it. Great presentation. Okay, now we're going to hear from Redlands Teacher Association, Steve Caperton.

Good evening, board members and Superintendent Cabral. Last week, I had the honor of representing the Redlands Teachers Association at the National Education Association's Annual Representative Assembly, also known as the RA. The National Educational Association, or NEA, is the largest union in the United States, representing over 3 million members across all 50 states. The RA is the largest democratic body in the world, comprising of over 8,000 representatives who make budgetary and policy decisions. It is an incredibly unique and valuable experience to work with my fellow educators across the country. At the RA, NEA President Becky Pringle reiterated a phrase used by educators across the nation. One job should be enough. In the wealthiest nation in the world, a person should be able to work one job and afford the essentials of life, food, housing, transportation, and healthcare. However, for many of my members and those of RESPA, one job is not enough. We face an affordability crisis in California. A veteran teacher with 20 years of experience can no longer afford to purchase a home in this community. The average monthly rent on a two-bedroom apartment in Redlands is over $2,000 a month. Our employees with families are paying between $600 and $900 a month for a standard HMO plan. Our funding from the state is not keeping up with the increase in expenses, leaving educators further behind every year. In his last budget presentation, Jason Hale discussed the deficit spending resulting from declining enrollment, low attendance, and inadequate state funding. Redlands Unified needs to devote its limited resources to meeting the needs of our students, As a body, you have a fiduciary duty to spend our dollars wisely and in ways that will provide the most significant impact on our students. Tonight, this board is set to adopt several new policies and regulations. These policies have stirred controversy in the community and exposes Redlands Unified to significant financial costs through litigation. Win, lose, or draw, the costs of litigation are high and will be borne on the backs of our students and employees. Every dollar we spend on litigation is a dollar we don't have to meet the needs of our students. Naturally, this raises the question, why is the board placing our financial interests at risk? What clear evidence of need has arisen to necessitate such risk? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is that there is no evidence of need. At the beginning of these discussions, this board agreed to conduct a survey to determine if a problem does exist. No survey was conducted, and no substantive evidence was presented to the community to justify the financial risk that this board is taking tonight. Furthermore, the community has spoken on this matter for the last several months, and the clear and compelling weight of opinion expressed to this board in the form of public speeches, letters, emails, and social media posts has been against taking these actions. In ignoring the pleas of the community, it has been argued that the results of the last election has created a mandate to pass such policies. However, this too is incorrect. Michelle, when you ran for office, these issues were not part of your platform. They did not come up until this year. Candy, congratulations on your win, but you did win a plurality vote. There were three candidates. 57% of voters in your area did not support your platform. Jeanette, you won a majority in your district by less than 200 votes. Taken as a whole, it is clear that this board lacks the political mandate of the voters to implement these policies and risk our financial health. As an elected representative of a large and diverse constituency, I understand the tension between my personal beliefs and my duties to the electorate I represent. I must continually weigh the impacts of my decisions against the overall health of the entity and strive to fulfill my legal and moral obligations in my role. I serve all of my members, not just those who voted for me. Tonight, I ask this board to avoid an unforced error. No proof of harm has been presented, and no mandate exists that requires this board to take action on these agenda items. The Redlands Teachers Association remains firm in its commitment to our students and members, and we will do everything within our power to meet this commitment. I ask this board to do the same. Thank you.

So we're moving on to board comments. Thank you. Moving on to board committee reports. Does anybody have anything to report?

Go ahead. There wasn't a meeting since our last meeting, so nope.

Okay. Nobody has anything? Our outreach is tomorrow. Okay. All right. Thank you. So thank you. Superintendent Cabral, do you have anything to report?

No, I do not.

Okay, we're going to be moving on to public participation, and I have something I'd like to say. I'd like to take a moment to personally thank all those who have called me and sent letters, emails, and texts, thanking me for working hard to make sure these policies are fair and balanced and that they consider all our students and families. I've been deeply touched and, quite frankly, overwhelmed by the significant amount of support I've received over the past few weeks, and I'm grateful for your prayers and encouragement during all these difficult times. It's been a challenging few weeks with letters, including inaccurate and inflammatory language being sent to nonprofit boards that I am seeking and that I'm on. They're seeking my removal and even picketing at my church just because we have a difference of opinion on these policies. However, I'm grateful for the opportunity this has presented to discuss and clarify these policies. I am humbled and grateful for the understanding and support I have received from many of my fellow board members at these two amazing local nonprofit organizations and from my fellow parishioners at my church. They have not only offered their support and prayers, they have also encouraged me to continue to lead with compassion and integrity in spite of what has been happening. They know that these communications clearly do not represent me. As an example, it is unfair and inaccurate that some are labeling me as an anti-LGBTQIA+, simply because they don't agree with these policies. Thank you. Let me be clear, I am not anti-LGBTQIA plus for anybody in that community. Although not acknowledged or recognized by some, I have worked hard to make sure these policies are considerate of all families and students and are fair and balanced while focusing on academics in the classroom, encouraging parental involvement in their children's education, and having age-appropriate material in our school libraries and media centers that do not contain sexually explicit content. I strongly encourage us all to focus on the content of the policies, rather than just discarding them based on misinformation or lack of understanding. I have had several people contact me to discuss them, and when reviewed, they recognize how balanced they are for all students. I will continue to act professionally and be welcoming to all, exemplifying the kind and respectful behavior that we hope to pass on to our children, a legacy of kindness, courage, and conviction in doing what is right, even when it's hard. And with that, I want to remind everyone that disruptions during the meeting will not be tolerated. In order to maintain a safe and orderly and productive environment, we ask that all attendees be mindful of the norms of civil discourse. This includes refraining from personal attacks, maintaining appropriate language and tone, and respecting the time limits during public comment. If disruptions continue, individuals may be asked to leave or escorted from the meeting in order to maintain a respectful and orderly environment. Our commitment is to listen. Every member of this board is here to serve our students and families and staff of Redlands Unified. We appreciate your presence, your input, and your partnership as we work together to support the success and well-being of every student on our district. Now, so on to the public participation. Community input for agendized items. Members of the public may address the board on matters within its jurisdiction by submitting a completed registration card to the clerk or designated staff member prior to the start of public comments on the agenda items. This is not a forum for debate. Policy-related complaints will be referred to the superintendent. When called, the speaker may proceed to the podium, state their name and trustee area, and speak for the allotted time. The amount of time will be announced by the board president before the first speaker begins and will not exceed three minutes. How many speaker cards do we have tonight?

Roughly 225 that we have that are agenda items. We spent a little bit of time pulling the cards that had to do with items S, T, and U, which are the three policies that were pulled by the board at the start of the meeting.

Okay.

Okay.

We didn't count those yet.

Okay.

Okay.

It was a total of 321 cards minus what we removed. Okay. So that's about right.

Okay. So are we okay with 45 for a minute?

225. 225.

45. We have 225. Are you okay with 45, Melissa? Yes. I mean, I can go to one. I'm okay with one to one. Okay. Okay. Let's let Jeanette weigh in. Jeanette, 45 or one minute? Okay. So we're going to have 45 seconds to speak. Okay. So we'll call the first speaker. Okay. Call the first three, I guess. Let them come up.

Okay. Our first speaker is John Berry, followed by Valerie Zavis, followed by Jennifer Escobar.

Welcome, John.

Items 13P and Q, the Supreme Court has recently upheld the Texas case that ID can be required to view porn. That landmark decision should be impacting these two policies. And keep in mind that the Supreme Court has long ruled that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment. Item 13R, it's an absolutely horrible idea that pride flags should be allowed on a teacher's desk. Teachers have the power of authority over students. A pride flag in our teachers' DAC is not only undue influence, but it's also an abuse of power.

Thank you, John.

So on the flag policy, only the American flag should be displayed in a classroom because it stands as the sole unwavering symbol of our nation's identity, freedom, and unity that binds us all.

Any other flag, sexual or political, does not do that. And then the books.

Can I do the next one?

Yes.

Sexual content has no place in our public schools because it undermines age appropriate education, exposes minors to material that is inappropriate, and distracts from the core mission, which is academics. And some of you who want to keep these books accessible to children because one of them may relate to it, to a rape scene or an incest story, that child needs a good therapist, not a book in a public school library that could actually re-traumatize them instead of offering real support.

Thank you.

Thank you, Val. Jennifer Escobar.

Welcome, Jennifer.

Good evening. This is about the library materials 1312.2. One of the major problems with this proposed policy which three of you have supported regardless of strong community opposition is that though the district policy as it is written now allows for a parent or guardian to determine what their child will not access. This policy expands parents' power to stop my child from accessing materials. I do not want other children's parents barring my children from reading books. I do not want other people's beliefs or opinions about what constitutes so-called sexually explicit or so-called inappropriate vulgarity or obscene books to stop my child from accessing those books that have been reviewed by expert librarians. California law says students should be able to access diverse materials, and the policy you're proposing violates that. Thank you, Jennifer.

Next up, we have Cooper, followed by Erica Grossman, and then followed by Cheryl Rain.

I still have three cards, yes?

I'll come Cooper. Sorry. Actually, after Cooper, I missed Jenny Cross. Yeah, Cooper. Three.

My name's Cooper. I'm from trustee area two. The revision to 1312. Two is a shortcut to censorship.

Excuse me. I'm sorry. Can you hold on one second? One second. I'll let you start over. Just a second. Oh, I couldn't hear it. They yelled something. Oh, seriously?

Can you ask one of the security to go out? Okay. Can he ask one of the security to go out?

Yes, it did. Okay, Cooper, I'm sorry. Can you start this time over? Thank you. Ready?

Ready?

The revision to 1312 is a shortcut to censorship. You're proposing a process that sidesteps educators and gives political agendas a direct line to ban books. By fast-tracking complaints about sexual content, you're opening the door to coordinated attacks, especially against books with LGBTQ plus characters or themes of racial justice. This isn't about protecting kids, it's about making sure certain kids don't see themselves at all. That's not leadership, it's cowardice. If you vote for this, you're not defending children, you're silencing them, and history will remember exactly who did it. On the board policy 6,000, it's not a policy, it's a cleanup, it's a cover-up. You're stripping equity language so you don't have to be accountable to the students who need you most. You're saying the quiet part out loud. Equity makes you uncomfortable. Evidence-based practices are inconvenient. You want a job that's easier, not more just. But students of color, queer students, disabled students, they're all watching you. If you can't say your job is to serve every student, then you don't belong on this board. Ceremonies and flag displays. We all know the policy isn't neutral. It's a backdoor ban on pride flags, Back Live Matters flags, and anything that affirms the existence of students you'd rather ignore. You're not preserving tradition, you're enforcing silence, and all of the students watching see that. If inclusion makes some adults uncomfortable, that's not a reason to erase it. It's a reason to fight harder for it. Pass this, and your message is clear. Some students matter here, and some don't. You should feel ashamed to try to teach them that.

Next up, Jenny Cross. Sorry. Jenny Cross, then Erica, and then... Welcome, Jenny.

Thank you.

This board has repeatedly shown its willingness to risk our tax dollars by putting us in the crosshairs with state law. The book challenge policy versus AB 1078 state policy could cost us millions. It's true of this policy as well as the parent notification policy. This is not fiscal responsibility. This is 100% reckless culture war policy. As a volunteer, I take this recklessness personally. It's a slap in the face to all the parents who spend their time, and I know you know this, Michelle, as a PTA member in the past that I've actually worked with. We spend our time and our own money to support classrooms, PTAs, booster clubs. We work so hard as volunteers to add money to our programs, and with these votes, you could undo all of that with one vote.

Thank you, Tammy. Thank you. Welcome, Mariko.

Happy Pride Month. Happy Disability Pride Month. Project 2025 aims to dismantle public education. So perhaps Candy and Janet would welcome a lawsuit that costs us millions. The federal government has already moved to withhold $7 billion from public schools. Meanwhile, holding two board meetings every month driven by Candy and Janet to push for these harmful policies has led to prolonged sessions, increased security staff, and costly overtime pay. You're sitting there draining resources from our district. Some of our school counselors and librarians have already lost their jobs. Who's next? Texas held its school board elections this past May, and voters overwhelmingly rejected candidates who supported book bans and pushed anti-LGBTQ plus policies. Even in conservative districts, people are rejecting censorship because that's not what democracy looks like. I want to share a quote from James Baldwin, one of America's greatest civil rights voices. I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hate so stubbornly is because they sense once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain. Have the courage to confront yourselves with honesty and truth. Whatever pain you may feel in facing discrimination is nothing compared to the pain endured daily by those who are its targets. With this policy, you're even trying to restrict what teachers can display on their desks. That's not just overreach. It may violate constitutional protections and California's anti-discrimination laws. Some classrooms feature Christian messages, Buddhist symbols, even Laker and Dodger flags alongside the American flag. Will you be banning all that or just pride flags and Black Lives Matter signs because those are the ones you disagree with? That's viewpoint discrimination and courts have ruled that unconstitutional. Stop draining resources from our schools. Go find a hobby that doesn't spend taxpayer money. Vote now.

Thank you, Erica.

Welcome, Cheryl.

Thank you.

All right, thank you. A Christian pastor and do justice, love mercy, walk humbly. And one of the things I'm finding is I don't see a lot of humility in the fact that there is so many people. There's a preponderance of comments received since the policies have been discussed starting in January. And scripture reminds us that scripture has been used in all sorts of ways to support things like slavery, apartheid, silencing of people of color. Scripture has also been used to denounce those things. So humility is absolutely important when we look at new policies. And I find policy 615 is unloving because it disallows students from celebrating their identity, and it will marginalize those people who are already marginalized. Thank you, Cheryl. Thank you.

Next up we have Peter Kane, followed by Quinn, and followed by Melanie Medlin.

Welcome, Peter.

Peter Cain, parent, teacher, and product, I'm here in support of all RUSD LGBTQ students and their community at large. This proposed flag ban and calendar policy is discriminatory and harmful, to say the least. Michelle, I don't know why you continue taking notes, as you are right now, because you vote against the overwhelming majority of the Redlands community as we continue to voice our displeasures meeting after meeting. If you continue to vote with them, I hope you feel completely unwelcome on our USD campuses, at your church, and in the Redlands general public because you are betraying our community. Patty and Melissa, we love you. Keep fighting. This too shall pass.

My name is Quinn Shea. I should have three. Welcome, Quinn. I should have three. Also, please pause my timer. Thank you. I should have three cards? Yes. Okay. Thank you. Hello, board. My name is student Quinn Shea. I'm an incoming 8th grader at Yarmcote Middle School. I'd first like to speak on item number 1312.2, approve revision of administrative regulation complaints. Concerning library or media center materials, this would allow loopholes to perpetually ban books. It wouldn't value librarians, and it would conflict with California law and could cause lawsuits. This is mainly breaking the law AB 1078, a law designed to prohibit book banning in schools and ensure students have access to diverse instructional materials. I'm just saying, get ready for the lawsuits. Both me and everyone here know they will be coming. Hello, board. As I've said before, my name is Quinn Shea. Anyways, the reason I'm speaking on item letter Q, section 13, is due to the fact that this would prohibit so-called obscene material without explaining what you would call obscene. This also ties into number 1312.2, which is attempting to ban books. If both items are accepted, they could be qualified as censorship, which just alone, these first two policies that I've spoken on tonight, already give you three Brown Act violations. Do better. You should be ashamed. Just do better. I would also like to speak on possible board policy 6.1.1.5, also known as letter R, section 13. This is just another cut, let's be honest, this is just another cut and paste of the Chino and Temecula policy, which this board seems to do a lot. If this is passed, it can be counted as discriminatory towards LGBTQ students and staff. This exact type of litigation cost Temecula upwards of $100,000 U.S. dollars and was rescinded once they lost the lawsuit. Do we really want to lose $100,000 over flags? I say vote no. Keep the flags. The representation shows people who they are, just like our motto shows we are supposed to be. Do better, stop acting childish, and vote no.

Thank you, friends. Welcome, Melanie.

Hi.

Hello. Melanie Medlin, Area 1. Our USD's mission is to provide a quality education to our students. This ought to include exposure to the rich diversity we witness across our shared humanity. It is our obligation, joy, and privilege to teach in a setting that is safe, welcoming, and affirming of the identities and infinite value of each of our learners. Say what you will, but we all know that the intent of the flag and observances policy is to shame other and erase a group of our fellow human beings. Not welcoming, not safe, not loving, caring, or compassionate.

Indeed, it is mean-spirited and ugly. Our USD is better than this. Thank you.

Thank you, Melanie. Thank you.

Next up we have Dale Broom followed by Jeff Pogge and then followed by Ella Keeling.

Welcome, Dale.

Okay, Dale Broom, Area 1. And I would like to discuss the three cards I submitted, first being the library book policy. And I want to encourage the board to go ahead and pass this policy to help protect children from age-inappropriate and sexually graphic books. Now, some people have been questioning, well, what are the criteria for obscene material? It is very well defined in the California Penal Code. It is against the law to distribute obscene material, and it's very descriptive. It's not just video. It's not just photos. It also includes written material. So that is a criteria that you can use. Now, I was involved in critiquing many of the books. We found nine books that had very sexually graphic material. Three of them were actually found in middle schools, actually a total of seven copies. And how they got in there, they weren't even recommended according to the review organizations. Thank you. On the second subject, which is the curriculum books, I would also support that the board pass this policy as well for removal and eliminate, but I would agree with everything in the proposal with the exception that you need to be consistent between the two policies, between the library book and this policy. This one has the word pervasive pornography. Now what that would potentially mean is that Curriculum books could have even more sexually graphic material that doesn't reach the criteria of pervasiveness, but it would still allow even the most sexually graphic books to be able to be used for required reading in schools. So I would urge that you be consistent and remove that word pervasive pornography out of there. Thank you. And the third topic that I wanted to talk about was the flag policy. I do support this policy because it keeps the school districts and employees from promoting political and social agendas in the classroom. We need to keep the classrooms neutral. Particularly flags and things that might offend parents and students. Now let's realize that in the classroom... The consumers, the customers are the students and the parents, okay? Now, if I have a secular job, very few private employers, and certainly the federal government bans this type of stuff on the, I still have 13 seconds, ban these type of flags in the public workspace. A classroom and the teacher's desk is a public workspace. And we need to keep it very neutral and not be trying to influence students. Thank you. Thank you, Dale.

Could you remind them that we need to be able to hear the speakers?

Between when the speakers are waiting to do their next thing, if we can refrain from all that clapping, because it's hard for us to hear when they start talking. Thank you. Welcome, Jeff. Thank you.

Thank you school board for your work.

and thank the staff for managing. Just a moment ago, I thanked the board for the hard work they do. I'll be pardoning these issues, members, so I'll send in those that are not working, but perform me.

And you, president, are performing with them.

I say perform me, because these issues have already been decided at the state level. Putting them on the agenda now to enact is to invite lawsuits the district is guaranteed to lose. My concern to family members here is to say, You can continue. The display media materials policies function perfectly well for years. If you are conservative, it ain't broke. These members are venting these issues are hammers looking for imaginary males.

Thank you. Thank you, Jeff. Welcome, Ella.

Hello, my name is Ella Keeling. I'm an upcoming eighth grader here in Redlands, and I would like to speak on the flag and ceremony policy. At my school, many of my teachers display pride flags in their classroom for one reason. To all students, though, they are accepted. This gesture also has one effect, creating a safe place for all students, especially those who rarely find themselves in such. Never would the average student going on with their day see a pride flag as a political symbol, because it isn't. Studies such as a Trevor Project say that more than 1 in 10 LGBTQ plus children attempted suicide in the past year, and an astounding 50% of queer youth in the past year strive for mental health care and were not able to access it. Peace symbols such as a pride flag have absolutely no purpose but to create safe places, which can make a huge difference for students who are unable to access mental health care.

Thank you, Ella.

Next up, we have Trisha Keeling, followed by Nathan Garraday, followed by Mark somebody. That.

I'd like to start by saying that it was a great speech by the Teachers Association. And he was absolutely right. You went on none of these when you tried to get this seat, Michelle. And I can't wait to work to get you out of that seat. Thank you. OK. So this may be the fourth or fifth time speaking on this issue. So instead of trying to reason, You're determined to drag our school through the headlines and court cases. I'll let the public know about 1078, the California state law this policy will violate. It is a law designed to prohibit book banning in schools and to ensure students have access to diverse instructional materials. It was created and required school districts and county offices of education to amend their existing non-discrimination policies to include language clarifying. Okay. Okay. Onto the next one. Also, he was right about Jeanette. She only won by 197 votes, so. Anyways, I have foiled numerous emails from board members Candy Olson and Jeanette Wilson, and I know for a fact they aim to prohibit books with LGBTQ themes from our schools. These can be found on our Instagram together for Redlands. Our district will be breaking the law. In addition, when board members Jeanette Wilson and Candy Olson were not on the board, they made complaints about nine books along with their biggest campaign donor. Those complaints cost the district $20,000. not from your pockets, from our pockets, from our tax-paying dollars. They still remain in circulation. How much will this useless policy cost our already underfunded district? These dollars will come from our classrooms and be used in court cases and for silly reasons. Okay, next one. Flag bands. I've made many public comments about this topic. This is a policy straight from Temecula and Chino. In Temecula, this exact one cost the district $100,000 to litigate through the Public Employee Relations Board. Then it was rescinded. It is plainly discriminatory towards LGBTQ staff and students. In other FOIAs I've pulled, I was able to see how members of the ARC Church were collaborating with board members Olson and Wilson to address this issue and specifically talk about banning the pride flag. In past FOIA emails, board member Candy Olson admitted to having the pride flag banned as a goal. Board President Rendler, by passing this policy and voting yes, you are contributing to discriminating against children, against kids. You can stop this now.

Thank you so much.

Nathan? No? Maybe he's outside, yeah. Why don't we go ahead with Mark, and then we can go back to Nathan if he comes in.

Welcome, Mark.

Thank you. I'm Mark Wolkenhauer, and Patty, I want to thank you for representing me and your area. Rather than repeat what other people have said and use all my notes, I'm addressing the banners and books first, P and Q. And I urge you to consider your role of representing the entire community. I know that in your mind you're already set on this vote, but I urge you to consider the fact that your goal, as stated in the mission statement, is much broader than a narrow definition of what books should be banned. There's no, I'm a psychologist, there's no evidence that banning books is going to prevent people from being exposed to trauma. But the best way to do this is through openness. This is what the district has already had a problem with on the molestations by teachers and all the money we've spent on that because our administration and the hierarchy is not an open-minded place. It really is tragic to see what happens with our budget and with the people involved in these things. Regarding the flags, I want you to know that I am a parent of two children who are LGBTQ, and I say that with their permission. And I just want to – Time. I have three.

Oh, you have three cards. Okay. Okay.

And I want you to know that the hardships that go along with coming out, not feeling supported, hearing the statistics about suicide for trans people is something that is real. Fortunately, we were able to support our children, and they enhanced my life every day. I didn't decide whether or not to love them when they came out. I continue to love them for who they are. These policies are hurtful for them. You have to see that. It's not a Christian mandate. I'm a Christian to limit people's books or not to celebrate their gayness with flags. It is a policy that is hurtful, dangerous, because a lot of suicides, and I think it's outside your area of expertise. Thank you. Thank you, Mark.

Thank you. I didn't catch your name. I'm sorry.

I'm Nathan Garibay.

Nathan.

Yes.

Oh, back there. Okay. Welcome.

Thank you. All right. I'll start. In 2023, Youth Risk Behavior Survey found the national rate for students' suicide was 20.4%. It is lifelines like books and actual change we make that helps create support for us students. But let's look at what it seems to be when we cut off this lifeline. In Montana, we see a spike, 28.7% suicide rate for students. New Mexico, 24. We see time and time again, once we cut off the lifeline for these books that children need to relate to, we see a mass, massive incline in suicide rates. So I ask you today not to vote on your own biases or ideologies, but to focus on your kids, the lives of your students.

Thank you.

Okay, next up we have Rebecca Acosta, followed by Izzy Strauss and Corrine Payton.

Welcome, Rebecca.

I have three?

Yes.

I'm here to first discuss 1312.2. I would like to draw attention to Section 2. In Section 2, a book can be pulled for perceived sexual content. I refuse to use the word pornography because we don't carry Hustler in our libraries or play Pornhub in our media centers. These books do not need to be read by the board for context or for relevancy, just removed and voted on. Now contrast this with Section 1, in which any other complaint lies, such as racism, homophobia, or violence. Now a book stays on the shelf. Now a team and a librarian read it to determine context. The book could be Mein Kampf, it stays on the shelf, and that is not equitable. We've labeled certain complaints as more worthy than others, but let's all pretend this is for the innocent children. We all know the angle is carte blanche to remove books not aligned with the religious and political narratives that this board is pushing under the guise of purity. The board is revising policy 6,000 to include their obsession with pornography. I've never met three people who think about porn more. You can find these terms obscene and libacious. Libacious is a dangerous term, as it is completely subjective. Cesar Chavez marches for fair treatment and wages, liable against the great companies. Obscenity is another dangerous term, simply meaning offensive. Again, subjective. Learning about Joseph McCartney in 2025 Candy Olsen targeting homosexuals and how that led to the Stonewall riots and the Stonewall riots leading to pride, obscene. The children might learn gays exist. The board does two things very well. They use inflammatory language so that the layman draws up the most horrific image in their mind. The second thing is intentionally not defining their terms to give themselves power. We know what the board's purposes are, and that is erasure of the LGBTQ community and the whitewashing of history. Until your next one.

Let's see if I can get this one in 45 seconds.

Okay, Policy 6115. What is the punishment for violating a board policy? Who enforces the policy? What really happens when we engage in our First Amendment right en masse? It says that school districts and school-sponsored events must align with the district's educational goal. But may I remind you that our board policies do not align with our district goals. To have our current policies serve only to limit our students' participation through censorship. Censorship of their and their teachers' rights. If further states school events cannot endorse a political or social belief, yet we live in a time when the mere mention of someone from a minority group achieving something is considered political. Social belief is so vague that it can be construed to mean absolutely anything that the three board members disagree with, and they each intend it this way. They intend it vaguely because it gives them power. They want this policy vague like they want every policy vague so that they can do as they please.

Thank you, Rebecca. Izzy? Welcome, Izzy.

Which one am I talking about first?

Pardon? How many cards? Two. Two.

Okay. Hi, my name is Izzy, and I'm going into my junior year of high school. And I'm here to talk about the flag policy and book policy. The flag policy is not just unnecessary, it is outright harmful. Flags like the Pride flag, the Black Lives Matter flag, and others aren't just pieces of fabric. They represent students' identities, their struggles, and support systems. Taking them away silences voices that already feel unseen. This policy doesn't promote unity. It enforces silence and fear. We should be creating a school environment where students feel safe and supported, not erased.

Thank you.

and for book bands. Book bands, they don't protect students. They censor us. They erase diverse voices, lived experiences, and the uncomfortable truths that help us grow, question, and understand the world. Taking away stories about race, gender, sexuality, and history doesn't make these topics disappear. It just makes students feel like their identities and realities aren't worth talking about. Education should expand our minds, not limit them. And if you're afraid of students reading these books, maybe the problem isn't the books. It's the truth that they tell. As a school board, I think it's insane that you guys are valuing your own political bias over actual human lives.

Thank you.

Thank you, Nancy. Thank you.

Welcome, Corinne. Thank you.

I should have two speaker cards just to confirm. Okay. On the topic of book bands, books are windows into different lives, ideas, and histories. They help students make sense of the world. They help us ask tough questions and build empathy. Building books does not erase any of the issues or the identities that this board is concerned with. They still exist and will always exist. All this policy does is make it more difficult for young people to navigate and understand our world. By banning books today, you are not helping students protect themselves from the issues that you are worried about, you are ensuring they will never be able to handle them when they face them. Censorship has never led to a stronger society, only weaker and ignorant people. Embracing open knowledge, debate, and understanding have benefited our society. On flag bans, banning cultural and pride flags is not a statement of neutrality, it's a statement of erasure. These flags are not political statements. They represent people's identities, communities' histories, and the right for everyone to be seen. Removing them tells students and community members that who they are is inappropriate or controversial, that they do not have a right as Americans to go to school authentically as themselves. School is meant to be a place that is safe for everybody. This is not creating a safe space. It's creating silence and ignorance. We cannot teach inclusion by modeling exclusion. It is disgusting that this board is prioritizing banning pride flags and cultural flags instead of addressing the actual issues addressing students and community members. members.

Thank you, Corinne.

Next up, we have Joette Orman, followed by Pat Mahler, followed by Cindy Alvarez Nordstrand. Is Joette outside? Joette? Orman.

Okay. Can you call Pat up first?

Yeah, Pat, is Pat in here?

She's right here.

Yeah, she's right there. Yes. That's my name. Yes, I mispronounced it. Yeah. Yeah.

Okay. First, Board Call 1312.2, library materials. I want you guys to remember, that is what you agreed to follow. Michelle, you disappoint me in this. That is what you said you campaigned on, but that's not what's happening here. Changing worlds, diverse, multicultural, democratic, several unique communities. You want that to go away. Okay. Because democracy is uncomfortable. And it's not, if you want things, a nice, safe world with books that don't offend you with vague language, I would give you a D in my grade book for the vagueness of the language with which you're going to impose this. It ain't history. It's propaganda that you're seeking to impose. Next one. I have to report policy 6,000 concepts and roles. As a person who has LGBTQ students and children, this offends me. Where are my rights? Where are the rights of my students? Where are the rights of the students who don't look and worship just as you? This is a diverse community. Again, mission statement. This is a diverse community we live in. Jeanette, Michelle, and Candy. And you can smirk all you want. That smirk and the looking at the phone. Man, you'd be in detention in my classroom. What is obscene? What is obscene is very, very vague, and that is going to make us self-censor. You don't trust the professionals. We are expected to trust you to know what's obscene. Okay. 13R. This is a cut-and-paste policy from Temecula and Chino. The students deserve better. And here's the thing. You have sworn to work for the district, to represent them. Michelle, it's not balanced. There's not an equal number of voices. You hear again and again. You hear the numbers. You see it. Michelle, you're going to end up being voted out. We're not going away. You're overheard saying it'll all die down. Michelle, it's not going to die down. We're not going anywhere. And you know that I'm polite, and I do not use foul language at you or at the board. We expect observing things. Excuse me, my time, not yours. We need to support students. We need to support schools, not lawsuits.

Thank you. Thank you. I'm Cindy.

Joette.

Or Joette. Cindy. Welcome, Cindy. Hi.

Okay.

Can I go ahead? I'm speaking on both of the book policies. My name is...

She said, okay, and I started the clock. Can you please start it over? I'll start it over.

Thank you. I hadn't started over, did I?

Not you, them.

Are you ready? I'm ready. Okay. Hi, my name is Cindy Alvarez-Nardstrand. I live in Area 5. Never once has it occurred to me, you know what, I should try to get any book banned at my neighbor's kid's school. This obsession about what other people's kids are doing is creepy and I trust my neighbors to make decisions and talk to their kids about what they're reading. I trust librarians to make the professional judgments you do not have the qualifications to be making. This reads as controlling and petty, and there's so much good you can actually be doing for your community, yet you choose to impose policies you know damn well will elicit lawsuits and drain funds, resulting in higher property taxes for your neighbors. This attempt at fascism is despicable. Be better or expect this community to keep calling you out. Nothing says you believe in education like hiding ideas from students.

Thank you, Cindy. Has Joette come in the room?

No. Next up, we have Jeff Ensign, followed by Aya F., followed by Jean Saglam.

Is Jeff here? Welcome, Jeff.

Hi. This is the first time I've ever attended something like this. I got to say, with regards to this flag thing and the book thing, my ancestor was burned as a witch. That's all I got to say to you guys. My ancestor was burned as a witch.

Thank you, Jeff.

Aya? Welcome, Aya.

Okay, so how many cards do I have there? I just wanted, oh.

No, no, no, that was from the last speaker. We'll reset it. You have five.

I should have six.

For the policies that we pulled.

One of your cards was pulled because it was about the three. Oh well.

Um, I'll deal with that then. So, first off, 13A. I'm happy knowing that we are approving a field trip for my classmates and the Redlands High School cheer team. While I oppose notions of competition and work that serve to alienate my fellow classmates, I recognize that it will be something that these students will get to look back on as a vivid memory from their high school career. This is in contrast to the time I am spending here in this board meeting. I support approving this consent item. 13.0. Hot meals are great. On principle, this looks to be decent. My complaint, however, is that a lot of this breakfast, such as the breakfast we have at our school, Redlands High School, is not at all nutritious and reinforces in us a diet damaging to both our health and development. At least give us an option to eat healthy food without having to pay for it. We have a diverse school with lots of variances in financial status. People have the right to live healthy, and it's not like we can't afford to. We can't afford it. It is, in fact, cheaper to eat healthy food compared to the slob served, such as pizza, chicken tenders, and whatnot. Even if it isn't that marginally cheaper, it is something that we should allocate funds towards because we deserve better than the stuff they serve at our schools. 13H. This is an... Oh, never mind. Okay. Okay. So, 13P, 1312.2. Hello. So, I'm a trans student at RHS. And once again, for the hundredth time, we come to this podium knowing full well you ain't listening to us. Because no matter how many complaints we make, it just seems like you, Michelle, are so insistent on passing a policy that works against legitimizing our existence as queer youth. Yet from this policy, any complaint, no matter its character, is enough to remove any book from RUSD shelves. Isn't that hypocritical? You're all for removing books based on any minor complaint, but substantive arguments against tools of oppression suddenly take on a full character? Either way, this was never about protecting kids, so I'm not surprised. So, 13Q. When I take a look at these policies, the same insidious agenda is put on display. You label me and all the rest of my LGBTQ friends as pornographic, saying that you're protecting kids by censoring important information that could really help queer kids navigate through their lives. This is the same school district that has pedophiles masquerading as educators. Get your priorities straight. This is an institutional problem, and this is a natural progression of authoritarian power structures, which rely on our atomization into students with no real bargaining power. Gender essentialism may only be one aspect of that oppression, but the damage it does is real. I reject this policy. Though a flag is, of course, only a flag, I'm speaking on 13R, they bestow a great deal of meaning which permeates into the existing world. Through the open acceptance of pride, we foster a community of individuals who respect one another, such that we can actually create united student bodies which address our needs independently. of authority. Of course, you want to get rid of this so we can be subservient minions to US patriotism, as you like to call it. So guess what? Screw your notion of patriotism. Screw the US empire. The only thing I pledge allegiance to is to our collective material flourishing and well-being. And that can only come through the acceptance of all students.

Welcome, Jean.

I have two cards.

So the first one I'm speaking on is the flag-banding 13R. Your vote today shows who you stand for, vulnerable students or not. The personal display of pride flag at school is a classroom is protected under the California Assembly Bill in 1955 and Title IX. Using the word neutral when individuals, children, binary children, gay children already exist is is by showing the flag only shows they belong and are included. Saying you're neutral is a joke. They already exist. Book banning, 1312.2P, this policy change is attempting to circumvent librarians, professionals. Parents already have the right to restrict books with their child, not everyone else's. By voting yes on this proposed policy change, you are willfully breaking California law. California Assembly Bill 1825, the Freedom to Read Act. This bill prevents librarians from banning materials. based on topic, views, ideas, opinion, national race, agenda, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, sexual content, unless it is considered obscene under Supreme Court proceedings.

Thank you, Jean.

Next up, we have Brianna Bramer, followed by... Reid Bramer, followed by Rod Zambrouse.

Is Brianna here? I think so. Yeah, I think so.

Three cards. Welcome, Brianna. Thank you. Three cards, P, Q, and R? Okay. Three cards. Good evening. My name is Brianna Bramer. I live in trustee area two. Vote no on regulation 1312.2 because it's an invitation for hate groups to target books containing supportive messages for LGBTQ plus youth. It will also grind every school board meeting to a halt. Under section two, the principal must remove the book in question within three days of receiving a complaint that it contains perceived depictions of sex. And there's no mechanism to filter out obviously frivolous complaints. I mean, I could file a complaint against the Winnie the Pooh series on the grounds that its main character walks around without pants. And as it's currently written, the principal would have to take that complaint seriously and then remove the book from the library, and then this board would have to hold a public hearing within 45 days of my complaint. I could do that over and over again. Going on to Q. The revisions to Board Policy 6000, which purport to ban depictions of sex or obscene material, are unnecessary and superfluous. We all know that this language was added to Bolster Regulation 1312.2's attempt to ban books, and it's telling that even when trying to ban depictions of perceived sex or profanity, this board recognizes that determinations regarding appropriateness with the policy often must be made on a case-by-case basis. And the board encourages discussions amongst administrators and teachers to facilitate such determination. But what makes you think those discussions haven't already happened? If a book is on the curriculum or in the public library, it's because a teacher or librarian has evaluated that book and determined it has educational value, sometimes in spite of, but oftentimes because of its sex or profanity. Lastly, on the Fiat flag ban, I urge you to vote no. As the landmark case Tinker v. Des Moines correctly held, it can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate. This regulation is unconstitutional because it prevents students from displaying flags, including the pride flag, and improperly restricts their right to free speech. This regulation is a waste of taxpayer resources, will cost the district hundreds of thousands of dollars, and harms our students. It may be difficult for some of you to understand the significance of the pride flag, but I want you to remember that feeling when you're alone in a parking lot and you have a sense of dread because someone could use that as an opportunity to harm you. Imagine if that feeling never went away, right? That is what some LGBTQ plus people experience. The pride flag gives them space and comfort. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you, Brianna. Welcome, Reed.

I have free tickets?

Yes.

My name is Reed Bramer, Trustee, District 2. I'm an attorney and father who opposes the Flagg Policy 6115 and the Book Review Policies AR 1312.2 and BP 6000. On the flag ban, this is a pointless, costly policy that serves no purpose but to engage in culture war food fights. We've seen other districts litigate and lose on identical policies to the tune of millions in legal fees. And that's just what it costs the district. Don't forget that the other side of this litigation is the state, meaning we the taxpayers will end up paying lawyers on both sides of this stupid fight. Certain board members probably have no problem defunding our public school system. Taking over working institutions, making them worse, and then using that as an excuse to kill them is a well-worn conservative tactic. For the people supporting this policy, that's a win-win. But for the rest of us, it's a lose-lose. All because certain weirdo freaks turn into giant babies when they see a rainbow. Vote no. On the book review policy, because you have already voted to advance it once despite public opposition, I will not try to appeal to your conscience. Instead, I'll appeal to your self-interest. Nobody likes these meetings, I suspect least of all you, especially when they last until midnight and there are mostly people yelling at you. This policy will make that problem worse. Every complaint for perceived explicit materials must be pulled immediately, at which point the only body that can adjudicate the merits of the complaint is this one. Nobody has discretion to dismiss frivolous complaints, and there is no requirement that the complaint make a prima facie case that there are actually explicit materials. That means every single complaint will result in a public hearing before this body, no matter how meritless. Any district president has the power to grind these proceedings to a halt and hold you here into the wee hours debating whether Curious George's nakedness is perverse. If you value your time, you should vote no. The best case scenario is that you're going to have to sit here for the rest of your tenure and hear balding, mustachioed weirdos read so-called smut into the record as at least one...

Thank you, Reid.

I have one more ticket.

Oh, you do?

As at least one supporter of this policy keeps... You're going to sit here and listen to balding, mustachioed weirdos read so-called smut into the record as at least one supporter of this policy keeps doing.

You need to move on to the next topic.

No, I've got one more ticket. You didn't restart my time, so I just kept talking.

Okay, do your third topic. Okay.

Luckily, I have less than 45 seconds left. As a final note, Michelle, I heard what you had to say to start this meeting, and I will take you at your word that you tried to engage in this process in good faith. I'm sure this is a much more moderate position than many people you know would prefer. But it's not that we are objecting to these policies as immoderate. We're objecting to the very existence of these policies. No amount of moderation will cure the original sin here, which is that these policies have no reason to exist except to be abused. I suspect you believe these policies are moderate because you are surrounding yourself with people that are more extreme than they or you are willing to admit. And importantly, they're much more extreme than your constituency, including me, which you should remember in 2026.

Thank you, Reed. Welcome, Rod.

Hi. Rod Zambros. I'm in District 5. I'd just like to read a story.

Sorry. Sorry.

Lot and his two daughters lived in a cave. One day the older daughter said to the younger, let's get our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line. That night they got their father to drink and the older daughter went in and slept with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. The next day they got their father to drink wine that night also. The younger daughter went in and slept with him. Again, he was not aware of it. So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father. Elder abuse, drug-facilitated sexual assault, incest, rape, unwed pregnancy. We need to get rid of that book.

Thank you, Rod. Thank you.

Next up we have Robert Bourne, followed by Bruce Laycook, followed by Douglas Hauser. Welcome, Robert.

Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, board members, fellow citizens, My name is Robert Bourne. I'm District 1, Patty. I'm a parent of four RHS graduates, two teachers, a grandfather, two current students, and a family doctor in this area since 1979. Family doctors are taught to practice trauma-informed care. This board, in Regulation 1312-2, is designed to cause trauma for students who are unable to find literature about children like themselves in the school library. The flag policy and forced outing is trauma as well. Since it appears these resolutions are going to pass, despite the fact they're probably unlawful, I encourage all teachers and librarians in the district lawfully to disobey unlawful orders. It's also worth considering these issues are trauma and... They need to be brought out as child abuse, and they all need to be reported as child abusers.

I thought he had two quotes. I thought you said you had two.

Can I get a point of order that no one else but the President should be silencing our constituents? Because it's happened multiple times, and when I do something, it gets called out right away. But this has happened numerous times.

Port of order also. Is there a way to stop the mic? Well, I just need to know how many cards.

I need to know how many cards they have when they come up.

Well, when the beeper goes off and they're still talking about the same subject. But I'll try to tell you the number of cards, too. Hi, Bruce. Welcome.

Thank you.

One card.

No, I have two. R and P. Ask them.

He had it. He changed. Yeah.

Thank you. First item, 13R. When Christ walked the earth, he caused controversy. He had major problems with community leaders. He touched lepers, spoke highly of despised Samaritans, and frankly, told off the scribes and Pharisees. He called his followers to follow the two great commandments. Love God, love your neighbor. Loving our neighbors is not reviling or belittling them. It means treating them with affection and respect. Banning books and flags and supporting marginalized and minority communities and muzzling the faculty and staff's ability to speak freely about controversial issues is an action worthy of Vladimir Putin or Kim Jong-il, not RUSD. Christ affirmed everyone, regardless of their race. Thank you. I find it quite concerning that in previous meetings you voted to approve policies that more than 90% of the speakers opposed. Apparently the board feels that the mere fact of allowing speakers to comment is, in and of itself, sufficient. I would ask you then, do you think that ignoring the overwhelming majority of the comments complies with the intent of the Brown Act, not merely the letter of the law? I do not. Your duty as school board members is to consider carefully state laws, like 1078 and 1825, public input and then vote in a manner consistent with that. Completely ignoring your constituents and voting based on your own personal biases is a violation of both your oath of office and the ethics policy you claim to affirm. Thank you, Bruce.

Is Douglas here?

many cards thank you Douglas Hauser welcome Douglas well I've said this before I'll say it again black students should feel safe and included in our classrooms without a black flag Jewish students should feel safe and included in our classrooms without a Jewish flag Children of veterans should feel safe and included in our classrooms without a veterans flag. Trump-supporting students should feel safe and included without a Trump flag. And LGBTQ students should feel safe and supported in our classrooms without a flag, just like everybody else. Pretty simple, pretty straightforward. All these people keep saying that they want inclusion, but they want inclusion for one select group that they've chosen. They don't want inclusion for all the other groups that are involved. Pretty straightforward. As to the books, okay? We keep hearing from these people, oh, Lot and his wife. Oh, my God, Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged. None of those have graphic depictions of violence or sex. They claim... He just heard it. We just heard it. There was nothing graphic. She slept with his father. That is not graphic. They are the ones who are censoring.

Douglas, I'm sorry. Hold on. Stop. It's time for one second. I'm not going to have everybody yelling out like that when someone's speaking. If it continues, you'll be asked to leave. I can clear the whole room.

It may be funny, but they are the ones censoring content. They don't like what is being described. Our side is talking about the way things are being described, that it's not appropriate for children to be exposed to certain things in a brutally graphic way.

Thank you. Your time is up. Thank you. Our security.

What?

Security.

Can somebody help over here, please?

Next up, we have Valerie Tabor, followed by George Slivla, followed by Catherine Appleby. Thank you.

Welcome, Valerie. So I don't really have much different to say than what I've already said last board meeting. But in response to your comments, Rendler, I would like to read a comment from Healthy East Valley about your pride flag ban. Hi, yes, we are aware and disappointed in her decisions. Please be assured that we are not in agreement with those discriminatory actions by the school board and that her future on our board is being discussed amongst our team. That doesn't sound like support. And when you continue to disregard the community, the community is going to reach out and give you feedback in places that are not here.

Is this about a policy?

It is. It is about a policy. It's about the flag ban. that the community has continually said no to and is reaching out to you in other ways now because you are ignoring them. Thanks. That would be great. So my next comment is on BP6000. Again, I'm not sure why you all think that you are the experts on this. I do agree, unfortunately, with Dr. Broom that your policies don't align. You have one that says pervasive pornography, and you have one that does not say pervasive pornography. So which is it? Which is it are we going by? Because you are doing this so quickly and so slapdash that you don't even have consistency in the policies that you are putting forward. Do you understand how sloppy that makes you all look? That your policies are not in alignment. It's sloppy and it's embarrassing. Keep smirking. Keep fucking smirking.

Okay, you're done. You're done. No, you're done. No, you're done. No, you don't get a warning for swearing. Thank you, Valerie. Thank you. George?

So, no George? George? Catherine Appleby, three cards.

Welcome, Catherine.

Thank you. All right, I'm ready to start, Jeanette, for the timer. First, in regards to AR 1312.2, I am providing copies with notes that address concerns that I do not have time to verbally share, as well as a more robust version of my comments. The proposed revisions to AR 1312.2 will continue to erode the trust that the district is trying to rebuild with students, parents, RUSD employees, and the Redlands community, while claiming that these revisions will restore that same trust. Some members of this board will say that the proposed revisions are concrete actions that restore the trust. Unfortunately, these revisions are built upon requests for the community's trust that require us to believe in perceptions and vaguely defined concepts. Right before the addition of the paragraph that supports AR 1312.2, Board Policy 6000 states that the superintendent shall further ensure that the amount and quality of textbooks, instructional supplies, and equipment are closely comparable in every district school and at each level. How will Superintendent Cabral be able to ensure this with the implementation of AR 1312.2, which will most likely not result in the equal removal of books from school sites? And finally, regarding proposed board policy 6115 in Section 5, Miscellaneous Events and Celebrations, Superintendent Gabral has said a couple of times, if we pass this, it will mean that there will be no recognition of anything. So as you pass it tonight, which I am sure you will do, I would like those of you that vote yes to say, yes, this means that the Redlands Unified School District will not acknowledge and will not allow staff and school sites to acknowledge events and celebrations of heritage months and days that represent the diversity of the unique communities to which our students and families belong. Say it loudly so the community can hear you. Thank you, Kathleen.

I bought my proposed banned books with me here.

I am Dr. Melinda Hurley. As a parent of LGBTQ plus IA children and a teacher of LGBTQ plus IA students, your proposed policy of banning books excludes them from our diverse society.

The California Constitution and the Constitution of the United States of America. Melinda, excuse me. I'm sorry. Did you fill out a card?

Yeah.

I had four cards I said. Oh, I'm sorry. Oh, she didn't call you up. That's right. She didn't say your name yet, so I didn't know. I am so sorry. Okay, keep going. I'm sorry. Sure. Give her ten more seconds. Okay, she'll pick up where I left off? Yeah, go ahead. So, repeating, the California Constitution and the Constitution of the United States of America says LGBTQIA children and students

will not be erased.

They are... My daughter attempted suicide because of bullies like some of the board members here. As a teacher, I... As a teacher, I provide a safe space for all my students, not just some. As a school board member, I took an oath to uphold, you and I took an oath to uphold the law to be fiscally responsible of our taxpayers' money. Let me remind you that you are risking your seat on the board in lawsuits that will take away from students, families, and our communities.

Violation of the Brown Act is serious business.

Do not put your political agenda before our students. Do your job because we the people are doing ours.

Thank you. Thank you, Melinda. We're going to take a five-minute break. We'll be back.

Please take your seats, everybody. Okay, next up we have Abigail.

Please take your seats, everybody. We're going to start. We're starting, let's go. Come on, let's go. Can't hear.

Okay, call the name. Okay, we have Abigail, followed by Yuli. Yuli? Yuli?

Abigail?

I don't know how to pronounce this name. Say the names over, please. You want them over? Okay, Abigail, followed by Yuli, followed by K-A-T-M-Y-M-B-I-C-H-E-R. Before I begin, I would like to double check that I have two.

Would I also have permission to use my public comment card time at this moment?

No, not this time. Thank you. Thank you. Welcome, Abigail.

Okay, fine. So at the beginning, Michelle, you claimed that you brought these policies to the board because your charge urged you to. This is a violation of California Education Code Section 51511, which prevents public schools from basing policies based on religious grounds, and I will be filing a complaint. Now for the book bans. Quite simply, this policy will almost certainly violate the FAIR Act, which was signed into law in 2011, and mandates that all public schools teach about the contributions of LGBTQ and disabled people throughout history. Now, I know three of you don't give a damn what your constituents want and will pass this policy, but community members should not be able to get books removed for all students, and I ask that you all change that section, because if you do not, then I will file a complaint about every single book in your libraries. Do you have another card? Michelle, do you have another card? Michelle, she switched topics and nobody... I have another 45 seconds.

She switched topics and her time wasn't restarted.

Oh, change the time. Okay, for the flag bans. It is another clear violation of constitutional rights of the teachers. Their First Amendment rights allows them the freedom of speech and the freedom of expression. And if you do not allow them to express their beliefs, even in the classroom, or decorate their classrooms in the way that they believe will suit and benefit their students best, then that is a violation of their rights. Also, if you pass this policy, then I fully expect you to also ban all Christian symbols and religious symbols in the classrooms, because if you do not, that will be a clear violation of freedom of religion and non-discrimination laws. Also, what good does this policy do? Nothing, aside from advancing your political agenda. And let me remind you that you all ran as non-partisan. Shame on you. Vote no. Thank you, everyone. Thank you.

It would be very helpful if you have more than one card, pause so I can stop the clock and start it again for your next topic. Welcome, Yuli.

Hi. Hello, my name is Yuli. I am here representing the Office of Assembly Member Robert Garcia. First, I will be speaking on opposition to AR 1312.2. This policy allows for expedited review process of materials alleged to be sexual, sexually explicit without defining the term. This is too vague. It gives carte blanche to eliminate any book, any document, Sorry, I'm very tired today. Concerning anything in the library that anybody complains about. So it just, it doesn't make sense, I'm sorry. Secondly, oh sorry, next. Secondly, ceremonies and observances. This proposed restriction on flag displays limits student and faculty expression and cultural inclusion. Symbols such as the pride flag, and heritage flags affirm identity and belonging and visibility. This policy erases the presence of contributions of historically marginalized communities. I am a queer man, and people who come before me have done tons of work to be represented. And you are working very hard to erase us. And I'm looking directly at you. We're not going anywhere, we won't be erased. And lastly, opposition, can we change it? Lastly, board policy 6000, concepts of roles and instruction. This policy is vague, we know why you're doing it. Things such as pervasive pornography, quote unquote, sexual violence, quote unquote, lewd and libelous. They lack clear, objective definitions that you aren't doing the work to provide us those definitions. So like I said, it gives you carte blanche to continue to silence voices of the most marginalized. So yeah, this is ridiculous. Thank you.

Thank you, Neely. Welcome, Catherine.

Good evening, I'm Catherine Beecher. I just want to verify I have three cards. I grew up in Redlands. I live in Redlands. I attended RUSD for my K-12 education. I'm a parent of a current RUSD student, and I'm an educator here. The policy that we have in place regarding concerns for library and media materials is effective, and it allows for all parents and guardians' preferences to be met. I understand as a parent that we may not want our children exposed to certain topics or issues until we are ready to prepare them for those realities. And for that, we have the option to opt our children out of anything that we deem too mature. If you update this policy, you are not protecting all children. You are taking access and rights away from children and families that do not want to limit their children's access to books and media. Our libraries go through a meticulous vetting process. I've been part of it. The materials are not there by mistake, and they are only available in libraries where they have been cleared as age-appropriate. Please do not put this revised policy in place. The purpose of policy revision should be to clarify language and to erase any gray areas. Students, families, and staff need to clearly understand their roles and responsibilities. This board policy seems intentionally vague. What exactly constitutes categorization of obscene? One definition says it's something that is considered offensive, rude, or shocking. Well, that could be applied to almost anything. Will we take this idea... wars out of our schools and curriculums now because those are offensive and shocking another definition is offensive to moral principles and that begs another question who exactly gets to be the moral compass here i respect your ability to decide for yourselves what you think is morally sound but that does not mean that it is acceptable for you to be the moral compass for this district and community at large as both a parent and an educator we need these policies to be explicitly clear so that everyone is protected Redlands has enough litigation to contend with these days without adding discriminatory and harmful policies to the mix. Board members, I urge you to remember that you are responsible for representing and advocating and protecting for all students. That includes students who are part of the LGBTQ plus community. I teach middle school and I can tell you firsthand how hard it is to be a young person today. All of my students are trying desperately to figure out who they are and what they stand for. Every student deserves to feel seen and accepted. While I cannot guarantee that for my students in all areas of their lives, I can at least guarantee it for them in the classroom. Representation matters and diverse representation of any kind does not negate our American flag or our state flag, nor does it persuade anyone to be something that they are not. Remember your responsibility to all students and do not put this discriminatory policy into place. Thank you. Thank you, Catherine.

Next up, we have Michael Paisner, followed by Kim Laird, and then Aaron Fernando.

I should have five cards?

Yes, five.

And I have a handout. Can these be distributed? It's one per person? It's just one page per person.

Yeah, we'll get it later.

Later? Okay. Mike Paisner. Let's start with the book banning. California law, AB 1078, prohibits book banning with discriminatory intent. If you look at the handouts I provided, marked Exhibit A, where Candy, Jeanette, and members of the ARC Church are collaborating to promote this book policy, and they clearly state they want to remove books that, quote, normalize LGBTQ. Take a good look at the highlighted portion I provided, because you're going to see it again when litigation starts. Ms. Rendler. You can claim you're not anti-LGBTQ, but evidence of your collaborator's discriminatory intent is right there. You're gonna lose this legal fight, and I will be here saying, I told you so. Stop wasting our tax dollars on fights you will not win.

I'm sorry, I'm not trying to interrupt, but is there a way that I would actually be interested in seeing the handouts? Because I don't know if it's something that could change our vote or change our opinion on a matter. I think it's important that when someone's speaking about a handout that we should see that we've taken them from everybody. Thank you.

You can keep going.

Thank you very much, Ms. Iacondero. Concepts and roles. There is a reason that policies and laws take the time to define key terms. Terms such as pornography, profanity, or even the word lewd will be interpreted differently by different people. I hereby define the word lewd to include images of Candy Olson and Jeanette Wilson. As such, I insist that their images be scrubbed from the RUSD website and prohibited from being posted anywhere on RUSD campuses. Is this hyperbole to prove a point? Absolutely. But there is no definition of lewd in this policy, so what makes your definition of lewd better than my definition of lewd? When writing policies, at least do the darn basics and define your terms. Flag banning. California AB 537 prohibits discrimination related to sexual orientation and gender identity. Now, please take a look at the handout marked Exhibit B, where Ms. Olson explicitly advocates against the pride flag. The flag policy has discriminatory intent, and Exhibit B proves it. It's right in front of you. For good measure, also take a look at Exhibit C and D on the same page that document Ms. Olson repeatedly calling the LGBTQ community a cult. Ms. Rendler, you can't say you didn't know the intent when you get sued personally for these policies, as has happened in neighboring school districts. The evidence is right in front of you. And don't let a bankrupt school district be your legacy, because that's what we're heading towards.

Thank you.

Okay. Next one on human resource action item, Point Loma Nazarene University. There's an agreement with Point Loma Nazarene University, a Christian liberal arts university, self-described as, quote, evangelical in mission, and, quote, emphasis is given to the conversion of sinners, unquote.

Michael, sorry, we pulled that. You pulled that one? Yeah, we pulled that one.

Okay. Thank you very much. Glad to hear it. Is the next one the Brescia University still on? Yes. We just pulled that one. I'm sorry. Is that pulled? No, we just pulled the A. That was it. You just pulled A. So B is still there. Right. All right. So Brescia University. agreement has a nondiscrimination clause and it even prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, which is great. But it fails to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity, which is the standard here in California. I have to ask, why are you establishing a relationship with a Catholic university in Kentucky in the first place? What is going on here? Considering the documented anti-LGBTQ views of this board, agreements with religious organizations that don't meet the highest standards for non-discrimination deserve strict scrutiny from the community and better explanations for their purpose. Thank you.

Thank you, Michael.

Hi, I'm Kim Laird.

I am a member of, I'm sorry, I'm in your... trustee area, sorry, trustee area too. Thank you. I did fumble through that. I'm a retired teacher. I taught for over 30 years in grades first through eighth in a public school, also a reading specialist and a very proud member of the American Library Association. I have two daughters who are librarians with a master's degree and I know the process that goes through for both teachers and librarians. when it comes to vetting books and making sure that those that are provided for our children meet needs of many different levels. We are actually taking power away from parents and giving more power to the greater community as there are residents of the community that don't even have students in schools can pull books from the system. You have a policy that's in place. It's worked well for you. Please vote against this.

Thank you, Kim. Welcome, Aaron.

Hello. I'm Aaron Fernando, Area 2 former RUSD student and substitute teacher. All right, I want to talk about first on flag banning. You've already heard so many people speak on how damaging banning the pride flag would be, and you made it clear you don't care one iota about that. You don't care that it goes against LCAP Goal 1 to create safe, more inclusive schools. So I want to ask, who does this policy serve? Because that should be the guiding question of everyone on this board, right? I don't personally think it serves anyone. It's just a flag. It can't hurt you. Looking at it won't make you gay. I personally hate sports, but you don't see me getting triggered and melting down like a little snowflake because I happen to see a Patriots flag. It would take a real narcissist to see an innocent flag celebrating someone else's happiness and try to make it all about them and their issues. You can ban a flag, but you can't ban what it stands for. Our community will always be a safe space.

Thank you, Aaron.

All right, on the topic of book banning, I'd like to start off with a quote from a book that is very near and dear to a lot of people in this room. Ezekiel 2330, 2320. There she lusted after her lovers whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose omission was like that of horses. Wait a second. Is this pornography in the Holy Bible? Or maybe, just maybe, before I write up a whole book as pornography, I should consider the context. A pastor could probably explain it better to me, but it has something to do with Israel and condemning them. But it turns out just because a piece of literature contains something sexual does not mean it tends for it to be arousing. At the last meeting, there was a gentleman who read an excerpt of a sex scene from a book he seemed to think was pornographic, despite the fact that it seemed to be a sad scene where a girl is being pressured by a boy who is hurting her. The fact that that gentleman found it arousing is really something he should take up with his therapist instead of making it our problem. All right, and then on the last one is about your board policy concept and roles and about your stated goal to remain neutral. It sounds like a nice goal, right? Don't show favoritism to any one side. You can avoid controversy. The problem is that it assumes that when there are two conflicting views, they're both equally valid. Objective reality exists, and someone claiming otherwise doesn't change that. There are people who have made vaccines controversial. Is it the board's position that vaccines do cause autism? Is it the board's position that there are millions of people who died from COVID are still alive? Or that those of us who have had vaccines are actually dead? Just today, someone in Idaho banned everyone is welcome here signs. Should we ban those? Or what about the crazies who think roadside memorials are satanic candy? Thank you, Aaron.

Who's next, Jim? Thank you.

Next up we have Sue Headey, followed by Curtis Dyson, followed by Christina Long.

I have two cards, correct? Yes.

Welcome, Sue.

Thank you. Making it easier for parents to pull books from our school libraries is a major overreach. Librarians work in our school libraries for the purpose of providing adequate books for the age group of kids they serve. If you don't trust their expertise, maybe invest in their education. Make sure all school libraries, including elementary schools, have professional librarians work there. Your solution is creating problems. Trust our librarians. I have a story to tell you about the opposing the flag and ceremony policies. I grew up in Denmark where we had teachings about Jesus in public school during my elementary years. Denmark is a social democratic country led by Christian principles. And what I learned was that Jesus always listened to the outcast, the person everyone else looked down on. those were his people, the most vulnerable. He sat with them and listened to their life experience. For a school board with people claiming they're Christian, I see no listening, no sitting down and showing empathy. There are people who cry out to you to be heard. Why not?

Thank you, Sue. Thank you. Curtis will be next. Is Curtis here?

Curtis Dyson.

How many cards?

Two. Thank you.

Welcome, Curtis.

Thank you. Well, my name is Curtis Dyson. I graduated from RHS. I'm a parent of a Smiley student and a Cope student, and I live in Redlands. And I really don't know what to say, because a lot of people made fantastic points about what you guys are doing. You are attacking a vulnerable group of our kids. That's what it is. You get around it no other way. You want to ban books. You don't trust teachers. You don't trust librarians. And Michelle, your opening statement, it was delusional. You don't listen to the community. The community is going to push back in other ways. Because I myself, I have sent 10 plus emails Crickets, right, nothing. Postcards, got nothing back from anybody. And on 13Q, yet another attempt to ban books. You don't trust the librarians. You don't trust the professionals. You want to ban books. You are trying to eliminate a group of kids. Your actions are going to cause harm to kids. You need to stop. This is ridiculous. Stop. And the community is going to continue to push back because you don't listen. You sit here. You're holding a pen. You don't listen. You do what you're going to do. And it's wrong. You're not helping the kids at all.

Thank you, Curtis.

Welcome, Christina. Hey, I have two cards.

Two? Uh-huh.

All right. Hi, Christina Long, Area 1. Hello, trustees. I'm speaking in opposition to 6.1.1.5. I have first a question about Section 5 of the policy. Under focus on academics, it mentions events and activities that do not endorse particular political, social, or religious beliefs. What is a political or social belief as defined by the district? Would equality for everyone be considered a social belief? And how will you ensure this vagueness is not applied in a way that directly violates the district's own non-discrimination policy? But I'm back today, though, because of what I'm for and what so many of us are for. We are a diverse, multi-faith, multicultural community with a commitment to belonging for everyone. We want high-quality public schools that reflect that. And we are for ensuring our schools are safe for everyone. Hello, yes, I also oppose the changes to AR 13.2. I don't believe that we have to agree on everything or honestly even a lot of things to build a strong community, but we must listen to each other, y'all. On that note, I want to highlight the leadership and expertise of educators. Our teachers and librarians are highly skilled professionals. They've dedicated their life's work to education. And I've watched so many educators come to these meetings, share their opposition, but why aren't we listening to their expertise? I've also watched so many students testify on this policy, on the flag ban, describing the harm that both these policies are going to cause. Students have told you that. Why aren't we listening to Redland students? These are the students that, honestly, we are all here for. I believe we should be working with our students and our teachers. Thank you, Christina.

Next up we have Paige Mann, followed by JB, followed by Erica Ruiz.

Thanks. Your library proposed policy, it defies your own board policy, which is not to interfere with direct management of school duties. Because of that, I'm not sure how well you actually expect your employees to even follow the policies that you yourselves are breaking. It ignores ALA's American Library Association standards and recommendations. It betrays fiduciary responsibilities and your legal responsibilities. And that signals to me that, President Rendler, you are leading your board to act in a very rogue way, which I think explains why so many of us see a distance between your intention and the impact that you're causing.

Thank you, Paige.

Welcome, JB.

Good evening, board. Thank you for being here. We, the parents, want sexually explicit literature out of the libraries and in the homes of the minority of parents who want their children to read that stuff. The beautiful part of our free country is you can choose to read whatever pornographic material you want in your own home. What you can't do is force it on the whole student body. Luke 17.2, it would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone around your neck than to cause little ones to fall into sin. Next topic. In your redundant efforts for inclusivity, we the parents want our children to feel included in your school by flying only one flag that stands for everyone, the United States flag. Like the motto, in God we trust, e pluribus unum since 1782 is another motto of this country. It means out of many comes one, since there are many diverse people have made up the United States into this one great country. Any other flag only divides and excludes staff, students, and parents. And if we're concerned about low vote counts, then consider that your candidates got even less. Thank you, Michelle. You've been very balanced here tonight, allowing these people to speak outside the agenda items while taking cheap shots at you, whereas the mic was pulled away from me.

Thank you, JB. Is Erica coming up?

Yeah.

Welcome, Erica. I want to confirm that I have three cards. It's my time. Thank you. So I'm here representing the Inland Empire Prism Collective. We are a local LGBTQ organization. As a professional, I have 15 years of experience doing school board advocacy and seven years pushing LGBTQ advocacy. As an expert in my field, I'm here to reiterate that this book banning policy is absolutely anti-LGBTQ, despite whatever narrative President Rettler wants to tell herself to make herself feel better. Meeting after meeting, everyone has been coming to tell you that this is a terrible idea, but you've made it loud and clear that your interest is in your own political agenda. The updated Concepts and Roles policy language is another continued attempt to censor LGBTQ content from schools under the vague notion of obscene and age-inappropriate materials. You are continuously wasting the time of your fellow board members and the community that has to show up to hear you spew all of your gaslighting. You are insulting educators by implying that they don't understand how to engage with their students in a way that is deemed age appropriate. You should be ashamed for undermining the experts who deal with students on a daily basis while you sit there on your high horse completely disconnected from reality. It is so obvious that the flag-banning policy isn't about patriotism or unity. It's about silencing, censoring, and erasing LGBTQ youth under the guise of neutrality. This is fascism in action, an authoritarian effort to control what students see, say, and represent while revoking their freedom of expression. We've told you this over and over. Your refusal to listen continuously shows your complicity in the erasure of LGBTQ students. President Randler, I assure you that saying this isn't defamation of your character when it is the truth. If you feel shame being labeled anti-LGBTQ, I suggest you check your morals.

Thank you, Erica. Thank you.

Next up, we have Jack Lucas, followed by Ann A., followed by Jennifer. Jack Lucas. Is Ann A. here? Yeah. Let's go ahead.

Welcome in.

Thank you.

Okay, I'll take you next.

Good evening. I am a parent and a queer health care worker in Redlands. I've been coming to these board meetings for months now, and it's clear to everyone in the audience that board members Olsen, Wilson, and Rendler have absolutely no regard for this community. You've ignored the vast majority of your constituents who oppose flag bans, book bans, and forced outing, and you continue to draft policies that directly hurt the students in this district and plunge us further into debt. You may be able to live with it now because, let's face it, scapegoating a marginalized part of the population is not a tough gig. It's easier to bully queer kids and tank our budget than it is to actually enact meaningful policies to improve the district. I'm ready for the next. I want you to know that history takes attendance, and the price that you pay for scoffing at us and running with this backwards agenda is that one day when this is all in the past, one day when the idea of banning pride flags and queer books is considered so archaic and shameful that no one wants to admit they ever supported it, you will have to look your great grandkids in the eye when they ask why your names were next to these policies, and I hope I'm there to see that. Thank you.

Thank you, Anne. Welcome, Jack.

So just like last time I was here, I just want to give one address on two topics in just 90 straight seconds.

Just one for 45 and then one for 45. Right.

Okay, so I'm Jack Lucas, and I'm a resident of Area 1. I would like to drive home the point of what horrible administrators of public education you three are. Schools should encourage students to use reading materials offered through their libraries to open their minds and understand how complex the world is. But with AR 1312.2, you are willing to let any district resident, one with no connection to RUSD, besides the boundary they live in, affect what a student can or cannot read. Teachers and staff should visibly affirm queer and trans students, especially if a school is the only affirming space they can have. But even though there are people who wave the American flag and say those students commit crimes against nature and deserve to die, you are using BP 6115 to say that that is one of the only flags, one of the few flags they should see hung on campus every day. School districts should be using every dollar allotted to enhance working and learning conditions, but you're prepared to blow through millions to defend these... Next topic. to defend these prejudiced policies in court, like Chino and Temecula.

Next topic.

Right, yeah, it's one address on two topics.

But I only have one card. Oh, you only have one card?

I'm just going to keep talking.

Did you fill out two cards?

Well, I filled out one card. I did it last time. I filled out one card, and I just wanted to speak on multiple topics. I noted on the card that I wanted to speak on multiple topics. I just need time for two. That's it.

So maybe it's one of the ones we...

Blue.

One blue with two items.

I did this last time.

Oh, were you speaking to an item that was pulled?

Well, I was going to, but now I just want to speak on the library and the flags. That's it. So just 90 seconds for those two topics for one address. I did this last time.

All right, go ahead.

So school districts should be using every dollar allotted to enhance working and learning conditions, but you are prepared to blow through millions to defend these prejudiced policies in court like Chino and Temecula have had too. The only benefits that anyone will see, as you know and value, will be for you three only, whether that comprises more campaign money, television appearances, speaking gigs, book deals, requests to run for higher offices, or just raising your egos. And it won't matter how many bodies you have to step over to complete that mission. I reject the assertions that you make that children should have no independence or rights or that they're trivial and I reject that you think you can treat them like pets and I take a position of solidarity with all divisions of the student population who the right is assembling against because enduring solidarity among these groups will be imperative to finally finish fascists like you.

Thank you, Jack. Welcome, Jennifer.

I just want to make sure I have two cards. I'm going to start off with the book bands. Every child deserves to see themselves represented in literature. The way this policy is written, it is going to disproportionately affect our LGBTQ students, students of color, and students with different beliefs. Books with topics such as slavery, LGBTQ relationships, magic, et cetera, are going to be targeted for removal more frequently than books that align with Christian nationalist ideals. Every child deserves to be able to learn not only about themselves but also about other cultures, other religions, and people who are different than them. That's how we grow. We grow by having an open mind, and books are the greatest opportunity we have to grow our mind. If you want your children to read a book, don't allow them to, but please don't take away the opportunity for other children to read those books. Every child deserves to see what they can become. Every child deserves to see what happens when they see people like that doing it. The next thing I want to talk about is the flag ban. Tonight I urge you guys not to pass the flag ban. You may say that it's because you don't need any distractions in the classroom, but we all know that's not what it's really about. It's about taking away safe spaces for our LGBTQ students and taking away freedom of expression from teachers to decorate their classrooms as they see fit. Agree with. As a mother of a trans teenager, when I see classrooms that display pride flags or posters, I know that my child is going to be loved and accepted there. I know that it's a place where she will feel safe. The presence of these flags doesn't take away anything from any other students. Children are not distracted by a poster or a flag or other decorations on the wall of their classroom. It's safe and secure to know that an adult can be trusted and will not be judgmental about something that is outside of the child's control. Thank you. Thank you, Jennifer.

Next up, we have Matt Appleby, followed by Tony Wood. Is there a cord, maybe?

Check the mic.

Just a second. They're going to check the mic.

Let me call the other names. We have Matt Appleby, followed by Tony Wood, followed by Tim Omsby.

How many cards do I have? Yeah, it's three. Okay. All right, Matt Appleby, District 4. So regarding AR 13, 12.2, library and media center materials, there's a lot hidden in this policy. While the community has been asking for clear definitions of erotica and other offending terms, we've only been told that those can be added at a later date, hiding what could be found offensive. People who are reporting a book or making decisions about its appropriateness do not even necessarily have to have read the book when making a decision about it, hiding their intentions. And the board has claimed that they are equipped to make these decisions because they're parents and grandparents, but the truth is that those roles do not inherently make you a moral person, hiding their qualifications to make these decisions. Before we pass this policy, the community would like a little transparency. Policy 6,000. This policy sparks many of the same concerns as the previous one, while also opening new ones. As of the 25-26 school year, California Ed Code Section 218.3 requires, quote, a minimum of one hour of LGBTQUS cultural competency training annually to all teachers in grades 7 through 12 over a five-year period. Having done some research on this training, I imagine that it will suggest inclusion of LGBTQ history, writers, and innovators in the curriculum. Given that this policy claims that the district's instructional materials will also meet legal requirements, how are we going to ask staff to faithfully implement this new policy? The vague language of the policy would provide room for board or community members to suggest some ulterior motive on the part of the educator rather than just following state laws. And then the last one, board policy 6,115. This whole policy stems from a moment of discomfort. A student sees a pride flag and feels uncomfortable. But by getting rid of it, this policy seeks to relieve that comfort while also denying that same comfort for the LGTBQ plus student. Additionally, this policy doubles down on the discomfort of marginalized communities. I'd like to say that all students feel comforted by the American flag and pledge, but I question if the immigrant who is worried about the safety of their family does, if the black student who is still struggling under an American system of racism does, if an indigenous student whose ancestor's land was stolen under that flag does, and if an LGBTQ student whose very identity is attacked by an American administration does.

Thank you, Mayor. Thank you.

Welcome, Tony.

Thank you. My name is Tony Wood. I was a counselor and a teacher in Redlands Unified for 30 years, and I'm here tonight to talk about the banning of flags. I wrote a book this week, a children's book called Alligator Alcatraz. And it's a story about some misfit alligators that don't fit in to a school that they go to until they become heroes. And they become heroes and then they become included with all the other alligators and animals in the school. I gave the board members a copy during the break. I want them to read it. The purpose of the book...

Thank you Tony. We'll read it. Thank you.

Welcome, Tim.

Hi, I'm Tim Ormsby from Area 2. I want to recommend a book called The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini for everyone to read. It's number eight on the PEN America list of most banned books of 2025. It's a book about brothers and betrayal and fathers and sons and lies. It's a book about Afghan culture before communism, during communism, and during the Taliban era. It's about immigration and the pain of immigration. And it's about love, heterosexual love between two adults. It's a book that should not be banned but is banned. And it makes me sad to think this book might not be available in Redlands High School. Thank you. Thank you, Tim.

Next up we have Juno, followed by Matt Keeling, followed by Joseph Koenig.

Welcome, Juno.

OK. This policy is written without regard for the majority opinion of the school district and without respect for the lives of children. I don't know what support you think you have, but it's evident that we have the support of your teachers, your staff, your students, and many parents. Your claim to parental rights holds no legitimacy because the amount of parents that oppose these policies attend these meetings more than you'd like to acknowledge, and yet their views are being ignored. And your claim to protecting religious communities also holds no legitimacy. Last month, we hosted a prayer vigil to show the board just how many religious clergy and the other people of faith in Redlands are opposed to these policies and who affirm LGBTQ students. There's a lot. We can and we will out-organize you.

Thank you, Danielle. Thank you.

Thank you.

My name is Matt Keeling. I have two kids in the District Area 4. I'm going to talk about this absurd policy where anyone can get a book banned for an indefinite period. One example is the book Mouse, which is a Holocaust survivor story. It's one of the most banned books in school libraries because it has a drawing of a naked woman in it. The woman in question is author Art Spiegelman's mother, who drew her from memory after he found her with her wrists cut in the bath. She was never able to get over what happened to her family and her community in the Holocaust. And we know that that impulse in Germany has not left us in the U.S. either. We now have a school board member who defends the use of the swastika. The kids need to learn these lessons, and so do you. Thank you, Matt.

Welcome, Joseph.

Hello. My name is Joseph Koenig. I'm a retired school teacher, taught special ed for 21 years. I have two grandchildren who attend school in this district. And I've been to, oh, I don't know, several IEPs to complain about the quality of care that they've gotten here. One of them is an LGBTQ young man, and he gets discriminated on constantly, all the time. And your school policies don't seem to be protecting him. And his mother's going to stand up and tell you about an incident that happened in this district to him when he was nine years old. It's terrible. Here's a book that you're banning. Fahrenheit 454. By the way, I have five. I have five cards. So let's say that was... We'll go for two.

Okay, so the next one's on.

And you'll see if you guys really need to pay attention to the law, okay? I think it's a good idea. Whoever said that the Attorney General is reviewing your policy on whether or not you can out kids, it's a good idea because I think all of these policies should be reviewed by the state of California.

That one was pulled, that topic?

Oh, I'm not talking about that.

Oh, well, you just did.

I mentioned it in passing. On to your next one. Like I said, I got, oh, I don't know.

You have three cards.

Okay. The other one is flags. Are you guys kidding me? I heard a guy stand up here and say, what a veteran. So don't talk to me. I was a veteran. I spent three years in the military in the Vietnam War. I have a master's degree in education. So you're not talking to a door here. And what I've witnessed while I've been here is to watch this group of people just disregard whatever in the heck the community wants to do. Last time we had 500 people speak. And you still come up with other policies that are going to discriminate. Keep it up, okay? Because I'm retired. I have nothing to do. Okay. I can't... I'm retired.

I have nothing to do.

What I will do is I will promise that I will do everything within my power to stop you from being in office again.

Next up, we have Jessica Callender, followed by Rue Whitmore, followed by Johnny Mosen.

Welcome, Jessica.

Hello. I would be speaking first on 1312.2. When you ban books, you ban reality. You're banning understanding, thought, debate, discussion, opportunities for the student to learn about themselves and the world around them. This is why you hire librarians to vet these books. And they are individuals who have degrees that are given to them by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing that offers them the ability to select materials for schools and district libraries, coordinate and supervise library programs. So if you guys want us to support you, let the librarians do their job. If you want us to support you, give us a reason not to further your hate. You guys don't get to decide what my student reads. You're not their parent. I am.

And on 6,000, I understand you guys have said you're not banning books, but...

To mention the books you're questioning are listed as pornography or pornographic in nature, you're making a judgment based on your personal beliefs instead of fact. You're making assumptions and statements without clearly knowing what is the law. According to Miller versus California, which is the legal statute on this, things that are considered pornography, a publication must be taken as a whole and have no serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. So if our school librarians choose these books, are you now saying that they're not doing their job? Aren't they paid to do that? Aren't they paid to make those choices? And lastly, policy 6115. Last time I checked, we live in a country where we're taught to pledge allegiance to a flag, stating we are one nation under God with liberty and justice for all. It seems that in this district, it's not all. So then why are we choosing to ban flags, celebrating pride, other differences that people have? Why are we choosing to single out people because they're different, because they don't look like you, believe as you do, or love differently than you do? What are you afraid of? You choose to deny pride groups and cultural student unions, but allow teachers to share that they attended a faith-based college. If you're going to ban flags, shouldn't it be all of them?

Thank you, Jessica.

Welcome, Rue.

What's good, Michelle? So, 1312, complaints concerning library or media center materials. Again, you are not qualified. Jeanette, you can't even read. Candy, you don't believe in vaccines and you believe in demons. You are not qualified to say what other people's children can and should read. You are not able. All of you pretend to be Christians and I know you have not actually read a Bible because everything that you are doing hurts the least of these. And Michelle, I want to be extra special clear. You don't get to say, I don't not like LGBT people. That's like saying, I don't not like black people. Like, do you hear it when I say it like that? It sounds racist. Okay? So, the other thing is, God, you're just not qualified, and we already have policies in place. You're back at your jobs. Next. Do you know? Next. So, 6,000 concepts and roles. Jesus. You guys, again, not qualified. You are consistently violating California law over and over and over again. You do not care. If you want named on these lawsuits so bad, and Candy, I know you do, you want to be just like your little bestie Sonia. Sonia? Whatever her name is. That we just keep getting the same policies over and over and over again. you could focus on what the school board schools actually are. You could choose to do that. Michelle, you could have been the hero that this district has been begging for. You are so mad you're getting the villain treatment, but you just refuse to act in any other way. You deserve it. And three, 6-1-1-5, ceremonies, observances, flag displays. You have proof directly in front of you. able to be subpoenaed, able to be foiled, that this is prejudicial. I know you don't know what that means, but it means that you hate people, Candy. And Michelle, I want to be so clear. You think this is all going to go away after you vote on this? We are just warming up, honey. My hamstrings are just getting warm. I am ready to be any place you choose to be and make public comment. I will remind everyone how much harm you are doing to our children and that you are choosing to do it with a cross on your chest that should burn as it touches you. You should be ashamed. And everything that you have said is a lie. And I will continue to make sure that everyone knows that you are bad at your job, that your legacy should be that you hate children. Thank you, Ru.

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

Johnny.

Welcome, Johnny.

Our actions represent us. That is why we are here. Despite what you may tell yourselves to help you sleep each night, your actions unfortunately tell a different story. You speak about your hard work to support the LGBT community, but plan to vote yes on policies that are designed specifically to hurt the students that need it the most. It is obvious that the language in 13Q is vague. There is only one reason to use vague language, and we know what it is. It is to give more power to discriminate against already vulnerable populations. If you don't believe so, You are wrong. If it doesn't feel good to be outed or feel like you're anti-LGBT, imagine how these kids will feel when they're outed to their families. I doubt that the people standing up here in support of these policies have experienced the hate, bullying, and discrimination that many of us here tonight have.

What other policy were you wanting?

Two cards were filled. It was taken. Thank you, Johnny. So one was pulled because we pulled the item.

The second card was just a vote now. Do you guys have a chance to vote now? Next up, we have Stephen Becker, followed by Janann, followed by Megan Sinat.

Welcome, Steve.

Is it working now?

Welcome. Okay. Good evening. President Rendler, this must be a long and difficult evening for you, and it comes with the job. I would like to think that you're open to listening to the passion and, more importantly, the logic of your friends, neighbors, fellow congregants at your church. You're on the wrong path. And your two other colleagues who don't know any other path are going to lead us into a very wrong direction. Mrs. Wilson and Olson may think that they are somehow fighting for parental rights and a good education for our children. Was that it?

Time's up.

Before I start, I want to check. I have three cards. There should be three. I did five, so there should still be three. Because the two were pulled.

Three were pulled.

Three were pulled?

Which ones...

This one should not have been pulled.

Oh, I did those as two, though, anyway, so I still should have three.

That one should not have been pulled.

Yeah. We're good? Three. Yep. Perfect. Okay. Hi, I'm Jananne Elias. I am from Area 3. I'm speaking now to strongly oppose the Flags and Observances Policy 6.1.1.5. This policy will harm students, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, by banning flags like the Pride flag that help create safe, welcoming school environments. Legally, this policy is deeply flawed. It likely violates Tinker v. Des Moines. Courts have consistently across the nation ruled that inclusive symbols like pride flags do not cause disruption. They actually reduce it by helping students feel seen and supported. You can look that up, by the way. Unions representing teachers and classified staff have also pushed back against these policies elsewhere because they threaten employee rights and create a hostile work environment. It's going to cost us money. Next. AR 1312.2, I'm here to urge you to reject the book challenge policy. It harms students, is likely illegal under California law, and disregards the expertise of our highly educated librarians, which up until the past few years we did not have at every site because it was too expensive. So keep in mind we didn't have a librarian at every site up until the past few years. This allows anyone, even people with no children in our schools, to file a complaint that can result in a book being pulled for everybody else's children. That is not parental rights. Parents already have the right to restrict books for their children, but these policies allow a small group to ban books for all students based on vague or subjective complaints. Other districts that have passed these policies face expensive lawsuits, and these fees come from districts' general funds, not insurance. We cannot afford it. Please vote no. Last one, BP6000. I am speaking to oppose the proposed revision to BP6000. It is harmful, legally risky, and educationally unsound. There are no clear definitions. That means people with no background in education can demand book removals based on personal discomfort, not professional standards or student needs. Worse, many of the books being targeted are recommended by the college board for AP courses. You cannot say you support literacy and college prep while removing materials to prepare our students for their future. Districts have been sued over these things. It does not align with our district's mission, and it sends the message you do not trust our teachers' or librarians' expertise. This is not how you support education. You can stand with fear and censorship or vote no. Thank you, Tinian. Thank you.

I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name.

I'm Megan Sinnott. Megan, welcome. Hi, I'm here from District 1. I am a nurse. I am a mother of a district student, and I'm here as a private citizen. I have to make that very clear. I've been friends for 30 years with a school librarian, and she went to college for her bachelor's degree in English, got a credential, taught within the district before going on to become a librarian. She's one of the best human beings I know, and she's a devout Catholic. Whereas I can't say the background of every board member, but I know that Candy Olson doesn't work with any patient under the age of 18. She does not work with children, and you're unqualified to be making these decisions over people who are. Thank you. And on to the flag thing. I am a queer parent. And it's really, I have to stress that because Candy and I work for the same department. So I need to stress that very clear that I'm here as a private citizen myself. But it's very hard to know that somebody who works that close to me has such hatred for who I am as a human being because I'm queer. People in the organization that you don't know are queer are queer. They're higher up than you even. You're going to be hurting yourself and doing yourself a disservice in ways that you can't know. Much like they were talking about removing you from the board. Eventually this bigotry is going to bite you in the butt and you need to knock it off

Thank you, Megan. Next up we have Chris Plattis, followed by Ken Hunter, and followed by Greg Britton.

If I understand the Point Loma has been withdrawn, I should have two cards left. Thank you.

Welcome, Chris. Let's see. You have three.

The Point Loma one.

Is that 16A? Yes. Okay, you have two now.

My name is Chris Claudus. I am a resident of Redlands, a retired public school teacher and grandfather to four RUSB students. In the discussion of your book banning resolution 1312, you have heard arguments overwhelmingly opposed but occasionally in favor. Those of us opposed to this resolution have seen and have researched the books on the professional book burner's chopping block. Even books whose sexual content is so innocuous as to be housed in Smiley Library's YA collection are being labeled as sexually explicit and are being targeted for removal. This is madness. Proposal 6115 bans the display of support for ideas you disagree with. The display of a flag that promotes the political equality of any marginalized group is about as First Amendment as you can get. To outlaw this First Amendment activity for the purpose of increasing patriotic fervor is, to say the least, counterproductive because it is healthy political discourse that truly makes America great. This censorship resolution is done to marginalize one specific group of people into invisibility, which is the antithesis of what it means to be an American. I don't care what level of patriotism you claim to have. As long as you are attacking Americans for being different from you, you are endangering the country I love. Thank you.

Welcome, Ken.

Yes, hello. I believe I have two cards. Yes. Okay. The first thing I want to say is there's been so many negative comments about you people that I want to tell you that there's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And just protect your hearts from such hate that's coming towards you. It's certainly not deserved. A wise man once said, when the pupil is ready... the teacher will appear. This board is here to direct the pupils and not the pupils to direct the board. These controversial resolutions, policy changes being considered should not be controversial at all. There is no upside to sticking with the status quo. A decrease in standards delivers chaos and disunification. What is needed is an increase in our standards. This is the time to have courage, backbone, and stand up for what's right. The voices of fear, calamity, and doom will always surround us. Never fear doing what is right. Vote yes, please, on all these policy revisions. Thank you for your wise consideration.

Thank you, Ken. Greg Britton.

Welcome, Greg.

Evening. You remember stuff I read last night, last meeting. No one out here, no one up there that's opposed to the policy, even tried to defend the gross, perverted material that your professional librarians have put in the libraries for the children. Parents, not necessarily the ones that come down here, but parents trust you with their children. They can't be expected to know every book in the library and choose, well, I don't like that book. I don't want that book for my children. They like you. They ask you to care for and protect the children and see that they are properly educated academically and morally and culturally. That's part of what the school does. Flags. You know? I didn't realize it, but when I was going to school, I really felt bad because there wasn't either a Christian flag or a white flag that I could relate to, that would make me feel belonging and included in the classroom. I didn't have a flag. Of course, this is utterly, completely ridiculous, and that's exactly the liberal logic that these people out here are trying to foist on you. Not having a special interest flag for a couple of groups is not discrimination. It's treating people fairly. It's respecting the views on this issue of people who support that lifestyle as well as many parents who do not support that lifestyle. I'm the only one that talks about the discipline matters, but there were three on the agenda tonight. Someone caused a serious physical injury. They're off for one semester, and they're back. And why should anyone believe that they've now been rehabilitated? another one assaulted a staff member, and their punishment is suspended. They talk about safety. These leftists talk about safety as in new ideas they don't like, you don't hear the right pronouns, I don't have my favorite flag in the classroom. Well, real safety is you don't get beat up at school. And I'm really concerned that these kind of lenient punishments here aren't fulfilling the job because the perpetrators of these very serious acts, causing serious physical injury to another student or hitting a teacher or a staff member, are not being appropriately disciplined. The role of the board. Part of it is, I mean, these used to be sleepy meetings. Few people would show up. but because they understand that what Lincoln said, that the philosophy in the classroom becomes the philosophy in government in the next generation, which is why they're all here. And that's why a few of us here are on the Christian and patriot side. The... So unfortunately, what it means is you guys have to, because you're elected, we elect you to represent our people in the voters in running our school system. So you have to put up with the insults, the lies, like you're a Nazi, when that's an absolute lie that they say about you, and so on and so on. Thank you, Michelle and Candy and Jeanette, for doing so. Thank you, Greg.

Next up, we have Bea, followed by Heather Champ, followed by Aricia Owen.

Welcome, Bea.

13P, there is no need for a book ban since you're going to pass it anyway. Three to two, I ask that you strike the language that allows students, parents, and district residents to initiate complaints. Students are not equipped to make such decisions and childless residents have no legitimate cause for concern. While some parents might be concerned about their children, they don't speak for every parent. There is already a policy in place to protect their families. I would also ask that you edit the language to allow staff members to file complaints to say staff members with appropriate academic credentials and titles. Janitors, secretaries, and cafeteria servers have no business determining what is age-appropriate. Teachers, librarians, and principals do. If the board moves forward with this policy in its current form, people will file complaints against virtually any book in the library. If you think this is hyperbolic, just wait. Wait until you see what Candy Olson has. She has posted it on social media. It contains hundreds of books. You're going to waste everyone's time reading. 13Q. People who want to ban obscene materials based on Christian values don't know what's in the Bible. They'll quote Romans 1, where Paul says God gave the Romans over to their shameful lusts for not honoring him, but ignore Romans 2, where Paul says you therefore have no excuse who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself because you have done the same things. Christians who have had affairs, divorced, and lived with their adulterous lovers would be wise to heed the words of Paul. People who don't know what's in the good book don't know what's in other books. They quote a sentence from The Perks of Being a Wallflower where the character walks in on his sister and her boyfriend, but they don't mention how her boyfriend hit her or the absolutely non-tittling passage that follows. When the boy left, my dad said that this boy was becoming a fine young man who could carry himself, and my mom was quiet, and my sister looked at me to make sure I wouldn't say anything, and that was that. Yes, he is. 13R, this policy has been copied from Temecula and Chino Valley. Temecula has had to rescind its policy after losing and paying $100,000 in legal fees. Chino Valley is in litigation. The district has to know that this policy will result in a lawsuit that will drain the general fund and result in more layoffs like we saw this year. Even if that weren't the case, the policy is inconsistent. The language states no flag should endorse political, social, or religious beliefs but cards out an exception for military flags. Military support is deeply political, as it should be. Also, if we're saying the California flag is not political, then how can one argue that other state flags are? This policy is rotten to its core, and the board should vote against it. Thank you.

Heather?

Welcome, Heather. Michelle, I just want to recognize that you have welcomed everyone who's approached the podium. Thank you. My name is Heather King-Shamp. I live in Area 2. I am chair of the University of Redlands English Department, and my sons graduated from McKinley, Cope, and RHS.

I deplore the proposed changes of 1312.2 to the book challenge policy, not least because it disregards the expertise and experience of librarians and teachers. Let's be realistic. De-stigmatization is not indoctrination, and honest discussion of complex sexual identities is not pornography. This is both a mental health and an educational issue. Nationally, as we have heard, teen suicide rates keep going up while reading levels go down.

Is not the answer. Thank you.

Hello. I'm a parent of a student in the district and live in Trustee Area 1. My name's Arisa, or Arisa as it's pronounced. Illegal flag bans aren't neutral. They remove messages of belonging that reaffirm all students' value and dignity, despite experiencing persistent discrimination. Removing those flags will say the opposite loud and clear. Some of you already are. I urge this school board to stop courting additional litigation for violating free speech, which this district cannot afford, according to our own LCAP and reports of millions and settlements with some still to come. Last year, you asked us to take on nearly a billion dollars of bond debt for Measure D, and that's including the interest. Next, do I have another one for the books? All right. Some of this board is determined to manufacture problems in coordination with extremists driven by politics, religious dogma, and intolerance. Now we're dealing with pulling books out of school libraries that are already vetted by trained librarians. You want to do away with the panel you already created to look at contested books because you did not get the desired result. Now you want to put the superintendent in the difficult spot of having the final say, whose job is at your whim because you can put him on leave and or fire him at any time. Ironically, your efforts will provide free marketing for every book you try to stop students from reading. Nothing could make it more appealing. So congrats on encouraging literacy, I guess.

Thank you, Marissa. Next up, we have Janessa Greenleaf, followed by Philip Milky, followed by Bobby someone with a B.

Welcome, Janessa.

Thank you. I live in Area 2 and I teach in Area 3, Library and Media Center Materials. This regulation is purposely written too vaguely. Inappropriate vulgarity or profanity. As a kindergarten teacher, I can tell you how broad the spectrum is for bad words amongst our families. There is a fight every year amongst students about if stupid is a bad word or not. Meeting after meeting for months, the community has shown up and continued to speak out overwhelmingly against this policy. Making minor edits to it is not going to change that. We know which board members are listening to us and which board members will not listen to us. Michelle, how have you not heard us? We have given you the statistics, the anecdotes, the California law and ed code that this proposal flies in the face of. Please listen to your constituents, listen to your teachers. Concepts and Rules. This policy revision is just a CYA to bring it into alignment with your proposed library censorship policy. It is also vague, subjective, and has no definitions or rubric. However, it does state the following, quote, the board recognizes that within our pluralistic society, an educational institution has the obligation to promote cultural, racial, and human sensitivity and understanding within the community it serves. The different discriminatory policies on the agenda fly in the face of this obligation. We understand that not everybody believes the same, and that's okay, because that is our right in this country and a right that we hold very dear. Trying to push neutrality does not allow us to teach sensitivity and understanding. It just makes you feel comfortable. Neutrality does not reflect the real world and does not allow us to prepare students to become productive participants in diverse multicultural worlds. Flag displays. We know that this is about the pride flag, so I'm only going to speak to that. Standard 2 from the California Standards for the Teaching Profession is, quote, creating and maintaining effective learning environments for student learning. 2.3, establishing and maintaining learning environments that are physically, intellectually, and emotionally safe. Displaying the pride flag or everyone is welcome here posters directly supports the standard. The pride flag is not about sexualizing or indoctrinating kids. It is about showing them that I care about them and their family. It allows them to relax and feel safe. Students who don't feel safe don't learn, plain and simple. At a time when the district communications department didn't post the planned pride content, our students need to see that they are accepted and safe in our classrooms. Michelle, help me teach my students effectively by voting no.

I'm Phil milky. I'm in trustee area one. I oppose the proposed policy, allowing books to be pulled within three days based on a single complaint. It's not a dual dual. It's not due process. It's censorship and it sidelines the educators and the librarians and It targets books with diverse perspectives, especially those representing LGBTQ students. Removing access to stories that reflect real identities doesn't protect kids, it silences them. Our students deserve the freedom to read, to learn, to grow in a library that reflects the whole community. Please vote no on this policy.

Thank you, Phil.

Bobby. Last name B-A-R-I something.

Check outside. Call the next speakers.

S-U-L-D-H-A-D-O-S. Saldrados. Saldrados.

Mark Laird.

How many cards? Uh...

I see, how many did you say?

It should be A through R. A is pulled. If I'm missing one, it's likely to be A.

It looks like there's 16, but one doesn't have a name, but it looks like the same writing.

Okay. I'll go with 16 then. Thank you. All right. I'm going to skip, since I'm not sure which my two, 16 are, I'm going to skip past the first two that I was going to do because it was 18 in total, correct? And so I'm going to skip to letter C. I am writing to express my, oh, Mark Laird, Area 2, Rensselaer's area. Thank you. And so I am writing to express my strong support for the Redlands East Valley High School song teams' proposed trip to the Camp of Champs. I think that these extracurricular activities are absolutely vital for students, and they play a really crucial role in fostering teamwork discipline. and a profound sense of belonging within the school community, much like many other things that people have suggested tonight. And I think that strengthening the communities within our schools and making students feel safe and included should be an utmost priority, as does the LCAP budget. And I think that that is just a really wonderful opportunity for those students. So I urge you to vote yes. Awesome, and then, thank you. The next one, I am writing to formally request additional information concerning the school plans for student achievement for the upcoming 2025 through 2026 academic school year. My inquiry focuses specifically on the metrics that this will be employed to, measure school success across various student demographics within our school system. Understanding how success is defined and measured for each student group is crucial for ensuring equitable outcomes. Furthermore, I am interested in learning more about the specific strategies that are outlined in the plans to address the achievement gaps amongst students. It is vital to understand the approaches that will be implemented to close these gaps and provide students with the opportunity to succeed. Thank you. E, I stand before you today as a dedicated community member to express my strong support for the ratification and approval of Redwoods-Utah High School District's Expanded Learning Opportunities Program. I believe that providing expanded learning opportunities is absolutely crucial for the continued academic and personal growth of all of our students, especially considering the significant learning disruptions that we've experienced recently with COVID. This comprehensive program has the potential to offer vital support to students who may have unfortunately fallen behind, providing them with access to additional resources and all of the services that they may need to further their education. Thank you. I'll go to letter F. All right. I am writing to formally request the additional information pertaining to the proposed agreement with CORE. Specifically, I am keenly interested in gaining comprehensive understanding of the precise reading curriculum or the program that CORE intends to implement at Franklin Elementary. It is crucial for us to ascertain the evidence-based research that rigorously supports effectiveness of this particular program and enhancing reading proficiency among students. In addition to this program, something that I believe would really promote reading within our students is allowing them to have access to books that represent them and that they can see themselves in. So I think that that's something that you should also look at while you look towards this policy. I'm gonna move on to letter G. I am writing to express my interest in gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the proposed agreement with Learning Genie. To that end, I have several key questions that I hope will be answered. First, could you please provide me with a detailed breakdown of the total cost associated with this agreement? This should include... not only the initial implementation expenses, but also a clear projection of ongoing maintenance costs to ensure transparency and fiscal responsibility. Secondly, I am keen to know the specifics of the training program that will be offered to RTK teachers. What kind of hands-on learning will these teachers receive to master the DRDP assessment tool and integrate it seamlessly into their teaching practices? Understanding the depth and breadth... H. I am writing to formally request additional information regarding the proposed agreement with Leverage Learning Group Inc. to fully evaluate the potential benefits and implications of this partnership. I require more detailed understanding of several key aspects. First, I am keenly interested in specific scope of services that Leverage Learning Group Inc. will provide. Could you elaborate on the particular writing strategies that they plan to review and refine? Furthermore, what specific methodologies could they employ for calibration and subsequent analysis for our current writing programs? Secondly, clarity is needed on the metrics that will be utilized to measure the overall effectiveness of their program. Thank you. I will be going to... The next one, let's do, I am writing to formally request additional information regarding the proposed agreement with, oh, sorry, I read that one already. I'm going to move on to Jay. All right, I'll wait for you to restart my time, though. Sorry, I know I changed that on you. I'm moving to the next agenda item, sorry. All right, perfect. As a deeply invested member of our community, I wholeheartedly support the proposed agreement with Leverage Learning Group. That's interesting considering my early statements. Sorry about that. Actually, no, like I said earlier, this was something that I had already written about earlier, but I changed my mind. I am really, really curious why we feel like we need to keep spending money on all of these programs and services. Quite frankly, as an educator, I know many do not use, unless they are really, really explicitly meant for, teachers love them. There are very few programs, I work in another school district, and I know there are very few programs that are used by every single teacher in the district, and we spend a lot of money on these programs, and other professional development, quite frankly, is more helpful. Okay, all right. Letter K, I wholeheartedly support the agreement with AK Smiley Public Library Heritage Tours to continue impactful fourth grade heritage tours program. I hope that the AK Smiley Library might include some LGBTQ history while they're at that as well. This initiative provides an extraordinary opportunity for students to forge tangible connection with our local history, nurturing a more profound appreciation for the unique heritage of our beautiful community. Such immersive hands-on learning experiences are truly invaluable, enriching and contemplating a traditional classroom instruction in meaningful ways. I firmly believe that cultivating a strong sense of place and fostering historical awareness are absolutely crucial components in developing a well-rounded, critically engaged citizens. Thank you. Letter L. All right. I am writing to express strong support of the proposed agreement with Active Education to provide structured activities throughout the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, ELOP, at our elementary schools. This initiative represents a fantastic opportunity to support working families within our community ensuring that our children have access to enriching and engaging experiences in a safe and supportive environment after the regular school day concludes. These programs play a crucial role in helping close achievement gaps that may exist among students, offering targeted support and resources to those who need it most. Furthermore, the ELOP provides invaluable opportunities that some students might not otherwise have access to, broadening their horizons and fostering a love of learning. Alright, letter M. As a deeply invested community member, I wholeheartedly support the proposed agreement with CORE. This partnership represents a vital step forward in enhancing the educational opportunities for all of our students. A key component of this agreement is the investment in our teachers through comprehensive and evidence-based training programs. specifically the Reading Academy and the Adolescent Literacy Solutions. These programs are designed to equip our educators with the latest strategies and techniques for fostering literacy development across all grade levels. By providing our teachers with this advanced training, we are directly investing in the future success of our students. Improved literacy skills are fundamental to academic achievement and overall well-being. When students possess Moving on to letter M. All right. I am writing to express my strong support for the approval of amendment number one, the agreement with Solient Health, Inc., maintaining consistent staffing, especially with regards to our counselors. I mentioned this last meeting. We are in the middle of a mental health crisis, and it is very, very important for our youth that we are responding rapidly, because when we don't respond to a mental health crisis with a very quick pace, people die. And I myself identify as LGBT, and I can tell you I came from a very supportive family, and yet I still to this day need therapy, need counseling, and working with students and being someone that refers for that, many students with parents like these do not get counseling. Most do not, in fact. Also, letter O. I stand before you today to talk about letter O, which is for our community to advocate for vital change, the proposed amendment to replace the transportation coordinator with a dedicated breakfast prep cook. This isn't merely a shift in personnel, it's an investment in our children's future. in their ability to succeed. Although I agree with an earlier student that much of what we give our students could be greatly improved, I do also know, working firsthand with students, that oftentimes I am the first meal that they get to have. I provide them with a meal, because there are so many of our students that come to school not eating, and when they don't eat, they don't learn. And so I always think, even if the food is not of the highest quality, I do think any opportunity we can get to have food for students is the best thing that we can do. All right. Thank you. And P, approving revision of administration. Oh, I'm not even going to read that. I am deeply concerned about the proposed provisions to the administrative regulation 1312.2. I'd like to start off with something from actually the Bible regarding this because I find it very interesting that we constantly talk about banning books based off of their content when Ezekiel 2320, she lusted after her lovers whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose semen was like that of horses. I fully believe that the Bible should be in our libraries. I believe it should be. And yet, under this current policy, the Bible will be challenged, along with many, many other books. It's going to waste our time, and it's going to waste your time, because I will be at those meetings. Thank you. All right, Q, approving of revision of board policy 6,000 concepts and roles. And so I really do not believe that we have given this enough thought. We have left a lot of loopholes in this policy. We have left a lot of things that both sides of us are going to find issues with. And I can tell you, both sides of us are going to be at all of those meetings. And I don't want to be. I'm sorry. I love you all in my community. Some of you on the board, not my same opinion, my honest opinion. But we're all a community. But we really don't need a big, long book club every month where we all come and we spend hours talking about books. Let people do their jobs. Let people pick books that help students. As a bullied kid, I always was reading at recess. Don't take that away from me. We were on. Oh, awesome, I think I'm on my last one. This is our flags. And so I just want to address the fact that the last time we were talking about flags at the last meeting, someone insinuated that the pride flag only represented sex and sexually explicit content. I, myself, am a member of the gay community. I am up here right now, and guess what? I am currently not thinking about sex. I am... Apparently not having sex. I am here existing as a human being, and that pride represents my community. It represents my history. In fact, history that per Ed Code should be taught and should already be in our history textbooks. And yet, it is not. And as a result, I think that this policy is going to be so hurtful to our children. And I really implore you, don't mess this up.

Thank you, Mark. Next up, we have Jade Michaels, followed by, well, he has quite a few cards. I don't know if you want to stand to the side, but followed by Josephine Swanson and then Dominique Swanson. I think I'm actually going to be talking to just nine points. Pardon me? I'm just going to be using nine cards. Okay, nine cards. And then I just ask that the time doesn't start when I say what it is I'm going to talk about until I'm, like, talking about it. So the first one's the approval of charter bus vendors. So if we want parents to trust this district, we must ensure our students have access to field trips and athletic events without risking safety or delays. Reliable transportation isn't a luxury. It should be infrastructure. And if we're already contracting, we must demand competitive pricing, safety standards, and accessible options for all students, not just the ones whose parents are available to carpool them. Next card. This will be on university teaching agreements. Redlands has one of the highest sexual assault rates in the country, and teachers spend more time with our kids than anyone else. So why are we approving university partnerships with no requirement for trauma training, abuse prevention, or even cultural competency? There's no data on how long these teachers stay, how they perform, or whether they're ready for our students. If you're going to micromanage classrooms, at least start by vetting who's stepping into them. This next card. So this would be on arts and music funding. Arts and music aren't extras. They're emotional lifelines in a district that carries a lot of grief and anger. Kids need healthy outlets to process their stress and everything they can't always say out loud. These programs don't just build creativity. They build resilience. They prevent behavioral issues, improve focus, and give students a reason to stay engaged. This isn't a left or right issue. It's a human one. Every child deserves to access a safe way to express themselves. This next one will be on student expulsions. I know expulsions are serious, but what's more serious is what leads up to them. Are we providing mental health counseling, restorative justice circles, conflict mediation before discipline? Because punishing a kid for acting out without asking why or how is how we lose them forever. These expulsions aren't just paperwork. They're warning signs. I'm asking the board to reflect. Are we solving the root cause, or are we just pushing the problem out of sight until it shows up in jail later? And now I'll be talking on expanded learning opportunities. After-school and summer programs help working parents, period. They keep kids out of trouble, boost achievement, and reduce crime. It's a public safety investment. If you call yourself pro-family, this is your moment to prove it. That's on that. Short and simple, baby. Now the core reading support. Reading is the foundation of freedom. You can't preach liberty and personal responsibility if students can't even read the words on the page. Supporting early literacy coaches isn't just an education policy, it's a freedom policy. It empowers kids to think for themselves, not be told what to think. That's all for that. All right, now into some of the meteor business. Board policy 6-0-0-0. I heard someone say tonight that teachers shouldn't have pride flags because teachers are in a position of power, which means they shouldn't push personal agendas. But board members, aren't you in a position of power? And three of you come into these meetings with your personal agendas already made up, despite the obvious opinion of your community you serve. BP 600 says your job is to set standards, ensure equity, and build trust, not to push hot-button culture wars to stir up attention but not solve a single real problem. Why do you do this? Because it's easier. It's easier to ban a book than to solve a staffing crisis. But you aren't actually protecting kids. You're protecting your own political power, and we can see you. Maybe it's time to review more than policy. Maybe it's time to review who's sitting in these seats. This will have to do with board policy 6115. Some say queer students should feel safe without needing a pride flag. That if we don't have pride flags for everyone, there shouldn't be one for one group specifically. But here's the truth. Most kids already grow up seeing themselves reflected everywhere in books, movies, history lessons. But queer students don't. The pride flag doesn't say we're special. It says we're safe. Over half queer students hear slurs around their school. Many are harassed by their classmates. Some are even harassed by the staff. And when they look for help, they're too often met with silence. The pride flag doesn't make them special. It tells them they're not alone. Some of you are up for re-election. The public is watching if you actually care about protecting our kids. And this will be my last one about library books. You say you care about Redlands families, then act like it. Lawsuits over books and flags aren't helping our kids. They're wasting time and taxpayer money from both sides of the aisle. That energy could be going towards mental health care, suicide prevention, protecting students from sexual assault, real safety, not fights over things we know the state is going to intervene over. You are simply not going to win this book battle. And while we are mad at the time and resources wasted on this so far, as displayed by the amount of hate that's been shared with you guys tonight, it is not too late to make the right choice. If you feel unwelcome in the community, it's not too late to change your choice. Michelle, you can change the way this town sees you. Fight for us, not against us.

Thank you, Jay.

Josephine Swanson followed by Dominique Swanson and then Michael Grossman.

My name is Josephine Swanson. I'm a resident of Trustee Area 1 and an RUSD alumni. I'm almost finished with my bachelor's in education at UC Riverside. Banning books in the 21st century is completely disturbing and dystopian. This may be shocking for some of you, but reading is good for you, especially when it makes you uncomfortable. This policy will only harm students and staff, but we know that you only care about yourselves. I also think it's quite ironic that you Republicans are so cool with this obvious government overreach into personal freedoms. My parents raised me to be kind to all, but today I have decided to disappoint my parents and bully the bullies right back. You three are horrible people, so while I am an atheist, I do hope that a judgmental God and burning hell are in fact true so you do just what's awaiting you.

Thank you. Welcome, Dominique.

Hello, thank you. My name is Dominique Swanson, and I live in Area 1. And I'm speaking tonight opposing Board Policy 6115. I'm not here to try to persuade you, because clearly you have chosen to ignore the powerful testimonials and the majority of voices urging you not to enact these harmful policies, but rather to document my opposition and to know in my heart that I have taken a stand for inclusion and against discrimination. These policies are presented as neutral when, in fact, they are not. They are part of an effort beyond Redlands to dismantle the progress we have made towards creating a more inclusive and just society, an effort to impose your religious ideology in our public schools and beyond. We need to name it for what it is. You are on the wrong side of history. I would like to say thank you to Patty Holland and Melissa Ayala-Quintero for consistently standing.

Thank you. Michael Grossman. Michael Grossman.

Welcome, Michael. Thank you.

I put two items. I put both P and R on one card. Could I get 90 seconds? All right. We'll see how it goes. Thank you. Michael Grossman, resident of Trustee Area 2. I'm speaking on items P and R, book complaints, banning the pride flag, and the cost of lawsuits to come. Our district's timeline for the coming years cuts to music, sports, field trips, anything that relies on the general fund. A district with policies so hostile to teachers and librarians that staff vacancies go unfilled. And eventually, with our coffers drained, bond measure L? Raising money? Howard Jarvis rolls over in his grave. Your office compels fiscal responsibility, a duty that you abdicate entirely if these policies pass. Please vote no. Thank you.

Thank you, Michael.

Next up we have Kevin O'Connor, followed by Christine Collingsworth, and followed by Susan McCarley.

Well, good evening, everybody. You would think that we're winning in California, like we're the number one state in schools the way you're hearing everything tonight. The reality is we're not that fragile. Remember when it used to be Christmas break? Now it's winter break. Remember when it used to be Easter break? Now it's spring break. The Christians didn't die over that. We can't let a subculture group be so sensitive that they think that if they don't get their way, they won't get their education. You guys are here to help us with education. Thank you for your role. Thank you for bringing us back. That's why the election went the way it did in 2024. We weren't happy the way it was going. Thank you.

Welcome, Christine.

Hi. Okay. So why is keeping classrooms neutral controversial? It's not. When I was a very young student, I looked up to all my teachers because they were the smart ones, the experts, the educated ones. My parents didn't go to college, so we were taught to listen to our teachers. Anything they said or believed, I respected, and it had a huge impact on me because of that. So to think that a small flag on a teacher's desk doesn't matter or have an effect on students is not accurate. It's not hateful to keep classrooms neutral. No one hates gay kids. I can also tell you that my kids were uncomfortable in classrooms where the teachers did display sexual flags because they knew that anything they said, the teacher wasn't going to agree with and maybe retaliate. Streamlining a book policy is not an attack on any group of people. The fact that the opposition is against age-appropriate materials is all that we need to know. Parents elected you to speak for them. I encourage you to stand up for those people. We have seen the awakening across the nation to the vile books that are in our libraries, regardless of the experts. Also, I heard someone say destigmatization is not indoctrination. If we destigmatize pedophilia, doesn't that give people the idea that it's okay?

Be rational. Stand up for what you believe in. Stage strong. We're all backing you.

Thank you, Christine. Welcome, Susan.

Good evening. I commend the board on your diligence, perseverance, and moral stamina in standing for the flag policy in the face of those who would seek to justify their perverted behavior by foisting their beliefs upon innocent, impressionable young children. Thank you for bringing neutrality back to education. Thank you, Susan.

Next up, we have Margaret Mail, followed by Meg Hodgson, followed by Jesse M. Welcome, Margaret.

I want to clarify that I have three cards. Five. Two of them should have been pulled. They were the S-team. Okay. Okay. All right, speaking on the complaints concerning library materials, the value of literature has been proven time and time again. As you've heard tonight, your librarians, educators, and students are more than prepared to discuss the academic value of countless books on the chopping block. Thank you for the reading list, Candy. I will contest every ludicrous, taken out of context reason, provided that CPRA says you have to give me. Historically, book bans have been used to control the population and subdue minority voices as a tool of fascism. You are not qualified and clearly haven't read the books you'd like to ban. Your lack of reading comprehension is showing. Speaking on 13Q, Concept and Rules, the goal of this policy, the vague wording and inability to define quote-unquote obscene material cannot be anything other than to allow for the unchecked banning of books that don't adhere to a straight, white, conservative, Christian nationalist worldview, disproportionately harming the hundreds of RUSC affiliates that do not fit into that narrow worldview." The district already has an effective system in place to allow parents to regulate their child's access to material. You claim to promote parental rights, but don't seem to understand the limits of what you are advocating for. Simply put, a parent's rights end when it affects other students of the district. This is censorship. Full stop. Speaking on 13R ceremonies, observances, and flag displays, policy 615 is inherently discriminatory. I and hundreds of community members have spoken time and time again against this policy, and yet you still haven't seemed to grasp that you are only harming the people you were elected to protect. This policy violates the rights of staff and students to exist comfortable in their own skin on campus and serves only to promote bigotry and harassment of students of color, disabled people, and queer members on RUSD campuses as the district weakens protections for those people. This is discrimination and as the community has proven time and time again, we will not stand for it. This is your last chance to do the right thing. I suggest you take it.

Thank you, Margaret.

Welcome, Meg.

Thank you.

I'm... Excuse me. Wait. What's going on?

saying snotty kids. So I think he needs to go.

Wait.

Remove this man, please. Yeah, we're going to take it.

We're going to take... We're going to take... I don't know if he was focused on that.

I'm going to have to clear the room if you guys cannot stop. He's taking care of him.

Oh, they moved him.

Okay. Let's keep going, Meg.

Can everybody please be quiet so we can hear the speaker? Thank you. Welcome, Meg.

Thank you. I'm speaking first on 13P. The board has heard from a district librarian months ago about how there is already a policy in place, how it is working, and how this policy proposed by the board today is unnecessary. It appears that members of this board are attempting to substitute their judgment for that of the parents, students, and educators, and our USD librarians. The judgment of three for that of the judgment of thousands. That is not what you are elected to do. This policy is wrong, and the board has heard hours of people telling you why. Listen. Think about what this policy has already cost you in terms of time for people being here, for salaries, for air conditioning, et cetera. Vote no. I'm next going to speak on 13R. It's clear that members of the board are attempting to use their position on the board as a means to not help our USD families, but a springboard to higher political aspirations at the expense of our USD students and families. Please reflect on all the comments and listen to your constituents. We are not here because we enjoy these meetings. I do not. I do not want to be here. We are here to ask you to stop this destructive and dangerous anti-student path. I implore you to listen. I am asking you to listen to what I told my children every day before they went to school. I told them daily to be kind and make good choices. Make good choices. Vote no. Thank you, Meg.

Next up we have Jesse M., followed by Ryan Shavrian, followed by Olivia Mortensen.

Good evening. I just wanted to confirm that I have three cards left following the three items that were removed. Yes. I'm going to speak first on P. I'm changing what I was going to say earlier. Michelle, you spoke earlier about wanting to do the right things and modify things and encourage a process. Item P is where you can demonstrate that you mean those things because you've heard complaints tonight not just about what is being targeted but also about the procedure that is being proposed. So even if you think something needs to be done, you can still take this item back and recalibrate it to address some of the procedural concerns and the fact that we're all going to be here discussing books at every meeting. These meetings are getting out of control. Someone just took a photograph of my kids behind. Come on. Next, board policy 6000. This is also a policy not based on any need. None of the staff of this district who sexually assaulted children did so using books or curricula containing explicit content. I'd ask you to focus on problems rather than leaning into cultural war issues. There's also some degree of hypocrisy in this item. Your high schools require that Minga, an app on cell phones, be provided and used on campus. You're requiring students to have a cell phone. We all know cell phones can access all kinds of things that are inappropriate, and you're requiring our students to have them. So please focus on the important things. I'm also next talking about 6.1.1.5. You've heard the things I was going to say probably from many people tonight, so I'm going to just raise a new point. I realize when I went into the bathroom and you have your sexual harassment policy posted, I think you need to reread that policy and then think about the purpose of 6.1.1.5. It appears that by passing this policy based on some of the intended purposes of some of the board members, that you would be creating sexual harassment against individuals based on their sexual orientation or identities in violation of your own policy. Please rethink what you're doing in the context of all of your policies and that mission statement. Thank you.

Thank you, Chelsea. Welcome, Ryan.

Last name is Shaverin, just for correct pronunciation. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Ryan Shaverin, and I'm speaking as a concerned community member. Policy 1312 poses serious financial risk for our district. Similar policies have already led to lawsuits and investigations over student violations of... of violations of student privacy and equal protection laws. Our district already has a budget crisis. One legal challenge could cost millions in fees and settlements. And when the money runs out, what gets cut? How many of our fine educators that were here this evening lose their jobs? Why is there more tolerance for your political posturing than there is for prudent budgeting?

I urge you to reconsider before we end up spending taxpayer dollars on lawsuits rather than in our classrooms.

Our community deserves better. Our students and our educators deserve better. I'm running for Area 2 in 2026. Olivia Mortensen.

Anita Rhodes.

Welcome, Anita.

Thank you. None of your business. Did you have a question for me, board members? I hear a lot of talk back here. So before you start to clock, I'd like to know who I answered to, you or them. you're speaking to us thank you thank you guys for enduring the grace under pressure I'm going to talk about the flag the book and the other item about the classroom curriculum mrs. Rindler you know what's right you're doing what's right There has been, there's a lot of delusion in this room to think that a child should tell an adult what to do. They've only lived 18 years at the most. What they're advocating is their sexuality and their choices. They have their parents and grandparents here telling them it's good for them. It's not, but it's their choice if their parents approve of it. Mrs. Rindler, it takes an intelligent person to listen and realize they may have made errors in judgment and to change their mind. We don't trust the therapist. We don't trust the librarian. We don't trust the therapists, the librarians to advocate for our morals with respect to the books. We're asking you to keep the schools neutral. This may be a protected class because of their homosexual tendencies and proclivities. Doesn't mean that they get to dictate what everybody else thinks and does. They're extremely rude, extremely immature. extremely demanding and narcissistic, that think everybody should be exposed to the perversity that they've chosen for their children and for themselves. And the disrespect of the children up here. A man takes a picture of a disrespectful child and they accuse him of the butt. Her butt wasn't showing from him. I'm just telling you guys, you guys, I reclaim my time. I reclaim my time. I ask you guys to be strong. Continue doing what you're doing. item. With respect.

With respect. No, I've got one more. Excuse me. Somebody's speaking, please. Anita. Anita, please talk to us. Too bad.

Too bad.

Live with it. Suck it up. Talk to us up here, please. Now, what I had to say, Jeanette Candy, someone called you guys lewd. If you guys are lewd, everybody in here is lewd, okay? So you're not alone. The bottom line is the homosexual community cannot have our children. That's all that we're saying is they cannot have our children. We ask you to protect the children of the parents that do not want this exposure for their children. If they're decent Americans, if they're decent people.

Jeanette, please set the clock, please. I'm sorry. There's some disruption that I can't even hear what you're saying. First Please, please, please be quiet. Please be quiet. I can't even hear. Thank you. Thank you. I can't hear.

Excuse me. Ma'am, like I'm saying, I'm going to use, I'm going to use accurate.

If you're not quiet right now, you're going to have to leave. If you're not quiet, you're going to have to leave.

I don't know. Security? Security?

Security?

Ma'am, y'all should not have him here. You shouldn't have him here. Don't have him here. Okay. Okay, we're done.

Okay.

Anita, can you finish your statement?

Okay. Okay.

We're going to have to clear the room because you can't... Excuse me. You need to go out. We're going to have to clear the room right now. Nina, do you have more that you want to say? That's what I'm trying to figure out. She doesn't want to talk anymore. Okay, we're going to clear the room right now.

Security. Clear the room. The president has asked security to clear the room. Yes. The president has asked that everybody clear the room. Security, please. Rudy's on it.

Excuse me. Are we not hearing? Let's go.

Okay. Clerk Wilson, do we have any more speaker cards?

Yeah, I have three for Joette Orman.

Josette. Joette? Josette. Oh, Josette. Do you want me to go get Joette? Yes. It says Josette. Josette.

Oh, Joette was the one.

I apologize. Did I have it right? Yes, please.

41.

Welcome, Joette.

All right.

It's hard to come up here and talk after that. It is, I believe, the reason that we're all here, though. I have three cards. May I put them all together? Is this working? Yeah. I don't have, I don't know which card. 13PQ and R. Oh, okay. Please. I remember growing up and being required to read many of these banned books at RHS. We complained about them, rushing through, often to get what we needed for our AP English class book reports. As a mental health professional and a former child, I know that the best way to pique interest is to forbid content. I do not believe this board will listen to the community in Redlands. I have seen too much evidence to the contrary. I do believe that these policies will inspire children to seek out that which is feared. Only now, there will be no guidance or support to help them process the information. It is easy to say that kids can have access to these books, books that inspire critical thinking, away from the school. However, not everyone has access to outside of school, and it is not fair to restrict all children Am I putting them together? OK. Because some parents can't control their own. This board claims to care about children, but this policy directly harms them. Not only those marginalized in our community, but everyone of every race, creed, and religion. Diversity is what makes us beautiful. We are all the salt of the earth, according to the Bible. Salt is seasoning. It's variety. It is life. Banning friends and observances is more than it seems. But that is why I believe some on this board are adamant about passing it. There will be a direct link from this bill to suicides in this community. I have seen firsthand that the people the most shocked by losing their children to the effects of this control are the ones holding Titus to these reins. The science in mental health is moving as fast as our nation's racism and fear, and that means that when this district is being sued for the consequences of its decisions, they can't say they didn't know.

Thank you.

Thank you. Is that the end of mine? I thought you had three. Yeah, that's not the end. That's fine. That's basically it. Okay. The science in mental health is moving as fast as our nation's racism and fear, and that means that when this district is being sued for the consequences of its decisions, it will not be hard to claim, or it will be hard to claim that you didn't know, especially because multiple mental health professionals have stood up here and told you. What we just experienced is directly the result of this hate.

Thank you.

Thank you, Joette.

We're done with blue speaker cards.

So you said Anita's not coming back?

That was my mistake. Okay.

Okay. All right. Public hearing. Public hearing on the initial proposal of the Redlands Teachers Association, CTA, NEA, to the Board of Education for 2025-2026 negotiation cycle. We'll now continue with the superintendent's recommendations. First, we have consent items under business services. Mr. Hill, do you have any changes or additions?

No changes or additions tonight.

We have a motion to approve items 12A, consent items B through G. Do we have a motion? So moved. Second? Second. I'll second. Okay. Thank you, Patty. Thank you, Jeanette. Any discussion? Seeing no discussion, we will call for the vote.

I actually need a moment to open up my laptop to get my agenda.

Oh, okay. We will wait a second.

What items are we on?

We just did business services.

B through what?

A through G. We're on 12.

Okay.

Okay. Do you have any discussions on that? Oh, she's back. Should we let her speak? Yeah. Anita, would you like to finish your... We're in the middle of...

Voting here. So we've got to finish this. Oh, I'm sorry.

Let's finish this and then you can come up. I'm sorry. Any more discussion on this? Melissa, did you have anything? No, I said I was ready. Oh, okay. All right. Let's call for the vote.

Member Ayala-Quintero?

Aye.

Board Member Olson? Aye. President Rendler? Aye. Vice President Holohan? Aye. Clerk Wilson? Aye. Motion carried. 5-0.

Okay, now we'll let Anita finish hers. Anita, we're ready for you.

Just for the board to know, I am a Sunday school teacher of kindergarten, first, second grade, historically for eight years, and for adults over 30 years old. What I know about the constituent I represent is they don't want their children homosexualized by the books, by the curriculum. What we're asking for is for a neutral classroom. And we understand the pressure you're under by those who believe their lifestyle should be promoted, advocated, and celebrated everywhere. But it's not fair to the rest of us that want to protect our children from premature exposure to this. So I am very proud of you, Mrs. Rindler, and Jeanette Wilson, and Candy Olson. And Ms. Patty, I haven't heard much from you, but I sense from you that you feel compromised. But I won't speak for you. That's just my opinion. So we are praying for you guys. Most of your constituents are silent majority. Thank you, Anita. They're not here. Thank you.

Thank you. Okay. Moving on to consent item.

No, she...

But when they're not here for so long.

So we skipped one of the cards. We didn't skip her. She was called, but she didn't hear her name.

Sudra. Sudra.

So the name was called, but I don't think she heard it outside, so she's wondering if she can hear it. Oh, yeah.

Do you remember how many cards she had?

It was before Mark L., who had all the 18 cards. Remember the one that had the 18 cards? It was right before. A couple after B, if you can find that one.

Yeah.

That's only one. Well, there were two they said left.

I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding. How do you pronounce your name? I have two.

Okay.

Yeah.

How do you pronounce your name? Supadra. Supadra. Yes. Supadra.

I'd like to start on pride flags. So the American flag that flies here should be a reminder that we are under the protection of the United States. But for LGBTQ plus students, the United States flag has not historically offered protection. They have been persecuted for that which they cannot control. And the last thing that we should do is perpetuate the negative cycles our predecessors have created. Students need support, and it is the duty of our district to provide that. The only way we can do that is by continuing to fly pride flags. I implore you not to move forward with these bans. Flags are just meant to help people feel accepted. It's not excluding anyone. The only thing we're doing when we take down these pride flags is excluding people. So I encourage you to consider this a little bit more. Now on book bans. I'd like to point out a key fact about these book bans, and they're not just meant to ban sexually explicit content. The definition of that isn't even clear. I'd like a definition of that before you move forward with it, for heaven's sake. They're meant to ban the whole community's self-expression. First, it'll be the LGBTQ plus community. And then, once their voices are silenced, it will be the POC community. As time goes on, every single voice will be silenced until the only people left are our board members who seek to quiet us to begin with. You didn't let us speak before. So I'm not really confident that you're going to let us speak through our own books, through our own ideas. I beg you to stop trying to ban our voices, ban these books. Hear our voices now and let us speak. Thank you.

Thank you, Supatra. All right, moving on to consent items under educational services. Do you know if there's any changes or additions? No. No. Okay. Do we have a motion to approve items 12A through O altogether?

A through O together only? No.

Business consent, you did already, right? And services consent.

Services consent now.

Oh, it says 12 here. That's just a mistake. Yeah, but it says 12 on my paper. I wasn't. 12A through O together. I mean 13. 13A through O together.

I'll move approval on 13A through O. Second? Second. Patty, thank you. Candy? Candy? Any discussion? Yeah, very thrilled to see that our RHS and CV spirit leaders and Red Song Girls are going on camp.

We'll call for the vote. No, I had a comment. Oh, you have something?

Yeah, on L, the agreement with active education. ALOP. Well, just this is specifically for the active education contract within ELOP. I don't know. I'm not wanting to not vote for it, but I really do want to caution Rudy, who's not here, to... keep a close eye on it because I read some reviews on that organization and they weren't very good and I saw where their ratio is 1 to 20 and then I saw in another place for TK we need 1 to 10 so I just want to make sure that that's solid and that we really are looking at who is training them and monitoring them with the kids and

We can do that. I know that I'm not sure the ratios, and we can certainly look at that. As an ELOP program, it is not the same curricular system that we run during school, so it would be more of an after-school program. But I can look at those ratios and make sure that we stay on top of it.

You're talking about the ELOP after school?

Yeah, they're doing a PE thing in it.

Well, yeah, it's a group that comes in. I think it was twice a week that does. Yeah, so I just think that would be an area to really keep an eye on with our kids. Okay.

All right. Call for the vote. Board Member Ayala Quintero. Aye. Board Member Olson. Aye. President Rendler. Aye. Vice President Hollihan. Aye. Clerk Wilson. Aye. Motion carried, 5-0. Okay.

Okay. Do we have a motion to approve revisions to Administrative Regulation 1312.2, Complaints Concerning Library or Media Center Materials? Second read. Moved.

Do we have a second?

We're on a motion to approve revision of Administrative Regulation.

Oh, I see.

Sorry. I'll second that. Okay. Any discussion?

Yep. Well, I'm going to ask again, and I'm going to be ignored, that we bring this back to the drawing board and we actually do something. I can't be the only person that's hearing everybody that's coming to these meetings. So even if you claim, which it isn't, but you know what? I'm going to stay away from that. But even if it is 50-50... That means that there are 50% of our parents, and that's not even including, I mean, community members, but at least our parents, should have the option of still having their children have access to some of these books. I don't know what is going on here, but I would like to see... Even if for some reason this unqualified board, because I definitely don't have a degree that would qualify me to make these decisions, but even if I decided that if this board decides that a book like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which is a commonly banned book, even if I decide that that book is okay for my child to read, this board takes away access to that. Where is the compromise? Again, why are we not spending time trying to figure this out so that we don't have these ridiculous board meetings? Why are we not taking care? This is just, and I know someone's going to say otherwise, but we are rushing to do this without actually taking the time to make sure that this is something that we should be doing with everybody's opinion in mind. It's not a matter of there's nothing that's going to satisfy everyone. It's just a matter of taking the time to figure it out. genuinely taking the time. So I actually have, I have to say, you guys are making me more popular in the last six months than I have been in the last four years. So I'm getting approached everywhere by staff. Your friends, that's the kicker. Your coworkers, your friends, your neighbors, like everybody's reaching out to me because they don't understand why you guys aren't listening to anybody. That's embarrassing. I mean, I can't go anywhere in town without people recognizing me. But you know what? I appreciate it because... I mean, why would I complain, right? But I actually had a member of the public who had some pretty good suggestions. No one's going to hear them because, you know, everything I say just goes over everybody's heads. So I think there should still be an opt-in process for parents who do wish their children to read these books. You and I are not qualified, and I don't think it's right. If you guys want to get away from, like, oh, we're banning books, then don't ban them. Remove them from the general population, but if parents decide they still want their children to read it, they have every right to do that. So maybe let's opt in. If, there's another one, if five or more families submit opt-in requests for a challenged or removed book, then a professional review panel should, I mean, we can up that number, 10, 15, 20, then a professional review panel should consider reinstating the book because, again, what I don't understand is, like, you guys keep saying that this isn't banning books. It's a Trojan horse because there is no, there's not even a rubric. on how these things are going to be done. There's no clear terms. What's going to be considered? Does the word vagina, is that considered pervasive? Like, no, but that's the thing. It's not anywhere in here. So how are we supposed to know? It's left open to, I mean, all this interpretation and it just, it really depends on who's sitting up here at the time. It's embarrassing, but there's that. Then, again, we should be working on the rubric, because then maybe people wouldn't be so angry at us for trying to remove books, because there would be a clear understanding. You guys keep calling it pornography. I don't know who's getting sexually aroused by these things, but when I've read books where there's assaults or any sort of... people documenting their experiences. I don't get aroused by that. I don't know what you guys are reading, but I don't. But you know what it does? It makes me uncomfortable. It makes me uncomfortable when I realize that there are things in my life that I should be grateful for, and that there are other people out there having experiences that I would know nothing about. But you know what? I appreciate my life all the more for it, and I develop empathy and understanding for those that have experienced it. So I don't understand why no one wants to listen to all of our constituents. This cutting of the time, this is, I mean, it's 10.33, and we got through those comments. I mean, granted, we've had some issues, but 10.33, you guys couldn't be bothered to stay another hour for 15 more seconds? This is embarrassing. So back to the topic, I'm curious. Excuse me, I'm talking. Why? I was still talking. Why did she get to interrupt me?

She thought you were done. I don't know.

I thought we were supposed to stick to the topic. I'm sorry. She is on the topic. No, she's talking about the time that we give people to speak.

Because I would like to hear other people's opinions. What I'm trying to get to, if you would just let me breathe, is that... Ms. Elias brought up a very good point that is not included in this policy, which I want to know, is there going to be a provision? Because how many do we have? 3,358 AP students testing, right? So Ms. Elias brought up a very good point. Will there be a provision for books recommended by the College Board for AP use? Because I guarantee you any one of those books that you guys are so eager to ban, I guarantee you those are going to be used in college courses. And if we have kids taking AP classes, aren't we doing them a disservice?

I think in 6000, there is a thing in there.

So then why isn't it in 1312?

Because these pertain to library. This all pertains to...

So that still means that those books... but it would still be in our library because not everybody is going to go out and purchase the book, so they would have to check it out from the library. That's not how it works. No, they don't.

They don't have that many copies in the library.

Both policies would be relevant, but an AP class would generally select a book, and the kids would check it out, but it would only be a book used for that specific class. I would... There has been times where a parent says, I don't like the book that my student has to read for that class. Could that be a book that ends up getting challenged? Answer, yes. What we do now in that case is we give an alternative assignment to the student whose parent doesn't want them to read that. But yes, AP books would be something that is included.

I thought there was something in here and said that there was some exceptions. Like, I thought there was something in here that said something about exceptions.

If our curriculum shouldn't contain obscene and over-sexualized books and... Sexual violence in our AP books shouldn't either. I mean, they should all fall in line under the same category.

So you're recommending a change to our AP courses? No, I'm not. That's not okay.

No. Curriculum in general should be free from obscenity.

It's the new language that we put in there. It's 6,000. Yeah, it's in 6,000. But it's not in 1312.

So there should be some consistency.

There's a few things that don't match between the two.

But isn't that because it has to do with curriculum versus library?

Yes, I think so.

I don't think they could all match. But are you saying that the AP classes decide just as they go along what book they're going to be reading?

Depends on what the course is, but there's recommendations made by the college board on books that would be relevant to the subject matter. So imagine like a list, and then teachers would make a selection.

And then the principal would...

And then it is, yeah, because many times we have to order the book. So then it goes through that process of ordering it, which goes through the principle.

Like that one book mouse that that person mentioned. That would be one. Yes. Yes.

So it's curriculum, but it's housed in the library?

It's curriculum that's, well, yes and no. Because the kids have to read it, so it just goes straight to the kids. It doesn't sit in the library. You order it just specifically for that class. And so if you have a class of 50 kids who are going to read it, you order 50 books and you give them to the students. That's what they have to read for that time period, and then they give them back.

They often use the library to account for the accountability of the book.

But it's not available for checkout.

Yeah. I mean, if somebody saw that their friend was reading it in an AP course and they told them it was a good book, why wouldn't they be able to have access to it? Like, why do you have to be in that class just to have access to it?

AP curriculum, I guess.

No, I know. But I mean, that just means that, I mean, students who don't feel they're capable of taking AP classes would have less of a range of access to books.

Yeah, I understand what you're saying.

Well, what I was going to ask you earlier, Melissa, I'm curious, the point you brought up about could parents opt in for their kids to read certain books? How would that work? Like where would the books be under the counter or something or?

I don't know the mapping of our libraries behind the counter, but I would imagine there would be something that, I mean, if why we already obviously own them, why are we going to get rid of them? What would happen if that's the case? What happens when we just throw away books?

Probably donate them. I don't know. I haven't really thought all that through. But if we have a book that's removed and is not allowed back in the library, then we would find something to do with it.

Can we make the list of removed books, publish that, and then if parents would like their children to be able to check that out, that is an option?

We put them in a different area so that way when parents do opt in they can get that book and we just keep them in the library.

Physically is it possible to do that? Yes.

Okay. Our librarians work really hard. They're great. They're amazing. They pick the right books. And so I'm sure that they would have a plan for us to do that. So that way parents can get in and they can opt in if they want their child to respect.

I'm just trying to respect everybody's. I mean, obviously people think that the previous system wasn't good enough, but now you've like overcorrected and now you're taking everything away from everyone. It wasn't just enough to take it away from your own.

Taking everything away. That's not taking everything away.

Okay, I don't mean literally everything, but what I'm saying is this majority board, the way it's working out right now, you are all going to decide on a book that I might decide I want my child to read. How is that okay?

That's why on the library book one, I had an issue with section two. I had an issue with that.

She didn't mention anything.

I did, but it wasn't going to go anywhere, and I wanted something to pass.

See, but that's why I think we should take care and take time to do this correctly.

Why do we have to rush that you wanted something to make sure that we passed? We need to do this, and we need to do it right. If it takes a day, a month, a year... We need to do it right.

We're under no obligation to provide all the titles that everybody wants to have. There's no law saying we need a certain number of titles or these particular titles. They are free for anyone to check out or buy on Amazon. So we're not breaking any laws by keeping things clean and free from...

No one said we're under any obligation. What I'm saying is you are trying to take away books that we already have in our libraries. And not everybody can just go to Amazon and buy books. There's a library. Financially, they can't. I mean, let's provide a service for our students. Our school library, obviously not. Because the moment we allow all this to happen, they're going to take it directly to the public library. And it's going to be, oh, well, if those schools banned it, then it must be a problem. And then we should get the public library to ban it. Like, I'm not stupid. Again, this is a Trojan horse. And it's just, you guys are just letting it happen. And it's really upsetting and it's really disappointing because I don't know if you guys are enjoying this, but I'm not. I don't like spending this much time with you guys.

My feeling has always been and still will be that I don't think sexually explicit material needs to be in public schools. But that is your personal belief. For children.

That is your personal belief.

There is no reason to think that the norms of society would be any different. Somehow the school is a separate entity that has no relevance to age appropriateness. We have... Who says? Because you say? We have restrictions on music. We have explicit content warnings on music. We have restrictions for age appropriateness on movies. We have adult sex shops that have 18 and over. And it is not appropriate to have a young mind in those shops, in those stores. Why? It's because that content is not appropriate for children. Because that is pornography. So this is the norm of society. Society has norms. And... Their books and literary content is no different. Some of the filth that is in some of the books is really repulsive, and young minds should not be consuming that because it's harmful. And that's okay if you disagree. You can read it to your kids at your home. But while we are in charge of providing this to all kids, then we should know that we're not providing anything that's obscene or that could be harmful.

Who says it's obscene besides you?

I liken this to movies, 17 and over. For an R-rated movie, you have to be 17 and over.

You guys are under the impression that we're reading it to kids. We're not reading it to kids. We are not reading it to kids. Nobody is making every single... That's the thing that you guys keep talking about. One, that we're giving it to elementary kids. We're giving it to middle school kids. Yes, I understand that some were found at the middle school. I'm not stupid. However... What I am going to say is most of these books are at the high school level. Some of these kids are 18. You guys don't seem to care about that. Even being 17, that magical day turning them from 17 to 18 automatically makes them way more mature. And I don't understand why you guys think that teenagers who donate blood, have jobs, take care of their own families to help out their parents, why are they responsible enough to do all those things, to vote, to join the military? Why are they responsible to do all those things but not to select what they want to read with the approval of their parents?

The parents don't know all of the titles in the books. In fact, I just learned of two new books in our school system.

Just because you say it so doesn't make it so.

Excuse me. You're excused. Anyway, I think that we should move this forward.

Of course you do. I wanted to share a poll that I came across when I was researching some of this. It's a Rasmussen Reports poll, which is a well-respected, proven pollster group. And this was from 2022. And the poll concluded that 89% of... likely voters, which is a vast majority, are opposed to sexually explicit books in public elementary schools. 79% are opposed to it in middle school libraries, and then 69% feel that sexually explicit books should not be present in public high school libraries.

You're kind of misrepresenting that because I just looked it up. It said that 89% of likely U.S. voters think it's important that public schools fully inform parents about what's being taught to their children in classrooms, including 70% who say it is very important. They're just asking to be informed. Well, I don't know if that's the exact same poll. I don't know. It's under RasmussenReports.com.

Sounds like that's a different question. No, I Googled the exact same things.

And I also wanted to say that I believe that we are here to represent community standards. And for example, I went on 4th of July to an event in Highland to try to meet more parents in the Highland area. And every single parent except one told me they are in favor of this policy. And I talked to a lot of families there. And I have used the current mechanism that people keep saying works. It didn't work. It was not simple. It was not effective. It wasn't streamlined. It didn't work well.

Very costly, too.

I'm going to go back to we didn't have a problem until the board switched and changed. And when you started coming to the meetings to promote awareness on what was going on, the procedure we had worked. It worked fine. We didn't get sued. And now things are different.

A lot of things happened from COVID time.

Well, it didn't work for me as a community member.

It didn't work. Well, that's what I'm saying. Until you guys came, it wasn't a problem. It was fine until you started coming. And now it turned into... So we started coming. No, I'm not saying that, Jeanette. I'm just saying when things started bringing up with the book policies and book banning four years ago, this is where we... We are now, but we never had a problem with it. We didn't have parents coming and complaining all the time like we do now.

I think COVID did a lot of that. Parents became more involved and more aware of things. They started seeing what's available.

I mean, saying that parents became more involved implies that they weren't aware before.

Actually, they weren't.

No, I think this has become a very political issue, and I think that's why everybody is more aware of it.

It's widely known that during COVID, kids were at home. They started seeing what the teachers were teaching their kids. And the world of moms woke up. And they got involved.

Okay, well, then that just negates your whole argument because during COVID, they didn't have access to our library.

So what are you talking about? I'm not talking about the library books. I'm saying in general to the public school system. We realized there was a problem. when we saw what was being taught to our kids. I saw major problems, what was being taught to our kids. That led to the next thing, to the next thing. That led to the books being discovered in the libraries, and what a horror that was. I mean, it's disgusting what's in there. Some of the stuff is just outright just disgusting. I would never want my 17-year-old daughter to read that. I mean, it is sick.

And that is absolutely your right. Yeah, I know, but it's inappropriate. And I am telling you that I would absolutely allow my soon-to-be 16-year-old to read it if I thought it had literary merit.

Yeah, but you don't even know what we're talking about. Excuse you. What are you talking about? Why are you saying excuse you?

Because you just said that I don't know what we're talking about.

No, we don't have some piece of literature that we're speaking to. We're just saying a bad book in general.

So you get to throw out a hypothetical about how you don't want your 17-year-old to read something, but when I say the same exact thing about my 16-year-old, you say I don't know. She just said I didn't know what I was talking about.

I didn't mean it like that, Melissa. We don't have a passage. We're not talking about a passage.

Excuse me. All I'm asking is that we take some time to take care of the literal hundreds of people. And I would like to see these cards go down. I would like this to go away. I would really care to spend time on this to the point where we're actually doing something good and making sure we're not harming anyone.

We've spent a lot of time on this, and I think it's time to move forward.

The one thing I had asked in Section 2 to not come to the board, but go to a district committee.

I asked the same question.

And it wasn't received very well. That would be good. Just because this board's going to change? And so one board may say, yeah, that's not good. And then the next board, next two years later, come in. That's where we were.

I asked for that very same thing, and I was steamrolled and told no. I asked for that very same thing two meetings ago.

But unless you have guidelines of what's going to be used, even if it's a review committee, unless we have some kind of guidelines... The committee people are going to change?

You spend a tremendous amount of money. So what's going to happen is, for example, all of the books that have been challenged so far, the challengers are not happy with the outcome of the committee. So what's going to happen next? It goes to the board. So now we do make a decision about it. And in the meantime, we wasted all of that money on a committee. So there's no reason to have that step in between for stuff that's sexually explicit. We are adult women. We know what's sexually explicit and vulgar and obscene.

Do we have a head librarian of the district? Like someone who's in charge of all the librarians?

But I wouldn't, a lead, but not, I wouldn't say they're like a director of librarians.

Can I just say, like to Jeanette's point, like there would need, we don't even know about a rubric that they would, that these committees would go off of. It's the same exact thing for this board. The board should have standards and a rubric. And I agree, it shouldn't be this board because that will change. the whole reason we're having this conversation, we had these books reviewed and because somebody didn't like him, they decided to join the board and now here we are. It's going to change. This board is going to change and it's going to change again over and over and over. So there should be an impartial process that leads all of this. And yes, I don't think we, but again, I say that and it just, it goes nowhere. Staff stays.

Staff can do this. They are not impartial, their staff, and they don't want to go against their principals, and they don't want to go against the librarians that are in their schools. And as we saw before, they all rubber-stamped it all, Michelle. So, no, that committee was a disaster, and it spent a ton of our money. It's going to go to the board anyways afterwards.

Different committees. It was different committees every single time.

They still all rubber stamped everything.

Just like, again, this board would make the exact same thing. That's the problem.

We're going to keep... I'm not rubber stamping anything. I would read it and make a decision.

You've already made a decision.

We're talking about a book that's challenged. I don't know what book's going to be challenged. I can have some ideas.

I guarantee you I know nine already.

That's probably true.

I'd like to see that we add.

I just want some care and time taken. Sorry, Patty. I just want some time and care and actual effort put into this. And I would like to see a rubric. It's not fair. This is very open-ended.

We've taken a lot of time, paid a lot of overtime to our people. These meetings have gone very long. It's time for us to make a decision. We've taken a lot of time.

That overtime will go away because these meetings won't be as long because our constituents will have felt like we've heard them.

You need to do the right thing.

Well, you can. I mean, when you talk about constituents and people bring up making a decision that works for everyone, it's not possible. I promise you it is.

I promise you it is. We just haven't taken the time to do it.

Do we have the board policy?

You really tell me that you don't think that we could find a compromise that works for everyone? Yeah, there will probably be some people that are upset with this, but not as many.

Well, I don't know what it would be.

I don't know either, but have we spent any time on it?

I mean, the other concern I have, I didn't realize that we just have had librarians for three years. So there could be some of these books that... I'm sure I wouldn't want in the libraries were written and published years ago. So that's another area where it doesn't even mean it's such an insult to the librarian. Those books could have been in there for years before they even have their job.

I promise you they know every book that's in their libraries, though.

16,000 books. It's their job. It's your only job. Well, I hope they're not just looking... at each book every day.

It's great that we were able to bring back our librarians. That was one of the things we had to cut a few years ago. So to be able to have the classroom that they get to come, otherwise the teachers had to come in and they played librarian and they played teacher in there. So to have the librarians and the work that they do is phenomenal in each school that we have them in. I am so grateful. And we need to keep them and we need to let them do their job.

Well, parents need a way to file a complaint. They can't just be expected to go along with. And that's a parent's right.

You're right. They do.

We've never forced a book on a child.

Yes.

Ever.

I have no idea what is in a school library.

Well, they have you, right? They have you to inform them.

The problem that I see here is that our board policy, 1312.2, It doesn't say a lot, and we have to change the heading of it because it doesn't match now with the AR. Let's do that. Let's take the time. Let's do it right. I just read it. It's fine. The wording doesn't match. It's just the BP. It's called Complaints Concerning Instructional Material, which is what this used to be, and this has changed. So we've got to do that. Just change the title of it. Yeah, we've got to do that, too.

We can still pass it at the same time. That's just the title. We need to take the time to do it and do it right. It's not the policy. We don't need more time on something we've spent a tremendous amount of time on already.

I know that's killing you. I know that getting the pushback that you've gotten, I know that's killing you. But I actually do care about the students, our staff, our constituents. I do hear them. You know...

A lot of people in my area cannot believe you don't need an ID to check out some of the stuff that's in our library. And you're telling me that I'm concerned about the pushback from the people that come here and speak. These aren't all of the constituents in my area. They're not here. They are overwhelmingly in support of a book challenge policy.

And there are plenty of people in your area that aren't. You can't just say, well, the ones I talk to, you have to consider. That's the job. You have to consider everyone's opinion.

I'm aware of that.

And you haven't considered anybody's opinion besides your own.

That's not true. I have a moral obligation to keep things away from children that are known to be harmful.

You have a legal obligation.

There's no legal obligation to provide sexually explicit material to children, Melissa. There is no legal obligation for that.

I love how you put words in my mouth.

We tabled this, Michelle. If this could be a quick thing to fix, is that too big of a thing to fix right now? Yes. I'm not going to rush through this. What, just the title? No. The Section 2? It's too much to do right now. Section 2 needs to stay. I'm not going to do that.

I would appreciate, honestly, Michelle, I would appreciate that you spend time with either me or Patty to work on this, because clearly the work is being done by everybody else, and I'm supposed to be okay with this. I would really, like I said, I would really just like small tweaks. I'm not even saying let's not pass it. I'm saying can we just get some small tweaks in there so that we can get these meetings back to normal.

Some compromise. Let's have some compromise on this so we can get this done. And I would like to table this.

We had the first read. We passed it, Michelle, without any problems with it. Well, that's why we do first and second reads. Now we're here. That's why we do reads so that if something comes up. We've had a lot of discussions about this.

You've had a lot of discussions about this.

We have all had a lot of discussions.

No. There's some incorrect things in here, Candy.

There's nothing incorrect. She's talking about Section 2. That's not incorrect. It's a good section.

Nope.

Great section.

I'm not sure what you are talking about, Michelle.

Section 2, if it's deemed by a parent sexually explicit, and then it goes straight to the board instead of going to that superintendent review committee.

I spend a whole bunch of money, and then it's going to go to the board after that.

The superintendent review committee doesn't get paid. There's a volunteer committee. You're going to get your little policy passed. I just want to make sure that there are provisions for parents who actually want their children to read.

This is what I wanted to put here right at the beginning. Not this review committee, but it goes straight to the district.

I just don't understand, Melissa, where you would draw the line because we cannot provide every book every parent would want for their child. What do you mean? We're not obligated, nor could we provide every book parents want for their child. But these are books that we already have.

We're not going to go buy new ones.

I'm not asking us to purchase new books. And if a student requests a book from a librarian, the librarian does research to see if that's something that they can bring in if it's within their budget. I mean... But I'm not asking us to buy new books. I'm just asking the ones that we review that those select few parents who still find that it's okay be still allowed with exception. They can sign a waiver. They can sign whatever relieving us of all whatever. I just think that they should still be allowed to check it out. That's all I'm asking.

As a parent, they get to choose. Just like the parent chooses not to read that book, the parent chooses to read that book.

See, I feel different because I feel like we shouldn't have those books in school libraries. They shouldn't even be there. That's my opinion. I get that. I go to the regular library. The kid goes on their phone. They're going to do that. Go to the bookstore. I don't know. Download it. I don't know what they're going to do. And that's a parent's decision for their children. but I don't think the public schools need to offer those books. So if something is deemed to be sexually explicit by a parent and they want to challenge it, that's why I was asking if number six from section one could be...

So can I ask really quick, why does one parent deeming it inappropriate negate another parent saying that it's not?

If it gets challenged, then it would go directly to the superintendent's review committee. like we have in Section 1, the second, you know, the challenge one, if they appeal it. And the district, I mean, they're well more qualified than I am to look and see what is appropriate for different age levels. I mean, I know for my family what's appropriate in age levels, but...

I mean, I would imagine there's a report that they would bring to us and let us know why they've made those decisions, but that's all I'm asking because I don't know that, again, we shouldn't be making this decision. We can't even make a decision about this.

There is no problem with erroring on the side of precaution and to be conservative in this, Michelle. There is no harm in being more careful. And if we make a decision that some people don't agree with, that's okay. It's just keeping things clean, keeping the vulgarity out of the hands of kids. I thought it was pornography. Parents can do that. I thought it was pornography. All of the things, Melissa, that are on that. All of the things. Just how many explicit stuff. How many bad words constitute an important... I'm speaking right now, please. we can err on the side of caution. There is no harm in that at all. It's okay if we don't offer something that some people may say, well, that's not sexually explicit. That's okay. We just aren't providing it. We're not obligated to provide it. Just remember that. We're not obligated to provide every title They can purchase it at home. I'm not asking us to provide it. It's okay if we make a mistake and we err on the side of caution because we have the best interest of children's innocence at heart.

You are not the police of my children's innocence. I don't know how many times I have to tell you that.

I think that...

But hold on, hold on. I'm talking, please. I'm saying is that just because Candy decides that something is vulgar... doesn't make her the moral police who gets to decide what my child gets to read. I understand she's trying to say that we don't have an obligation, a legal obligation to provide every book ever, but that's not what I'm asking. I'm asking if the book is already in our library, we've already paid for it, it's already been checked out, I don't want to see it removed. I'm not asking us to buy more books. I'm asking us just give the parents who are fully informed about the content of that book the right to allow their own children to read what we already have.

But you do have a right. You have a right to purchase whatever books you want to.

What if I can't afford to purchase it, Michelle?

You have the right to go to the public library.

What if I don't have transportation?

We've got to be able to provide for our students, especially for the underserved.

But not sexually explicit material. That's not what schools are for.

Okay, then what is the rubric? What qualifies sexually explicit?

I think that's something we need to figure out. I'll tell you.

I'm not asking you.

But I'll tell you because you asked.

I'm not asking you.

Well, I have the definition. I looked it up. Pornographic content. The definition is, California law defines pornographic material as content depicting sexual conduct, nudity, or excretory functions in a way that appeals to prurient interest, is patently offensive, and lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value, as outlined in Miller v. California Obscenity Test. It lacks what? In California law, sexually explicit content... generally refers to material that depicts sexual content, nudity, or sexual acts in a detailed or graphic manner. Many, many, many of our books depict sexual content, nudity, or sexual acts in a detailed or graphic manner. She just proved my point. No. It says it lacks it. Lacks serious literary, artistic, or political, or scientific value.

So what if it does have literary merit?

So they can use that definition when they review the books, and when we do, too. So we'll keep that in mind. Michelle, I'm just asking that we not push this through.

She's clearly just trying to push this through as fast as possible so she can claim a win. I'm just asking for time. We've spent hours talking about this, going in circles. Can you please not interrupt me when I'm talking? Because when I do it, you get very upset. All I'm asking is for time. Time so we can work in some safeguards for parents who choose that, like, again, we'll remove it from the general population, but there should be a provision for anyone who sees that it's okay.

If it's deemed sexually explicit. By this board. By whichever we do. I don't know how we do it.

I don't think we should. Okay, fine. I will remove that if it's not done by this board.

And just to be clear, on two books that were brought up from the Bible, the story of Lot, that's not sexually explicit in any way. The Song of Solomon is not sexually explicit. I'm just bringing this up because it's really bothering me. That someone is using the Bible as saying it's sexually explicit.

Okay, but here's the thing. It's not sexually explicit to you.

But there's no sexual content. It's a story about incest. There's no sexual graphic content.

Hold on.

Graphic content. Sexually explicit. It's not explicit. It tells about an act, and that's all it does.

Does it not talk about incest?

It just says it.

What is incest?

Well, I'm saying that in this book, it just says it.

I understand that, but do you see, this is exactly why we have to have clear guidance. You guys are just proving my point.

It's not explicit.

No, it's the explicitness.

But it's your opinion. We're having a conversation. It's your opinion. And that's what it is. It's your opinion, your opinion, your opinion, your opinion. Everybody's opinion. Everyone's opinion. It's different. So there's the people that come, we listen to them, and they... and that's their opinion so it's not different but we've got to do the right thing you saw the amount of people that were here today we have to give them what they came for the same people coming every time the same group comes but we've gotten new people too you can't just group them together and say it's the same group because I can say the same thing about the other side but I'm not The same people all around who come at the same time.

I think that we've spent more than enough time on this.

There's never going to be enough time. You came in here, you had an agenda, and we don't have to move things fast.

You're going to get your way. You can smile all you want, but you're going to get your way. I'm just asking for those who don't agree with you have rights too. That's it. You guys are making this way more difficult than it needs to be.

What if we had the books that we want to get out of the libraries, like a book pickup where people could just take a book if they wanted a book? as a way to... What do you mean? Like, instead of having it where they can check it out, the books, you know, like the little book, almost the book libraries that people have in their yard, where there's just books that people can take. What do we do with books when we need to get rid of them anyway?

I was already asked that. They're typically donated.

It's donated? Well, why can't we donate them to parents?

Because that would limit the access to one child. Because then they would take it.

That's how it is in the library.

No, it's not. Because then they return it and then somebody else has access.

Melissa, you say something like, so you can get your way, you can get your way. I feel bad when we say that because we're a board. We need to work together. And this is like one of the, it's been here for a long time. We're not going to get anything accomplished if we don't try and work together. I would love to. And so it's not about your way, my way, I way. We're not going to make any progress at all in the next two years if we don't just sit here and not have your personal agenda and try and work, listen to the community, listen to the constituents, and let's try and work together to get this done.

I agree. No, I agree. But that's what's hurting me about this is because what input have you had on this? I've had some. Are you happy with this policy? No, absolutely not. And I think you know that. No, absolutely not. And that's what I'm just saying. I will vote yes on a policy that we've all contributed to that satisfies most people. That's all I'm asking.

I did ask a month or two ago if you guys had anything to add that you wanted to add. I did.

I asked that it doesn't come to this board and that clearly didn't make it in. Did I not?

I didn't get anything in writing. We talked a little bit, but we didn't get anything.

I'm going off of that argument. Why do I have to submit it in writing? Because that was never made clear. When did anybody say that I need to submit my suggestions in writing? don't think anybody did exactly so that expectation is there there's no reason to have that expectation because we're discussing it and we're making changes as we're going I made that suggestion when we were having this discussion and no one listened to me because it clearly didn't make it into the policy I'm just asking to be heard I'm asking for our constituents to be heard so we can find a common ground that's not that's not asking a lot the policy is still going to go through

Yes, and the reason it was brought forth is because it needed updating. It needed some changes.

No, no, no. I will not agree to that. The reason it came forward was because the majority shifted. Because we've reviewed books before, and there was a group of people that were upset about it, and the board shifted. So now we're talking about it again. Just like it's going to change again when this board changes. Yes.

It will keep on changing.

So why don't we have a policy that people don't need to change? Do you really want to have all this work that we're all doing and all these meetings and all these long hours in one or two election cycles to just go away? I don't know if we can prevent that, though. I mean... No, but if we pass a good policy, then it won't.

We had one for a very long time and it wasn't a problem until recently.

It was when people started challenging a book.

When parents found out what was in the school libraries, that's what happened.

When a parent challenged a book finally, I don't know how long it had been since somebody challenged one, but somebody did and they realized the system isn't working as intended or something.

The system isn't working to their liking. There's a difference. let's be honest, the system didn't work to their liking. It may not have been your liking either. It was certainly to my liking. So it's not that it wasn't working as intended because that's a misrepresentation.

Well, I don't mean intended. That's the wrong word. But that's what you said. That's the wrong word. That was the wrong word.

Well, if it was intended to make the community member or the parent feel unheard and disregarded. Do you see what's happening there?

It's the same thing. This policy is making some of our constituents feel unheard. Could be.

How can you have a policy that's going to make people feel...

I promise you if we actually genuinely work together on it, we can.

Your main suggestion is having the books available for parents to...

if they so choose to opt in with full transparency of what's in the content, even though it's been removed from the majority of our students' access.

It's an easy fix.

And I guess a lot of this is stopped.

It's an easy fix, and parents have the right to pick.

Like I said, we just overcorrected.

But I still say public schools is not the place. Kids under 18, it's not the place. And we should not be providing it. That's right. So I still feel that way. And there are many other ways that families can get the books that they want their kids to read.

And all of those require a certain amount of privilege.

Yeah. I look at it as underserved, the underrepresented, that do not have the means to be able to get that.

Our foster youth, our homeless youth, like those ones living in motels or living in foster care whose parents both have full-time jobs, how are they supposed to do that? We have plenty of kids that are latchkey kids that don't drive.

We're here to represent everyone. There are thousands of books they can check out. maybe they want that certain one.

But we've been down that road. We can't provide any book a parent wants. No, we've got books already.

We've spent money already. There's books there. We're just asking that they can use that and they can check those out.

Anyways, I would like to see us agree on some sort of rubric with actual language. Because I want to know how many vulgar words, what constitutes a vulgar word. I want that list. I want to know how many in a book constitutes, you know, triggering. Because one, does one vulgar book or one curse, does that trigger this policy? Does 20 trigger? I would like clear guidelines. There should be a rubric. And then, yes, I would like to see us not make the decision, and I'll shut up. And then hopefully, yeah, you guys will consider the opt-in for those of us who do find literary merit. Because according to you and your definition of pornography, that it does not have literary merit. But if I decide it does have literary merit, then that just negates your whole argument.

So when I'm looking at this and it says if questionable content is being challenged due to pornography, erotica, graphic descriptions of sexual acts, sexual violence, inappropriate vulgarity, profanity, other obscene material. So those last three words don't fit for me with the rest of it. But if they're talking obscene, sexually obscene, I guess that works. But so I'm not talking vulgarity, just somebody swearing that that's not sexually.

But she just said it was. She just said vulgarity. I misspoke.

It's not in that part.

Why? Excuse me, but why does every time I question something, oh, it's, you know, I misspoke, but I'm not supposed to take you guys at your word?

Sorry, I just thought vulgar was in that description. You're right, it's not.

I don't know.

It says inappropriate vulgarity. I'm looking right at it. Or profanity.

I have a question, one, for you. Sure. If we pass this... Can we work on different areas of it?

It's not in Section 2. It's in the opening.

We have to implement it as it's stated there. Okay. If there's going to be a different, then we'd have to bring it back to change it from what it says.

Can we just please spend time on this? Please.

Either bring it back than make any changes. Michelle.

And actually work with us.

Please.

And work.

It's our opportunity to do something good. You've wanted to do this for a long time. So I think we should take advantage of the opportunity. We can always come back and hammer out the finer details later on.

Do you genuinely believe that will happen, Michelle? I have to bring it back.

Well, you could later on when there becomes some special rubric. You really think she's going to let us bring it back?

It's not just her decision. It will be. Yeah, no. That is so disappointing. We need to do this right, Michelle. We need to do this. And we need to take the time.

I do want to pass something because I do, I have a conviction. We're not saying not to pass it.

This is a good policy. No, I understand that. But when it's ready and when it's complete and when we believe that we've, Did our due diligence on everything?

Also, we've been talking about this since February. Who's been talking about this since February?

Who? Because you have not worked with Patty or I on this.

It first was brought to the board.

I made suggestions and they were ignored. No one is making an actual effort to work with me on this. This is between the three of you. I don't know how much it is between the three of you. Obviously, you two have had conversations about this. I haven't had any input on it because no one listens to me. Everything I say just goes over everybody's head, just like anytime I say anything and I interrupt everybody and everybody's up in arms, but I don't get the same respect. I respect you. Thank you, Patty.

That's not intentional.

It may not be intentional, but it's happening. It 100% is happening. All I'm asking, Michelle, is time. I'm not saying to scrap the policy. I don't know who heard me say that. I'm asking for provisions. for those of us, myself included, a lot of the parents here, who do find literary merit in there. I absolutely respect that you don't want your kids, your grandkids, or anybody that you think to be able to read this. I think my teenage daughter who reads a wide range of books and does not pay attention to those things I've, I've, I've, there's books where there are, I told you ready player one, he does masturbate in that. And I don't think it has any merit or any, I don't think it brings anything to the book, but the rest of the book was great. But under this, that would remove it. And again, cause there's no clear rubric. You guys can have your policy. You can remove it from the majority of students, but for the select few. How many times do our library books get checked out? Not very often?

Not very often, but they do.

So out of the 10 times a book gets checked out, I'm asking for the one parent who still wants it to still allow their child to read it. I'm not making decisions for... Excuse me, please. I'm not making decisions for every parent. I'm making a decision for my own.

But also, sitting here, we do make decisions. We make decisions all the time for all the students.

So you're okay...

We make decisions up here for all students all the time when we select textbooks. It should be all students is right.

All students. All students, not just a select. And I want to make sure that they get their voice. Michelle, it's all I'm asking. We've done this. Why rush? I don't understand what the big rush is for this. This is an important subject. It's an important topic. Obviously, we've got a lot of people who attended, and I want to make sure we do this, and we do it right. I don't understand why it has to happen so fast.

Truth is, you don't like the policy. It's not because we've rushed it. We've spent hours and hours debating it. We need to move on. It's getting near midnight. I would request that we move forward, take a vote, and go forward, get our agenda done. We have three policies we need to vote on, and we are pushing it by going in circles here.

Well, that's okay. You know, we can stay here until 6 in the morning if we have to, if we have to get work done. We've talked about this ad nauseum.

You don't need to rush. I can keep talking about it. That's the thing. You don't seem to... I absolutely respect that you have an opinion on this, but you don't seem to respect that I have an opinion on it either.

I used to be at a place where we... No, you keep asking Candy to push. Michelle, Michelle. No, we're not ready. And when we do, we're going to keep on discussing. I don't think we have to rush. It's just my personal opinion. That's going to get ignored.

Well, if your opinion isn't agreed to, it doesn't mean it's being ignored. Want to bet?

Because, again, I made a contribution about it not coming to this board, and it was ignored. And all of a sudden, it gets brought up again, and I'm being accused of not having mentioned it before. I did. And I am now, again, because a constituent brought it forth, I'm asking for a couple of things. They're not ridiculous. I'm not even asking for all the things that she's asking for. I'm asking for, like, three of the seven things that she's asking for, because those made sense to me.

Can we... Do like you said, someone have three of us to get this going and come back to our committee, come back to the board and say this is what we've discussed and go from there. We don't need to move right away. Like Melissa said, it's going to get passed. It will. But we need to do it right.

Three of us passed this on the first reading without any of this problem. And now here we are again with all kinds of problem.

We also had the big workshop that we spent hours. Exactly. We didn't spend long enough.

It was a limited time. We didn't even cover all the policies.

It wasn't a lot. And we still have work to do. There's always work to do.

And each time it comes, there's little changes here and there. We find out. It's like this. That's why you do a first read. That's why you do a second read, to make sure to fine-tune it.

I have a question. Would somebody be able to come up with a rubric that we could use for these committees that we would know? Or also somebody who knows more of this than I do, come up with a thing about the sexually explicit and what each of those things actually mean and how that would be? Yes. Because we didn't do that. We just sort of put it all in there, right?

DEFINITIONS FOR EVERYTHING THAT'S IN THE POLICIES COULD BE PROVIDED. SELECTION PROCESS FOR THE COMMITTEE WOULD BE WORKED OUT. AND A RUBRIC THAT WOULD BE USED TO DETERMINE. WE HAVE PLANS TO DO ALL OF THAT BECAUSE IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THIS CORRECTLY, WE WOULD NEED TO DO THOSE THINGS.

WE WOULD NEED THAT. YOU COULD GET THAT SO YOU COULD BRING IT BACK?

Is that what you're asking, to do that first?

To do that and bring it back to us. We can do that later.

We can do that. I don't know. I'd have to get a timeline. I don't know what the expectation would be, but I don't know that all staff are available in the next week and a half because it's still summer. In order to get that done, I would need the full staff. So it would take probably through... at least three to four weeks before I can have something like that.

We can still pass a policy, and the rubric can be worked on later. Because that's what we already decided.

Exactly.

I'd rather wait if we could, Michelle.

I would rather not wait. Does the rubric have to be approved in a board meeting, or is that something staff do to uphold the policy?

Generally speaking, it would not be something that would come to the board for approval. Okay.

I'd like to see that, what we have first. I'd like to see that, Michelle, before we do this. I'm asking you.

Well, I trust that they would come up with, I trust the staff, that they would come up with a good rubric.

You trust the staff to come up with a rubric but not to make the decision on the books?

Mm-hmm. Interesting. Yeah, because it'll be a group. It won't be just one person.

Who do you think, Juan, would you, I know we're putting you on the spot, like librarians, who from Ed Services would you say?

We'd start with Ed Services. Patty Buckmiller would likely lead that, and then her directors, and then we'd get support from the sites.

And I would like to talk about the Section 2. I need to figure out exactly. I mean, I understand your point. I get it. But I also feel like district staff, cabinet and staff, they could make these decisions. They would know.

There's no harm if we are to.

If somebody appealed it, then it would come to us. If somebody appealed that decision, then we would get to make that final decision. And so I know that's why we said, oh, just make it go straight. I know that was there. Why have that middle person just have it go straight? But I think they run the operations of the district, and they are in charge of everything that happens in the district. And we just get to be there to make sure he does that.

There's no harm. It doesn't harm anybody to be too conservative. What if you err on the side of safety? It doesn't matter. It's okay. It's going to be okay.

For you, it'll be okay.

It's okay. We don't have to provide every title. It's okay. We did our best judgment. and we did what we thought was right to protect children.

We don't have to provide every title. You're implying that we're expecting every book ever written to be in our libraries. I'm not asking for that. I'm asking for the very few books that you're going to challenge still be accessible. I don't know why this is so hard.

It's going to go to the board anyway, Michelle. There's no reason for that extra step.

It shouldn't come to the board. We have staff. We rely on our staff to do the job. And I rely on them to bring back the information to provide us because they know we don't. That's all I'm asking.

Well, I mean, I still stand on the sexually explicit stuff. I'm like, that is... I understand that.

Can you suggest, can you come up with suggestions of what is the line for you? Because, again, your line might be different than Candy's or Jeanette's or Patty's or mine.

Well, that's why I want to know. From the people who know, what is the terminology? Tell us what it is. What do you say the definition of all this is?

Is it far, you know, on a scale of zero to five, five being high, where does that fit?

All of that can be worked out later. It's not complicated rocket science.

Why do you say that all the time? Every time we have a discussion about these policies, and I have, like, suggestions to edit, you always say, like, just pass it and discuss it later.

I would rather have the time. Let's do it. We do it right. If we can have an actual timeline. I asked Mr. Cabral to provide us. And he just said, he just told you that staff would be.

I'm going to include some of our certificated staff. They don't report back to work until August 4th. And so that would be part of the delay. Our next board meeting is August 5th, so it wouldn't be done by August 5th.

End of August.

What, though, within what they determine would change your mind?

No, it's not changing my mind. It's making it clearer.

Well, it will be clear. We had said that before, that the rubric has to be clear and there has to be guidelines. What if we can't agree on the rubric? And we don't have to wait until that's completed? That's the thing. I think that allowing the staff, like they would on other policies, to find a way to uphold it and what rubric they determine... after the policy is passed.

It makes way more sense that way. Pass the policy and then create the rubric for the policy.

That doesn't make sense because there's no, like how am I supposed to make a decision? Are any of us supposed to make a decision? on what is considered pornography or erotica, graphic depictions of sexual acts. So there are non-graphic descriptions of sexual acts. There needs to be a clear explanation of what that would be. So you can't just throw out words and say, well, I don't like vulgarity. Well, what's considered a vulgar word? Damn? Crap? No, no, no. Because I wouldn't consider those to be vulgar.

No, I said that's what the staff will develop in the rubric, in the tool.

But you're not understanding. I won't agree with what you consider to be vulgar. So I want to know what you guys consider to be vulgar before we move forward with this.

You're asking us to vote for something that we're not comfortable on without knowing the backup. And you're saying, go ahead and just do it now. Get it done. And then we'll deal with it afterwards. Well, it doesn't work that way. You've got to be comfortable with the decision you have and make sure it's the right thing because that's what you were elected to do.

Two of us don't want this policy, and they will do anything to try to stall it and create reasons why we shouldn't go forward with it.

What have I done to stall anything?

The idea that we need more time to work on it when they're strongly opposed.

you know what go ahead if I'm stalling go ahead and continue and pass your horrible little policy I'm asking on behalf of our constituents who are going to keep coming if you don't listen to them and I know you don't care and I know you think it's funny but I don't enjoy sitting here I don't enjoy giving up my evenings with my child to be here and stare at you guys while you laugh at everybody this is ridiculous I don't want to come back on the 15th I don't want to come back on the 22nd I don't want to spend all this time with you guys This is not what I signed up for. And this is what you've turned it into.

I'm just asking, can we just wait? Table this again so we can get the information from Ed Services, get it done, and get it right. So at least everybody has some kind of ownership on this, and you feel some ownership. I'm not stalling.

I would like to see Section 2 have another thing before the board district review committee. Let them take care of it first, just like the committee that, you know, we have two committees in the first section, and we'll do two ways in the second district committee and board. I would like to see that.

And you're saying no to my suggestion about people having the ability to opt in. She's talking about having staff look at this. No, no, no. I meant about parents. What if 20 parents wanted to still opt in to their children having access to that book?

50?

100? That still isn't good enough. Because three people decided.

Or district staff decided. Or the board decided if district staff, the person wasn't...

Okay, so then devil's advocate, just hypothetically. The blue SI is going to come back, right? So it's going to go to a review committee. They're going to probably decide that it has educational merit. It goes to the district. They'll probably decide it has educational merit. It'll get to the board, who will decide it doesn't.

It won't go to the board. In the first...

No, but the blue aside would be a two because that's one of the ones that Candy was upset about. So it would eventually come to the board. So because how many people? Ten people prior decided it had educational merit. That doesn't matter because three decide that it doesn't. So because those ten... said it was okay, three are okay to say it's not. And even if 20 parents come and say, I still want my kid to read that book, it's still not going to matter. That's all I'm asking.

Well, in the scenario you just said, I just want clarity, you said there would be two committees. Yeah, a five. There would only be one. Two committees, a five.

It would just be a district committee because if it's sexually explicit... It just goes to two. Section two.

Okay. So how many people are we talking?

So we're talking district committee is what? Five.

Okay. So five. So five people say it's okay. Three say it's not. 20 parents say I still want my kid to read it. It still doesn't go through because we have no provision for that.

Well, I mean, at some point, that's what the board is for.

Isn't it so that, but doesn't the majority, shouldn't the majority have the say? Even if we don't want to call it, we want to call it 50-50 if the majority. The majority of the board. You can't, there's no way to. Did you buy the book and put it in there? I don't understand your question. Did you buy the book and put it in the library? By what book?

The bluest study she's talking about right now.

Yeah, the questionable book. No. Taxpayers did. Well, I am a taxpayer. Well, we are.

I understand that.

So I guess I did. Yeah, we all are. But that's what I'm saying. And so did all the people that say they're okay with it staying. So again, why are we just saying, because these three board members, absolutely, you guys have every right to not have your own children, your grandchildren, whoever. You can inform whoever you want to. But me, I'm saying I'm okay with my child reading it if it's something that I'm okay with her reading. All I'm asking is so that you don't remove that restriction from my child. Not every child, my child.

But if it, I don't know. We're going to just have differences of opinion.

So that's going to be the way it is.

So why do you get to parent my child, Michelle? Why do you get to parent my daughter?

Well, this is a public school system. And we are the board of the public school system. And ultimately make some of those decisions, yes. what textbooks we can vote on. We vote on textbooks all the time. No, no, no.

We approve the textbooks. We don't vote on them. We don't decide which textbooks we use.

We approve them or we say we don't like that book.

How often have we said that we don't like that book?

I've never said it, obviously. As long as I can't recall one that we've never said it.

Exactly, because we approve it.

Well, we trust that they're picking the right ones, right? Exactly.

Exactly. We trust people to make the right decisions.

Staff.

It's okay. Whatever. Again, I'm not being heard. And it's very disappointing because you guys are being retaliatory because you weren't heard or you felt you weren't being heard during the prior board. You're doing this just to hurt. I'm asking, no, you can say you're not, but that's the thing. You've told me multiple times all those years ago that you weren't heard, you were treated this way, and you know what? I feel bad. I'm sorry that you felt that way, but every time you have made that statement in front of me, I always told you that I valued your opinion. You can't even say the same thing to me because you won't even take it into consideration. You are not my daughter's parent. And the fact that you are trying to take away literature from my child, I don't care what they think. She has one child in this district. She doesn't have any.

I'm not trying to take it away from you.

You are because you won't even listen to me, Michelle. I'm asking for a provision. You're still going to get your policy. You're still going to get your way. She's still going to get to triumph how she's made this huge change in the district and how she's pushing her agenda. I don't care about what she's doing. I care about how she's affecting our students. She can't even be bothered to volunteer in our classrooms.

What do you know about me volunteering in my classroom? Oh my God, can you please stop talking to me? Okay. You can talk about me. I can talk about you all I want, just like you can talk about me online. Talking about you online? What are you talking about? Oh, I have all the proof.

Let's get back to this only. Let's get back to this. Excuse me?

You had something to say under your breath. You might as well just say it to me. I asked Michelle if we can table this, please, and continue to get the work done by our staff, which you said that we know does the work, so we can get this done. Correctly?

The problem with that I see, though, Patty, is then there's going to be disagreements for months and months on the rubric. I mean, if we just agree that we will trust what they come up with, then we can pass the policy, and then they come up with it.

That would be like, let's say I want to buy a new car, and I'm not going to test drive it because I'm going to... I trust what's on there is going to be on there. Would you do that? Would you buy a car without test driving it? That's like taking this without, you're taking something without seeing the backup with it that goes with it. And that's all I'm asking, Jeanette, is that we take the time, we do it right, we let staff, I mean, we've got an amazing staff. Amazing staff, and they work hard, and they could come back. And I value what our staff says to us, the recommendations that soups give, assistant soups. I feel bad that we've got to have two of our assistant soups sitting over there when they've got to be here tomorrow morning in like 12 hours. Can we let them go? Is that possible? We can't? Sorry, guys.

They actually need a policy passed so that they can make a rubric. Because making a rubric, wasting time on a rubric for something that's not even sure it'll get passed does not make any sense. We need to pass a policy. Then they can work on how exactly they're going to implement it and all the definitions of these words.

Why do we need to pass a policy to get the rubric? I don't understand what that thinking is. Let staff take care of this, please.

Because the rubric will be directly correlated to the policy. So if the policy isn't even passed...

Well, the other problem in here is that the language regarding sexual stuff isn't the same in both places. It's not the same. In the 6000, in this one, and then the actual policy itself, it's different. To me, if it's different, they're going to be working off this one, but our policy says this one. So if you look like, where did the other part go that has the sexual stuff?

The number you're referring to?

No. That's the thing I just keep coming back to, but I think That's something we could work on?

What is it exactly?

So 6,000, that language isn't the same as in here, and I think it all should be the same. Just to be more cohesive. So that our instruction materials don't match what we're saying for library books, and I think it should all match.

I think it's okay. I think it'll be all right.

To me, instructional.

I mean, in instructional materials you can't have pervasive pornography, but in library books you can have any kind of pornography. You can't have any pornography. But only in this one you can have pervasive. So they're different.

It needs to be more complete.

And then this one needs to match this one. The title. I mean, they need to match.

The title's fine. That's not part of the policy. We can do that and still pass it.

The title is the board policy. I know.

The policy words. We're not changing policy words. You could change the title and still pass it and be fine. It's not changing the content.

So if this got passed... We could bring it back and say we want to change this Section 2.

No, you can't. No.

At some point.

No, we have to bring the whole policy back.

Everything comes back again, so then we'd be in the same place that we were had we just taken our time to do it right the first time.

So just to be clear, you're not willing to work with us, right?

If you want to make a change to Section 2... I don't know why I keep talking.

I'm just ignored. Yes, sir, you have to.

But if you pass it as is, then it would take... If you pass it as is, then you would need to take... It would pass. We would start working on implementation. Bring it back again.

Same thing. So... just to get it done and get it right and take the time.

As long as we can get this done in the next month. You know, it's been pushed twice. I understand that.

Get what done?

To change the language in here and to get the rubric, to know what we're asking them to do, and to change Section 2.

I just think it's... I just don't agree with trying to have the rubric first.

What I really want is the language of the sexual explicit material, sexual... violence, sexual graphic, you know, I want, what does that mean? What does that actually really mean for a book?

You want it in the policy?

No, I want to know the language, what that means.

We had two weeks. You could have looked up all those definitions. I did, and you voted on this two weeks ago.

You can look up a definition and I can look up a definition and they're different.

Yeah, but in general, we all have access to dictionaries. So this wasn't a problem last time when we voted it through. And now it's all of a sudden a problem?

Well, because I really thought about it and had time to read it again and look at it and look at all three together. But I think that... Everybody's interpretation of what all these words are is different.

Why can't we just add an appendix to it with that language of the rubric? What those words are, what constitutes vulgar. We have appendixes on other policies. So I don't know why we're saying that we don't need the rubric. It should be included.

The rubric is how they...

We'll have definitions in it.

Operational of it goes.

We'll have definitions, he said. It'll all be defined. And that policy needs to pass before they spend or waste any money and time developing a rubric for it. They're not going to develop something based on a policy that's not passed.

I'm going to give them guidelines, but that's your opinion. Again, and I disagree. And it's okay to disagree.

At no point did he say that he couldn't come up with a rubric until the policy was passed.

No, he didn't say that. My opinion is... No, nothing about what Juan said. My opinion is that it makes the most sense to not waste time developing a rubric on a policy that hasn't passed. You're just wasting time and energy. Can you stop already?

Stop telling me what I'm doing. I'm not... What are you talking about? You keep telling me that I'm wasting time.

I'm not talking about you. In general. She's saying generally. What are you... Oh, my God.

But she said it like three times already.

Why do you think everything's about you?

Oh, my God.

Can you... What? Oh, my God. I'm talking about in general.

Well, and it was me that asked Juan about, for example, the rubrics. In general, typically the policy would pass and then the staff would develop the tools to make it operational.

Right.

And what if you didn't like that rubric? I don't know.

I trust that Juan and his staff can develop something properly.

You can't trust some staff and not others.

Right. Well, I trust Juan and his executive cabinet.

I would make a suggestion that maybe we get a couple board members here on that to help on that committee. I would recommend Candy and Melissa. I would feel okay with that, to work with those. And that way we have voice opinions from the board on this committee. For the rubric? Yeah. For the whole thing, with everything, yeah.

The definitions and the – because we never – Hon, what do you think of that?

The definitions don't need to be stated in the policy.

But isn't that us overstepping? You just said you trusted Juan to do it, and now we have to watch. I take it back then. No, I'm fine with that, but that's what I'm saying. There's inconsistency because you can't trust the librarians. You do. No, I do. What I'm saying is we can't trust our cabinet but not trust our librarians.

Yes, we can. Why can't you? You can trust who you trust. It's who you trust.

The whole reason we're having this is because there's no trust in our librarians.

Well, I don't believe that.

That is not true. Because I just stated that a lot of these books probably got into libraries before.

So then ask the librarians to review them. Easy as pie.

They need a rubric. If we can figure out the language of the sexually graphic and explicit and all that, what that really looks like, and I just want to change that section too, but if not everybody's for that, then... Are you serious?

What? You said you wanted to change it. I said it doesn't need to come to us. Again, you're not hearing me.

What? I said, but if everybody's not for that, then we're not going to do it.

Everybody has to agree to it?

No, like the majority. Like if it's just you and me.

Are you okay with it going to a committee?

Yes. Of district staff. District staff, yes. Then if somebody wants to appeal that, it can come to the board. So still keep that in there.

So if one, two, three agrees to that, where's the problem?

The other problem on there too. I still want the rubric on everything, the definition. I want it all done. I don't want to have to bring a policy back, Melissa. You know that.

Well, you wouldn't have to bring the policy back just for the rubric.

We don't know what it is. Can we? It's getting late. Can we?

Two different things I think I hear. Just want to make sure that I'm following because I'm trying to take notes. Because two very different things. The rubric and definitions is one thing. But then I hear a change to Section 2 that adds a review committee that changes the policy. That's different than like an addendum policy. which would have definitions and if we're going to change the policy, then that is very different. That means that we'd have to bring this back as first read with those changes included. I just want to make sure. Right. I have match, match. I have define. Our next regular board meeting is August 4th. If the goal is to have something by August 4th, definitely definitions, matching everything, changing the language so that there's another first draft. That is all doable by August 4th. A rubric, if it's going to include anybody that is certificated from the school sites, they don't report to August 4th. So that's more challenging. If we're not going to include them and we can do it within our ed services staff and our district staff, then I think it's doable. But that would be the soonest. Then it would be August. I think we have two meetings in August, and then there would be a second meeting in August. I'm just trying to make sure we understand what we're talking about. We haven't talked about it formally, but we have a special meeting next Tuesday, July 15th, which is a workshop. which is the only agenda item is governance, and that's like from 8 in the morning until I think 4 p.m. And then we have on the calendar a special board meeting on the 22nd, which we don't have to meet because we're meeting on the 15th. So then the regular meeting would be on August 4th. 5th, August 5th.

Do we need to meet, though, on the 23rd because we have to do something else?

Well, if we have to meet because we have administrators that have been selected because we now have an opening at Highland Grove, we may need a meeting. We have the admin advance on the 23rd that many of you are going to be at. We could schedule a meeting for that day just for approvals.

Say we could do that. I would like that if on the 23rd we did it right before or after the meeting. In the middle. Yeah. That's possible. Where's our workshop going to be? 15th? Here. Here?

Okay. So let's go back to this. Okay. So we had a first and second to approve this policy. Any more discussion? All right. We'll call for the vote, whether we're going to pass it right now. I thought we were going to table it. Well... We're going to call it. We have the motion on the floor. Okay.

Board Member Ayala-Quintero? No. Board Member Olson? Yes. President Rendler?

No.

Vice President Hollihan? No. Rick Wilson? Yes. Motion not carried, with the nays being Board Member Ayala Quintero, President Rendler, Vice President Hollihan, and the ayes being Candy Olson and Jeanette Wilson.

Okay, so now we'll reject you to come up with those.

I am not. I think it's ridiculous to get the rubric done before.

Discussion's over. Well, I just want to know, what all those terms are going to mean. So that's why I'm asking.

But all I'm saying is discussion's over. We voted.

There was some direction given, and so I think it's okay to make sure that I understand the direction. Right. So I went over what the challenges are. As far as having something by August 4th, the only thing that could be challenging is the rubric because of staff that may not be here.

But you can get the definition for us. So that's the big part, I think, right now. Okay. So moving on to Q. Okay. This might be the same because we're trying to get that language the same. If we pass that one, can we just change the language in there, or is that possible?

Is that the right language?

Technically, any changes to the language we would have to do formally here in the meeting, so we'd have to...

Okay. Is there a motion to approve the revision of Board Policy 6000, Concepts and Roles? It's the second read as it stands right now.

So moved. A second. Yeah, we can keep this language. It just has good language in it, and I think that use that for the other policy later.

It doesn't include sexually explicit and that word pervasive, and so I just want to make sure everything matches. Okay. So I... We have a motion on the floor, so let's call for the vote.

Board Member Ayala-Quintero? No. Board Member Olson? Aye. President Rendler? Aye. Vice President Hollihan? No. Clerk Wilson? Yes. Motion not carried with the noes being Board Member Ayala Quintero, President Rundler, Vice President Hollihan, and the ayes being Board Member Olson and Clerk Wilson.

I would like to... I understand you wanted to make sure it matches and bring it back. Yes.

So which one?

That's 6,000.

I mean, which one is going to be the matcher?

Well, the language has to get changed on all of them.

Yeah, there's so...

Consistency on both. Yeah. Yeah.

So who's changing it? Because we're going to go back again and sit here for 10 hours talking about which word's going to go. Are we going to change that now and then bring it back?

The notes that I've taken, I was going to work on the draft of the changes and then make sure that you're all aware of what those changes look like.

Okay. So moving on to do we have a motion to approve the new board policy 6115, ceremonies, observances, and flag displays? This is the second read.

Discussion on the flights I'm just disappointed that you guys are letting your bias Show the flag doesn't apply to you. It doesn't apply to me either, but I use Like a lot of this, a lot of all of this that you guys are passing are wanting to pass. It has no effect on me or my own child other than the book one. And I actually think it's just really disappointing because I could sit here and just let you do it. And I'm not going to because I have... I have your ear. You can't silence me. And I can sit here and talk for hours if I wanted to. And you're going to listen to me. And even if you're going to ignore me, you're going to hear me when I tell you that this is wrong. You are doing something very prejudiced. And because it doesn't apply to you, it automatically means that you don't like it. You can say, oh, well, I know gay people. It sounds like, you know, I have black friends. That's kind of weird. But because you won't spend any time with any trans kids, any of our students who identify with this flag, because you've written this policy so that it doesn't say pride, but obviously, especially going off of the emails, some of the emails that we got that were supportive of you guys were actually pretty weird and gross. all they did was talk about religion, which should have absolutely no effect on anything that we do in this district. Some of them were actually kind of homophobic. But regardless of that, I mean, obviously we're talking about the pride flag, and I mean, if you would actually listen, genuinely talk to our students who appreciate that symbol, maybe you'd have more understanding for why they feel they need it. But because you don't, I just find this incredibly disappointing, but you're going to do what you're going to do.

A question. We're hurting a lot of our students by doing this. If they represent with a certain flag, and especially our LGBTQ plus students, when something goes wrong to them, you guys are going to get the hit. You're the ones that have to take it when we have a student that commits suicide or attempt at suicide. That's going to be a lot to bear, and that hurts me. And the other thing is, on here where it said clubs can post their flags, so does that mean the LGBTQ club, when they have their meetings, they get to have their flags?

But only during the meeting. I know that. I said it's only during the meeting. Only during the meeting.

Then it has to come down.

Stick them back in the closet. Yeah.

So, no. When our students suffer, and we're supposed to have an inclusive... environment for them to come learn and we're not providing that for them that hurts me it's ironic I have to tolerate them but they don't have to tolerate our gay students any other discussion on this

All right.

I want to just say something. The flag policy doesn't discriminate against anybody. It is precisely non-discriminatory. And just because one group of people want their special interest flag flown, you cannot coerce district speech to fly all special interest group flags. And it is in the best interest of all families and all children to have it neutral so that you're not favoring one group over the other and flying some special interest flags and not others. And I know that your people you hear from are different than the people I hear from. But to respect all individuals and all families, I think that we should have a neutral. You don't respect anybody. I don't appreciate you saying that. I have a great respect for all families. I don't appreciate what you're doing here. when we're not discriminating against anybody or any group. So all of that is just fear-mongering. We're just trying to make a welcoming environment, keep it the subject, stick to academics. Let the parents raise the kids.

Because I was curious. I was very curious to what a more conservative school district does in regards to the flag. So I actually did ask other school districts about what they do. And I was surprised to learn that even Yucaipa, Yucaipa calamesa, you can have it in your classroom. You just can't teach on it. And they've had zero problems with it. And yet here we are.

That's why we hear about problems all the time from Yucaipa now. It's not the same as it used to be. Oh, wow.

We do hear a lot of problems. No, no, no.

Hold on. We may not be talking about Yucaipa, but for some reason we have Chino policies here. This isn't Chino's policy.

Okay. Anyways.

This is a guidelines unified policy. How so? What was this born out of? Because it was brought here as a policy.

So does Chino and Temecula not have a similar policy?

I don't know. I don't even look at their stuff. I have no idea. Wow.

So we're allowed to lie up here.

I don't know what our policy says.

Oh, I know there have been plenty of lies. I'm not saying you're lying, but I know there have been plenty of lies set up here.

Okay. Okay. All right, any more discussion?

Yeah, I wanted to say that, you know, even a lot of the student speakers have confirmed they want the pride flag, but they have confirmed that it's because it represents their sexual orientation. No, they didn't. They said their identity. And also emails have... alluded to that as well. So the majority of people see it as a related to a sexual orientation.

Can you tell me one email where it says that they identify it identifies someone from the LGBTQ community says that it identifies their sexuality. I've seen identity.

So I also wanted to state, I don't have emails memorized, Melissa. Students' freedom of speech is in no way affected. They can say what they want. Teachers already have guidelines of how they should hold responsible, respectful discussions. We're not shutting down any kind of speech. And Unless it's curse words.

Yeah, at the board, at the dice. I mean, at the podium.

She's talking, I think, about the word vulgarity. But I do, I agree, we've got to remain neutral and focus on core academics. And I get approached in the community all the time now too of people that I don't even know supporting this policy and wanting this to go through because it's the only way to be neutral and not cater to one group or another just like other flags that people down the road could want. We need a flag policy.

Is there, like, a number of times you guys need to say neutral, common sense? Like, you guys use those words a lot.

Any more discussion on this?

You use certain words a lot, too. Like what?

Okay. All right. We're going to call for the vote, Consuelo.

That we're biased. I'm not biased. We're calling for the vote. That's a nice way of saying racist.

Remember Ayala Quintero? Yeah, and I'm not racist either, Melissa. Excuse me, we're voting. We're voting. No. Board Member Olson?

Yes.

Senator Rettler? Yes. Vice President Hollihan? No. Clerk Wilson? Yes. Motion carried with the ayes being Board Member Olson, President Rettler, and Clerk Wilson, and the nays being Board Member Ayala Quintero and Vice President Hollihan.

Okay, and the following three, S, T, and U, were pulled. So we'll go on to educational services action items. Do you think there were any changes? No. I think everything's good. Okay, do I have a motion to approve items 14A, B, through C together? So moved. Is there a second?

Second.

Any discussion? All right, we'll call for the vote.

Board Member Ayala-Quintero? Aye. Board Member Olson? Aye. President Redler? Aye. Vice President Hollihan?

Aye.

Clerk Wilson? Aye.

Motion carried, 5-0. Moving on to consent items under human resources. Mrs. Bruick, do you have any changes or additions? I do not. Is there a motion to approve items 15A, B through T?

So moved. I'll second.

Thank you, Patty. Thank you, Melissa. Is there any discussion? All right, we'll call for the vote.

Board Member Ayala-Quintero? Aye. Board Member Olson? Aye. President Rundler? Aye. Vice President Hollihan? Aye. Clerk Wilson?

Aye.

Motion carried, 5-0.

Moving on to Human Resources Action Items. Mrs. Brooke, do you have any changes or additions?

I do not, thank you.

All right. A was pulled. So we'll move to B. Approve memorandum of understanding between Redlands Unified School District and Brescia University Incorporated effective July 9, 2025. Is there a motion?

So moved.

I'll second.

Any discussion? I'm only going to approve those once with the understanding that all those languages are going to be updated eventually. And I might not agree with them, the university's missions, but I actually do want to provide student teaching opportunities.

I just want to confirm that those are for student teachers that live in our area, correct?

From my understanding, yes.

Thank you, Lisa.

All right. Call for the vote.

Member Ayala-Quintero? Aye. Board Member Olson? Aye. President Rendler? Aye. Vice President Hollihan? Aye. Clerk Wilson?

Aye.

Motion carried. Five-0.

Approve student teaching agreement between Redlands Unified School District and La Sierra University effective July 1, 2025. Do we have a motion?

Moved.

Second? I'll second. Any discussion?

Well, I've said it before, but I really would appreciate voting for things that haven't, the date isn't passed. So we're on July 8th. Just comment.

Yeah.

All right.

We'll call for the vote. There's a lot of other ones, too. There's a lot of them. Yeah.

Board Member Ayala-Quintero? Aye. Board Member Olson? Aye. President Redler? Aye. Vice President Hollihan?

Aye.

Clerk Wilson? Aye. Motion carried. 5-0.

Approved student teaching agreement between the Redlands Unified School District and United States University effective May 30, 2025 through May 30, 2026. Is there a motion?

Second.

Any discussion? All right. We'll call for the vote.

Board Member Ayala-Quintero? Aye. Board Member Olsen? Aye. President Rendler? Aye. Vice President Hollihan?

Aye.

Clerk Wilson? Aye. Motion carried, 5-0.

Approved student teaching agreement between the Redlands Unified School District and University of Phoenix, effective June 9, 2025. Do we have a motion?

Moved.

Second. Any discussion?

Did you do D? United States. Did I miss that one? Mm-hmm.

You voted yes.

Oh, yeah.

May 30th. Right. All right. Call for the vote. Board Member Ayala-Quintero. Aye. Board Member Olson. Aye. President Redler. Aye. Vice President Hollihan.

Aye.

Clerk Wilson. Aye. Motion carried. Five all.

Approve student affiliation agreement between the Redlands Unified School District and University of St. Augustine for health sciences effective July 9th, 2025. Do we have a motion?

Moved.

Second.

Second.

Any discussion? I'll call for the vote.

Board Member Ayala-Quintero? Aye. Board Member Olsen? Aye. President Rendler? Aye. Vice President Hollihan? Aye. Clerk Wilson? Aye. Motion carried, 5-0.

We're on to public participation. Clark Wilson, are there any speaker cards? How many do we have? How many do we have?

41?

42? I think we have a total of 23 speakers left the last time they checked. Out there? Still out there, yeah.

Yeah, we're going to need some help. Dr. Wilson, Ms. Brooke, if you could help make sure that speakers know when their turn is.

Public comments are permitted upon submission of a completed registration card prior to the start of public participation. This is not a forum for debate. Policy concerns will be referred to the superintendent. When called, speakers may proceed to the podium, state their name and trustee area, and speak for the allotted time.

We're going to need to stop because the media left. Because then we have to invite everybody back in.

If they leave by choice.

We should probably check on that, but my understanding is we can't ask them to leave, but I don't know that it's a requirement that they be here.

I understand that, but we're still supposed to be having a public.

Yeah.

Thank you, Israel. The amount of time will be announced. Were you still outside? You heard us? The amount of time will be announced by the board. I'm so sorry. President, before the first speaker begins and will not exceed three minutes. Speaker time, I think we're going to do, should we do 45 seconds still since we did that earlier? It'll be 45 seconds. So first, call the first three in, I guess. Valerie Zavis. Yay!

I mean, they're not even required to be here. How do you know which 23? I have a list. Do you want me to read it?

So Cooper's the first one. Then Quinn Shia. Rebecca Acosta. Aya.

Yeah, that's good.

Erica Grossman.

I'm just going by what she said. Cooper, Quinn, and Rebecca.

Rebecca, Aya, Erica, Aaron, Fernando. Pat Moeller.

Why don't, can, can Suelo just call him off the list or give me the list?

Welcome Cooper. Or welcome back, I guess, I guess I should say.

The time limit is 45 seconds.

Tonight's agenda reveals a troubling pattern. This district is bleeding staff while approving over a dozen expensive consultant contracts. Meanwhile, student protections are being dismantled and a library censorship is being discussed as parental rights. Yes, you're investing in logistics, buses, enrichment, vendors, but where's the investment in student trust, teacher morale, or a safe, inclusive school culture? You revise flag and ceremony policies, but still ignore the systemic failures that enabled years of educator abuse. This isn't leadership. It's damage control. More contracts, more control, less transparency. And with every agenda, the district's integrity slips further away.

Thank you, Cooper. Welcome back, Quinn.

Hello. I should have two orange cards.

I can only have one public comment.

One of them was for my friend who could not be here tonight.

Oh, sorry. You can't. You just speak to your own.

Something I've noticed from this board is that they have a big so-called problem with LGBTQ students. Hence all the policies I spoke on tonight. This can technically be counted as discriminatory, and it is super illegal. From banning trans kids from playing in their new gender sport, to banning flags, to banning books, which I still can't believe is a thing, to forcing children to come out to their parents no matter what kind of environment they live in, the students could get killed for heaven's sake. If you want to keep your kids safe... Next time this happens, you would vote no. I hope you're ready for lawsuits because they will happen. I know they will. Thank you, board. Please do better. Stop discriminating and just do better for goodness sake. Please. Thank you. Thank you, Quinn.

Rebecca Costa.

Welcome, Rebecca. Thank you.

Welcome. Before you start my time, I have my personal, and then I'm also speaking as a PTA.

Is that acceptable? It's 145 minutes.

Yeah, 145 minutes personally, but I'm also speaking as the SEPTA.

145 seconds.

Yeah, one for me, one for the SEPTA.

No, because you only get one card. Okay.

Okay, but one's for me and one's for an organization that I'm representing.

Yeah, then somebody else should have filled out the card and came and spoke for the other.

Okay, well, one has my name on it and one says SEPTA. So two different names.

No, you only get to speak once.

That's my understanding. I can verify, but it's probably not going to happen right now. I can try to check, but I think you should take your one, and then if you're not going to leave and we're able to bring you back, then we might be able to do that.

Fine. I'll speak as my organization. I would like to address the board today about ongoing concerns regarding beginning of the year orientations and beginning of the year events for our students in special education classes. Though it varies school to school, oftentimes our special education students are getting left out of activities like this because they happen outside of the traditional calendar year. I would like to bring your attention to two such incidences. One, my daughter who started kindergarten last year was left out of the kindergarten ice cream social because of being in the special day class. At the secondary level, another SEPTA parent's child was not able to attend sixth grade orientation because parents were not allowed on campus and a teacher or aide was not made available for his needs. We as an organization have heard numerous other parents' stories and would like to call on the board and superintendent to make sure all orientation activities are made inclusive for all students.

Thank you, Rebecca. You got that? Welcome, Maya.

Today, you three have shown to us where exactly your allegiances lie. You may have reversed the vote for two of those policies, but the cogs keep turning for the machine that puts people like you in positions of power. When you have pedophiles and people saying slurs, rallying to your cause, when you allow them to stay here even after all that commotion, all as you have your pet security guards protect them. Who exactly do you serve? The children after passing a flag ban that shows that we as queer kids aren't welcome here? Why can't we students have a say in what goes on in this very same schools we spent five days a weekend? To you who let this madness slide, I say this. Fuck you. We are not going away.

Welcome back, Erica.

I recently learned that the person Candy laughed at during the board meeting was Jean. She's left already. Jean told me herself why she was crying during her speech. Candy laughed at her. What kind of person laughs when someone is crying? Melissa stood up, as any educator should. If one of my students behaved that way, I would stop class immediately and require an apology. But instead, Candy accused Melissa of being threatening, and Michelle supported... take the accusation with a call for censure. So now I'm calling for the censure of Candy Awesome. If you truly want to protect your students, stop by holding yourself accountable. Censure Candy. Yeah, Censure Candy.

Thank you, Erica. Welcome back, Pat.

Sorry, but I don't feel very welcome. I have to tell you,

I've been teaching for 30 years, and this is one of my saddest moments standing in front of you, Michelle, especially you. I talk to you. I try to encourage you. My son Rowan is going to look at your face and feel just disappointment that he was in this district. Look at all those words up there. You might as well just cross them out because that mission statement is not being respected. several unique communities, you're telling me that the flag, that this is a threat? This flag does not represent everybody. It did not represent people in the Civil War. You are a democratic, multicultural society. You guys are disappointments, and you will be voted out.

Thank you, Pat.

I guarantee that.

We'll come back, Erin.

Hi. Okay, so I want to talk about the paradox of tolerance, which seems very relevant today after some events that happened here. It states that if society is tolerant to the intolerant, then the intolerant will dominate society, undermining the very principle of tolerance. To illustrate this, let me tell you a story. The guy's at a bar and a customer walks in and sits next to him. The bartender immediately looks at the new customer and tells him, no, get out. The man tries to argue. He says, I'm not doing anything. I'm a paying customer. The bartender just reaches under the bar for his bat and says, out now. So the man leaves and the guy's sitting at the bar and asks the bartender what that was about. The bartender says, you didn't see his vest, but it was all Nazi stuff. Iron cross and everything. You get to recognize him in this line of work. you have to nip it in the bud immediately. These guys come in, and it's always a nice, polite one. And you serve them because you don't want to cause a scene. But then they become a regular, they bring their friends, and now you're a Nazi bar. Or, in this case...

Thank you, Aaron. Thank you, Aaron.

So, um... Rue Whitmore, Valerie Tabor, Catherine Appleby... Jessica Callender, Sarah Cooper, Yulai, and Michael Pastner.

Michelle, I would like an apology from you. I want you to apologize to every parent that's been here. We heard you disparage the people who show up every single time, who always show up and say the same thing. That is because we are consistent and you cannot listen. We are the involved parents, not your imaginary silent majority. We are the ones getting child care, showing dedication, consistency, and accountability here to midnight every two weeks. Because we love our children in our district, the disdain and disgust you have for us is glaring. You should be ashamed of how you treat us. This is the circus you did. Thank you, Rue. I'll wait for my apology. You have nothing to say? For how you disparage the parents who show up every week. Apologize to me.

I don't need a mic. Apologize, Michelle.

Don't touch me.

You hear that? They hate you. You owe us an apology.

Catherine?

Welcome back, Catherine.

Good morning, and welcome to July 9th. Good morning. My name is Catherine Appleby. I'm a parent of a CVHS student, an RUSD alumni, and a lifelong Redlands resident currently living in Area 4. Board Member Wilson, am I not your constituent? Superintendent Cabral shared that he has seen my trustee engage with her constituents. Board Member Wilson, am I not your constituent? According to Superintendent Cabral, each board member has both a district email and phone number, but those are not publicly listed, and emails that I have sent to the entire board have not been responded to by any board member. Board Member Wilson, am I not your constituent? Superintendent Cabral's office was able to contact me last week, and my contact information is on the comment card right in front of you. Board Member Wilson, what is stopping you from engaging with me?

Thank you, Catherine. Welcome back, Yuli.

Hi. So I just want to – I want – I know that this policy was pulled today, so that's why I'm talking about it during this portion. But parental notification is dangerous. As a personal – someone who actually was outed in high school and kicked out of their house, this is what happens. I was raised very conservative Catholic. I did all of my sacraments. I still believe in the tenets of Christianity. It's hard to shake. And I believe that they are kindness and love, not hatred that we see from this board. So I implore you to not consider it. That one is one that will get you sued. I will personally sue you.

Thank you, Yuli. Welcome back, Jessica.

Good deal. All right. This is a bit of a personal thing for me. I have been very disappointed my entire time here as a parent in Redlands Unified School District, specifically regarding my children. one of who was here today, Quinn. When Quinn was in fifth grade, he was handcuffed by a police officer, put in the back of a police car, taken to Loma Linda to be... vetted, and then sent to a mental hospital in Torrance because of misunderstanding and misinterpretation by the school counselor because she didn't know how to deal with his situation. She didn't understand. And because of her...

Sorry. Thank you.

Thank you, Jessica. Welcome back, Michael.

Thank you, Michael Paisner. Ms. Rendler, you should understand the motivation of Ms. Olson in getting that policy passed tonight was so she could do a social media post. That's what drives her, not any care for the students. She doesn't give anything about the students. She cares about her social media presence. You have evidence I gave you earlier. She should be censured. If you're doing your job, you would censure based on the document I gave you earlier of her bullying the LGBTQ community. If you studied history, you know there are times when conservative groups attempt to impose their beliefs on others. Prohibition, the McCarthy era, and now. The McCarthy era ended with one question. Have you no decency? That's a question for you.

Thank you, Michael. Thank you. Thank you, Michael.

Guess who's back? Melissa and Patty, I want to say thank you for your hard work tonight. It is because of your dedication that we are not grieving the loss of literature and books in our district. Oh, I was told by your staff that I could come back in. So I'm going to take my time, actually. So also, I would just like to say that it was not your district employees that were...

Just a point of order. I'm not sure who said that, Ms. Tabor, but because of the earlier incident, it's for the full meeting. No, you specifically were asked to leave after you made comments, and that was directly just to you. That's for the rest of this meeting. Well, I'm sure you got my email, so I'll be sending more emails since you won't let me speak to you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Sarah Cooper.

Welcome, Sarah.

You realize that you're liars and intellectually dishonest. And I think if you got honest with yourselves, you would realize that you saying half the things you say is the definition of hypocrisy. You speak out of both sides of your mouth like a snake. An important point that was brought up last time that I really want to drive home is that you are not in control of how your children turn out. You can try to tell them what you want. You can try to, you know... get them in a certain way. But once they are out of your house, once they're out of your family, one, they're probably not going to speak to you. And two, they're going to have their own ways of thinking. And so I don't know why the party of family values is of this mindset that they need to just kick out their kids and whatever, but it's freaking stupid. Anyway.

Thank you, Sarah. Janann, Elias, Greg Britton, Bea, Arisia Owen, Jen Kim, Jesse M., Margaret Mayo, Trisha Keeling.

You called that many in.

Welcome back to NIN.

Hi there. Give me a second. Half asleep. All right. Okay. A couple things were said during, like, the closed part that, like, that I had supposedly said they were a little misconstrued. So just asking you guys, before you move forward with anything regarding books, maybe talk to us about the collection policy and how we vet things for literary value, because if that's coming up in a rubric about pornography, it does have to have literary merit. You might want to look it up, know more about that. Same with our AP classes and dual enrollment. We need to know the difference between what is taught in the class as a book for the entire class novel versus what is on an AP reading list that the students are required to read on their own. Those are two different kinds of things, so the accessibility will be different. Just wanted to let you guys know about that. Thank you.

Thank you, Janine. Welcome back, Greg.

As I said, Lincoln said that the philosophy in the classroom in one generation becomes the philosophy of government in the next generation. And that quote explains everything we see here tonight and every school board meeting. The left, as Candy said, during COVID, parents saw what was going on in the schools, and they didn't like it. Jeanette cited the polling data. They don't want overwhelming and do not want their kids exposed to highly sexualized material. They don't want the indoctrination. They want high-quality education to prepare the children for success and for citizens to keep the republic. And that is the job of what we're giving you, $24,000 per year per student just from the state. Keep up the good work.

Thank you, Greg.

What's your name? Hello. What's your name?

Arissa.

Welcome back, Arissa.

Thanks. President Rendler campaigned for school board as a PTA mom based on her years of involvement. But I want to clarify that California PTA is 100% supportive of inclusion, and supporting marginalized communities. We are a child advocacy organization that advocates for all children. I'm going to read you from the resolution on LGBTQ and inclusiveness. Per a captive resolution, the California PTAs and its units and councils advocate to positively impact the lives of all children, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Numerous studies spanning decades of research have pointed to the fact that LGBT...

Thank you, Arisa. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Jen Kim, Area 1. Welcome back, Jen.

I'm an educator, and I cannot believe I have to tell you that trying to pass a policy before doing any responsible or ethical work is incredibly irresponsible. I would never allow myself as an educator to be so reckless. That's not how policy works. And when it involves children, you should be willing to spend as much time and energy on it beforehand to get it right. You are more concerned about profanity than actual safety. A child was verbally assaulted tonight, and then you let the speaker continue to speak. There's an officer a few feet away from me, ready to escort me out if I say a curse word. But homophobic and ableist slurs are apparently allowed. We face verbal abuse from hate speech every single meeting. This is not okay.

Thank you, Jen. Welcome back, Margaret.

Margaret Mail, Area 2. I was going to talk tonight about the inevitable litigation that would result, but instead I think I need to talk about how the board is managing the public and their inappropriate behavior and comments tonight. Michelle, you have known me since I was a child and yet you stood by and watched as someone took a picture of my behind and then allowed the woman who defended that as well as verbally harassed a child to continue speaking and granted her more time to speak. Your priorities are clear. You need to do better to defend not only me, but the child that was harassed as you stood by and watched and then rewarded it.

Thank you, Margaret.

What's your name?

Thank you, Michelle. Area 2, this board is responsible for setting the tone for all the employees. You're also responsible for setting the tone of these meetings. They're getting out of control. You need to take responsibility for that, and you need to take action to change how these meetings are happening. It can start with changing the venue, leaving us all outside hot and bothered and angry before we get in here. It means we're all not in a good place when we get in here. And then when incidents happen within this room, how they are handled affects how the rest of the evening happens. All of us are entitled to come and speak to you without fear of being harassed, without fear of having lewd photos posted of them online with rude comments. That's not acceptable, and you should not tolerate that in these hearings, these meetings, or in any of your employees. Thank you.

Thank you, Jesse.

Do you have more, Consuelo? Tricia?

Was it Tricia Keating? That was the last one, right?

Is he the only one?

Hello again, Mark Laird, Area 2. Welcome back, Mark. Thank you so much. So I just really wish that we had more than 45 seconds, because a topic as serious as LGBTQ mental health is not going to really encompass that. But I also understand the time constraints. I just wanted to talk about the fact that I came from a supportive home growing up, and yet the impact of being in the closet for me still actually have put me presently into therapy. I have a psychiatrist. I experience depression. And I work with kids in the mental health space as well. And especially my LGBTQ students, especially my trans students, they feel these mental health impacts. You guys just need to look at the data. It is out there. You're just not looking at it. And I don't have time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mark.

Is anyone else out there?

Okay, we'll move on to board comments and reports. Does anybody have anything they want to say tonight? Jeanette, we'll start with you. Do you have anything?

No.

Okay, Patty?

Yeah, I do. I only have one thing. I just want to remind everybody that intent does not erase the harm that it causes and your unwillingness to compromise or apologize or even take extra care for the hurts that are causing this boardroom not only makes your intention deliberate, but it's actually quite embarrassing. So.

I want to thank all our speakers for tonight and those who stayed for the meeting. I know it was pretty tired out there. So thank you for staying out for us and letting us finish our meeting. And to media, thank you. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to. So thank you, media, for staying with us. And staff, thank you. You guys are amazing. I tried to let him, Mr. Cabral, let you go early, but it wasn't going to work. So thank you, guys. Appreciate it so much.

Thank you.

Any comments?

I just want to make sure to review the meetings. So our next regular meeting is August 5th. We have a special governance meeting all day, July 15th. It's a workshop. And then we have no meeting on the 22nd. But if we do have a new principal selected for Highland Grove and assistant principals for some of our vacancies and we need approvals for that, we may call a meeting on the 23rd at the advance, which, of course, would be agendized, but to get those approvals passed or at least considered.

Okay? This meeting is adjourned at 1.45. On July 9th.

12.45. 12.45.

Oh, I thought it said 1.45, 12.45.