State Investigation Launched Into Temecula Valley USD Board

TEMECULA, CA — As two Temecula Valley Unified School District board trustees held a "press conference" Wednesday defending their position to reject an elementary social sciences curriculum because they deemed it "morally objectionable," California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a state investigation into the TVUSD board.

A June 7 letter from Bonta's office addressed to TVUSD Superintendent Dr. Jodi McClay and TVUSD Board President Dr. Joseph Komrosky states there is "serious concern" about a May 16 TVUSD 3-2 board vote to reject the Social Studies Alive program for elementary grades. School districts have a legal obligation to implement a social sciences curriculum that highlights the contributions of various groups, including gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans. A decision to remove or reject curriculum materials reflecting these identities "may constitute unlawful discrimination," according to the correspondence.

The letter asks the district to produce various documents and any complaints related to the "process and rationale" for rejecting Social Studies Alive. Bonta's office set a June 22 deadline to receive the requested information.

“In the Golden State, our kids have the freedom to learn — and there are consequences for denying that freedom," Newsom said in a released statement. "California is closely watching the actions of malicious actors seeking to ban books, whitewash history, and demonize the LGBTQ+ community in Temecula and across the state. If the law is violated, there will be repercussions.”

During the May 16 TVUSD meeting, there was a heavy focus on what three school board members considered "morally objectionable material" in the Social Studies Alive curriculum — namely California gay rights leader Harvey Milk. A Milk bio found in the curriculum's supplemental materials was a non-starter for the board majority.

TVUSD Board Trustee Danny Gonzalez called Milk a "known pedophile" during the meeting, while Komrosky asked, "Why even mention a pedophile?"

"We can do better," Trustee Jennifer Wiersma said.

All three voted against the Social Studies Alive program, while Trustees Allison Barclay and Steven Schwartz voted to adopt it.

The comments by Gonzalez, Komrosky and Wiersma raise concern over "potential discriminatory intent," according to Bonta's office.

"Not only could such statements reflect that the decision [to reject the curriculum] was motivated by a desire to erase from the history taught to students the contributions of a prominent and respected gay rights activist and leader, but they also suggest that the Board’s action may have been tainted by discriminatory animus," the letter reads. "Moreover, the invocation of a long-standing, but discredited, trope designed to demonize members of the LGBTQ community is likely to contribute to creating (if not intended to create) a hostile environment for LGBTQ students and staff, in violation of their civil rights."

The state-approved Social Studies Alive curriculum was recommended by 47 TVUSD educators. Approximately 1,300 TVUSD families were given the opportunity to comment on it — although few did.

The curriculum is in line with the state's FAIR Act's requirements. Senate Bill 48, otherwise known as the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act, was signed by California Gov. Jerry Brown in 2011. The law requires school districts to include instruction in history-social science about the role and contributions of people with disabilities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans; and other ethnic and cultural groups. The act prohibits teachers and school districts from promoting discriminatory bias, and it requires districts to adopt textbooks and instructional materials that accurately portray the above groups.

"We urge the [TVUSD] Board to adhere to the FAIR Act's provisions and provide a comprehensive social sciences curriculum that reflects our diverse state and nation. This should include accurate representations of historical figures like Harvey Milk and not be influenced by personal bias," Bonta said Wednesday in a released statement. “Restricting what our children are taught in school based on animus or ideological opposition contradicts our societal values. The Board needs to explain its decision making, and moving forward will need to ensure students have access to a wide range of ideas and perspectives."

Just before the state publicly announced it was investigating the TVUSD, board members Gonzalez and Komrosky held what was billed as a "press conference" at 412 Church Temecula Valley in Murrieta late Wednesday afternoon. The church's pastor, Tim Thompson, has helped elect school board members in Southwest Riverside County through the Inland Empire Family PAC. The PAC works to "stop the indoctrination of our children by placing candidates on school boards who will fight for Christian and Conservative values."

The church was filled with about 100 supporters during Wednesday's event. Komrosky and Gonzalez each told the audience that their comments were their own and did not represent the TVUSD or its board.

Komrosky told attendees that the community expects the board to be "diligent about identifying and excluding obscene and hateful material from the curriculum." He said his choice of words about Milk were "based upon facts ... and I don't believe those facts are a good example for our children to learn about in elementary school."

Komrosky also took Newsom to task over the governor's weekend tweet criticizing the TVUSD board president.

During the event, Gonzalez doubled down on his prior comments about Milk.

"As a father, I find it morally reprehensible to include someone in the content of a K-5 curriculum that was a known pedophile," he said.

Gonzalez also claimed that Milk was not the reason he vetoed the curriculum. As he did during the May 16 meeting, Gonzalez argued that the community outside of TVUSD wasn't given an opportunity to weigh in on the curriculum and there wasn't enough effort made to get TVUSD parents to engage.

Yet just before the May 16 rejection vote, the board unanimously approved — without comment or objections — textbooks for the district's high school science program.

Members of the media were invited to attend Wednesday's "press" event but when Komrosky and Gonzalez finished speaking they declined to take reporters' questions.

As the two board members left the church hall, supporters gave them a rousing standing ovation.