California Teachers' Association weighing in on Rocklin school district's controversial pronoun policy
ROCKLIN - The legal battle continues over Rocklin Unified School District's new controversial pronoun policy, as the California Teachers' Association is now weighing in.
CBS13 is getting answers on their concerns and why the school board is standing by its decision.
The union says that a policy like this needed to be bargained with the district before a vote could be implemented. But the board says their legal counsel assured them no laws were being broken with this new policy.
Now, a potential fight is brewing like others we've seen across the state.
Even after the passage of a controversial Rocklin School Board policy, the fight may be ongoing.
"If this board wants to restore any faith with your employees and this community, at the first opportunity you need to suspend this illegal board policy on forced outing," said Mike Patterson, California Teacher's Union spokesperson.
As back-and-forths continued between board members and union leaders, Rocklin Unified School District Chairperson Tiffany Saathoff asked, "Can you please reference what laws were broken?"
Patterson responded, "So the illegal action was the new board policy on forced outing, which is against California law." Tiffany Saathoff inquired, "And which law is that?"
California Teacher's Association: Policy Violates Minors' Rights
Similar to the Chino Valley case, the union's argument is that a policy such as this violates a minor's right to privacy as set forth by the state constitution, which could put teachers in direct conflict with either the law or school policy.
The CTA believes the policy needs to be collectively bargained. Patterson stated, "In order for Rocklin to come to the table, which of course we are willing to do, you have to rescind the policy so we can have a level playing field for negotiations."
Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the Chino Valley District and told CBS13 in a statement that they are committed to "unwavering support to ensure every student has the right to learn and thrive in a school environment that promotes safety, privacy, and inclusivity."
When asked if Rocklin could be the subject of similar legal action, the office said in a statement, "He continues monitoring school districts considering similar policies statewide."
At that meeting, the Rocklin School Board said that their legal counsel advised them that they were not in violation of the law but that they welcomed any discussion with the CTA should they want to advance the issue of potential union violations.
