OUSD Signs On to Trans ‘Outing’ Policy

The Orange Unified School District has approved a policy requiring school staff to notify parents when a child begins using a name, pronoun, bathroom or locker room not associated with their biological sex. OUSD is the sixth district to adopt the controversial parental notification policy for transgender students.

Thursday’s vote was 4-0 because the three trustees opposed to the policy walked out before the vote. In a statement, they said they had safety concerns.

The meeting was highly contentious and included agitators from outside the district. Members of the audience clashed verbally and physically. Most of the people who spoke during public comment were in favor of the policy.

The new policy is legally risky for OUSD. Prior to the vote, a judge in San Bernardino County issued a temporary restraining order against a nearly identical policy in Chino. Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta urged the board to reject the policy before the vote.