Sign the Petition
Protect Parent Rights
in Sexual Education
Summary: The proposed changes to Board Policy 4119.24 would limit all instruction on human sexuality to within the state mandated Comprehensive Sexual Health classes. Anytime that at teacher wants to include these topics in other classes or activities, prior written permission from parents would be required. Please read the actual proposed policy below. Sign the petition and support the rights of families to impart their own values to their children. The proposed changes are in the alternate font.
Policy 4119.24: Maintaining Appropriate Adult-Student Interactions
The Board of Education desires to provide a positive school environment that protects the safety and well-being of district students. The Board expects all adults with whom students may interact at school or in school-related activities, including employees, independent contractors, and volunteers, to maintain the highest professional and ethical standards in their interactions with students both within and outside the educational setting. Such adults shall not engage in unlawful or inappropriate interactions with students and shall avoid boundary-blurring behaviors that undermine trust in the adult-student relationship and lead to the appearance of impropriety.
Employees are prohibited from entering into or attempting to form a romantic or sexual relationship with any student or engaging in sexual harassment of a student, including sexual advances, flirtations, requests for sexual favors, inappropriate comments about a student's body or appearance, or other verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
Adults shall not intrude on a student's physical or emotional boundaries unless necessary in an emergency or to serve a legitimate purpose related to instruction, counseling, student health, or student or staff safety.
All discussion and instruction on human sexuality shall be conducted within the Comprehensive Health Education classes mandated by the California Healthy Youth Act. Topics related to human sexuality include but are not limited to bodily functions of the reproductive system, puberty, sexual relationships, sexual practices, sexual orientation, gender expression, sexual identity, contraception, abortion, and sexually transmitted infections.
Outside of the state mandated Comprehensive Health Education classes, teachers and staff shall exclude topics related to human sexuality from any conversations with students, classroom instruction, books, videos, educational materials, class discussions, questionnaires, visual aids, assessments, assignments, or any other resources available to students, without prior approval from the principal and prior written permission from a student’s parent or legal guardian. Students whose parents or legal guardians either decline such instruction or do not respond to the request for permission, shall be offered an alternative activity of similar educational value and shall not be exposed to the instruction, materials, etc.
In the event that a student attempts to introduce topics related to human sexuality into a class discussion or assignment, the teacher or staff shall refrain from sharing personal views, and shall be responsible for redirecting the students back to the subject matter specific to the class.
Any employee who observes or has knowledge of another employee's violation of this policy shall report the information to the Superintendent or designee or appropriate agency for investigation pursuant to the applicable complaint procedures. Other adults with knowledge of any violation of this policy are encouraged to report the violation to the Superintendent or designee. The Superintendent or designee shall protect anyone who reports a violation from retaliation. Immediate intervention shall be implemented when necessary to protect student safety or the integrity of the investigation.
Employees who engage in any conduct in violation of this policy, including retaliation against a person who reports the violation or participates in the complaint process, shall be subject to discipline, up to and including dismissal. Any other adult who violates this policy may be barred from school grounds and activities in accordance with law. The Superintendent or designee may also notify law enforcement as appropriate.
The district's employee code of conduct addressing interactions with students shall be provided to parents/guardians at the beginning of each school year and shall be posted on school and/or district web sites. (Education Code 44050)
Inappropriate Conduct
Employees shall remain vigilant of their position of authority and not abuse it when relating with students. Examples of employee conduct that can undermine professional adult-student interactions or create the appearance of impropriety include, but are not limited to:
Initiating inappropriate physical contact
Being alone with a student outside of the view of others
Visiting a student's home or inviting a student to visit the employee's home without parent/guardian consent
Maintaining personal contact with a student that has no legitimate educational purpose, by phone, letter, electronic communications, or other means, without including the student's parent/guardian or the principal.
When communicating electronically with students, employees shall use district equipment or technological resources when available. Employees shall not communicate with students through any medium that is designed to eliminate records of the communications. The Superintendent or designee may monitor employee usage of district technology at any time without advance notice or consent.Creating or participating in social networking sites for communication with students, other than those created by the district, without the prior written approval of the principal or designee
Inviting or accepting requests from students, or former students who are minors, to connect on personal social networking sites (e.g., "friending" or "following" on social media), unless the site is dedicated to school business
Singling out a particular student for personal attention and friendship, including giving gifts and/or nicknames to individual students
Addressing a student in an overly familiar manner, such as by using a term of endearment
Socializing or spending time with students outside of school-sponsored events, except as participants in community activities
Sending or accompanying students on personal errands unrelated to any legitimate educational purpose
Transporting a student in a personal vehicle without prior authorization
Encouraging students to confide their personal or family problems and/or relationships
Disclosing personal, family, or other private matters to students or sharing personal secrets with students
14.Engaging in conversations about human sexuality with students without prior authorization from a parent or guardian.
15.Wearing clothing or accessories that display messages communicating ideas or perspectives on sexuality.