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CVUSD Whistleblower Says ‘Huge Group’ of Educators Oppose District’s Divisive Goals

Kristine, an anonymous whistleblower and educator in the Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) for more than 15 years, says “a huge group” of CVUSD teachers and staff are deeply troubled by the district’s sudden emphasis on “the over-sexualization of children at any age” and the processes created to exclude parents from discussions about sexuality and gender that their children have secretly with teachers and staff.

“It puts school staff in a very awkward situation,” Kristine says. “It feels very dirty, like you’re hiding behind the parents’ back. Because you are.”

Already, administrators are getting sharp blowback from parents furious that the CVUSD allowed their child to go by another “gender identity” and different pronouns at school without ever informing parents of what was happening.

“It has to do with taking away a parent’s rights and doing things behind a parent’s back,” says Kristine. “That’s the part that’s making all of us uncomfortable. … Why do we have to bring in this anti-scientific gender ideology? Why are we pushing this so hard, so it’s the focus of everything instead of kids enjoying themselves, especially after a pandemic?”

Many local educators refuse to put their name on the so-called Student Support Plan (SSP) document — which promotes homosexuality and gender dysphoria to students in secret — without the blessing of a parent. (See the full document and related article in this issue.)

As a result, many educators are “wrestling with what our faith and our moral values and our family values, what we say and what we’re being tasked to do,” Kristine says. “There’s a very large group of us … pushing back against what we’re being asked to do behind parents’ backs and the curriculum of showing a 7th-grade kid how to have a*** sex. That’s what they’re teaching 7th-grade kids right now, and it’s disgusting.”

Parents, she says, don’t understand what’s being taught in sex-ed “because the kids are embarrassed. They don’t want to show their parents or talk about it.”

The district has become almost unrecognizable to many veteran teachers and staff members in the past year due to the district’s obsession with sexualizing children.

“You could go to previous superintendents with any concern, and they would listen,” Kristine says. “This administration, you can’t bring anything up to them. They wouldn’t listen to you. The leaders [are] pushing down this curriculum and mandates and new rules asking us to go behind parents’ backs. It has staff members divided against each other, families divided against one another, and now students divided against one another.”

California’s Department of Education, in league with teachers’ unions and local school leaders, is using so-called Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts to cement control for a narrow political and moral viewpoint — and forcing people of conscience and faith out. CVUSD and other Ventura County districts moved quickly in 2021, using millions in “COVID money,” to recruit administrators who are willing to push DEI training and enforcement down to the staff and classroom level without allowing room for dissent.

“We are so top-heavy at the administrative level, and that’s driving so much of what we’re being asked to do at school sites,” says Kristine. “The sad part is that administrators can’t speak against it because, for the first time since I’ve been in this district, it’s a very top-down school district. Our administrators are not allowed to speak their true feelings, or they’ll get let go.”

With all the talk of “inclusion” and “diversity,” people of faith are not being heard or respected, she says.

“We’re praying that the courts [intervene] so we don’t lose our jobs,” Kristine says. “There are many staff members who are wanting to move. Many feel stuck because they love our kids, our communities and our families.”

“The scarier part,” she says, “is if we don’t [exclude parents and affirm students’ gender confusion], then what are the consequences going to be? Because this is coming down from administration, so if we don’t do this SSP or call a child by the pronouns they’re wanting even without a parent’s blessing, are we going to be in trouble for that?”

‘We’re being asked to go behind parents’ backs’

In the past, she said educators had to sign a letter that said politics are not supposed to be in the classroom. Now politics pervade the educational environment, calling forth tremendous resistance.

“When half your staff is saying this is political, you’ve got to listen to them,” Kristine says.

CVUSD employees are greatly encouraged by pushback from parents against the district’s aggressive child-sexualization goals. Next year, the real fight begins, Kristine believes. This year was about laying groundwork and putting people in place who offer no resistance to DEI in whatever form it takes.

“At some point, we’re going to have to take a stand and say, no, I’m not calling that child by a pronoun. No, I’m not calling that child by a name when their parents don’t know,” she says. “That’s where it’s going to become legal for us, and we have to figure out what side of the fence we’ll be on.”

Local educators simply want to “get back to teaching academics and letting the morals and values of whether you’re left, right or center be taught at home,” she says.

“Before, people would ask me, ‘Is your school district doing this or that?’ when you started hearing crazy stuff coming down,” Kristine says. “I said, ‘No, my school district stays out of this. It’s all about the kids.’ That is no longer the case.”

Joel Kilpatrick
Joel Kilpatrick
Joel Kilpatrick is a writer and journalist.

21 COMMENTS

  1. This is so important. Thank you to the courageous teacher. I want all the teachers and administrators to know that we the people, we the parents, we the community have your backs. It’s time to take back the district from the school board’s radical agenda. Three seats are up in November. If we want to get back to education and not indoctrination we need to get the zealots out of office.

  2. Hi all this is Steve Schneider aka Jim Monroe! Teachers, first and foremost I wanted to say thank you. I knew it would be a tough decision and I have your back. I love you all so much and will stand with you to the end of this and beyond. PARENTS listen up. You must get involved immediately otherwise there will be consequences. Lawsuits are being filed but we need you to get involved. Go to a board meeting and just listen, the craziness will present itself.

    • Sad but true! We’ve seen it in action. With the stated approval of the Board, Superintendent Mark McLaughlin has confirmed at the last two board meetings that he will continue to allow teachers to promote confusing gender ideology in the classroom with primary school kids. He also said parents don’t have a right to be informed in advance or afterward that these sensitive topics can be discussed anytime in CVUSD. I for one have compassion for any parent walking this journey with their child. My question is does the district have compassion for the rest of the students who find these ideas confusing? Parents like to have conversations like this with their kids and they want to be informed about it

  3. Thank you for being brave and standing firm in the midst of this trial. Fear does not have to win here. We do not have to comply to these horrible attempts to victimize our kids. That is what they are doing!! Our kids are worth the discomfort. The worst thing we can do is complain in silence. Prayer and wise action will move mountains. We can fight from a place of peace and rest because we know that God is our defender and He loves our kids!! We do not need to fight with anger and brut force. Let’s stand firm together and actively pray for our kids, parents, teachers, administrators, and government officials. Hearts can be turned and eyes can be opened. Let’s declare it in unity!! Blessings to you for writing and printing this article.

  4. Thank you to this teacher who is exposing the truth and standing up for the kids and the vast majority of parents. The district is way off track. The radicals in the district office and the board reside in an echo chamber. The Acorn repeats their agenda making it seem like the community agrees. It’s time to see their tactics for what they are. I’m so glad many more teachers are finally seeing the nefarious agenda the board and radical superintendent have been pushing for the last 3 years. Before this, the indoctrination was hidden from most teachers with just a few radical teachers teaching the union’s agenda material. Now they want to force everyone to teach, including counselors. The writing was on the wall. CVUSD leadership is drunk with power and that makes them believe they can do anything.

  5. I knew there were teachers who didn’t agree with the current administrations political agenda, I just wasn’t sure how many there were. We know this isn’t the teachers fault. I worked in the district for 15 years and I know teachers are honest, moral people who would not push this ideology unless management demanded it. I stand with teachers, parents and students. I’m running for school board to get schools back to the business of teaching core curriculum, eliminating over-sexualization of kids and making
    school about educational excellence.

  6. This is why we pulled from public and going to a Christian school and we aren’t even Christian. Sand that the parents aren’t being told the truth.

  7. Parents and teachers need to start having weekly meetings together and organize. Hire lawyers and start suing school districts and the California Dept of Ed. I would sue Gavin’s appointee Tony Thurmond personally for implementing this garbage. This is how it stops when the majority of parents and teachers say NO!!! Stay strong and thank you Kristine for coming forward.

  8. I am truly appalled at what used to be an outstanding district has become! If this is really the position of the district I urge parents to pull your children out of CVUSD. Shame on you teaching children by example that parent authority rams nothing.

  9. Many community members are supporting removing this school board and firing the superintendent and he certainly is not super!

  10. Get your butts to the board meetings and rally the troops and funds for legal remedy. Take over the school board and vote them out!! Dismiss them… look at how they did it in Northern California last year. Fight… with everything and as if you will lose it all, because you will if you don’t stand. Reach out to churches, businesses… organize as a TO STRONG community!

  11. Thank you for this article. I was just speaking on this exact topic tonight and It completely reaffirms our decision not to send our 5 year to public school.

  12. In my private email conversations with McLaughlin he made four paradigms exceptionally clear:

    1) He believes the district is acting in accordance with its instructions from state
    2) He believes our side is not the majority of opinion because he does not hear from enough of us
    3) He states he is impervious to your comments and opinions and criticisms at the BOE meetings.
    4) He stated he will seek to hold superintendent through BOE offered contract extensions.
    *I have the receipts to the ^above^ statements.

    Therefore, the next TWO elections are imperative to gut the BOE of its obnoxious and arrogant trustees and replace them with people of REASON. I’m thankful the heart of the rot of CVUSD, Lisa Miller, will leave. I don’t know about her replacement and what type of divisive programs they will institute and feed.

    Do not rest over summer. Instead learn, plan, organize, FUND and be ready to go with a protracted and cogent effort to place reasonable trustees on BOE who will not simply follow lock-step the agenda of our supermajority ruled, agenda-rich education and public health departments.

    The alternative is to crash enrollment and starve of funding these institutions and their unions. So, as a plan B, ramp up homeschool pods.

    • This sounds spot on from my experience on the board and working regularly with these people. They used to illegally mute my mic during board meetings and the radical board members received many brown act violations from the Ventura County grand jury for the way I was mistreated and silenced. They do not want parents to understand the law and the facts. There is no law that says children need to be read a book and watch a video that teaches them that their parents guessed their gender. When McLaughlin refers to the Fair Act, he knows perfectly well that there is no such language in that vague law. The department of education, on the other hand, tries to make everyone believe that THEIR radical INTERPRETATION and RECOMMENDED IMPLEMENTATION of the law IS the law. It is not. It is opinion.

  13. If a child’s name is Akman but he likes to be called Billy would you do it? Yes because it makes him more comfortable. Stop pushing your religion and BS on others. If it’s against what your church has said and you can’t get out of your way. Go teach in a private school. The word Public is for all not just for you.

  14. This is true. Speaking anonymously, bc the district is this callous to come after our jobs for speaking the truth. As a veteran teacher of CVUSD, I can confirm there are multiple teachers and staff at just about every school school site across the district that agree with this sentiment, and that the BOE and district leadership is the most destructive this school district has ever worked with, who create false narratives about hate, week after week, if you do not conform to their immoral ideals. CVUSD teachers and staff across the district are starting to home schoolor send their kids to chaeter or private schools bc we know exactly what is happening and coming down the pipeline. The district is controlled by Indivisible Conejo and their cronies, there is no question about it. Basically whatever Indivisible tells them what to do, it is done (Lauren Gill is the VP of that group). Indivisible Conejo works hard each week to create false narratives of hate to divide this community. As long as they get their way and the Superintendent makes more money than CA’s governor, they will continue on with their destructive ways with this district, burning this district to the ground. But, we will stay to make sure there are a few good teachers and staff left.

  15. Hate to be the bearer of bad news but “pronouns” are everywhere and you can’t shield your children from the world that we live in. Heaven forbid that any of you end up with a gay or trans child because that child will certainly want to commit suicide on your ignorant and intolerant watch. Sorry, people with differing sexual orientations and identities are here to stay. You all need to move to your own island, take your kids with you and leave the rest of us alone to live our lives and not be forced to deal with your hate and intolerance. People have the right to live as they see fit and none of you have a Heaven or Hell to put anyone in. Worry about your own souls and why you feel it’s okay to spew hate in the name of God who loves us ALL, not just conservative, white so called Christians because newsflash, you’re going to die too and have to answer for your sins just like everyone else.

  16. Leave the kids ALONE. THOSE WITH TRUE ISSUES WILL LET YOU KNOW. THEY DONT NEED “EDUCATION” TO SWAY THEM.

  17. Bad news for you guys. The district released information that proves you’re sitting on a throne of lies. You tear people down and create a war with anger, stalking, and even fake body guards. The good news is that the wonderful parents of CVUSD see your misinformation attack for what it is; an attempt by Rob McCoy’s proxies to destroy public schools and funnel more kids into private schools from which he’ll profit. Here’s the truth: https://www.conejousd.org/News/ArtMID/36540/ArticleID/1811/CVUSD-Forward-A-Message-Focused-on-Transparency?fbclid=IwAR1fqDpme29rXj5amvWFnkpndM5GSK_aNyN8wlAIZGmZGfiKSTWsM0kl6TM

  18. I do not see the referenced Student Support Plan (SSP) document anywhere on the page above as mentioned in Pp 5 of the article. Any clues as to where it can be found pls?

    One man’s opinion: I agree to just leave these kids alone. I should think that sexual orientation should not be a relevant issue at this young age and further, a concern best dealt with by their loved ones, if and when it does need addressing.

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