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REDLANDS, Calif. — A debate that’s divided school districts across the country arrived in full force at Redlands Unified this month.
At the April 8 school board meeting, the proposed policies weren’t on the agenda—but they were on everyone’s minds.
Outside the Redlands Unified Board Room, two groups gathered, signaling the escalating divide over issues like parental rights, student privacy and educational content. On one side: a large crowd of parents, teachers, students, and community members rallying before the meeting in defense of LGBTQ+ students and public education. On the other: a smaller but coordinated presence from members of The Ark Church, many wearing matching “Protect Girls Sports” shirts and waiting in line to enter the meeting.
During public comment, the divide was just as clear: 15 speakers—mostly affiliated with the church—voiced support for the proposed policies. Twenty-four speakers, including parents, educators, and students, spoke against them, calling the policies harmful, unnecessary and politically motivated.
At the heart of the current controversy are two proposed policies: one would require schools to notify parents about a wide range of student activities and behaviors, and the other would restrict what books and materials can be used in classrooms. Both mirror efforts in other California districts that have sparked legal battles and national headlines.
In a 3-2 vote during a special workshop on March 21, the board agreed to move forward with two of four proposed policies. Board members Candy Olson (Area 5), Jeannette Wilson (Area 4), and Board President Michele Rendler supported the motion, while Board Vice President Patty Holohan (Area 1) and Board Member Melissa Ayala-Quintero (Area 3) opposed it.
Two other proposals—one revising the district’s book challenge process and another restricting which flags may be displayed on campus—are not currently moving forward.
The remaining policies— Parental Notification (BP/AR 5010) and revised Instructional Materials (BP 6000)—are now being prepared for first reading at a future board meeting. Though not on the agenda this week, they drew passionate public comment and pointed questions from attendees.
The Parental Notification policies would require schools to notify parents within three days of any changes to a student’s records, participation in extracurriculars, or instances of bullying or injury. The language of the policy mirrors exactly what has been adopted by Chino Valley and Temecula school districts.
The instructional materials policy, builds on an existing policy that introduces language that would bar books or content deemed to contain “pervasive pornography, erotica, graphic depictions of violence, or inappropriate vulgarity.”
Opponents argue the parental notification policy is a form of forced outing, putting LGBTQ+ students at risk.
"I think it's important to understand that it's up to each person to decide how and when they come out and to whom," said Elisabeth Antos a teacher at Redlands Adult School. "I don't want any role in harming children, and I worry very greatly that these policies do harm children, and that they send a message to children that what they are is not okay at school," she added.
As for the instructional material policy update, critics say the proposal paves the way for curriculum censorship and vague enforcement.
Student trustee Bella Salazar, a junior at Redlands High School, gave an impassioned speech during the meeting. “When literacy scores continued to lower, and children's development becomes more concerning, why would we want to damage and hurt the very place that would help fix this issue?,” she asked.
“The actual damage that we should be concerned with is electronics and social media," Salazar added.
Other high school students voiced worries about losing funding for programs like music, debate, and theater. “Our schools are already underfunded,” said student Corinne during the demonstration. "It’s ridiculous that the district is focusing on all of these policies that are going to incur more losses," she said.
Parents like Jennifer Cross, a board member of Together for Redlands, echoed those concerns. “People want to live in a place where diversity is welcome,” she said. “These policies send the opposite message.”
Supporters of the policies say their goal is to restore parental rights and remove inappropriate material from schools.
"In particular, we're talking about some of the material that we're finding in the public school libraries that is outright pornography, graphic sex,” said Lawrence Hebron, a former school board candidate. “We're trying to get the focus back on the basics. Reading, writing, arithmetic, language arts, history."
Supporters of the instructional materials policy update repeatedly cited “pervasive pornography” in school libraries as justification for stricter guidelines on curriculum. Supporters provided a list of problematics books, including The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Push by Sapphire, Looking for Alaska by John Green, and Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin.
When Community Forward Redlands cross-checked those titles with the catalogs of Redlands Unified middle school libraries, only one was found: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, in Moore Middle School.
Books like TRICKS by Ellen Hopkins and LUCKY by Alice Sebold, while often challenged elsewhere, are not available in either Moore or Cope Middle School.
This complicates the claim that Redlands is experiencing a widespread problem with inappropriate content and raises questions about what the policy intends to remove.
Others, like Pastor Kevin O’Connor of the Ark Church, framed the debate in spiritual terms.
"We got to go back to the Bible way," O’Connor said. "The family is God's ordained way of raising up our kids. Educators should come alongside us. We don't come alongside them."
When asked about potential legal or financial consequences of enacting such policies, O’Connor was unconcerned. “God’s going to win ultimately,” he said.
Tensions were high among school board members and their comments reflected the divide.
Board President Michele Rendler, widely seen as a potential swing vote on these issues, reaffirmed her support for the two advancing policies. “There are extreme beliefs on both sides,” she said. “I will continue to support the policies that have been discussed in the last few weeks. I will continue to base my decisions on what is right for the students and staff in our USD.”
Rendler acknowledged the deeply polarized nature of the debate, but emphasized her desire for a “balanced and objective approach” focused on student well-being.
Melissa Ayala-Quintero condemned the permissiveness of hate speech during public comment, saying, “If you don’t like protecting students—even if you don’t agree with them—you shouldn’t be here.”
Meanwhile, Candy Olson and Jeannette Wilson, wearing matching “Save Girls Sports” t-shirts, pushed for a future resolution to limit transgender participation in girls’ sports, citing fairness and physical safety concerns.
Kristi Hirst, a former teacher in Chino Valley Unified School District and co-founder of the nonprofit Our Schools, has closely followed the legal battles surrounding similar policies in her district.
In 2023, Chino Valley became the first district in California to adopt a parental notification policy requiring schools to inform parents if a student requested to use different names, pronouns, or facilities. That policy was quickly challenged by the state and partially struck down by a San Bernardino County Superior Court judge, who ruled that outing students in this way violated the U.S. Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause.
The district later revised the policy, removing the most controversial language while retaining a requirement that parents be notified within three days of changes to a student’s official or unofficial records. The state did not appeal the court’s decision, effectively dropping its challenge of the revised version.
The Liberty Justice Center, which represented Chino Valley Unified in court, celebrated the outcome. “The Chino Valley Unified School District was right to implement a policy ensuring parents have access to information that impacts their children’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being,” said LJC Senior Counsel Emily Rae in a February 2025 media release. “We look forward to defending the propriety of this policy in court.”
Redlands Unified’s proposed parental notification policy mirrors Chino Valley’s revised version. But Hirst notes a key difference: Redlands has already drafted administrative regulations to guide its enforcement—something Chino had not done when its policy was first introduced.
She also warns of the financial toll. “Chino spent over $1.2 million in legal fees in a single year,” Hirst said. “These fights suck up resources and harm the most vulnerable students.”
In her view, the push for these policies is part of a broader national campaign. “These policies aren’t bubbling up from parents,” she said. “They’re part of a broader strategy, promoted by groups like Moms for Liberty and Project 2025, designed to stir chaos and degrade trust in public education.”
While two of the four policies discussed in March—one regulating flag displays (BP 6115) and another setting rules for library material challenges (AR 1312.2)—are not moving forward for now, they could resurface in future discussions.
And with the board poised to introduce a girls' sports policy at its next meeting, tensions are likely to escalate.
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