California’s culture wars escalated Monday as the state sued a school district over its transgender student policy, and a parents’ group took the first step toward placing a trio of initiatives on next year’s ballot that would restrict protections for transgender youth.

The moves follow highly publicized incidents last month in which state leaders attempted to rein in school boards they said had run afoul of civil rights laws. Under California’s local control system, school boards have wide latitude to enact their own policies — a freedom that’s now being tested as a handful of districts move to expand parental rights by limiting the rights of LGBTQ students.

Monday morning, Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a complaint against the Chino Valley Unified School District in San Bernardino County over its new policy requiring parental notification when students change their gender identity at school.

The complaint, filed in San Bernardino County Superior Court, seeks a temporary restraining order against enforcement of the policy, which Bonta referred to as the “forced outing” of transgender and gender nonconforming students, while the court determines whether it violates state law.

“It presents students with a terrible choice,” the attorney general said at a news conference in Los Angeles. “Either walk back your rights to gender identity and gender expression, to be yourself, to be who you are, or face the risk of serious harm. Mental harm, emotional harm, physical harm.”

The policy requires schools to notify parents when students request to be identified by a name or pronoun, or use facilities or participate in a program that does not align with the sex on their official records. Parents would be notified even if they do not have the student’s permission.

“In its function, in its text and in its context, this policy is destructive, it’s discriminatory and it is downright dangerous.”
— Attorney General Rob Bonta

Bonta said this could potentially put students with parents hostile to their gender expression in danger. He argued that the policy violates California’s constitutional right to privacy, as well as the state’s equal protection clause and state laws that guarantee students the equal right to an education regardless of their gender identity.

Citing comments from school board members who said transgender students were suffering from a mental illness and a perversion, Bonta said the policy was plainly discriminatory.

“In its function, in its text and in its context, this policy is destructive, it’s discriminatory and it is downright dangerous,” Bonta said. “It has no place in California, which is why we have moved in court to strike it down.”

‘Desperate attempt to stop us’

Sonja Shaw, Chino Valley’s school board president, was undaunted by the lawsuit, and said the district’s policy is legally sound.

“This is a desperate attempt to stop us, and quite honestly, it’s embarrassing that Bonta is wasting so much time and money on this,” Shaw said Monday. “Every time he does something like this, it’s a gift, because it exposes who these people really are — extremists who want to come between students and their parents.”

At a boisterous meeting July 20, the Chino Valley Unified board voted 4-1 to pass the policy requiring school staff to notify parents within three days of discovering that a child has changed their gender identity. That could include changing their name or pronouns, joining a single-sex team or club or using bathrooms or locker rooms that don’t align with their gender at birth.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond attended the meeting to protest the policy, but police escorted him out when he spoke longer than his allotted time.

Andi Johnston, Chino Valley Unified communications director, said that the district’s policy does actually include protections for students who might be at risk for abuse from parents. If a student believes they are in danger or may be abused, injured or neglected due to their parents knowing of their preferred gender identity, staff must notify police or child protective services and won’t immediately notify parents.

Assemblymember Bill Essayli, a Corona Republican, speaks during a press conference at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Aug. 28, 2023. Photo by Rahul Lal for CalMatters

Chino Valley Unified was among the state’s first districts to enact such a policy, which is based on a bill that’s currently stalled in the Legislature. Assembly Bill 1314, proposed by Assemblymember Bill Essayli, a Republican from Riverside, would have reversed the state’s current policy of protecting the privacy of LGBTQ students who might not be “out” at home. Because the chair of the Assembly education committee, Al Muratsuchi, declined to schedule the bill for a hearing, Essayli said he would contact school boards directly and urge them to pursue the issue.

Since then, three other districts — Anderson Union High School District in Shasta County, and Murrieta Valley Unified and Temecula Valley Unified in Riverside County — have adopted similar policies. Several others have proposals in the works.

Going to the voters in 2024

A few hours after Bonta filed his lawsuit, the group Protect Kids California filed state paperwork to place three initiatives on the fall 2024 ballot that would require schools to notify parents when students alter their gender identity; restrict girls’ locker rooms, bathrooms and sports teams to “biological” girls, based on the sex assigned them on their birth certificates; and ban surgery and hormone therapy for transgender minors.

“These initiatives are necessary because we have a Legislature that’s out of touch with most Californians, so we’re taking these issues directly to the voters,” said Jonathan Zachreson, a Roseville City School District board member and president of Students First California, which is backing the initiatives.

“This is a desperate attempt to stop us, and quite honestly, it’s embarrassing that Bonta is wasting so much time and money on this.”
— Sonja Shaw, Chino Valley school board president

The group has until April to gather close to 550,000 signatures per initiative to qualify for the ballot.

At a press conference Monday afternoon on the steps of the Capitol, backers of the initiatives said they were eager to return rights to parents, who they say are best suited to help their children.

“What we are concerned with is who gets to raise our kids, who gets to raise the next generation of students in the state of California,” Essayli said. “Is it the government or is it their parents?”

At the end of the event, a group of young activists confronted one of the speakers but was then surrounded by backers of the initiatives. The activists wanted to know why adults were speaking on behalf of youth who’d be affected by the policies.

Impacts on young people

LGBTQ groups said both efforts — the proposed initiatives and the school board actions — are deeply harmful to LGBTQ students, and the state is right to intervene. The 2015 U.S. Trans Survey found that 10% of transgender people had faced violence from a family member due to their gender identity, and 15% had run away or been forced from their homes. In general, LGBTQ youth are more prone to depression and anxiety and are four times as likely to attempt suicide as their peers, according to the Trevor Project, which advocates for LGBTQ youth.

“These anti-LGBTQ policies are spreading like wildfire, and people need to realize the harmful impact that these policies have on young people,” said Jorge Reyes Salinas, communications director for Equality California, a civil rights organization focusing on LGBTQ issues. “It’s imperative that the state take action. … We’re grateful that Bonta filed this suit to uphold the rights and dignity of LGBTQ students.”

He said he’s confident the ballot initiatives will fail, saying that most Californians oppose “hate and discrimination, especially when it comes to LGBTQ students. But we are ready to continue fighting, and we’re not going to stop until we’re victorious.”

Meanwhile, members of the California Legislative LGBT Caucus, with help from Gov. Gavin Newsom, said they were continuing to craft a bill strengthening the rights of transgender students.

“Recognizing the nuance and complexity of this work, we are continuing to refine our legislative approach in this two-year session, including working with the governor and key stakeholders, to ensure the most comprehensive and responsible legislation is proposed,” said Assemblymember Chris Ward, a Democrat from San Diego. “Our LGBTQ Caucus is fully committed to assuring that every student feels safe and supported in their school environment and that teachers aren’t forced into policing and outing students. We know that lives and careers are at stake here.”

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Andrew “A.J.” Lawler, 34, of Arcata, passed away on August 21, 2023 in Eureka. He was born on March 21, 1989, to his mother, Eileen Mendoza, and his late father, Tommy Keith Lawler.

A.J. was a vibrant individual who had a zest for life and a heart full of compassion. He had a wide range of interests and hobbies, always ready to lend a helping hand to his friends and loved ones. A.J. had a particular passion for searching for arrowheads and collecting agates at the beach. He also enjoyed fishing and had worked on a commercial fishing boat for several years. A.J. was a part of a bowling team and had been offered, by the embassador, to represent the United States in the Olympics, thanks to his exceptional talent. His infectious sense of humor brought joy and laughter to everyone around him, and his charming smile and loving touch will be deeply missed.

A.J. is survived by his loving mother, Eileen Mendoza, his devoted girlfriend of 10 years, Amanda Bower, and his two children, Dominick Miller Lawler and Roman Lawler. He also leaves behind his sisters, Mel’anne Egger and Angel Miroth, his uncle Mitchell Lawler, his stepbrother and sister, Tracy and Kevin Mendoza, his step-uncle Kenny Mendoza, and Shannon Stone, and his step-aunts Karen Mendoza and Gwendolyn Egger.

A.J. was preceded in death by his father, Tommy Keith Lawler, his stepfather Freddie Joe Mendoza, his grandparents Thomas and Velda Lawler, his uncle Terry Lawler and his aunt Phillis Kelly.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in memory of A.J. Lawler at https://gofund.me/aee1e444. These contributions will go towards A.J.’s services.

Please join us in remembering and celebrating the life of Andrew “A.J.” Lawler, that will be announced at a later time.

He will forever be cherished and remembered for his hard work, compassion, and the laughter he brought into our lives.

We also would like to give special thanks to Doctor Nelson and hospice — especially Nurse Sadie who did a wonderful job helping with A.J. Another special thanks to two wonderful nurses at St Joe’s who were amazing to A.J. during his hospital visit — thank you nurse Kelly and Nathan. Also to Ayers for their services as well.

May his soul rest in eternal peace.

We love you A.J.

Always and Forever,

And we miss you dearly!

Love,

Your mom, and your ride or die, and boys

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of A.J. Lawler’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Kendra Leann Silva unexpectedly passed away from this earth on August 4, 2023, at the age of 33 due to unknown causes. She was born in Eureka on January 30, 1990, and has been a long-term resident of Humboldt County ever since.

Growing up, Kendra enjoyed fishing at Freshwater Lagoon, camping on Orick Beach, and riding bikes with the neighbor kids in the alley behind her house. She was a headstrong and independent young woman from an early age, never liking to be told no or what to do. She was a fierce and loyal friend to all and cared for those around her with all her heart. She was always willing to give to others and help those in need without any thought.

Kendra loved the simple things in life. Walks along the beach, watching fireworks on the Fourth of July, and spending time with those she loved. She was never one for material things, choosing instead quality time with those closest to her.

Kendra is survived by her two beautiful daughters, Emily and Leah, her sister Tammy Silva of Orem, Utah, and her boyfriend Richard Ortiz of Crescent City. She is preceded in death by her parents, Ann and Frank Silva, who passed away when Kendra was a child.

A private scattering of her ashes will be held at a later date to reunite Kendra with her mother and father.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Kendra Silva’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Press release from the office of State Sen. Mike McGuire:

Today, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) announced that the Senate Democratic Caucus convened and determined that Senator Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) will be the Pro Tem Designee, with a transition to be announced next year.

Senate Leader Atkins has served as Pro Tem since 2018, and was the first woman to hold the position and the first person in 150 years to serve as both Pro Tem and Assembly Speaker.

“It is a privilege to be the Senate Leader. Now, the time has come to plan for the next leader, and the Senate Democratic Caucus is unified in its decision to name Senator Mike McGuire as the Pro Tem Designee. I am confident that this will be a seamless transition, and that Senator McGuire will continue to guide the Senate and California down a path of success. Senator McGuire has been a key member of my leadership team, a trusted confidant, and time after time, the convener who sets the table to get things done. The Senate and the people of California will be in good hands with Senator McGuire as their future leader of the Senate.”

Senator McGuire, who was elected to the Senate in 2014, has served as Majority Leader since 2022, and has been integral to several legislative victories, including the 2022 climate package and the infrastructure streamlining package negotiated alongside this year’s state budget.

“Pro Tem Atkins is one of the most effective and thoughtful leaders of our time. She’s a California trailblazer, a role model for millions, and a dear friend. We will work hand-in-glove to finish out the important work that we have all fought so hard for all year – and to ensure a seamless transition into the next chapter of this great institution,” Senator McGuire said. “Words are not enough to express the extent of my gratitude, honor, and humility for being chosen by our united Caucus to lead the California Senate. Together, we will meet the challenges ahead with grace, courage, and determination. We will never stop fighting to make the promise of the Golden State real for every Californian.”

LEADERSHIP: McGuire lobbies on behalf of Calfire firefighters in 2022.

Press release from “Housing For All” proponents:

Mike Munson, one of the two proponents of the City of Eureka Housing for All and Downtown Vitality Initiative, today turned in initiative petitions containing 2,811 signatures to the City of Eureka Clerk’s office. Ten percent, or 1,600, of the city’s registered voters’ validated signatures are needed for an initiative to qualify for the ballot.

“We are confident we have obtained the required number of signatures,” said Munson. “Once the City Clerk and County Registrar count and validate the signatures, voters will have an opportunity to pass our Initiative and enable Eureka to provide housing while preserving the economic vitality of our Historic Downtown.”

Added Munson, “We are very encouraged by the broad support we found in every neighborhood in the city.”

Once the registrar validates the needed number of signatures, the City Council can select from several options, including (1) choose to adopt the Initiative directly and forego the cost of putting it on the ballot in a city election; (2) decide to place the Initiative on the next ballot (March 2024); or ask for more information in a report from planning staff, which must be completed within 30 days, before deciding to either adopt the Initiative directly or to place the Initiative on the ballot. Eureka business owners Munson and Michelle Costantine co-signed the petition which, if ratified by a majority of the voters, will amend the City of Eureka’s General Plan by:

1. Designating the site of the publicly owned former Jacobs Middle School (which is now vacant) for housing for all income levels,

2. Improving the city’s plans to provide housing downtown by requiring the preservation of existing parking,

3. Providing adequate parking for new downtown housing.

“We believe the City of Eureka needs to provide more housing to address the unprecedented housing crisis,” said Munson. “The city has a badly flawed plan. It will eliminate hundreds of downtown parking spaces to make way for very low-income housing. The loss of parking will devastate downtown business and do nothing to relieve the housing crisis experienced by working- and middle-income families.”

If passed by the voters, the Housing for All Initiative will give Eureka the ability to provide hundreds of units of housing at both the Jacobs site and downtown. It will also help downtown grow into an attractive place to live, work, and play by preserving the parking needed for tourists, visitors, and workers while providing the parking many families need to thrive. More information, including a copy of the City of Eureka Housing for All and Downtown Vitality Initiative, can be found at eurekahousingforall2024.org.

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A car traveling south northbound on Janes Road in Arcata smashed head-on into an electrical box around 8 a.m. this morning, cutting off power to several buildings at Mad River Hospital.

Reached by phone, CEO David Neal said the driver appeared to be intoxicated and was taken into custody by the Arcata Police Department. “It’s really fortunate there were no kids on the sidewalk,” Neal said. “It’s really scary when you think about it.”

The hospital is next to Pacific Union School, and at the time of the collision parents were arriving to drop off their children.

According to Neal, the hospital’s main buildings are operating on generator power but other facilities, including the MRI lab, the pain clinic and the business office, are without electricity indefinitely. 

[UPDATE, 2:25 p.m.: Neal called a few hours after this post was published to say that, upon further inspection, hospital staffers discovered that power to the main hospital building was never knocked out, despite the violence of teh collision. “We’re back, totally operational,” Neal said. He added that PG&E hopes to have power to the clinic buildings restored by 6 a.m. Tuesday.]

The two-story Shaw Pavilion is served by a separate PG&E hookup, and some business services have been moved into that building for the time being, Neal said.

Elective surgeries will be canceled until power is restored, which could take days, according to Neal. He said a PG&E representative will arrive this afternoon to further assess the situation. In the meantime, he expects the hospital to continue with “business as usual.”

Knight’s booking photo

UPDATE, 4:53 p.m.: After this post was published, the Times-Standard published a story by reporter Sage Alexander, who quotes Thomas Nicholson Stratton. 

According to the story, Nicholson Stratton says that the homophobic comments made by LoCo Fish Co. owner Jayme Knight included, “Oh, that’s so gay. You should be over there. With the F-ggy bottoms boys.” We assume that omitted vowel was an “a” and not an “o.”

Later in the afternoon, the North Coast Journal‘s Jennifer Fumiko Cahill published a story that quotes Knight, who denies that he intentionally ran over anyone’s belongings but does not deny getting drunk and using gay slurs.

The following quotes are attributed to Knight:

God, I regret my actions so much. I don’t know what to say; I don’t have any excuses. I had too much to drink and my judgement got the better of me. … I really don’t have any hatred at all toward the LGBTQ community at all. I’m just trying to wrap my mind around how it got so out of control. I need to really work on myself; I needa go to rehab and therapy.

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Original post:

Local dairy farming couple Cody and Thomas Nicholson Stratton, known by their business name The Foggy Bottoms Boys, have alleged on social media that their employees were subjected to hurtful and offensive gay slurs during the annual chili cook-off event at the Humboldt County Fair last week.

“To make matters worse,” the Nicholson Strattons said on Facebook and Instagram, “after the event concluded, the owner of this company damaged our supplies by running over several boxes of supplies while moving forward and then backing into our new tent and burner. This reckless action could have resulted in harm to individuals present including our son.”

While the Nicholson Strattons did not identify the business owner, Ferndale Police Chief Ron Sligh told the Outpost that Jayme Knight, owner of the popular food truck business LoCo Fish Co., was arrested at the scene of the chili cook-off on Thursday evening after allegedly driving while intoxicated and backing his vehicle into boxes belonging to another participant at the event.

Sligh said allegations of hate speech came in to the Ferndale Police Department after Knight had been arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Corrections Facility. “That part is still under investigation,” he said. “Initially, [Knight] was intoxicated, so he was arrested for DUI because you can’t drive under influence anywhere, even [at the fairgrounds].”

As for the alleged anti-gay hate speech, Sligh said, “There have been a number of people who’ve called up [to report that]. We did talk to one of the subjects involved, and we’re still looking into that aspect.”

The Outpost tried to contact Knight via the two listed phone numbers for LoCo Fish Co. Both numbers delivered an automated reply saying the voicemail box could not accept messages. We also sent a Facebook message to Knight, to which he did not immediately respond.

On Instagram, LoCo Fish Co. posted a comment under the Nicholson Strattons’ post, saying, “I’m extremely sorry for our actions.”

A commenter on the Instagram post also tagged LoCO Fish Co. and asked, “How are you going to make this right? Can’t take back what has been done, but they deserve a true, heartfelt apology. What a terrible thing to do to local business owners. You should be ashamed.”

LoCO Fish Co. replied to that comment, saying, “I will absolutely make this right!” When another commenter suggested that this response was insufficient, LoCO Fish Co. commented again, saying, “I’m … paying for the damage and issuing a public apology. We are NOT anti-LGBTQ in any form.”

Jill Duffy, the interim director of the Humboldt County Fair, told the Outpost that she hadn’t heard about the alleged hate speech until last night, though she was aware of Knight’s arrest. Someone called her on Thursday to say Knight was being arrested after backing into a tent and that he was “in the back of a [police] vehicle looking very unhappy.”

Duffy added that it’s important for people to take such matters directly to management as soon as they happen, whether it’s at the fair or anywhere else. “A lot of things could be reined in and addressed faster” that way, Duffy said.

We will update this post if we hear back from Knight. 

Here’s the full Facebook post from the Foggy Bottoms Boys:

And here’s the text of the post, copied and pasted for those who don’t have Facebook:

Many of you have reached out to us about this and we want to be honest about the unfortunate experience that our team recently encountered by another contestant at the Humboldt County Fair Chili Cook Off. During the participation of the event, our employees were subjected to hurtful and offensive gay slurs throughout by another contestant company. It was disheartening to see such behavior being tolerated in a community event that should celebrate diversity and inclusivity.

To make matters worse, after the event concluded, the owner of this company destroyed our supplies by driving over several boxes of supplies and equipment while moving forward and then backing into our new tent and burner. This reckless action could have resulted in harm to individuals present including our son. Subsequently, we believe he was detained and questioned by police. While this was disheartening and shocking we continue to believe it’s important for us to stand together against such behavior in our community. Let’s continue to champion respect, inclusivity, and safety for all.

Thank you for the support you continue to show our business and family.

*Please keep comments respectful and supportive, and feel free to share this post.

If you or someone you know is experiencing hate or bullying based on your sexual orientation, or you’d like to learn how you can advocate and be an ally for our community - here are a few vetted resource links we highly recommend exploring and sharing - and of course, we are personally here for members of our community who need support.

• http://www.aclu.org/documents/resources-lgbt-equality
• https://www.hrc.org/resources/being-an-lgbtq-ally
• https://988lifeline.org/
• https://www.thetrevorproject.org/