San Mateo Union High School District trustee questions trans-inclusionary policies

“It’s not as if we didn’t have this language on the books prior,” Superintendent Randall Booker said at the meeting Sept. 10. 

At its meeting Aug. 14, the board was slated to approve the updated regulations to reflect recent changes in law as recommended by the California School Boards Association. When the matter was brought up, board Trustee Jennifer Jacobson said she needed more information on what exactly the updates were before she felt comfortable approving. 

The changes approved largely aligned with exactly what was recommended by the CSBA, except the district added language to certain policies to include recognizing the need for guardian involvement in regards to a student’s gender identity. 

“There are times when it is appropriate to have family involvement, and there are times when it is not appropriate," Booker said. 

Changes to official student records still require proper documentation and custodial guardian approval for minors — as previous policy has stated — and school staff and faculty will be trusted to properly assess situations as they arise and gauge when to involve family, Booker said. 

“Overall this ensures our compliance, it protects student rights, it involves families and remains adaptable to legal changes moving forward," Booker said. 

In January, a federal court case rolled back an update to transgender and gender inclusionary Title IX protections made just a year prior, causing many California schools, including the San Mateo district, to update policies again. 

In April 2024, the Biden administration broadened Title IX protections by including gender identity as prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, expanding the definition of sexual harassment to encompass sex stereotyping, gender identity and gender expression discrimination. This also changed how investigations and complaints were conducted. 

The January court ruling, under the Trump administration, reiterated this broadening policy. In response, CSBA advised moving existing policing supporting LGBTQIA+ students to a different policy section and clarified some definitions. No new policy was created and suggested. 

At Jacobson' s request, the matter was pushed from the meeting Aug. 14, to Aug. 28. At the second board meeting, board President Robert Griffin announced the matter would be pushed yet again following questions and concerns raised by family members over the policy. 

Although the matter was delayed, public commenters at the meeting Aug. 28, already amassed to discuss the topic and shared their opinions — which were largely anti-trans in nature, and spoke to matters beyond the policy discussed — during public comment. 

In addition to members of the public who had no connection to the district but have been national figures opposing trans inclusionary policies and laws was Jacobson's daughter who attends Hillsdale High School. 

The Hillsdale girls varsity lacrosse team lost a tournament game to a team whose “best player” was described by Jacobson’s daughter as a boy who dominated the field. Jacobson’s daughter said she wished the district would establish a separate mixed-gender team instead of “disrupting or jeopardizing female athletics." 

The delayed approval of the policy raised concerns among the LGBTQIA+ community and allies within the district, including students, staff and faculty. Many came waving pride flags to show support at the third meeting on Sept. 10. 

One student, who said their name was Gabe and is a part of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance club at a school in the district, shared their concerns about keeping their transgender and gender nonconforming peers safe. 

“I want to keep them safe and to make everything OK, to keep them close so that no one can hurt them, but I can’t. I need your help,” Gabe said. “The longer you postpone this decision, the more I lose faith in this district.” 

After the board was provided further details and legal rationale for the policy updates at the meeting Sept. 10, Jacobson shared that she doesn’t agree with details of the policy. In a prepared statement, Jacobson said it “does raise concerns for me when it comes to specific ways we as a district support LGBTQIA students.” 

Jacobson elaborated further and shared anti-trans statements including that most children who question their gender identity will “grow out of it” and described gender dysphoria as a “social contagion.” She added that “athletes should compete in sports based on sex,” and that allowing students to play with their identified gender is a failure in protecting girls. 

Trustee Ligia Andrade Zúñiga reminded her board colleagues that “what we say means a lot” and expressed concern that some may negatively impact how students are going to feel.  

Griffin acknowledged the length at which this matter was discussed and said it will be key to trust the quality employees and teachers hired within the district to practice good discernment about the appropriate time to involve others. 

“I hope that we will use that wisdom to care and nurture our students,” Griffin said.