Amid Feud With Governor, Temecula Approves Curriculum Under Threat Of $1.5 Million Fine

TEMECULA, CA — After months of debate culminating in a public dispute with the governor, the Temecula Valley Unified School District’s governing board voted Friday to adopt a state-sanctioned elementary social sciences curriculum under threat of a $1.5 million fine.

The special board meeting came after the body twice rejected the curriculum for grades 1-5 over concerns about what some members considered “sexualized topics” — namely, gay rights in California and the movement's leaders.

“We have a fiscal responsibility so that I cannot steer this district into more legalities,” said board President Joseph Komrosky at the meeting, which drew a large and sometimes raucous crowd and lasted late into the night, according to The Press-Enterprise.

Komrosky added that if “obscenity” or “erotica” is later found in the curriculum, the board can reassess, the newspaper reported.

All members present voted to approve the curriculum, but the board will postpone one of the new fourth-grade lessons pending further review, according to The Press-Enterprise.

Members Komrosky, Jennifer Wiersma and Danny Gonzalez have argued the mid-20th-century persecution of homosexuals and the subsequent rise of the LGBTQ rights movement is sexual in nature and not appropriate for elementary students.

California law passed more than a decade ago requires school districts to include instruction in history-social science about the role and contributions of people with disabilities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans; and other ethnic and cultural groups. Senate Bill 48, otherwise known as the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful Education Act, was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2011.

During a May meeting at which the board rejected the curriculum — called Social Studies Alive! — Komrosky and Gonzalez referred to slain California gay rights leader Harvey Milk as "a pedophile" and said it was inappropriate for his name to appear in any classroom discussion regardless of his historic role in paving the way for LGBTQ rights in the state.

“Fortunately, now students will receive the basic materials needed to learn," Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday in a prepared statement.

“But this vote lays bare the true motives of those who opposed this curriculum. This has never been about parents’ rights. It’s not even about Harvey Milk — who appears nowhere in the textbook students receive. This is about extremists’ desire to control information and censor the materials used to teach our children.”

Rather than adopt the curriculum, which was approved by 47 district educators and piloted with 1,300 families, the board on July 18 opted to instead spend $162,000 on additional outdated social sciences textbooks, currently in use, for the upcoming school year for grades 1-5. The curriculum dates back to at least 2006 and is not FAIR Act compliant.

Following the July 18 decision, which was vehemently opposed by board members Allison Barclay and Steven Schwartz, Newsom's office responded, saying the state would enter into a contract to secure textbooks so district students could begin the school year with up-to-date materials that comply with California law.

“After we deliver the textbooks into the hands of students and their parents, the state will deliver the bill — along with a $1.5 million fine — to the school board for its decision to willfully violate the law, subvert the will of parents, and force children to use an out-of-print textbook from 17 years ago,” Newsom said.

The state education department is investigating the board majority’s actions, while the California Department of Justice has opened an inquiry related to civil rights violations, according to Newsom.

“In the end the victory was worth the struggle,” Schwartz said Saturday in a Facebook post.

“Thanks to all the parents, teachers, cabinet members and community members for their support. Special thanks to my board mate Allison Barclay for her persistence. Our students will be provided an appropriate Social Science curriculum.”

Efforts are underway to recall Komrosky, Wiersma and Gonzalez. They were elected to the board in November.