A Temecula school board meeting ended abruptly this week when when two board members walked out after board Clerk Jen Wiersma tried to voice concerns about a district directive not to enforce a parent notification policy approved last year.
Wiersma, part of a conservative board majority elected in 2022, wanted to send a letter to parents and others outlining her feelings about the state’s actions to bar the Temecula Valley Unified School District from continuing its policy.
The policy, passed in August 2023, requires Temecula school employees to release information on a student’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
Gov. Gavin Newsom in July signed AB 1955, which prevents schools districts from implementing those policies, effective January 2025.
The district also received an order from the California Department of Education on July 16 requiring it to send a letter to parents saying the district would not enforce two parts of the policy that address gender, because that part of the rule is discriminatory and violated state law.
Temecula Superintendent Gary Woods sent a July 25 letter outlining the new limitations on the policy.
Wiersma wrote in the letter, discussed at the Tuesday, Aug. 27, board meeting, that she “did not and do not agree” with Woods’ letter.
“Neither the CDE nor the Superintendent of TVUSD has the authority to change or invalidate any aspect of the policy passed by the duly elected school board and upheld by a state superior court judge,” Wiersma said.
The board was supposed to vote Tuesday on whether to send the letter to the community. But board member Steven Schwartz called for a vote without discussion and that move was seconded by Allison Barclay.
Both have often voted against agenda items pushed by the board’s conservative majority, which broke up after conservatives Danny Gonzalez moved and board President Joseph Komrosky was recalled from office. Currently the board has three members. Four of the five board seats will be on the November ballot.
Wiersma asked for a discussion, which led to a five-minute break after Schwartz walked out of the boardroom.
“This is parliamentary procedure,” Schwartz said before leaving. “I called the question. We are going to either second it our not and we are going to vote and that is the way parliamentary procedure works.”
After Schwartz returned to the dais, Wiersma tried again to discuss the topic.
“This is an item I sponsored and put on the agenda and you cannot prevent and censor discussion,” Wiersma said. “it would be convenient, but you absolutely cannot do it.”
Schwartz replied: “No one is trying to censor you. Your letter was on the agenda. We saw what was in the letter. Everyone has seen what it is and now we are going to vote on whether or not we are doing to distribute the letter.”
Wiersma tried to again discuss the subject and added that her fellow board members were censoring her and taking away her constitutional right to speak.
“You have every constitutional right to speak but this is a meeting and there are rules,” Barclay said. “You are just doing an end run around a policy by trying to send out your letter through this agenda and that is not right. You don’t have the authority.”
Wiersma said that, if the public did not want to stay, it was welcome to leave but she was going to read her letter aloud for the record.
Barclay and Schwartz walked out of the meeting, which Woods then shut down because there was no longer a board quorum.
Eight speakers addressed trustees on the issue, with the majority saying Wiersma was overstepping her role as a board member and trying to use district resources for her personal agenda.
“I can’t believe we are being forced to endure entertaining a passion project for Jen Wiersma,” said Christine Massa, a member of social justice group Temecula Unity.
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Massa said Wiersma needs to work within the limits or her job and oath of office. Wiersma could post her feelings on Instagram and should stop acting like a “petulant child” because things are not going her way, Massa said.
“Jen, I remind you that the school board and district is not a place to play out your personal displeasures when things don’t go your way,” Massa said.
Those who agreed with Wiersma commended her ability to handle personal attacks and said the state was looking to keep secrets from parents.
Jack Marston praised Wiersma on her decorum and for standing up for her beliefs. He said he approved of her letter and the policy and disagrees with “keeping secrets from parents.”
“When is enough enough?” Marston asked. “Children don’t belong to the state. They belong to God and they are entrusted to their parents.”
