Calif. Board Splits Over Gender Identification

By Mary Ann Zehr

Three school board members in a California elementary school district have touched off a firestorm by refusing to change their district’s anti-discrimination policy to comply with state law.

The debate in the 10,000-student Westminster district in Orange County centers on how students—particularly those who consider themselves transgender— identify their gender, and the district’s role in acknowledging such identifications.

As a result of the three board members’ position, the district ultimately could lose millions of dollars in...