- The unidentified teacher teaches third grade at Pleasant Grove Elementary
- UBU – stands for ‘you be you’ and the club was open to third through sixth grades
- On March 5, parents expressed concerns about the school’s lack of transparency
Parents at a California elementary school are outraged after discovering a “secret” LGBTQ club founded by a teacher.
The third-grade staffer, who was not identified, formed the “you are you” at Pleasant Grove Elementary School in Elk Grove.
The teacher invited students from fourth through sixth grades to attend the private meetings.
Parents gathered at Elk Grove Unified’s school board meeting last week to voice their concerns about the district’s lack of transparency
Pleasant Grove School Principal Deidra Wood
Pleasant Grove Elementary School in Elk Grove, California
Brittani Cortina, who has a second and a fourth grader at the school, said her oldest child told her the teacher went to class and told the students about the club.
Cortina said, “The teacher came in and told me that boys like boys and girls like girls.”
Parents gathered at Elk Grove Unified’s school board meeting last week to express their anger over the lack of transparency from the district.
Kirk Thomas, who attended the meeting, said CBS13 News. “There was no permission slip. There has been no notification to the parents.’
The majority of parents did not support the club and claimed they had never been informed about it, but a small number were in favour.
Parent Kirk Thomas said there was no consent form. There was no notification to the parents
Parents gathered at Elk Grove Unified’s school board meeting last week to express their anger over the district’s lack of transparency
Thomas added: “First of all, it is not acceptable, bBut if you’re going to do this, everyone needs to know about it.’
Parent Heidi Moore, who has several children at Elk Grove Unified, pointed out that the problem was that the school wasn’t open about it.
“It was an inappropriate situation and parents felt it was inappropriate for their children to be secretly invited without their knowledge,” she said.
She added, “The district isn’t really providing answers as to what happened, what the guidelines were, what the curriculum was.”
But for parent Tiffany Woods, she was part of the small group of parents in favor.
“It’s critical for mental health and overall well-being,” she said. “It’s crucial to have that extra support and to have that validation to help them navigate their entire day.”
She said the students who have unsupportive parents will suffer.
“Where is the safety net… the school teachers and counselors.” But Pamela Davila said she wasn’t ready to have a conversation with her second-grader.
“These little minds just can’t understand what these things mean to them,” Davila said, according to the news station.
The district said the club is currently on pause and issued a statement, the news source said.
“EGUSD is aware of the UBU club at Pleasant Grove Elementary, but the club is currently on hold while the district reviews all relevant policies and practices regarding before- and after-school clubs.”
Pleasant Grove principal Deidra Wood said in an email to the news station.
“Our legal counsel has consulted with our district cabinet because of the laws and because whatever decisions are made will impact not only our school and club, but also the other five to 10 similar grassroots clubs,” she said in part.
Elk Grove Unified said the districts have multiple identity clubs on their school campuses.