California Education Code (EC) Section 218.3(b)(1) requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to finalize the development of online training curriculum to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) cultural competency training for teachers and other certificated employees on or before July 1, 2025. In addition, the CDE is required to develop an online training delivery platform to host the training content.

California EC Section 218.3(c) states that beginning with the 2025–26 school year, and continuing through the 2029–30 school year, a local educational agency (LEA) shall provide and require a minimum of one hour of LGBTQ+ cultural competency training annually to all teachers and other certificated employees serving pupils in grades seven to twelve over the five-year period.

July 1, 2025

Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:

Providing Relevant, Inclusive Support that Matters (PRISM) Modules Available

The California Department of Education (CDE) is pleased to announce that the Providing Relevant, Inclusive Support that Matters (PRISM) training is now available starting July 1, 2025. This is a cultural competency training for school employees, supporting school staff to appropriately include students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning plus (LGBTQ+) in an educational environment.

California Education Code (EC) Section 218.3(c) states that beginning with the 2025–26 school year and continuing through the 2029–30 school year, a local educational agency (LEA) shall provide and require a minimum of one hour of LGBTQ+ cultural competency training annually over the five-year period to all teachers and other certificated employees serving pupils in grades seven to twelve.

The PRISM curriculum contains six courses that address all the topics listed in EC 218.3(b)(3). These courses will be available for free and hosted in a learning management system (LMS) that will be available beginning July 1, 2025, at https://www.prismcalifornia.org.

Initially, all superintendents of schools that serve students in grades seven through twelve will be assigned as account managers in the LMS that houses PRISM courses. Beginning July 1, 2025, superintendents will be able to log into the system utilizing their email addresses and choose the option “forgot password” to set up their passwords in the system. Once in the system, superintendents can assign or create account managers that will upload all certificated staff who will be required to participate in the training. Additional instructions for uploading staff members will be available on the CDE PRISM for LGBTQ+ Students web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/pl/prism.asp.

LEAs must provide the training during employees’ regular work hours or designated professional development hours unless otherwise negotiated and mutually agreed upon with the employees’ local bargaining unit. LEAs can choose to deliver and facilitate the training in a group setting or allow employees to complete the training independently.

An LEA is required to maintain records documenting both of the following:

• The date that each employee satisfied the requirements of this section.
• The name of the entity that provided the training (if applicable).

This data must be made available to the CDE upon request as part of the department’s annual compliance monitoring of state and federal programs.

Additional information, including frequently asked questions about the PRISM training, is available on the CDE PRISM for LGBTQ+ Students web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/pl/prism.asp. Information about scheduled statewide training webinars, as well as recorded webinars about PRISM, will also be posted on this web page.

If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact the Teacher and Leader Policy Office by phone at 916-445-7331 or by email at PRISM@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond

State Superintendent of Public Instruction

TT:so

Last Reviewed: Wednesday, July 02, 2025

The Push Back:

California teachers and administrators for whom the PRISM LGBTQ training runs counter to their religious and moral values are asked to contact The National Center for Law and Policy, who can provide guidance with filing an appropriate religious exemption.

Following law school graduation, while starting his civil litigation practice, he was invited to become an affiliate attorney of the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), from which Dean has received extensive training in pro-family, pro-life and pro-religious liberty matters at ADF’s outstanding National Litigation Academies (NLA). Because of Dean’s pro-bono work, he was invited to receive special training at ADF’s advanced NLA. Dean is proud to be an ADF affiliate attorney and member of ADF’s honor guard.

(Attending AmericaFest? Be sure to stop on over at the Moms for Liberty table to say hi...).

The Children's Education Opportunity Act is the latest attempt at providing California parents maximum flexibility when it comes to the education of their children.

2. Parents choose the best education option for their child
Parents select an eligible school that suits their child best.Options range from public and charter schools to private, faith-based institutions, and homeschooling. The chosen school coordinates with the ESA Trust board to allocate funds for educational expenses. Parents do not handle the money directly; transactions occur between the state-controlled ESA and the selected school.

3. Covered education expenses under the Education Savings Account
The ESA covers various educational expenses, including

•  transportation to and from school and school-related activities

4. Unused ESA funds roll over annually and accrue interest
Any unused funds within the student's ESA carry over each year, accruing interest to support future educational expenses throughout the student's life. This is not a voucher program where you lose the funding if you do not use it that year.

If you would like to help in the effort to gather enough signatures to get this important initiative on the 2026 ballot, please let us know.

California's Abysmal Legislative Agenda

SB 497 (Weiner) - protects people getting or giving gender-affirming care in California by stopping other states from investigating or prosecuting them. It prevents California agencies from sharing medical or prescription data that could be used against patients or providers.

Approved by the Governor and became law on 10/13/25.

AB 1084 (Zbur) - Focuses on simplifying and speeding up the process for adults and minors to change their names or self-identifying gender in legal documents, like birth certificates or marriage licenses.

Approved by the Governor and became law on 10/13/25.

AB 86 (Boerner) - Allows health materials for K–8 to be based on high school content that is too sexual for younger children.

Vetoed by Governor 10/01/25.

AB 82 (Ward) - This bill hides personal info of people getting gender-affirming or abortion care, blocks prescription reporting, limits law enforcement investigations, and stops cooperation with other states, which may reduce accountability and raise public safety concerns.

Approved by the Governor and became law on 10/13/25

Christian Teachers Stand Strong!

                   Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior...  Psalm 25:5

is no mere professional development. It is an ideological loyalty test demanding that educators affirm beliefs about gender and sexuality that directly contradict biblical truth.

Yet there is good news: Christian teachers do not have to surrender their faith to keep their jobs. Under both the First Amendment and federal and state civil rights laws, they have the right to request a religious exemption from trainings that violate their sincerely held beliefs.

That’s why the National Center for Law and Policy, led by constitutional attorney Dean Broyles, is stepping forward to defend teachers of faith who refuse to compromise their convictions. “Teachers’ civil rights do not evaporate when they enter our public schools,” Broyles said. “California’s coercive mandatory PRISM LGBTQ identity cultural competency training directly conflicts with and seeks to actively undermine the deeply held religious beliefs of millions of California families, students, and public-school teachers.”

What the Law Demands — and Why It’s Unconstitutional

Under AB 5, public school teachers in grades 7-12 must complete the PRISM Training, or a closely aligned alternative, which instructs participants to affirm concepts like gender fluidity and to use students’ self-selected pronouns, even when doing so violates their conscience. The program also directs teachers to withhold information from parents about a child’s gender identity if the child has not given permission, falsely claiming that minors have a “right to privacy” from their own parents.

The training explicitly labels traditional Christian beliefs as harmful “heteronormativity,” “homophobic,” and “transphobic,” and equates adherence to biblical truth with discrimination. In essence, teachers are told they must deny their faith or face discipline.

A recent federal court ruling in Mirabelli v. Olson reaffirmed that public school districts cannot compel teachers to lie to parents or affirm gender ideology in violation of their faith. The court condemned such policies as a “trifecta of harm” to teachers, students, and parents. That decision opened the door for teachers statewide to challenge similar unconstitutional policies.

One Teacher’s Example of Courage

One Southern California teacher, represented by Broyles, has formally requested a religious accommodation from his district. In Broyles’s letter to school officials, he explains that the teacher’s faith requires him to speak truthfully, honor parents’ rights, and affirm that God created humanity male and female (Genesis 1:27; Matthew 19:4). Participating in PRISM training would force him to endorse falsehoods about human sexuality and violate his conscience before God.

“The government has no legitimate place marginalizing, shaming, and demonizing the sincere religious beliefs of its good citizens,” Broyles wrote. “State and local LGBTQ+ laws or policies do not supersede well-established federal constitutional rights or a teacher’s right to be free from religious discrimination.”

Broyles also warned that districts cannot retaliate against teachers who request religious accommodation, and that his office will be monitoring any cases of harassment or discrimination.

A Call for Courage

Many Christian teachers are afraid. They worry that refusing the training might cost them their jobs or reputations. Others are tempted to simply “click through” the training and answer as the state demands, just to keep the peace. But as followers of Christ, we are called to “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29) and to stand firm in truth even when pressured to conform.

CFC’s Call to Action

California Family Council Vice President Greg Burt is urging both teachers and school board members to take a public stand for truth.

“Christian teachers should not quietly comply with a state mandate that calls evil good and good evil,” said Greg Burt, Vice President of California Family Council. “By standing up for their own rights, teachers are also defending the civil rights of parents and students, protecting every family’s freedom to live and speak according to biblical truth. We need courageous believers in every classroom and on every school board willing to draw a line and say, ‘We will not bow.’ Our children need to see adults who are unashamed to stand for God’s truth about life, family, and gender, no matter the cost.”

Take Action

If you are a Christian teacher being forced to take this training, you have legal options. Contact the National Center for Law and Policy for assistance in drafting a religious accommodation request. You can also reach out to California Family Council for resources and support.

Now is not the time for silent compliance. The next generation of students is watching. When faithful teachers stand firm, they bear witness to the truth that God, not the government, defines human identity, morality, and truth.

Just as Daniel, Esther, and the three Hebrew men stood unashamed before kings and rulers, California’s Christian teachers must now stand before their school boards and declare:

“We will not bow.”

Spotlights from Defending Education

In this resolution, the Governing Board included the “increased” threats on public officials nationally and specifically cited the assassination of Charlie Kirk as a tragic event that “underscore[d] the urgent need to affirm the rights guaranteed to all Americans.”

GROSSMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
RESOLUTION (2026-17)

A Resolution in Support of Nonviolent Civil Discourse in Schools

ON MOTION by President Dr. Gary Woods and seconded by Member __________, the following resolution is adopted: 

WHEREAS, the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) recognizes that threats and attacks against public officials and political figures have increased nationally, leaving scars across the political spectrum and raising concern for the health of our REPUBLIC; and 

WHEREAS, acts of political violence, including the tragic September 10, 2025, PUBLIC ASSASSINATION of Charlie Kirk on a college campus, underscore the urgent need to affirm the rights guaranteed to all Americans by the Constitution, including the free, robust, and nonviolent exchange of ideas, as well as the ability to pursue common goals peacefully; and 

WHEREAS, classrooms are the first place where commitments to the First Amendment Freedoms of speech and religion, democratic principles, and nonviolent resolution are tested, and as an educational institution, GUHSD has the opportunity to help students understand that disagreement does not preclude mutual respect, and that those with differing political views can still share classrooms, meals, and fence lines; and 

WHEREAS, GUHSD Board Policy and Administrative Regulation 6144 guide staff in cultivating discussions that provide “opportunities for critical thinking, for developing tolerance, and for understanding conflicting points of view” – skills central to the survival of our democracy; and 

WHEREAS, GUHSD honors the commitment of its educators, staff, and administrators who work daily to uphold these principles and ensure students can learn in a respectful classroom environment – the soil in which the nonviolent exchange of ideas can take root and grow into a lifelong, cherished value for all Americans; 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Governing Board of the Grossmont Union High School District affirms its commitment to fostering safe, inclusive learning environments where students of all political perspectives can engage in RESPECTFUL nonviolent civil discourse, share ideas freely, and develop understanding and respect for differing viewpoints, and expresses its gratitude to staff for their dedication to providing opportunities for thoughtful dialogue, critical thinking, and the cultivation of democratic principles throughout all classrooms.

The Board continued, writing that the inside the classroom is where the First Amendment is tested, and the District “has the opportunity to help students understand that disagreement does not preclude mutual respect, and that those with different political views can still share classrooms, meals, and fence lines.”

The Board concluded by honoring the commitment of staff, educators, and administrators and their efforts to ensure a nonviolent civil discourse can take place, referencing existing Board Policy and Administrative Regulation 6144, which encourages and facilitates discussion across difference:

The Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD) announced this month that the LGBTQ+ flag will be flown throughout elementary, middle and high schools in the district three months out of the year.

In a message to parents, the district’s superintendent explained that the move is in celebration of October as LGBTQ+ History Month, as well as Transgender Awareness Month in November and LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June.

“As a visible symbol of our support, the Pride Flag will be flown at the District Office and at school sites during these observances,” he wrote. “This action reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring that SCUSD is a welcoming and inclusive place for all LGBTQ+ students, staff, and families.”

The decision appears to be in response to a school board resolution that implemented a policy to “display a rainbow Progress Pride flag, representing and celebrating LGBTQ+ identities, at each school and facility within Santa Clara Unified School District” throughout the months of June, October and November” in support of the community.

The policy also “authorizes the display of banners on Santa Clara Unified School District campuses to help encourage discussion and promote the understanding of the importance of LGBTQ+ History Month” and states that “SCUSD believes all students, staff, and families deserve to feel safe and welcome in their schools, to be known by their preferred name, gender identity, and story, and to see themselves represented in curricula.”

The SCUSD superintendent affirmed his commitment to equity and inclusion, which he said are “not just values,” but “essential commitments that shape everything we do.”

A Letter from the Superintendent: Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion at SCUSD

Throughout the year, we honor cultural and identity-based observances that promote understanding, awareness, and education. This fall, we are proud to recognize October as LGBTQ+ History Month, followed by Transgender Awareness Month in November and LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June. As a visible symbol of our support, the Pride Flag will be flown at the District Office and at school sites during these observances. This action reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring that SCUSD is a welcoming and inclusive place for all LGBTQ+ students, staff, and families.

As I often say in support of our equity and inclusion work: "All Means All." Our Board of Trustees recently reaffirmed this commitment by passing a resolution in honor of LGBTQ+ History Month, underscoring our dedication to ensuring that every student feels safe, seen, and supported.

We invite you to join SCUSD in recognizing LGBTQ+ History Month and in continuing to support equity, inclusion, and belonging for all.

Sincerely,

Dr. Damon Wright
Superintendent

On November 6, 2025, Defending Ed secured a victory in its long-standing Ohio School District compelled speech case. The federal appellate court ruling frames out the most expansive defense of student First Amendment Protections since the 1960s, and can now be used to support the challenges of other litigants against the same types of unconstitutional policies. 

In 2023, Defending Education sued Olentangy Local School District in Ohio over the district’s unconstitutional “harassment” policies and Codes of Conduct that violated students’ First Amendment rights by compelling students to use “preferred pronouns” to affirm the gender identity of their peers – even if doing so would be contrary to their deeply held beliefs. If students failed to comply with this thought-police regime, they faced punishment ranging from “no-contact orders” to suspension or expulsion.

According to the District, “misgendering” is a form of prohibited speech because transgender students are a protected class – and as a result, “misgendering” can and will subject students to formal discipline. In addition, the policy asserts that “harassment” can take many forms, such as “gestures,” “language,” and “encouraging” harassment.

The originally challenged policies also violated the Fourteenth Amendment by regulating students’ speech outside school; the district’s cell phone policy and the Code of Conduct infringe on parental rights, because how students use their devices off school grounds to discuss gender issues is the responsibility of their families and not the government.

In the course of this litigation, the district attempted to moot the case by adjusting some of its policies slightly to evade accountability; in September 2024, the school board amended its anti-harassment rules to eliminate speech that might “cause discomfort or humiliation” or amount to “teasing” from the definition of “bullying.” It also revised its cell phone policy to clarify that the policy should “not be interpreted to infringe upon the First Amendment rights of students (i.e., to prohibit a reasoned and civil exchange of opinions, or debate, that is conducted at appropriate times and places during the school day and is protected by State or Federal law).” As the en banc court notes, however, “these modest changes do not moot the threatened freedom-of-speech injury … To the contrary, the School District admits that it will continue to bar what it calls ‘misgendering’ if it determines that this speech ‘rises to the level of bullying or harassment.’”

Sixth Circuit precedent in this case has been clear: in 2021’s Meriwether v. Hartop, the court found that that a “preferred pronoun” requirement was “anathema to the principles underlying the First Amendment” because “[p]ronouns can and do convey a powerful message implicating a sensitive topic of public concern.” Put differently, pronouns have the “power to validate—or invalidate—someone’s perceived sex or gender identity.” Schools cannot effectively compel their preferred viewpoint (e.g., persons can transition genders) and ban the opposing viewpoint (e.g., sex is immutable).

Support School Board Trustees

Who Protect Children and Promote Liberty

California Chapters of Moms for Liberty Endorse Sonja Shaw 

for California State Superintendent of Public Instruction

• You don't have to speak from memory. It is perfectly acceptable to read a statement off of a sheet of paper, a cell phone, or a laptop.

• Know that all comments become part of the public record. This is hugely important. One of the key components of being a citizen in a representative republic is making sure your views are known. This is done at the voting booth, yes, but it is also done at school board, city council, and townhall meetings. Make your voice heard.

America 250 in 2026

Moms for Liberty: Helping to foster a renewed culture of service and patriotism...

In Defense of Truth: SCOTUS Affirms Two Genders

The Supreme Court of the United States reviews the Trump administration's policy requiring all new passports to display an individual’s biological sex at birth. As provided for in the opinion, placing the biological sex of a person -- which is to say the sex of the person that they were born with -- on a government document (a passport) represents an undisputed historical fact.

(Not surprisingly, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who during her Senate confirmation hearing could not provide an answer to the simple question of what a woman is, offers a dissenting opinion).

California Teachers Being Forced into LGBTQ “Loyalty Test”

In accordance with a law passed in 2023 that has now gone into effect, the California school system requires all 7th–12th-grade teachers and certificated school employees to undergo annual LGBTQ “cultural competency” training and testing. Developed by activist organizations, the training labels those with traditional Christian beliefs about sexuality and biological sex as “homophobic” or “transphobic.” It instructs employees to protect students’ “privacy” from their own parents and to use so-called “preferred pronouns” such as they/them or ze/zem. The training also tests school employees to ensure they can parrot back the state-approved beliefs about sexual orientation and gender ideology.

An alarmed former elementary school principal, Brett Loring, and current Director of Student Services at a TK–8 district in Northern California, is one of several concerned Christian educators who have reached out to the California Family Council. “It’s not training; it’s programming,” Loring said. “It’s telling teachers what to think and how to respond to students, no matter what their own beliefs or the parents’ beliefs are.”

The curriculum, mandated by the California Safe and Supportive Schools Act, AB 5 and AB 130, was funded with $2.4 million in taxpayer dollars. These funds support free online courses designed by LGBTQ advocacy groups in partnership with the California Department of Education and the Los Angeles County Office of Education. Organizations such as the ACLU, Equality California, the Trevor Project, OUT for Safe Schools, the California Teachers Association, and the California State PTA helped craft the training outline—called PRISM—but school board members and parents have struggled to access the full material.

CFC has spoken with several school board members who have been denied access to PRISM training in their districts. One Southern California school board member was even told by his superintendent that the Department of Education will not allow school board members to view the material.

Recently, however, CFC obtained a recording of a teacher taking the LGBTQ “cultural competency” training and final exam as promoted by AB 5 and PRISM. While the PRISM website allows districts to create their own “substantially similar” version of the course, the content must still meet the same ideological standards. (read the ED code for details) Yet since the PRISM online training is free to school districts, it is assumed most school boards will opt for the no-cost version. 

PRISM has six different hour-long courses to choose from. CFC was able to record course 3 titled: Preventing Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination for LGBTQ+ Students, which you can watch here…

Another version of the LGBTQ “cultural competency training CFC received was provided to school districts in Northern California by Tuolumne JPA. 

• Heterosexism is Bigotry: The training claims that believing heterosexual relationships are “normal” is a form of discrimination called “heteronormativity.”

• Keeping Secrets from Parents: The curriculum insists that teachers cannot disclose a student’s gender identity or orientation to parents, asserting that children have “a reasonable expectation of privacy” from their families.

• Requiring Gender Affirmation: Employees are told to affirm a child’s chosen identity, including social, legal, and medical “gender affirmation,” despite global pushback against such policies and the growing number of detransitioners warning of regret.

At the end of the training, teachers must take a test reinforcing these messages. The test falsely claims that FERPA — the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act—forbids schools from sharing a child’s gender identity with parents. In reality, FERPA protects parents’ right to access their child’s records, not the state’s right to withhold them. The test also suggests teachers cannot tell parents about a child’s sexual orientation, twisting AB 1955 to suggest a ban that doesn’t exist.

As Brett Loring explained, the implications are chilling. “They’re pushing this idea that gender is a social construct and that biology doesn’t matter. That’s what they’re teaching,” he said. “If you believe there are only two genders, they call you transphobic. That’s offensive, and it shuts down real discussion.”

Loring continued, “Middle schoolers are the most impressionable. They’re still figuring out who they are, and this kind of messaging feeds confusion. We’re telling kids who don’t even know what college they want to go to that they can pick their gender. That’s dangerous.”

He added, “As a principal, I was always taught in loco parentis — we act in place of the parent while the student is in our care. This completely flips that on its head. If my son was holding hands with another boy at school, I’d want to know. Not to punish him, but to talk to him. That’s what good parents do.”

Finally, Loring emphasized his calling as a believer: “I am called as a Christian to expose darkness and to defend the poor and the weak. Right now, there are a lot of weak kids out there — not physically, but mentally, spiritually, and emotionally — and they’re going to be taken advantage of if this continues.”

California Family Council Vice President Greg Burt said the PRISM curriculum represents a dangerous escalation in government-led indoctrination:

“Parents, pastors, and Christian teachers need to sound the alarm. This so-called ‘training’ isn’t about inclusion — it’s about indoctrination. It’s designed to shame anyone who holds biblical beliefs about sex, marriage, and what it means to be male or female. The state is funding a worldview that breeds hostility toward Christianity and undermines the moral foundation of our schools and families.”

Burt urged parents to get informed and involved in their local districts:

“Silence is not an option. California’s Christian community must stand up for truth and the rights of parents to raise their children without government interference.”

The California Family Council is currently preparing a follow-up article outlining how teachers can formally request opt-outs from this offensive training and how the PRISM curriculum violates federal directives prohibiting the teaching of transgender ideology in public schools.

Embedding Woke Thinking:  Brain-Washing Teachers

We now know that we pay our government schools to indoctrinate students. We are having to put up with gender confusion, love of communistic thinking, Critical Race theory, and Diversity Equity and Inclusion. Perhaps worse yet, we are paying to have our teachers indoctrinated by way of mandatory training programs. (See the previous article on the PRISM training).

In yet another egregious example of an organization pushing woke thinking on teachers, we have Partners in School Innovation (PSI).

Just to be clear, this organization is not interested in helping to ensure that we have effective teachers and classrooms, or a teaching environment which promotes steadily improving reading and math proficiency scores among students. No, these folks are busy turning teachers into woke equity-driven political operatives.

Marxism, particularly in its cultural forms, is often associated with the destruction of established norms, especially those perceived as upholding existing power structures. Cultural Marxism seeks to dismantle traditional societal norms (including those related to race, gender, and sexuality) by redefining them byproducts of systemic oppression. This perspective argues that norms derived from Western civilization — those rooted in the Enlightenment, the American Revolution, or Judeo-Christian religious traditions — are characterized as manifestations of "white supremacy" that must be dismantled in order to achieve "liberation". The goal is to replace western norms with new frameworks that prioritize group identity and social justice over individual rights and historical continuity.

So yes, we understand the playbook being used. PSI is clearly attacking California school teachers and administrators whose world view does align with those of the woke left.

California's schools are broken. Unfortunately, that's the way those on the far left want things. Will we be able to address this? The jury is out.

An Important Court Win for Parents and Christian Educators

San Jose, CA – In a landmark victory for religious freedom and parental rights, Calvary Chapel of San Jose (CCSJ) and Calvary Christian Academy (CCA) have been cleared of every citation originally brought by the California Division of Occupational Safety & Health (Cal/OSHA). The final Order by the California Occupational Safety & Health Appeals Board (OSHAB) affirms:

• Every citation issued–totaling 15 items and originally carrying $67,330 in penalties–was withdrawn by the Division.
• Final penalties: $0.
• No finding of wrongdoing. The church and school admitted no fault whatsoever, and this resolution cannot be used against them in any future matter.

This victory comes after a protracted campaign of relentless government over-reach. In late 2020 and early 2021, Cal/OSHA leveraged a search warrant—based on what courts later called an affidavit “utterly devoid of detail”—to inspect the Academy after mask-related complaints. That warrant was challenged by the legal team at Advocates for Faith & Freedom, which exposed the agency’s failure to follow due-process, properly verify allegations, or respect constitutional protections.

“This is a complete victory, not only for Calvary Christian Academy, but for every church and Christian school in California,” said Joel Oster, Vice President and Chief of Trial Litigation for Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “The State tried to use OSHA as a weapon to intimidate a religious institution. They failed. And they were forced to walk away from their own claims.”

Temecula Valley Unified School District (@TVUSD) is reportedly forcing young girls to fill out a "mental health accommodation" form to declare they have a mental health issue if the don't want boys invading the girls' restroom at school.

The 917 Project

Getting Constitutions Into Student Hands

Off The Press  @OffThePress1            

California Issued Thousands Of Illegal Trucking Licenses To Foreign Nationals

An article posted to the Daily Wire on Nov 12 2025

“After weeks of claiming they did nothing wrong, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed."

California has illegally issued thousands of commercial trucking licenses to foreign-born applicants, according to the Department of Transportation.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on Wednesday that California has admitted that it issued 17,000 non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses to “dangerous foreign drivers,” according to a Transportation Department press release.

“After weeks of claiming they did nothing wrong, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed. Now that we’ve exposed their lies, 17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses are being revoked,” said Duffy in a statement. “This is just the tip of [the] iceberg. My team will continue to force California to prove they have removed every illegal immigrant from behind the wheel of semitrucks and school buses.”

All holders of illegal CDLs from California have received notices that their licenses will expire in 60 days, according to the Transportation Department. Duffy’s department will also monitor and review California’s audit of its CDL system to “verify that every illegally issued license has been revoked and that the failures that allowed these licenses to be issued are corrected.”

Duffy moved to crack down on illegal CDLs after an Indian national made an illegal U-turn in Florida, causing a wreck that killed three Americans. Authorities arrested 28-year-old Harjinder Singh in August over the crash. Singh is in the United States illegally and obtained his trucking permit from California.

Florida responded to the crash last month by filing a lawsuit against California for illegally issuing Singh’s CDL.

“Here in Florida, we can do everything right, we can back the blue, we can enforce the law, we can combat illegal immigration, but we still suffer when Gavin Newsom and liberals on the West Coast allow these illegals in, encourage them, enable them to get these driver’s licenses and then they cross the country and ultimately take lives,” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said at the time.

Thousands of illegal CDLs have been issued in the United States, allowing thousands of illegal commercial trucking drivers to carry cargo across the country. The problem has been fueled by states that do not follow federal rules for issuing commercial licenses, such as allowing driver’s tests to be conducted in a language other than English.

A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that an Ohio school district violated students’ free speech rights by enforcing policies that restricted gendered language in classrooms.

The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the Olentangy Local School District, near Columbus, cannot punish students for using gender-specific language, even if some find it offensive.

Parents Defending Education, a national parental rights organization, sued the district in 2023, arguing its pronoun mandate violated students’ First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. District officials maintained the policies were designed to curb bullying and promote inclusion.

In its majority opinion, the court said the district "fell far short" of showing that allowing such speech would cause disruption or infringe on others’ rights.

"Our society continues to debate whether biological pronouns are appropriate or offensive — just as it continues to debate many other issues surrounding transgender rights," Circuit Judge Eric Murphy wrote for the majority. "The school district may not skew this debate by forcing one side to change the way it conveys its message or by compelling it to express a different view."

In her dissent, Circuit Judge Jane Stranch avoided using any gendered pronouns, writing that adapting to new linguistic norms "may be new for some" but remains "entirely possible." She noted that social customs around pronouns "have evolved throughout American history."

The decision overturns a 2024 ruling from a separate Sixth Circuit panel that had sided with the district. The case now returns to U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley in Columbus, who must issue an injunction blocking enforcement of the policy.

District rules discouraged students from using language related to gender that could be seen as disrespectful or demeaning, and urged them to use classmates’ self-identified pronouns instead.

A separate policy governing students’ use of personal devices extended those restrictions beyond school grounds, prohibiting content that could be interpreted as harassing or disparaging toward others’ gender identity or sexual orientation.

It remains unclear how widely the ruling will apply. An Ohio teachers’ union told the court that Olentangy’s policies resemble those in other districts across the state.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

San Diego, CA - In a significant development, U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez today ordered the California Department of Education (CDE) and counsel with Attorney General Rob Bonta's office to appear in court and explain why they should not be sanctioned, less than an hour after Thomas More Society attorneys filed evidence showing state officials deceived the Court in the landmark parental rights case Mirabelli v. Olson. The swift judicial action came after TMS revealed that state officials misrepresented to the Court the status of controversial gender secrecy policies, while quietly continuing enforcement through mandatory teacher training, just ten days before a pivotal November 17 summary judgment hearing.

According to the filing, the state defendants misrepresented that they had withdrawn the challenged directives prohibiting teachers from informing parents when a student expresses a desire to socially transition genders at school. The challenged directives were quietly removed from a CDE FAQ page, but Thomas More Society attorneys revealed that near-identical language is still present and being enforced within mandatory “PRISM” teacher training materials.

“This is one of the most egregious attempts I’ve seen — if not the most — to mislead a Court,” said Paul M. Jonna, Special Counsel at Thomas More Society and Partner at LiMandri & Jonna. “It’s also a slap in the face to all of the California parents and teachers that are members of this certified federal civil rights class action. We will do everything we can to make sure the State Defendants and their counsel are held fully accountable under the law.”

In response to the Thomas More Society filing, Judge Benitez ordered the defendants to appear and show cause as to why the Court should not impose sanctions for misleading the Court. The matter will be considered at the upcoming summary judgment hearing on November 17.

“The California Department of Education and State Defendants have repeatedly asked the Court to dismiss the claims against them on the basis that they’re ‘moot’ because the challenged ‘guidance’ mandating gender secrecy policies was supposedly taken down from the CDE website and replaced with new guidance,” continued Jonna. “That argument was frivolous and rejected by the Court earlier this year, but the State Defendants recently made it again, nonetheless.”

“Just this week, we discovered something much more sinister at play. Instead of just taking down the challenged directives, as they told the Court, the State Defendants covertly ported them over to a mandatory teacher training called ‘PRISM.’ The State Defendants and their lawyers with the Attorney General’s office were telling the Court one thing — that they’ve done away with the challenged directives — in order to extract themselves from this case, all while doing the complete opposite, that is, continuing to require the challenged directives.”

In October, Judge Benitez officially certified Mirabelli v. Olson as a class action on behalf of all California parents and teachers who object to school district policies that conceal children’s gender transitions from their families, referred to as “Parental Exclusion Policies.”

“From day one, officials from the local school district all the way to the governor’s mansion have tried to deflect responsibility and pretend these policies don’t exist and are not harmful,” said Peter Breen, Thomas More Society Executive Vice President and Head of Litigation. “They know this is a losing legal battle. Now they’ve been caught not only lying to California taxpayers but attempting to mislead the Court to escape accountability. That’s unacceptable.”

“This type of deception will not stand,” Breen continued. “We look forward to getting justice for the brave teachers and parents who have stood up against these morally and legally wrong gender secrecy mandates and finally putting an end to this charade once and for all.”

At our campus, the picture is truly troubling. Between 2020 and 2025, the number of freshmen whose math placement exam results indicate they do not meet middle school standards grew nearly thirtyfold, despite almost all of these students having taken beyond the minimum UCOP required math curriculum, and many with high grades. In the 2025 incoming class, this group constitutes roughly one-eighth of our entire entering cohort. A similarly large share of students must take additional writing courses to reach the level expected of high school graduates, though this is a figure that has not varied much over the same time span.

Moreover, weaknesses in math and language tend to be more related in recent years. In 2024, two out of five students with severe deficiencies in math also required remedial writing instruction. Conversely, one in four students with inadequate writing skills also needed additional math preparation.

The math department created a remedial course, only to be so stunned by how little the students knew that the class had to be redesigned to cover material normally taught in grades 1 through 8.

Some examples of remedial class material and the percentage of remedial students getting the answers correct.

Alarmingly, the instructors running the 2023-2024 Math 2 courses observed a marked change in the skill gaps compared to prior years. While Math 2 was designed in 2016 to remediate missing high school math knowledge, now most students had knowledge gaps that went back much further, to middle and even elementary school. To address the large number of underprepared students, the Mathematics Department redesigned Math 2 for Fall 2024 to focus entirely on elementary and middle school Common Core math subjects (grades 1-8), and introduced a new course, Math 3B, so as to cover missing high-school common core math subjects (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II or Math I, II, III; grades 9-11).

In Fall 2024, the numbers of students placing into Math 2 and 3B surged further, with over 900 students in the combined Math 2 and 3B population, representing an alarming 12.5% of the incoming first-year class (compared to under 1% of the first-year students testing into these courses prior to 2021)

The report attributes the decline to several factors: the pandemic, the elimination of standardized testing — which has forced UCSD to rely on increasingly inflated and therefore useless high school grades — and political pressure from state lawmakers to admit more “low-income students and students from underrepresented minority groups.”

…This situation goes to the heart of the present conundrum: in order to holistically admit a diverse and representative class, we need to admit students who may be at a higher risk of not succeeding (e.g. with lower retention rates, higher DFW rates, and longer time-to-degree).

The report exposes a hard truth: expanding access without preserving standards risks the very idea of a higher education. Can the cultivation of excellence survive an egalitarian world?

I bet these students know all about equity, social justice, and the latest progressive gender trends. You know, the important stuff.

Newsweek reports:

Students at California University Without 8th Grade Math Skills Skyrockets

A sharp rise in students entering the University of California system without middle school-level math skills is raising alarms among educators.

A new internal report from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) reveals that the percentage of incoming students scoring below Algebra 1 on placement exams — a math course typically completed by the end of eighth grade—has tripled over the past five years.

Why It Matters

In 2020, just 6 percent of first-year students at UCSD placed below Algebra 1. By 2025, that number had surged to 18 percent, according to the UCSD Senate Admissions Working Group (SAWG) report.

The findings reflect a growing disconnect between high school transcripts and actual college readiness. The SAWG report links the increase to pandemic-era learning disruptions, long-standing inequities in California’s K–12 system, and the elimination of standardized testing requirements in UC admissions.

What To Know

The number of UCSD students requiring Math 2, a course originally designed for less than 1 percent of the incoming class, surged from under 100 students annually to over 900 by fall 2024.

“In Fall 2024, the numbers of students placing into Math 2 and 3B surged further, with over 900 students in the combined Math 2 and 3B population,” the report notes. “This represents an alarming 12.5 percent of the incoming first-year class.”

Math 2, once intended to cover high school topics like Algebra I and II, has been redesigned to focus “entirely on elementary and middle school Common Core math subjects (grades 1-8).” A new course, Math 3B, was created to handle high school-level content.

How to Get FILTH Out of Public School Libraries

If you’ve ever wondered how on earth these sexually explicit books end up in public school libraries, and what it actually takes to get them removed, you need to tine in to a brand-new podcast episode just came out that digs into all of it.

Natasha Crain hosts the conversation and our own Karen England joins her to expose how deep and wide this problem really runs. You’ll hear exactly how these books slip onto the shelves, what’s happening behind the scenes, and most importantly, how you can take action to get them out.

If you care about protecting kids and cleaning up your school library, this is required listening. Grab the episode, get fired up, and let’s get to work.

What Sets Karen's Effort Apart

Nationwide Library Database:

We maintain the only nationwide database that allows parents and community members to look directly into their public school library collections. Users can identify sexually explicit books available on the shelves and review excerpts from each title.

Focused on Results, Not Ratings:

We do not assign ratings to books. While rating systems can offer educational context, they ultimately work against the goal of removing sexually explicit materials. Ratings often suggest that such content simply needs to be labeled or categorized rather than eliminated. This weakens effective action. In short, ratings hinder the cause, our focus is on results. (More information about our decision not to use ratings will be available soon.)

Book Reports in Spanish:

We provide book reports in Spanish to ensure that all families, regardless of language, can access critical information about what is in their children’s schools.

Free Resources to Support Action:

Our website offers a comprehensive library of free materials to equip parents, advocates, and community leaders who are working to protect students from sexually explicit books. Resources include:

• ·      A step-by-step guide for the book removal process

• ·      Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

• ·      A model challenge letter to formally request book removal

• ·      Guidance for addressing objections and opposition

• ·      A model policy for school boards to adopt 

• ·      Personalized staff support for those actively working to remove books

Ongoing Education and Updates:

We maintain a regularly updated blog featuring the latest developments related to sexually explicit materials in schools. In addition, we offer training webinars to educate, empower, and connect individuals engaged in this important work.

At every level, our focus remains the same, to provide clear, practical tools that lead to meaningful results and protect the hearts and minds of our children.

Take Back the Classroom (TBTC) is Over the Target

Book Riot, the American Library Association, and the American Association of School Libraries aren’t just watching, they’re rattled. They’ve been sounding alarms about our work, and that tells you everything you need to know about our impact.

On November 14, TBTC led Book Riot’s newsletter with the headline:

“What Is Take Back The Classroom?: Book Censorship News, November 14, 2025.”

Honestly, the piece reads like a TBTC “how-to” guide. Our comments are in red.

Here are a few excerpts — though the entire article is worth reading, because it unintentionally trains readers on how to use our tools:

“Over the course of the last year, TBTC’s profile has grown exponentially… It’s become a resource that book banners are turning to and pointing to as evidence for their cause.”

*Even they call our site “evidence” for what we are doing.

“Here’s your handy primer to the latest ‘parental rights’ website… that will begin to infiltrate school and library board meetings.”

“Unlike other sites, TBTC used high-quality images and highlighted the sentences or paragraphs deemed offensive… They’re more interested in providing all of the material necessary to get the average person filing a challenge without having to do a lick of their own work.” *YES! That is our goal. 

“TBTC… catalogs the locations of these so-called ‘inappropriate’ or ‘pornographic’ books… In 2023, only a handful of states were listed. Now… every state is included.” *YES, thanks to numerous donors and volunteers we now have every state listed and hoping to expand the books we expose. Currently, we have over 700 more books to search for in 2026.

“By creating an index of schools with these books… They don’t need to locate the books in their school’s library catalogs… That’s already been done.”

“The goal is to look for your school, download the reports, and begin the challenge as seamlessly as possible…” *Again, we are glad they are recognizing our work.

“TBTC got airtime in the Connecticut legislature…”

We are thankful for the recognition of our work being cited in the CT legislature. This article leaves off additional lawmakers and leaders that use TBTC as they expose the grooming going on in our schools. Soon we will announce more plans for 2026.

“TBTC reviews are popping up at school board meetings now…”

We hope to triple the amount of supporters challenging books in 2026

“We cannot overlook that the site is slick and far more professional looking than competitors.”

Become a Part of the Frontlines...

The Santa Clara chapter of Moms for Liberty would like to invite anyone interested in working as the group's vice-chair to give the idea serious consideration. It is both a rewarding and important task

Qualifications for the role include:

* Dedication to the idea of fighting for the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.

* The ability to act fearlessly as a joyful warrior, someone who is willing to stand on solid principles and fight for what is right, especially when faced with a hostile environment.

Interested in learning more? Please reach out to our chapter's membership coordinator Kingslee.

Want to See the Change? Be the Change...

Organizations whose efforts we support...

Think on this...

While freedom-loving people like libertarians and conservatives wish to provide the illumination of facts and the focus of reason for young people so that they might see and think clearly, those who call themselves progressives favor the classic totalitarian tactic of indoctrination.

- Charlie Kirk         

Moms for Liberty Santa Clara County operates as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization.

The organization's primary mission is to organize, educate and empower parents
to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.

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