The Rocklin Unified School Board received hundreds of messages from students, teachers, staff, and residents, calling on its five members not to pass a parental notification policy in September, according to 1,350 pages of public records reviewed by The Sacramento Bee. On September 6, the board voted 4-1 to require school staff to inform parents when their student transitions or experiments with their gender identity. This includes students requesting to go by a different name or pronoun, or to use facilities that do not align with their biological sex at birth. The vote came after hours of protest and public comment, mostly in opposition to the policy. Many Rocklin parents, teachers, voters, community members, and Placer County residents in the district sent a form letter outlining the reasons they opposed the policy, calling it “a waste of district time” and “dangerous” for students “who are from unwelcome and LGBTQ-abusive families, which would increase truancy and absence rates.” Others drafted their own letters to the board. A line wraps around the building as Rocklin teachers, community members, parents and students wait for hours to comment during the Rocklin Unified School District Board meeting Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023, where a proposed policy requiring schools to violate state law by “outing” transgender students to their parents is on the agenda. The board passed the policy that would require staff to notify families within days of a student’s choosing to be identified as any name, nickname, or gender that does not match enrollment records or is not a “common” nickname recognized by the school. Xavier Mascareñas xmascarenas@sacbee.com “I write, as a conservative Rocklin voter, to voice my opposition to the proposed amendment,” Phil Scarborough wrote to the board on Sept 6. “As trustees, your primary responsibility is to administer our district in a responsible way that prepares Rocklin’s students for a successful life after high school. But rather than focusing on our district’s concrete educational needs, the proposed amendment appears to be following a national political agenda that has little to do with Rocklin or our community.” Other district parents shared similar concerns. TOP VIDEOS Top Videos 01:45 01:45 ‘Majestic’ Colorado estate onmarketfor $80M. See ‘mountainlivingatits finest’ “As a parent of a RUSD student, a community member, an educator, a licensed therapist and professional expert in mental health especially in children and adolescent mental health, and as a Christian, I am literally on my knees begging you to reconsider the action item before you today,” wrote Colette Booterbaugh the morning of the board meeting. “I understand that many of you have prided yourselves on advocating for parents rights and have made it your mission to restore what you believe was lost to parents. I understand that drive. However, this change to policy oversteps that mission by putting parents desires in front of child safety and it is a reckless decision that will result in harm to our students.” None of the five board members responded when The Bee asked for comment about this story. PARENTS’ RIGHTS MOVEMENT COMES TO ROCKLIN School boards are officially nonpartisan, but four of the five board members ran on a parents’ rights platform embraced by the Republican Party. Other school systems in Placer County have also seen newly elected trustees from the parents’ movement. One of them is Tiffany Saathoff, elected in 2020. At the time, Saathoff worked as a pastor at Destiny Church (led by conservative pastor Greg Fairrington) which ignored the state’s public health mandates during COVID-19 shutdowns. She is now the Chief of Staff for Republican Assemblyman Joe Patterson. “It’s been said many times tonight that this is a political agenda, a religious agenda,” said Saathoff at the Sept. 6 meeting. “I will reiterate that I’ve had parents, teachers, staff approach me about this policy because they’re very concerned for a variety of reasons.” Rocklin Unified School District Board Member Tiffany Saathoff, left, speaks during a Board meeting Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023, in support of a policy requiring schools to violate state law by “outing” transgender students to their parents. “I have had parents, I have had teachers, I have had staff members request this policy,” she said. “The data is quite clear: involved, caring parents matter,” she added, rhetorically. Board President Julie Hupp, right, elaborated on the policy, which would require staff to notify families within days of a student’s choosing to be identified as any name, nickname, or gender that does not match enrollment records or is not a “common” nickname recognized by the school. Xavier Mascareñas xmascarenas@sacbee.com A Whitney High School student wrote to Saathoff asking her to vote against the policy. The student said two trans classmates have yet to tell their parents about their gender identity, “for fear of being disowned.” “These students are outstanding people, getting above 4.0s, participating in our community, and being role models to this community we partake in,” the student wrote. “Just as you were within Destiny Church as a pastor, preaching positive messages, helping the community, being there for people when times are tough, and a role model to many people. “When my parents voted for you, we had the impression that you will fight not only for us, but for all students within (RUSD). I have known these two for my entire time at Whitney High School, and they have been outstanding students and I am glad that I got to know them, and I can’t let myself off the hook unless I do something.”