Parental rights advocates, church leaders urge board to repeal school transgender policy in Nevada school district

A Nevada school board meeting got heated as parental rights advocates and church leaders urged its members to repeal a policy created in 2018 for “students with gender identities or expressions.”

Parents and pastors spoke at the Clark County School District (CCSD) School Board of Trustees meeting Thursday, several weeks after one of its school board members, Linda Cavazos, called conservative Moms for Liberty “cancer” on Twitter after a meeting.

According to the policy, restroom and locker room access, as well as overnight field trips for these students, are determined on a “case-by-case basis through the Gender Support Plan process.” In order to have a student on a Gender Support Plan, the school administration has to receive a “written request from a parent,” the policy states.

“Schools shall ensure that dress or uniform policies are not delineated or segregated according to gender identity or expression,” one of the sections of the gender identity policy also reads. “If a school implements Standard Student Attire, students with diverse identities or expressions may wear clothing consistent with their gender identity or expression.” 

But many parents and community members are critical of the policy and other so-called “inclusive” stances the school board has taken. Over 250 parents attended the meeting, Moms for Liberty chairperson Cristiane Mersch told The Lion.

“This is grooming. This is not okay. We don’t want this around our children,” district parent Kimberly Lindsey said during the meeting.

A student also spoke, saying she attended multiple public schools, and had safety concerns about girls in school bathrooms 

“I’m speaking out on behalf of all my female peers who don’t feel safe at school, and you’re not making it any safer for us.” Bella Aguilar said. “When I was in third grade, little me was using the restroom and I saw through the stall. One of the boys as a joke went in and ran in and out of the bathroom and didn’t look in any of the stalls, and I still felt uneasy.” 

Pastor John Amanchukwu, who is known for speaking out against gender ideology and critical race theory in school districts around the country, also spoke at Thursday’s meeting. But his microphone was cut off when he attempted to read from a controversial book.

In a video provided to The Lion by the Clark County chapter of Moms for Liberty, Amanchukwu read from the book Flamer, which the parental rights book resource Book Looks says contains “sexual nudity; profanity and derogatory terms; violence including self-harm; and controversial religious commentary.” 

Audience members can be heard yelling in support of the pastor when he was warned to stop, saying he should be able to read from any book that is available in the library. 

While Amanchukwu spoke, board member Cavazos held up a sign which read, “Human Kind. Be Both,” which displays the “Black Lives Matter,” transgender, and LGBTQ+ logos and symbols inside of hearts under the words.

The pastor was eventually escorted out of the room.

Another video showed parental rights advocates yelling at board members and holding up posters reading, “We Will Protect Our Children” and “We Do Not Co-Parent With Schoolboards.” 

Tensions have grown further as CCSD Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara signed an LGBT-affirming pledge on Sept. 21 created by Defense of Democracy, which calls parental rights groups, such as Moms for Liberty, “extremist organizations.” 

Defense of Democracy was created in 2022 by two moms in New York who to fight against school board candidates endorsed by Moms for Liberty, its website reads.  

CCSD’s gender identity policy was not on the school board’s agenda for Thursday’s meeting, but parental rights advocates brought it to the attention of school board members during the public comments section of the meeting.