A California school district allegedly suspended two high school students for misgendering, requiring the pupils to undergo a controversial training known as “restorative justice.”
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The purported infraction and punishment are said to have unfolded at Herbert Hoover High School in Glendale, California, part of the Glendale Unified School District (GUSD).
The incident, which reportedly happened last year, was brought to light in recent days by GUSD Parents Voices, a parents’ rights group, according to Fox News.
The “misgendering” infraction in question was allegedly described in an email from the school’s former principal. The school leader wrote about suspending two kids for five days after they “misgendered” a transgender person and then fled as an educator was correcting them.
It’s unclear if the students “misgendered” a peer or a teacher, though some reports indicate the former and others the latter. GUSD Parents Voices claimed in a tweet the students were “suspended for five days for ‘misgendering’ [a] teacher.”
Regardless, the email seems to describe the principal speaking with the offending students and then educating them on the issue before doling out a punishment.
Glendale high school students suspended for 5 days for "misgendering" teacher, and then undergo "restorative justice (RJ)" education. Any comment on this @GlendaleUSD ?#gusdparentsvoices pic.twitter.com/RcTCLRPJRL
— GUSD Parents Voices (@gusdparents) July 5, 2023
“I asked my teacher how he wanted to handle it, if he wanted me to just teach them about misgendering or would he like me to speak about being trans,” the purported email reads. “He asked me to educate on transgender. It was well received from students and parents. RJ will happen after suspension.”
According to Fox News, “RJ” in the email could reference something known as “restorative justice,” a process of helping “primary stakeholders in determining how best to repair the harm done by an
offense.”
It’s something some critics consider to be “reeducation” after such an incident unfolds — an effort to change behavior and reorient a person’s purported wrongs.
KOMO-TV has more on restorative justice: “Restorative justice practices are used in school districts nationwide. The goal is to reduce the use of expulsion and narrow racial disparities in disciplinary action, according to the University of San Diego. The practice has been criticized by parents in other California school districts, who fear it does little to protect students.”
A GUSD spokesperson told Fox News misgendering offenses are only considered bullying based on the offenders’ intent. A suspension or punishment is doled out if the aim is negative.
“A student has never been punished, much less suspended, for accidentally using the wrong pronoun to refer to a peer or staff member,” the spokesperson said. “However, a student could be suspended if the action escalated to harassment or bullying.”
Reaction to the email, which isn’t presented with full context, was sweeping on social media. Some said their children wouldn’t be attending restorative justice if they were in the same situation — and others said they’d take their kids out of school if they faced a similar circumstance.
“I’m glad I don’t live in Commiefornia,” one person tweeted.
Another added, “My kid would NOT be attending RJ education and would NOT be back in that school.”
The purported suspension has come to light on the heels of other critiques of GUSD, with parents alleging indoctrination and with LGBTQ themes being integrated into the curriculum, KOMO-TV reported.
School board protests last month over the curriculum reportedly turned violent, as parents seeking more transparency and pushing against what they deem inappropriate content clashed with Antifa activists.
“Why do elementary kids need to learn about sexual orientation or who they want to have sex with?” one dad said. “Like, eight, nine-year-olds are not thinking about who they’re gonna have sex with.”
Read more about those protests here.
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