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Public commenter urges La Mesa‑Spring Valley board to outline protections for LGBTQ students after OCR update
Summary
Shane Mueller told the board an Office for Civil Rights update left questions about protections for LGBTQ students and accused past board members of attempting to block inclusive curriculum; the board said staff would follow up through the standard public comment process.
During public comment on April 21, Shane Mueller said an email from the Office for Civil Rights had raised concerns about how the district would protect LGBTQ students and families, and he asked the board for specific accountability measures rather than what he called "placating statements."
Mueller said the district "tried to deny curriculum that validated and protected these students" in prior years and asked, "how does our district and our board plan to protect these children when this district has failed them in the past?" He added a charged line that was captured in the transcript: "I want to know how we plan to protect these kids when we currently are living in an administration that would rather have dead children than queer children." Mueller closed by asking for actual accountability and follow‑up.
Board members acknowledged the comment and later in announcements referenced recent contacts with legislators and the Office for Civil Rights. A board member thanked Mueller for speaking and said questions requiring follow‑up would be referred to appropriate staff after the meeting; the board's public comment rules were read aloud at the start of the comment period to note that the board does not engage in dialogue during public comment but refers items for staff follow‑up.
The transcript does not record a staff response to Mueller's specific allegations during the meeting. Under the district's public comment process, the superintendent's office or relevant staff typically follow up with commenters who request a response and provide contact information.
