The U.S. Department of Education announced an investigation today (Oct. 26) into the Palo Alto Unified School District over a questionnaire that allegedly asked students about their sexual orientations, gender identities, mental and physical health conditions and family economic status.
Students were required to complete the questionnaire as part of the district’s newly mandated Ethnic Studies course, the Department of Education said.
The Department of Education said the district needs to get parental consent before asking students “invasive” questions.
“Schools in California seem to be collecting a myriad of protected and private information on students without involving parents, raising serious concerns that they deliberately keep parents in the dark about the most sensitive information pertaining to their children,” Director of the Student Privacy Policy Office Frank Miller said in a statement.
Superintendent Jason Glass said the district will cooperate with the Department of Education. He said parents can ask to review class materials by contacting their child’s teacher or principal, and the Ethnic Studies curriculum is available online.
“Parents have a right to know what their children are learning and to make decisions about sensitive personal matters. We take that seriously, along with our responsibility to teach Ethnic Studies well. Those commitments are not in conflict,” Glass said. “If we find something that should be done differently, we will fix it.”
The Department of Education is also investigating districts in San Francisco and Monterey.
The Department of Education alleged that parents weren’t allowed to review Ethnic Studies curriculum, in violation of the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment passed in 1978.
“Education leaders in California must stop undermining parental rights and we will work with these districts to bring them into full compliance with federal laws,” Miller said.
The Palo Alto school board voted 3-2 to make Ethnic Studies a graduation requirement at a long and tense meeting on Jan. 23, 2025.
Board members received 3,700 emails related to Ethnic Studies in two days leading up to the meeting, and the crowd overflowed outside of the meeting room.
Students and teachers were mostly in favor of mandating the course, but a group of parents said they didn’t trust the content.
“I think that the fear is based on an ideological framework around oppressor-oppressed that will make some students in this school district feel unsafe,” board member Rowena Chiu said at the meeting.
Chiu and board member Alison Kamhi voted against the mandate. Shounak Dharap and Shana Segal were in favor of the mandate, and Josh Salcman was the swing vote.
The survey was invasive but the more sinister part is it’s designed to lead to indoctrination. This is Newsom’s plan.