The superintendent of Soledad Unified School District is confident its policies comply with state and federal law as it prepares to take part in a U.S. Department of Justice review examining parental notification and gender-related school policies.
The review, announced Monday by the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, includes Soledad Unified and two other Monterey County school districts — Graves Elementary School District and Santa Rita Union School District — as well as San Francisco Unified School District. Federal officials said they will examine whether these school districts properly notify parents of their rights to opt children out of portions of sex education involving sexual orientation and gender identity.
In a statement, Superintendent Randy Bangs of the Soledad Unified School District said it has consistently worked to comply with California law and applicable federal requirements while providing students with a high-quality educational experience.
Bangs said any policies that may be reviewed were developed in good faith based on state law and guidance available to California school districts. He added the district follows California’s parent notification and opt-out requirements for comprehensive sexual health education and implements curriculum standards adopted by the state.
“We are confident that our programs and practices are consistent with applicable law and welcome the opportunity to demonstrate that compliance,” Bangs said.
The superintendent assured the district will cooperate fully with the federal review and does not anticipate making changes based solely on the announcement of the investigation.
According to the Department of Justice, the review will also look at policies involving access to bathrooms, locker rooms and girls’ sports teams, as well as compliance with Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools receiving federal funding.
The federal department earlier clarified that the compliance review is ongoing and that no findings or conclusions have been reached.
None of the other school districts mentioned in the DOJ review were immediately available for comment.