By Dianne Anderson

All the agencies and entities that jumped on the woke bandwagon for big federal COVID dollars that flowed down to reduce unequal education and health services are now flipping the script.

It’s back to the drawing board for students and staff of color at Perris Union High School District where the community is contesting the shutdown of vital programs there to address equity and mental health.

Earlier this month, a 4-1 vote to eliminate the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Department is part of a national trend of bills and initiatives now cropping up.

Candace Reines PUHSD Deputy Superintendent, Business Services, said as part of the recent vote, the positions eliminated within the DEI program layoffs include the director, along with five assistant principals, five program specialists, five behavioral support specialists, and five substance intervention specialists.

“All schools will still have counseling staff, however, the supplemental support positions funded with the one-time short-term funding were eliminated. The District is working diligently to look into other funding mechanisms to bring in additional resources that may restore some of these services,” Reines said in an email.

However, at the March 5 special board meeting, Elizabeth Vallejo, the only trustee who opposed ending the DEI department, also spoke on how counselors and those closest to students have warned of the dangers of shutting down the district’s Wellness Centers to save money.

“We also need to cut out a lot of unnecessary things that we don’t need to spend on currently, and I understand that we received all of this grant money for a growing need which was students mental health during COVID but the need is still there,” she said.

Helen Stimach, Secretary to director Dr. Casaundra McNair, who leads the DEI Department, talked about McNair’s dedication, that she has pulled down significant grant funding, and a proven track record in several areas of student programs.

“I can’t begin to understand how this district who prides themselves on being the first in innovation as a leader, not a follower, and continuously maintains that everything we do is for the benefit of our students and families, would consider eliminating one of the most beneficial programs ever implemented,” she said.

Similar outrage against equity policy involving transgender students in Orange County also recently spurred parents to ban together and successfully advocate to remove conservative school board trustees Rick Ledesma and Madison Miner. Both board members were pushing their discriminatory anti-LGBTQ+ policy against transgender students, were voted out of their seats this month in the recall election.

In a statement, Assemblymember Corey Jackson expressed concern about the mental health impact of ending the DEI department on students of color. He stressed there are other fiscally responsible ways for the district to save money by cutting expenses, such as school districts’ extravagant events, hotel stays, conferences, and memberships that often cost millions of dollars.

He also stressed the need for districts and the community to pay closer attention to narratives to defund programs that support marginalized people of color.

Dr. Jackson called out the twisting of language around DEI as racist and pretext. He said that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs have proven value and add to school districts and communities.

“These programs consistently bring out the best in individuals and communities, providing crucial support to ensure everyone is seen and valued. Contrary to divisive narratives, DEI programs play a vital role in fostering success for all students, regardless of their background or circumstances,” he said.

Jackson, a long-time advocate and founder and CEO of SBX Youth and Family Services, also partnered with ACLU as the lead in a 2018 lawsuit settled against Riverside County’s YAT (Youth Accountability Team) program. The settlement was to restore constitutional rights to teens who were wrongly criminalized.

The ACLU reported that Riverside County disproportionately placed over 3,000 African American and Latinx students on probation for minor offenses between 2005 and 2016. That settlement provided $1.4 million over a five year period starting in 2020-21 to support local community-based organizations through an RFP process.

Last month, Leah Watson, Senior Staff Attorney with ACLU’s Racial Justice Program, addressed concerns around far right conservatives’ effort to support anti-DEI programs as the latest attack on racial equity and free speech to stop diversity and anti-bias training.

She referenced that the far right had introduced at least 65 bills to limit DEI in higher education in 25 states and the U.S. Congress.

“In its attacks on DEI, the far right undermines not only racial justice efforts, but also violates our right to free speech and free association. Today, the ACLU is determined to push back on anti-DEI efforts just as we fought efforts to censor instruction on systemic racism and sexism from schools,” she wrote.

To follow PUHSD Board meetings, see https://www.puhsd.org/board-meeting-recordings-2