Goleta Valley Junior High School has been in the spotlight recently in online media, where it was reported that a workshop last month promoted a homosexual lifestyle and that the school principal had apologized for the workshop. However, school district officials and Alena Marie, program director for Just Communities Central Coast, which presented the program, say much of the information in the online stories is inaccurate and untrue.
“There is no homosexuality training program, no attempt to impose homosexuality, no promotion of homosexuality, nor any plan to do so,” in the school districts, said Brian Sarvis, superintendent of the Santa Barbara School Districts. Cybercast News Service, part of Media Research Center, a conservative organization claiming to balance liberal bias in media, published a story about the junior high program, calling it a “pro-homosexual workshop,” and stating that apologies for the workshop were issued by Principal Veronica Rogers and classroom teacher Christine Shaw.
“Discussion about sexual orientation was really just a fraction of the whole presentation teaching respect and safety for all students,” said Marie. “The apology was about the notice given to parents not the workshop.” School district officials said apologies were for the lack of specificity in an email notice sent to parents of students in the leadership class prior to the three sessions with Just Communities.
Rogers, calling the CNS story inaccurate and misleading, said parents were notified prior to the classroom sessions, but they weren’t fully informed about the content, which focused on creating a safe school environment free of bullying and racism among teens, and included tolerance for all sexual orientations. School district policy requires that materials from presentations including controversial issues be reviewed by the school’s principal and that parents have the opportunity to review the materials in advance. Neither took place.
The workshop addressed ways student leaders could foster a safe, respectful and equitable school environment for all students, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation, said Marie. Connections between bullying and violence, discrimination and inequality, gender role expectations and related harassment and violence, heterosexism and homophobia were included.
Also explored at the workshop were racism, prejudice and discrimination. The curriculum, Marie said, is a combination of content developed by Just Communities and a nationally recognized violence prevention program, “Making Allies, Making Friends: A Curriculum for Making the Peace in Middle School.” Betsy Cleary, a Goleta resident who has a daughter in the leadership class, was reported by CNS to have been unhappy with what she understood to be the content of the workshops, and believed parents should have been able to “opt out” of sending their children to the workshop.
Cleary was quoted as saying students were told that having a very close relationship with someone of the same sex could result in homosexuality or bi-sexuality, and that if their parents voted for Proposition 8, a ballot measure defining marriage as between a man and a woman, they were prejudiced and discriminatory. “There was no discussion of Prop 8 other than defining it,” Marie said. “We never asked about who voted for it, nor did we say anything about supporters of the ballot measure.” She also said there was never any discussion about close relationships with someone of the same sex.
A phone call to Cleary for her comment was not returned. Citizenlink.com, part of the conservative Focus on the Family organization, reported that Shaw apologized for the workshop. However, Barbara Keyani, coordinator of administrative services and communications for the Santa Barbara School Districts, said that an apology was issued by the principal for not having followed appropriate protocols in notifying parents about the workshop content, since some of it could be considered controversial. Apologies were not issued for the workshops content, she said.
“We have offered to speak with Betsy Cleary,” Marie said, “but she has declined.” “The real message here is getting lost,” said Rogers. “The focus is on a safe school environment for all students.” Marie said the Goleta Valley Junior High School students in the workshop were “responsive, critical thinkers with a good knowledge about bullying and harassment. There’s a reason that they’re in the leadership class.”