Cupertino elementary school teacher placed on leave over classroom gender conversations

The Cupertino Union School District is reviewing a new policy regarding controversial subjects. This move comes after a teacher was placed on administrative leave due to parental complaints about the teacher discussing gender identity and expression with students.

The teacher at Dilworth Elementary School has become the center of the latest debate over gender conversations in classrooms. Parents claim the educator also hung pictures in the classroom showing males wearing skirts. The teacher identifies as nonbinary and uses the pronouns they/them.

One parent told NBC Bay Area she felt the teacher went too far and that 4-year-olds are not ready for advanced discussions about gender topics.

"We believe the content in the poster and conversations between the teacher and the young students is not age-appropriate," the parent said.

The parent has since pulled her child from the school.

As part of a Thursday board meeting, the school board began considering a new policy allowing teachers to discuss certain topics that "shall be suitable to the age and maturity of the students."

"What is a controversial issue? Because that is not defined in the Board policy," said Superintendent Stacy Yao.

The Cupertino Union School District confirmed to NBC Bay Area that the teacher has been placed on leave. It said it "cannot comment on personnel matters involving staff" but "took immediate steps to investigate these concerns, and the investigation is still pending."

In an Oct. 10 meeting, Yao said she was committed to holding educators and schools accountable and ensuring schools are inclusive spaces.

"I want to affirm our unwavering commitment to creating and maintaining an inclusive and equitable environment for both our students and staff," Yao said. "Through our adopted Board policies, we support that no employee shall face discrimination or harassment of any kind upon persons because of their race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, disability, religion, or association with individuals belonging to any of these groups, or any other basis prohibited by law. Our dedication to these values extends to ensuring that every individual feels safe, respected, and supported in their work environment, free from any form of intimidation or harassment."

Robb Zimmerman, parents of a child who identifies as non-binary, said he knows from personal experience that gender identity is an appropriate topic for a 4-year-old.

"I'm extremely disappointed that the teacher is on administrative leave. They were instructing students in an age-appropriate way," Zimmerman said. "We're on our third school in the district because we have consistently not received the kind of support that we expect from a school district in this state."

The Cupertino Education Association said it appreciates the school board's efforts to create inclusive learning spaces but is concerned overall.

"While we appreciate the discussion today of the laws that hold CUSD responsible for inclusive classrooms, we remain concerned that no specific commitments to them have been publicly stated before this meeting," the CEU said in a statement. "We know that our schools and communities are safer for LGBTQ students, teachers, and families when inclusive practices are explicitly named. CEA continues to urge CUSD to affirm their commitment to the safety of our LGBTQ community."

According to the CUSD, the district became aware of parental concerns in August and reviewed the materials in question.