Parents in California school district outraged after they learn of secret LGBTQ club at elementary school

ELK GROVE, CA- “Love is love,” right? Parents at an elementary school in California are apoplectic after they found out teachers at their children’s school created a secret LGBTQ club that children as young as eight years old could attend without their permission. 

Christian Broadcasting Network reported that a third-grade teacher at Pleasant Grove Elementary School in Elk Grove invited third—through sixth-grade children to participate in an LGBTQ club he was starting. 

“The ‘UBU Club’ was described as a club for ‘boys who crush on boys’ and ‘girls who crush on girls,’ but children were told to keep the club a secret. 

The Daily Mail reported that a parent named Brittani Cortina, who has children in the second and fourth grade at the school, said her older child told her a reacher went into their class and told students about the club. 

“The teacher came in and spoke about how boys like boys and girls like girls,” Cortina said. 

Last week, angry parents packed the Elk Grove Unified School District’s school board meeting to express their outrage about the class and the district's lack of transparency. 

“There was no permission slip,” parent Kirk Thomas told CBS-13 News. “There was no notification to parents.” 

Based on comments at the meeting, most parents didn’t support the club and said they were never informed about it. A small number spoke in favor of it, however. 

“First of all, it is not acceptable,” Thomas said, “but if you are going to do this, everyone needs to know.” 

Another parent, Heidi Moore, who has children who attend the school, slammed the school for not being forthcoming about the club. 

“It was an inappropriate situation, and parents felt that it was inappropriate for their children to be invited secretly without them knowing,” Moore said. 

“The district isn’t really giving any answers on what was happening, what the guidelines were, what the curriculum was,” she continued. 

As expected, some parents in the liberal mecca of California were unconcerned. 

“It is critical to mental health and overall well-being,” said Tiffany Woods. “Having that extra support and having that validation to help them navigate through the day is crucial.” 

That didn’t satisfy a second-grade parent, Pamela Davila. 

“Where is their safety net…the school educators and the counselors,” Davila said, noting she wasn’t ready to have such a conversation with her second-grader. 

She told the outlet, “These little minds just can’t wrap themselves around what these types of things mean to them.” 

Parent Mary Congdon said her fourth-grade son came home confused about his gender identity after the teacher, identified as Daniel Bishop, started talking about same-sex attraction, the California Family Council reported. 

“I immediately reached out to his teacher, bewildered why we, the parents, had no recollection of hearing about this new club,” Congdon said. “Her [sic]  response was that because ‘it’s a safe place for students to go and discuss their sexuality without having to come out to their parents.” 

Understandably, Congdon was furious. 

“I’m not sure when Mr. Bishop began paying for my son’s clothes, housing, meals; when has he taken my son to his doctor’s appointments, sports games, church, or tucked my son in at night,” she said. “He is not the parent. I reminded my son and his younger 2nd-grade brother that night. We are your safe place. We are your parents. Bullying is inappropriate no matter the reasons and should be handled and dealt with by your school principal.” 

Congdon contacted the school’s principal and asked why permission slips were not sent to parents. The response was shocking. Principal Deidra Wood said they believed parents would say no. She also told Congdon that such clubs had already been started in five to ten other elementary schools. 

CBS News reached out to Wood, who said, “Our legal counsel has been weighing in with our district cabinet because of the laws and because whatever decisions are made will impact not only our school and club but the other 5-10 [similar] elementary clubs.” 

The school district told CBS the “club is currently on pause while the District reviews all pertinent policies and practices that relate to before/after school clubs.” 

Meanwhile, Moore wondered why permission slips are needed for a gardening club but not the LGBTQ one. 

“Pleasant Grove Elementary School staff betrayed the trust of parents when they held this UBU club during lunch time and did not notify parents or require permission slips for the club,” she said. 

‘It’s also alarming that the district has ignored concerned parents for weeks but recently sent a flier to all district teachers, inviting them to a training on how to respond to resistance from parents against LGBTQ Clubs,” Moore continued. 

“The only response the district did give parents was that their legal counsel was weighing in on the situation. It seems like that is something they should have done before implementing this secret lunchtime club,” she said. 

Parent Greg Burth, Vice President of the California Family Council, said the incident at Pleasant Grove is not an isolated event. He said the California Teacher’s Association (CTA) has been holding seminars for teachers for years, showing them how to start LGBTQ clubs and invite children without parents' knowledge, CFC reported. 

In one case, two teachers in Monterey, California, recruited a young girl to their UBU club. They socially transitioned her to a male identity and kept it from the girl’s mother, Jessica Konen. 

Once she found out, Konen confronted the school, which in turn called Child Protective Services. Konen sued the school district for violating her parental rights. 

“At its core, this case is about upholding the sacred bond between parents and their children,” said Harmeet Dhillon, Founder and Managing Partner of the Dhillon Law Group, whom Konent retained to represent her. “Parents have an inherent right to be involved in pivotal decisions concerning their children’s lives.” 

The school district settled the case for $100,000. 

“State education officials believe that minors, as young as five, have privacy rights that schools are obligated to protect,” Burt said, “even if that means keeping secrets and deceiving parents regarding the struggles children are having with sexuality or gender identity.” 

Dean Broyles is president of the National Center for Law and Policy and believes the school district could face a lawsuit for hiding the LGBTQ club from parents. 

‘Elk Grove Unified School District is flagrantly violating and dishonoring the rights of parents by setting up secretive school sexuality clubs without parental knowledge or consent, where rogue teachers with extreme agendas affirm sensitive and controversial viewpoints with very young, vulnerable children while concealing the existence and purpose of these meetings,” Broyles said. 

“We demand transparency from the district,” Broyles continued. “We are investigating these clubs and are seriously considering taking legal action to stop them.” 

CBN said the school board didn’t address concerns raised at the meeting because they were not on the agenda.