San Gabriel Valley : Judge Rules Board Members Violated Rights of Teachers

In a victory for the West Covina teachers union, a judge has ruled that the school board violated teachers’ 1st Amendment rights by ordering a workshop on dealing with gay and lesbian students to be moved off campus and now must host such an event.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joseph R. Kalin harshly criticized the West Covina Unified School District trustees’ decision to order the removal of the workshop for middle school teachers from a campus in October 1994, resulting in its cancellation, as politically motivated censorship.

“[Trustees] in this case have restricted and censored the right of expression of teachers hired to stimulate and guide young minds without any basis or justification other than political considerations,” Kalin wrote in the case brought by the teachers union.

“The credibility of the elected officials testifying for the defense was sadly lacking,” noted Kalin of the trial.

Mike Spence, the trustee who suggested the workshop be stopped, said the community backed the decision by reelecting the board members afterward and that teachers should not be counseling 12-year olds about homosexuality. . . .