In July of 2023, the Pomonan reported that California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond stood before the Chino Valley Unified School District Board telling them that he opposed their plan to require staff and teachers to provide parents and caregivers with changes in their students’ gender Identification. He told them that this mandate would violate student rights for their safety and privacy, that based on research, such a ruling would place them in harms’ way.

Even before Superintendent Thurmond was able to return his seat CVUSD’s Board President Sonja Shaw began haranguing him from the dais:

“Tony Thurmond, I appreciate you being here - tremendously - but here is the problem -we are here because of people like you. You are in Sacramento proposing things that (raises voice) PERVERT CHILDREN. You had a chance to come and talk to me, Tony. By all means - you had a chance to talk with me. Why was it so important for you to walk with my opponent? YOU are the very reason why we are in this.”

At this point Superintendent Thurmond returned to the podium and said:

“May I have - as a Point of Order, as the Board President . . .” before CVUSD President Shaw interrupted him, shouting and talking fast:

“No, this is not your meeting, Tony Thurmond. You can have a seat. Because if I did that to you in Sacramento, you would not accept it. Please sit . . . You are not going to blackmail us. You have already sent us a blackmailing letter on previous . . . You will not bully us here in Chino! Please sit.”

Now, the very same CVUSD Board President Sonja Shaw has recently announced her plans to run for the position of California State Superintendent of Public Instruction. In the interim, the Chino Valley School Board President Shaw led CVUSD to become the first district in the state to pass a parental notification policy for transgender students. In response, state lawmakers passed a bill prohibiting such so-called “trans outing” policies.

Board President Shaw is associated with Calvary Chapel, a large church in Chino Hills that has taken an active role in recruiting and endorsing conservative candidates for local office. In the nearby community of Claremont, a Calvary Chapel recruited candidate, Mark Reynoso, recently lost his bid in November for Claremont USD’s Board by a slim margin.

Superintendent Thurmond has held his State Superintendent’s position since 2019 and is currently in his second term. He is running for governor in 2026, leaving the schools chief position wide open.

Stay tuned . . .

Pamela Casey Nagler, Pomona-born, is an independent scholar, currently conducting research on California’s indigenous people, focusing on the Spanish, Russian, Mexican and US invasions between 1769 and the 1860s. The point of studying this history is to tell us how we got here from there.

Published 3/14/2024 | 7:55am PST

On Tuesday, March 12th, LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY, the second biggest democratic club in the country, voted unanimously to adopt a ceasefire resolution. The effort was the result of a collaborative effort between elected California Democratic delegates from all over the state and members of Democrats for Israel, a support organization for Israel:

Resolution calling for a humanitarian, permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to pave the way for peace and new governance for the people of Gaza.

WHEREAS, on October 7, 2023, the worst terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas and other armed groups resulted in more than 200 hostages being taken captive, and deaths of 1,163 Israelis; and the ensuing Israeli military assault on Gaza has resulted in the deaths of a record number of civilians in modern history- more than 30,000 Gazans – including at least 11,500 children – in 125 days, over 300 medical workers and over 100 journalists, over 69,000 Gazans wounded, and over 7,000 missing under the rubble; and Palestinian civilians experiencing a humanitarian crisis of catastrophic proportions in amputation, disease, malnourishment, starvation, shelter; and WHEREAS, All human life is precious, and the targeting of civilians is a violation of international humanitarian law, which we unequivocally condemn wherever it occurs and this includes the Israeli right-wing’s targeting and dehumanization of Palestinians and Hamas’ deliberate targeting of Jewish and foreign civilians, both with impunity, has pulled Israelis and Palestinians further apart from reaching a two state solution and put Palestinians in harm's way over and over again; and WHEREAS, more than 200 labor unions including SEIU International, Communication Workers of America, UAW, UE, American Postal Workers Union, Painters and Allied Trades, National Nurses United, and member organizations of the AFL-CIO, 34 congressional representatives, the World Health Organization, United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, His Holiness Pope Francis, 70 US cities, the San Francisco County Democratic Committee have called for a ceasefire and President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are actively working towards a ceasefire; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the LACDP joins the calls for, and urges our Democratic elected leaders to call for, a mutual permanent ceasefire to make way for Palestinians to build a new democratic future in governing Gaza without Hamas; life-saving humanitarian aid in Gaza; the release of all Israeli hostages taken by Hamas; ensure that all Palestinians that are held have a fast and fair trial and are released immediately if not convicted; end of Hamas’s rule in Gaza; work toward an Israeli government that supports self-determination; freedom and opportunities for the Palestinian people; and for Israelis and Palestinians to progress toward the implementation of a mutually negotiated durable peace based on a two state solution.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the LA County Democratic Party is aware of the acts of violence, vandalism and intimidation against the Palestinian and Jewish diaspora in the United States, and condemns all antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian and anti-Israeli bigotry.

On January 22, the City of Pomona adopted a ceasefire resolution, citing Pomona’s long-standing commitment to, “advocating for compassion, peace, social justice, and fostering a mutual respect and understanding for all people, regardless of religion, race or nationality.”

On March 18, Pasadena’s City Council passed its ceasefire and return of the hostages resolution. Councilmember Jason Lyon said he considers a non-local issue to be within the council’s purview if it’s of demonstrable interest to a Pasadena constituency, in the best interest of the city, and representative of the city as a whole.

On February 27, the City of Claremont refused to consider a ceasefire resolution. Instead, the City Council voted to enact a resolution against any resolution that was not about local issues.

Pamela Casey Nagler, Pomona-born, is an independent scholar, currently conducting research on California’s indigenous people, focusing on the Spanish, Russian, Mexican and US invasions between 1769 and the 1860s. The point of studying this history is to tell us how we got here from there.