Rocklin school board president urges Christian parents to join committees, prompting outcry

A Rocklin school board official has drawn attention and received criticism in recent days for comments she made online last week, urging “Christ centered” parents to join district advisory committees.

Julie Hupp, a trustee and board president for Rocklin Unified School District, said in an Aug. 22 post on her public Facebook page that it was important to have Christian parents volunteer to serve on the district’s advisory board, which makes recommendations for curriculum and other school policies.

“We need as many Christ centered, family focused parents as we can get on those committees,” she wrote, in part. “PLEASE take a look and see what you can commit to for the year. Thank you for your love and support! Together, we will keep our children safe and thriving!”

Hupp received pushback from some community members for her post, prompting her to publish a second post in which she expanded her call to action for all “family centered individuals and principle centered, loving people.” The two posts had tallied nearly 1,000 combined comments by Tuesday afternoon, many of them expressing disapproval at what they said was the trustee’s promotion of religion.

Price Johnson said he saw the first post while trying to find more information about the curriculum for his child’s class.

“Her verbiage was specific and she was clearly calling for a certain religious majority,” he said.

Johnson took issue with her statement because he believes curriculum should be determined by district staff and educators, and not be influenced by the religious affiliation of parents.

“We should be making decisions based on what’s best for our children, not giving in to outside pressure on social and cultural issues,” he said.

Johnson founded a Facebook group for parents frustrated with Hupp’s comments that had garnered more than 160 members as of Tuesday afternoon.

Courtney Weideman, a long-time Rocklin resident and parent, said she thought Hupp’s comments were blown out of proportion.

“I don’t see the controversy here,” she said. “I’ve been really impressed with the board and I think they’ve done a wonderful job. This seems like a non-story.”

Mike Murray, a Rocklin parent and Placer County Board of Supervisors candidate in 2024, said he didn’t think Hupp was being exclusionary.

“Julie Hupp is one of the most honest, caring and dedicated people I have ever met,” Murray said. “While some do not agree with her wording, most of the community understands the intent of her post.”

In the Aug. 25 follow-up post, Hupp responded to parent feedback, saying the district’s advisory committees are open to all.

“The inclusion of one does not mean the exclusion of others,” she said. “I also asked others. It is an open door. If you live in Rocklin and want what is best for children and have the time to commit, come join.“

The sign-up period for parent advisory committees at Rocklin Unified ended Tuesday evening.

This story was originally published August 30, 2023 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Rocklin school board president urges Christian parents to join committees, prompting outcry."