Placer school district votes to involve itself in federal, state political battles
Placer Union High School District entered a contract with a conservative nonprofit law firm to weigh in on two upcoming U.S. Supreme Court cases centered around banning transgender girls and women from participating in school sports.
The school board voted 4-1 Tuesday to have the firm file an amicus brief on the district’s behalf in the cases Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J. These cases will determine whether state-level bans on transgender athletes violate Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in educational programs.
The law firm, Advocates for Faith & Freedom based in Murrieta, is reportedly urging California school districts to join an amicus brief in the two lawsuits. The conservative law firm has been outspoken against trans children participating in sports with cisgender children, vowing to “stop schools from allowing males in girls’ sports and private facilities.” It recently filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of three athletes at Jurupa Valley High School who allege that sharing a locker room with a trans teammate has resulted in unsafe conditions and repeated sexual harassment.
The services are being provided to the district by Advocates for Faith & Freedom at no cost.
The special meeting was not recorded or livestreamed and the minutes have not yet been released. Longtime board member David Underwood represented the sole dissenting vote.
“I did vote no and will only say politics and religion are not acceptable or appropriate for any public school board as our emphasis must be on promoting excellence in our schools,” he wrote in an email. “We must support all students equally. A school board must be non-partisan without promoting any political agenda.”
In response to in an inquiry about the district’s interest in the Supreme Court cases, spokesperson Sarah Rath directed The Sacramento Bee to Advocates for Faith & Freedom for more information about the amicus brief.
“The district is not taking a position on national politics, but we are mindful that Supreme Court decisions can impact local school policies. Having legal counsel prepared to interpret and guide us through those changes is essential,” Rath said.
Libertarian thinktank the Cato Institute describes amicus briefs as documents filed by third parties who have a special interest or expertise in a case and want to influence the Court’s decisions.
Rath said that she is not aware of any current transgender student athletes at Placer Unified but later said that the district does not comment on individual students.
“Our responsibility is to uphold state and federal laws and to support all students in a safe and inclusive manner that protects all student athletes and upholds the tenets of Title IX,” she said.
Partisan politics at Placer Unified High School District
The board also voted 4-1 Tuesday to approve a resolution opposing Prop. 50, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ballot initiative to redraw California’s congressional districts, with Underwood again dissenting. One student board member also cast his preferential vote against the resolution.
Prop. 50 is Newsom’s response to Texas’ decision to redraw its maps to help create five Republican-dominated districts and give the GOP an advantage in the 2026 midterms. If passed, redrawn congressional maps would make it difficult for five Republican congressmembers to retain their seats.
Prop. 50 would split Placer County into several congressional districts, but Placer County High School District would be contained within one district shared with parts of Sacramento County.
“When I saw this on the agenda I was really shocked, to be honest with you,” Underwood said. “Our role is education, our role is not politics. This really has upset me to see this on the agenda, I wanted to have it pulled because that’s not what our focus should be as a trustee.”
The resolution drew a mix of public comments from a crowded board room — several thanked the trustees for their leadership on the issue while many more questioned the board’s involvement in partisan politics, saying that it was inappropriate and distracting from the issues facing Placer students.
Board President Jessica Spaid justified the move legally and ethically, saying that it has been well-vetted by the district’s legal staff.
“It’s my belief that (Prop. 50) is going to hurt our ability to advocate and that is one of our roles as a board,” Spaid said. “Another comment was made about staying apolitical, unfortunately things happen in our legislature where we have to take a stand on behalf of our students and constituents.”
Spaid went on to say that while the school district would not be split among multiple representatives, it would make lobbying legislators alongside the Placer County Office of Education logistically difficult.
“Be it resolved that the Placer Union High School District formally opposes Proposition 50 as it requires diversion of state funds for a costly special election that is politically motivated, undermining voter intent and would fragment Placer County school districts into four congressional districts which could change our educational goals,” the resolution reads.
In the same meeting, Spaid held a moment of silence for conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was shot last week while speaking at Utah Valley University. She had previously eulogized him in a letter sent to the district community.
Local and national leaders who memorialized Kirk have drawn criticism for whitewashing his legacy as a provocateur, drawing attention to his remarks that the 1964 Civil Rights Act was a “huge mistake” and that Islam “is not compatible with Western civilization.”
“Charlie Kirk, an influential political figure and activist who inspired countless young people, was tragically taken from us at the age of 31. A young father and devoted husband, Charlie was fatally shot on September 10, 2025, while speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University, simply for sharing his faith and beliefs. As the founder of Turning Point USA, Charlie challenged narratives, championed free speech, and inspired students like ours to engage in debate and critical thinking. In his memory, our flags fly at half-mast across all our campuses, a solemn tribute to a man whose passion for ideas touched so many,” Spaid wrote in the Sept. 11 email.
This story was originally published September 17, 2025 at 4:43 PM.
