Overview: Assemblymembers Bill Essayli and Leticia Castillo have called for the resignation of Riverside Unified School District Superintendent Renee Hill due to her alleged favoritism towards transgender students and disregard for students’ First Amendment rights. This comes after two female students, K.S. and T.S., filed a complaint against the district after being replaced by a transgender student on the varsity cross country team at Martin Luther King High School. The complaint alleges that the district failed to uphold Title IX policies and restricted the students’ First Amendment rights.
Breanna Reeves
Assemblymembers Bill Essayli (R-Norco) and Leticia Castillo (R-Corona) called for the resignation of Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) Superintendent Renee Hill during a board of education meeting on Thursday, Dec. 19.
The assembly members accuse Hill of favoring transgender policies and disregarding students’ First Amendment Rights. These accusations come after two female students, K.S. and T.S., filed a complaint last November against the district after the two failed to secure spots on the varsity cross country team at Martin Luther King High School. T.S., a junior, was replaced on the team by a transgender student referred to as M.L. K.S. is a freshman.
After T.S. was ousted, she and K.S. wore T-shirts that read “Save Girls’ Sports” and “It’s Common Sense. XX≠XY.” They were ordered to remove the T-shirts by school staff who informed them that their shirts created a “hostile environment,” according to the complaint. The complaint stated that school officials likened their shirts to them wearing a swastika.
“What was really the final line for me, and I’m sorry, is that one girl spoke out, and they wore this t-shirt. They were compared to Nazis. That’s not acceptable,” Essayli said during the board meeting’s public comment section.
“That is a failure of leadership. It’s a failure to foster a culture that’s respectful of dialog. And for that reason, Ms. Hill, I’m sorry, but I have to ask for you to resign. You and your team have not handled this issue well.”
Although Hill isn’t explicitly listed in the complaint, it is addressed to RUSD, MLK High School principal Leann Iacuone, and athletic director and assistant principal, Amanda Chann.
The complaint alleges that MLK High School “failed to uphold Title IX policies [that] placed female athletes at an unfair advantage” and restricted their First Amendment Rights.
When called for public comment during the board of education meeting, Castillo said, “It’s the first amendment right of these young ladies to express their fears; concerns about boys playing in girls sports, whether it be verbally or on a T-shirt. It’s important that [when] we are in disagreement with one another that we don’t default to calling each other names such as Nazis, in reference to a T-shirt worn by these female athletes that was referred to as being the same as a swastika.”
T.S. and K.S. are being represented by Julianne Fleischer and Robert Tyler, attorneys at Advocates for Faith & Freedom, a nonprofit law firm “dedicated to protecting religious liberty in the courts.” They are located in Murrieta.
“We will not allow boys to take over girls’ sports or let woke policies silence young women fighting for fair competition,” said Fleischer in a statement. “This case is about protecting equal opportunities and the freedom to speak out—values that should be upheld, not suppressed, in our schools.”
Dozens of public card comments were submitted during the board meeting, most of which were addressed to Hill and the board. Although Hill had no comment, newly appointed board president Brent Lee allowed members of the public to speak for an abbreviated two minutes instead of three minutes to account for the number of comments.
Comments were made in opposition of Hill and in support of Hill, while other comments addressed LGBTQIA+ student rights in the district and made references to biology. Several speakers wore similar shirts as students T.S. and K.S., with “It’s Common Sense. XX≠XY” printed on the back.
Dr. Regina Patton-Stell, president of the NAACP Riverside branch, spoke in support of Hill and acknowledged that the role of superintendent is a “tough job.”
“You’re not only knowledgeable, but your educational knowledge of educational code is [merited]. You know the codes and you know them well,” Dr. Patton-Stell said, addressing Hill. “It’s often very difficult to legislate that and to balance that, but you have the magic and you have our support. It’s disheartening to hear that we are succumbing to political stuff. These are our kids. I know there’s a solution to this.”
Dr. Patton-Stell’s comment was followed by community activist Janice Rooths, executive director of the Center Against Racism and Trauma. Rooths also spoke in support of Hill
“I also believe there are other solutions that can be worked out over time, with regard to student sports and transgender students, that can be beneficial to all students,” Rooths said.
During her comment, she also addressed newly elected officials and referenced the bullying and “assault” Black students face in the district. Two new board trustees were elected, Amanda Vickers (Area 3) and Dr. Jesse Tweed (Area 4).
“Bullying is bullying, but bullying is also a hate crime when you’re a protected class,” Rooths said. “So, if you get elected to office, I’m asking you, please represent all students, especially students who are constantly mistreated, and that includes our LGBTQ community.”
Assemblymember Dr. Corey Jackson released a statement, expressing “full confidence” in Hill and support of California’s anti-discrimination laws, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation and/or other “protected characteristics in public schools and non-religious private schools,” according to the California Education Codes.
“Students who identify as transgender deserve to be treated with respect and given the same opportunities to compete, learn, and grow alongside their peers without fear of discrimination,” Dr. Jackson stated. “Demonizing school administrators who are upholding the law only creates chaos and undermines our shared values of respect and inclusion.”
Dr. Jackson addressed his colleagues, Essayli and Castillo, in his statement, urging them to reconsider their approach.
“Fanning the flames of fear and resentment does not serve our children, our schools, or our community. Instead, we need bridge-builders — leaders who foster unity, understanding, and common ground,” Dr. Jackson stated.