CARLSBAD, Calif. 性视界传媒 Parents are demanding answers after a self-described 性视界传媒渟cience of BDSM性视界传媒 expert from a clinic providing trans surgeries and representatives from organizations that help facilitate gender transitions were scheduled to speak at a California high school during a recent week of events supporting LGBTQ students.
In late March, parents started speaking out against a decision to allow Mita Beach, a self-described BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, masochism) expert, and representative of DAP Health, to deliver remarks at Sage Creek High School in Carlsbad, California. during a lunchtime event in the cafeteria open to all students.
Parents learned that Beach, who lists his pronouns as 性视界传媒渢hey/them性视界传媒 on his LinkedIn account, planned to speak as part of the Gender Sexuality Alliance club性视界传媒檚 性视界传媒淎lly Week性视界传媒 of events promoting the LGBTQ community and anti-bullying messaging.
After looking into his business websites and social media accounts, which contained at least one photo of Beach engaged in BDSM and listed workshops he性视界传媒檚 led on 性视界传媒淜ink 101性视界传媒 and 性视界传媒淓xamining Self-Injurious Behavior, Erotic Play, and Body Modification,性视界传媒 several concerned parents contacted the high school and district superintendent性视界传媒檚 office.
A photo of Beach, appearing to hold up a much smaller person who is grasping his bare back as whips and chains are displayed in the background, along with screenshots of his LinkedIn resume, quickly . Within 24 hours of those social media posts, the GSA club canceled Beach性视界传媒檚 appearance but moved forward with at least two other speakers from organizations that help facilitate gender transitions and surgeries. At least one of the organizations also works with other LGBTQ groups to provide or 性视界传媒渢ransitional housing性视界传媒 for LGBTQ youth who claim to be homeless because their parents aren性视界传媒檛 supportive of their sexual orientation or gender transitions.
Over the last several weeks, parents of students who attend the high school have leveled a flurry of formal complaints about the school性视界传媒檚 decision to allow the speakers on campus and the educators性视界传媒 responses defending the club性视界传媒檚 invitations. Each side is digging in and each cites California and federal law. Parents and other concerned citizens also about the Ally Week speakers during a recent school board meeting.
The uproar is taking place amid a series of high-profile legal battles over the promotion of gender ideology in schools and questions over how far President Trump and his administration will go to stop it. The controversy also comes amid a nationwide debate over local school districts allowing, and at times facilitating, students性视界传媒 gender transitions while intentionally keeping that information from children性视界传媒檚 parents.
Trump issued three executive orders in late January directing federal agencies to end 性视界传媒溞允咏绱綕 in K-12 schools across the country, with one specifically deriding some schools性视界传媒 practice of 性视界传媒渄eliberately blocking parental oversight.性视界传媒 One of the executive orders demands an end to gender ideology instruction and activities in public schools, as well as what the White House describes as聽 性视界传媒渄iscriminatory equity ideology,性视界传媒 a term used to describe the practice of teaching awareness of race and privilege-based oppression.
The executive orders direct Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in consultation with Attorney General Pam Bondi, to provide an 性视界传媒渆nding indoctrination strategy性视界传媒 to the White House within 90 days. The agencies have yet to publicly disclose the details of the strategy and whether the Department of Education will move forward with Trump性视界传媒檚 demand to withhold federal education funds from states they find in violation of the order.
In late March, the Trump administration also launched an investigation into the California Department of Education over school districts withholding information from parents about their children性视界传媒檚 gender transitions.
The U.S. Department of Education announced the citing concerns that state education officials 性视界传媒減layed a role性视界传媒 in violating federal law by 性视界传媒渟ocially transition[ing] children at school while hiding minors性视界传媒 gender identity from parents.性视界传媒
Any punitive action against schools by the Trump administration will undoubtedly face resistance from judges and courts. But an upcoming Supreme Court decision could reset the legal playing field 性视界传媒 at least when it comes to allowing parents choices when their children are being taught gender-ideology curriculum at public schools.
The high court is set to rule in a Maryland case in which parents sued the Montgomery County Board of Education for the right to opt out of instruction that includes storybooks featuring gender identity and sexual orientation.
LGBTQ advocates and their allies are warning that Trump性视界传媒檚 executive order limiting gender-ideology activities and instruction on K-12 campuses could be creating on teachers性视界传媒 and administrators性视界传媒 willingness to embrace discussions or curriculum about sexual orientation and anti-bullying lessons on campuses across the country.
The American Civil Liberties Union, and other civil rights organizations, have on college and high school campuses across the country as a way for students to 性视界传媒渋dentify, support and celebrate性视界传媒 allies to LGBTQ students. The leaders of the clubs hosting the events often ask students, teachers, and staff to sign a pledge supporting efforts to end bullying and harassment of LGBTQ students.
But here in this seaside Southern California city, the GSA club性视界传媒檚 Ally Week is going beyond rallying around an anti-bullying message in hosting speakers who have worked with students and even adult military servicemen and women to help facilitate gender transitions.
In response to parent complaints, school officials at Sage Creek High School and its school district argue they have no obligation or even a role in providing an opt-out opportunity for students whose parents disagree with the content on religious or moral grounds. School and district officials also are standing by a decision not to alert parents about the speakers or allow parents on campus to hear the content of these speakers性视界传媒 remarks.
Two days before Ally Week was scheduled to begin, Josh Way, Sage Creek性视界传媒檚 principal, informed parents via email about the GSA club性视界传媒檚 week of events promoting support for the LGBTQ+ community. Most parents were already aware of Ally Week性视界传媒檚 anti-bullying messaging. For the past six years, the week-long series of events, most of which are held in the cafeteria at lunchtime, had taken place featuring speakers that included local elected officials and the school district性视界传媒檚 superintendent.
In a March 22 email to parents, the principal laid out the federal and state laws that he said support and encourage GSA性视界传媒檚 activities. But Way notably did not disclose the identities and backgrounds of the speakers the club had invited.
Way asserted in the same email that California law 性视界传媒渆mphasizes creating safe school environments and does not require notification about specific clubs or their meetings.性视界传媒 He also stressed the 性视界传媒渋mportance of student privacy and the right to form supportive communities within the school setting.性视界传媒
When a concerned parent asked to attend Beach性视界传媒檚 remarks, Way rejected the parent性视界传媒檚 request. According to email correspondence reviewed by RealClearPolitics, Way acknowledged the state law allowing parents to observe their students性视界传媒 instruction and activities on campus. But he argued that the parent性视界传媒檚 student wasn性视界传媒檛 a member of the GSA club and hadn性视界传媒檛 attended any of its events, so likely wouldn性视界传媒檛 attend this week性视界传媒檚 event. 聽
The parent countered that he believed his child was planning to participate because the speeches were occurring in the cafeteria at lunchtime with no requirement that only members of the GSA club can attend or that students are required to sign up before attending. He also noted that several parents planned to show up at the school to hear Beach性视界传媒檚 and other speakers性视界传媒 remarks.
Way wrote back informing the parent that Beach性视界传媒檚 appearance had been canceled and that he and other staffers planned to deny parents access to the lunchtime activities if the GSA had not invited them onto the campus that day.
Neither Way nor Carlsbad Unified School District Superintendent Rick Schmitt returned RealClearPolitics性视界传媒 inquiries. RCP also reached out to DAP Health and San Diego性视界传媒檚 Trans Family Support Services, the organizations employing two of the originally planned speakers, but did not receive a response.
On May 8, Assistant Superintendent Megan Arias responded to a parent性视界传媒檚 complaints with a six-page denial. The letter claimed that the district cannot restrict a student club性视界传媒檚 guest speakers because of their 性视界传媒渁ffiliation with or membership in an organization absent reasonable support that the guest speaker性视界传媒檚 presentation will result in substantial interference with the operations of the school site.性视界传媒
The GSA性视界传媒檚 decision to cancel Beach性视界传媒檚 appearance, Arias claimed, was made by club members alone and was 性视界传媒渘ot due to any influence from district or school site administration.性视界传媒
The letter also cited 性视界传媒淔irst Amendment implications,性视界传媒 and asserted that case law recognizes that 性视界传媒渢hough the state education system has the awesome responsibility of inculcating moral and political values, that does not permit educators to act as 性视界传媒榯hought police性视界传媒 inhibiting all discussion that is not approved by, and in accord with the official position of, that state.性视界传媒
The positions expressed in Arias性视界传媒 letter reflect a broader push in public schools in California and elsewhere to keep information about students性视界传媒 gender transitions from parents.
California last year became the first state in the U.S. to bar school districts from requiring staff to notify parents of their gender identification change under legislation signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The new law prohibits school rules requiring teachers and other staff to disclose a student性视界传媒檚 gender identity or sexual orientation to any other person without the student性视界传媒檚 permission.
In the case of Sage Creek性视界传媒檚 Ally Week speakers, parents found out about the speakers性视界传媒 bios from the GSA性视界传媒檚 Instagram posts promoting the names of the 性视界传媒渟pecial guest性视界传媒 speakers and events including a 性视界传媒淕a(y)me Day性视界传媒 that promised 性视界传媒済ames, treats and swag性视界传媒 and a joint 性视界传媒淐elebration of Pride & Unity性视界传媒 event with another public high school on Friday after school. The speakers listed on the Instagram post included Mita Beach of DAP Health, a medical clinic in Palm Springs that provides gender-altering surgeries 性视界传媒渁s part of its mission,性视界传媒 its website states. 聽
Beach serves as the clinic’s director of operations for specialty and gender health and wellness and previously served as a “trans healthcare navigator” at a different medical clinic. His resume notes that he serves as a “subject matter expert” on a team dealing with bondage, discipline, and sadomasochism.
性视界传媒淪cientific research focuses on alternative sexualities, particularly BDSM, with special interests in the motivations for the voluntary experience of pain, altered states of consciousness, extreme rituals, and sadism,性视界传媒 Beach states on his LinkedIn profile.
Parents then uncovered the graphic photos of Beach on his social media displaying large pentagram tattoos on his chest and back along with memes and cartoons with Satanic or anti-Christian themes. Beach also posted flyers promoting Virtual Trans Peer Support Groups on topics such as 性视界传媒渟urgery intervention & pathways性视界传媒 that he marketed as open to 性视界传媒渢rans/nonbinary folks and their families ages 16+.性视界传媒
Melissa O性视界传媒機onnor, who calls herself a 性视界传媒渃itizen journalist,性视界传媒 posted the photos of Beach and several of his Instagram and LinkedIn pages on her own Instagram account the day before Beach was scheduled to speak. O性视界传媒機onnor性视界传媒檚 post included a warning to local parents that he would be speaking to Sage Creek High School students that Thursday and questioned whether the GSA club advisor, an English teacher at the school, had vetted and approved his invitation.
The Instagram post began circulating among Sage Creek High School parents and other Carlsbad residents, several of whom contacted Principal Way with their concerns.
By the time Beach性视界传媒檚 scheduled talk was canceled, Monday性视界传媒檚 and Tuesday性视界传媒檚 speakers had already visited the school and made their remarks. Those speakers were: Joscelyn Inton-Campbell, a manager at Trans Family Support Services in San Diego, a nonprofit that provides 性视界传媒渇amily coaching, assistance with healthcare and insurance issues, help navigating the legal system, and support at schools,性视界传媒 according to its website.
In 2022, the group hosted what it described as 性视界传媒渁 family-friendly性视界传媒 queer Halloween party with a Disney villain-themed drag show, an event that made national news after parents objected to a flyer promoting attendance being included in a weekly digital newsletter sent to all public elementary school parents in Encinitas Unified School District. The event was sponsored by Rich性视界传媒檚 San Diego, a popular gay nightclub in downtown San Diego, and Align Surgical Associates, a gender-reassignment surgery program.
The other speaker was Dr. Karl Pongyingpis, a psychologist affiliated with the Navy Medical Center in San Diego who 聽assisted servicemembers with their gender transitions before the Trump administration banned trans individuals from serving in the military and put a halt to all military-assisted gender transition surgeries and other gender-transition medical care. In early May the Supreme Court upheld the ban on trans individuals in the military.
A source who attended Pongyingpis性视界传媒 remarks to the high school students said he coached them on buzzwords to use with doctors and psychologists to attain a gender dysphoria diagnosis and receive gender-transitioning care. Pongyingpis also complained about the Trump administration性视界传媒檚 ban on trans people serving in the military and gave his cell phone number to the students, suggesting they call him directly with any questions.
Efforts to reach Pongyingpis were unsuccessful.
So far, the Trump administration has focused many of its fights over woke activities in public schools on higher education. In early May, McMahon launched an investigation into Washington state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal性视界传媒檚 office for allowing biologically male trans athletes on girls性视界传媒 sports teams.
It性视界传媒檚 unclear when or if the Department of Education, in conjunction with the Justice Department, will investigate so-called 性视界传媒渋ndoctrination性视界传媒 activities taking place in elementary and secondary public schools as Trump性视界传媒檚 late January executive order pledges to do.
Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal advocacy group, this year has filed two complaints against public high schools with the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Education calling for investigations. In one of the complaints, ADF attorneys are representing two female high school track-and-field athletes in Spokane who have been forced to compete against a biological male who previously competed in the high school boys性视界传媒 team.
In that case, ADF contends that Washington state officials are violating Title IX性视界传媒檚 guarantee that students receive equal opportunity to enjoy education benefits regardless of sex.
In the other, ADF joined the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty and Parents Defending Education in urging the Department of Education to investigate Milwaukee Public Schools性视界传媒 性视界传媒済ender transition性视界传媒 policy. The policy allows school staff to create a 性视界传媒淕ender Support Plan性视界传媒 and 性视界传媒淕ender Communications Plan性视界传媒 for minor students without notifying parents and then hides the plans from the students性视界传媒 records to prevent parents from accessing them.
The organizations allege that Milwaukee public schools are directly violating federal law.
性视界传媒淧arents ought to be in the driver性视界传媒檚 seat when it comes to their own child性视界传媒檚 education,性视界传媒 ADF attorney Vincent Wagner told RCP. 性视界传媒淭hey性视界传媒檙e the ones who have the fundamental right to make decisions about how their kids are educated.性视界传媒
Wagner cited the pending Maryland case before the Supreme Court in which parents are objecting on religious grounds to their children receiving instruction about gender and sexuality instruction that was integrated throughout the day. He argues that the same sort of legal issues could be at play in Sage Creek High School性视界传媒檚 Ally Week, in which parents didn性视界传媒檛 know about the speakers性视界传媒 bios so didn性视界传媒檛 have a chance to prevent their children from participating.
Wagner cited a long legal precedent for respecting parents性视界传媒 religious liberty and objections in public schools. In a famous 1948 case, the high court sided with a Jehovah性视界传媒檚 Witness student whose parents objected to him saluting and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
性视界传媒淭he same principle would apply when we性视界传媒檙e talking about these novel ideas about gender and sexuality that so many religions have problems with,性视界传媒 he said. 聽
