The California Legislature is moving a bill through the legislative process that could very well criminalize passionate parents that speak up a school board meetings. Indeed, the law could apply to any passionate community partner who dares to voice a contrary opinion to the powers that be. The bill is “SB 596 School Employees: Protection,” and was last seen in the Assembly’s Public Safety Committee on July 11. It passed with a 6-0 vote.
SB 596 was introduced by State Senator Portantino (D-San Fernando Valley) back in February 2023. The bill amends an existing law which makes it a misdemeanor for any “person” to threaten or harass a school employee during the “course of [their] duties“. The offense is punishable by a $500-$1,000 fine and up to a year in jail.
Sounds reasonable. Evidently Portantino didn’t think so, or he perhaps he just wanted to one-up the Biden administration’s DoJ attacks on parents. In any case, Portantino, who has a background in education and receives 20% of his campaign contributions from the labor sector (including teacher unions), saw fit to intimidate the public by suggesting amendments to the California Code.
SB 596 would expand the code to include causing “substantial disorder” at any meeting of school boards, charter school boards, county boards of education, and even the State Board of Education itself. The bill also expands the definition of “school employee” to any official or employees of those boards, and their families.
The bill does not provide a definition for “substantial disorder.” However, the bill does define “harassment,” or rather redefines it. Gone is the definition from the penal code which describes harassment as “following,” “stalking,” or making harassing phone calls or correspondence to an individual. In it is “a pattern of conduct composed of two or more acts…evidencing a continuity of purpose.”
What does that even mean? If a parent questions a principal or a teacher more than once, which would result in hurt feelings, does that evidence a continuity of purpose?
A similar change was made for the definition of harassment. Gone is the “credible threat of violence… annoys, or harasses,” in is “torments, or terrorizes.”
In California-speak, that means school boards get to decide what is substantial and what is not; what is harassment and what is not. In Totalitarian-speak that means don’t dare even think about going to a school board meeting and question their narrative or policies. Totalitarians prefer community partners that are subdued, compliant, and simply to terrified to question their betters. Totalitarians criminalize passionate passionate parents and community partners that upset the status quo.
From California Globe
What part of the First Amendment do the leftist nimrods running this state not understand?
Another T-ball set-up for the US Supreme Court.
Snowflake school boards think anything who disagrees with them is a threat. We cannot allow these weaklings to punish people who call them out for their woke anti parent agenda. Disagreement, even when strong and loud, is not a crime, or even a potential crime.
Scotus, call your office….
DoJ attacks on parents are Gestapo tactics. Parents are responsible for raising their children not school unions!
Yeah, but BLM and Antifa burning down city blocks, businesses, cars, and terrorizing citizens get a pass. Because Democrats like that kind of disorder since it increases their power.
Just so we’re clear: stealing merchandise is not punished in California, but speaking out at school board meetings will be.
California is being turned into a hellish place to live. Might as well be Communist China or North Korea. Get out. Get away from Democrats.
The only to combat these divisive tactics is to pray the Rosary everyday as families. The devil is trying to destroy the family. Pray, Pray, Pray!
They were saying that in the 1980s. I don’t think it has worked because things have just gotten worse. Maybe try something else.
Or else it is working, and Evil has been forced to up its ante, in an act of desperation.
If that’s true, then it would have been better not to pray, right? If praying causes evil to up its ante, then praying only makes things worse. That’s essentially what you’re saying. Think.
https://www.logicalfallacies.org/proving-too-much.html
Who’s going to watch the watchers!
Y’all freaking out over nothing.
it’s so cute that you’re in denial.
No, y’all are in denial.
I did not have my kids in public schools but we always had to sign agreements that we would not harass teachers or school employees. Christian schools.
But, here in Newsom Nation, you can block traffic, riot (for a leftist cause), defecate on the sidewalk, steal up to $1,000 per “visit” from your local stores, camp and leave garbage anywhere, use your food stamps card at restaurants and use any restroom or personal pronoun of your choice. Besides, relax, the government and teachers’ union are happy to raise your children. Remember, they’re experts and you are not.
“In Totalitarian-speak that means don’t dare even think about going to a school board meeting and question their narrative or policies. Totalitarians prefer community partners that are subdued, compliant, and simply to terrified to question their betters. Totalitarians criminalize passionate passionate parents and community partners that upset the status quo.”
There seems to be a very across the board animus toward the free expression of ideas by the left– in schools, business, entertainment, media and politics. The left tries to get away with this by claiming the moral high ground, whether charging their opponents with harassment, racism, or some other “ism.” It’s a remarkable herd, or mob, mentality. How do schools field debate teams any longer?
In Canada, a Muslim parents’ group is inviting all to join them in a “Million Person March” against LGBT and gender ideology, sex ed., pornography, etc. etc. in Canadian schools. We need very strong Faith and Family groups here in California to strongly fight the Satanic liberal evils, and bring about a big change in our society– back to God, family and country, with good Faith and Family values, morality and decency.
Democrats want to take away your guns, your religion, your gas stove, your gas car, your gas water heater, your plastic utensils, your plastic bags, your safety from criminals, your wealth, and your speech. In sum, they want to take away your freedom. They are the Communist party of America.
California Globe may be the most right-wing paper in the state if not the country.
Parents have the right to raise their children, not the teachers union – true
Parents and anyone else have the right to free speech – yes
Free speech does not include harassment to the point of physical threats.
A good education involves learning about things you do not approve of and considering them in the development of your own value system.
Parents have the right to suggest that schools and libraries pay close attention to age-appropriate books and materials.
I’ve never known a teacher who was grooming kids to be gay – accepting people for whom they are is not grooming.
I’m willing to bet that most people who complain about the books in schools have never read them.
We need to argue with facts, not political gotchas.
What’s the most left-wing newspaper in the state?
The San Francisco Comical?
There are facts in the article. The Globe is honest about its bias. So-called “mainstream” media outlets are not. They’re largely reporting woke propaganda as fact.
The current situation is extremely unusual, Bob One. Go see the books, movies, videos, etc. at your local children’s library– take a good look. I have been complaining about inappropriate and immoral books and materials at the local children’s libraries, for a number of years now. Try taking young grandchildren to local children’s libraries– and closely examine everything. The first things you will notice– are LGBT books on display, about families headed by “two mommies” or “two daddies.” And books indoctrinating children about all sorts of inappropriate stuff. Want to check out a children’s book glorifying Harvey Milk? Or a violent, BLM or Antifa (etc.) liberal leftist activist? Or a book glorifying Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood? Today, it is much worse– there is pornography; you would be so ashamed and embarrassed to pick up and flip through one of these books. And there are LGBT books packed with filthy language and pictures, from the LGBT lifestyle. All of this would normally be banned, down at some local dirty bookstore– because it is filth– for minors. And no, education is not meant to “learn about things you do not approve of.” A school must teach and uphold good, decent morality, and wholesome family values. All children must be taught the Golden Rule, and to live by it. And all kids must be taught love and respect for their family, their school, community and country. And teach them love and respect for God, in Christian or Catholic schools.
Emily Drabinski, the new president of the ALA (American Library Association)– a self-proclaimed lesbian and Marxist– is shocked, because a number of states are threatening to defund their libraries, expel the ALA, and establish their own library system. Montana has already defunded and expelled the ALA library system. More states are also joining the movement. Ms. Drabinski said she had wanted to “celebrate” being a Marxist and a lesbian– and had thought the public would want to join her, and was shocked at the big backlash. Many officials in various states, are noting that you must agree to uphold and support the American Constitution, to establish a public organization in their state, such as a public library system. You cannot be a subversive Marxist. State officials are also concerned about the extremely offensive leftist LGBT and gender ideology children’s books and materials, pornography, and other extremely offensive ALA-approved and supported material. The ALA should long ago have been defunded, expelled, and completely disbanded.
https://uscatholic.org/articles/202308/toxic-home-school-culture-is-a-catholic-problem-too/
Some things to pray over.
Our homeschooling wasn’t bad until I moved to California. In California, they require an approved program where before I could tailor homeschooling to my child’s abilities, interests and learning style.
That was the end of it. He ended up in private schools which, just like homeschooling, has good things and bad things.
It should be noted, that abusive people can be found anywhere. But most homeschooling families are very dedicated, and have excellent results. There are many excellent Catholic homeschooling programs today, that emphasize homeschool families getting together regularly, to support each other– especially, families from their church. We have a definite crisis today, in our American culture, and in the public schools. It is extremely serious, worse than many can ever imagine. A good family– and particularly, devout Catholic families– must serve only God, and responsibly live apart from the mainstream pagan culture, as I and my family have done, since about 1970. And raise kids successfully, and responsibly, with good Catholic religious teaching and practice, good Catholic family values, and academic excellence, for a good future. This is the beginning of bringing Christ’s Culture of Life to the world. Many good parents today, are desperate. Their tax dollars are going to support indoctrination in leftist garbage in public schools– and poor academics. Many kids end up unable to read beyond perhaps a third-grade level, and fail in other subjects. We need a Congressional investigation and clean-up of American public schools.
You are supposed to bring Christ to others.
Your posts make sense now that I learn you have been socially isolated since 1970.
One of the problems with isolation is that you raise kids to live in a world that does not exist.
No. You are not supposed to be worldly, and live like the rest of the fallen, sinful world. Christ calls you out of the fallen, sinful world, to live a new life in Him, leading to Salvation. Yes, it is a hard and lonely life at times. You must be strong, and walk His path. I always think of Psalm I, “Beatus vir,” in Latin. Go read it. Since ancient times in Israel, God has told His people how He wants them to live. A good life, a “righteous” life, a blessed life, solely dedicated to God, takes a lot of dedication and maturity. You must separate yourself quietly from the world, and serve the Lord, with your family, in your own household. Joshua 24:15. ” But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” That is what God calls Catholics to do. Live as the Holy Family lived, a life lovingly, deeply dedicated solely to God, long ago.
,
Parts of your post are right.
We are intended to be in the world but not of the world.
John 17:14-19
God does want us to obey Psalm 1 but you are misrepresenting it.
Some times God calls people to isolate like hermits and monks.
God calls people to different kinds of service-prayer, good works, spread the Gospel.
I don’t second guess your life choices. Obviously, the Holy Family did not live in isolation. A carpenter is a busy workman. Mary was invited or even working at the wedding at Cana.
I am sure they spent much time in prayer, especially the psalms.
The Hidden Life does not mean that they did not associate with other people.
Wait a minute…why are you posting here if you are out of the world?
Why would you even have the Internet?
To isolation and why internet: Neither of you are devout Catholics nor followers of Christ. What a shame that is! God expects a lot, of good, devout Catholics. Firstly, He asks for repentance of sin, and to lead a very good life, and follow Catholic teachings. As Jesus told His disciples, you live in the world, but you are not of the world. You belong to Him. Jesus and the Holy Family, and His disciples and friends– were all devout, good
Jews. They followed 613 strict Jewish laws, daily, and could not mix with Gentiles. To follow Our Lord, you cannot be worldly, and follow the sinful ways of the world. You are called to a blessed life with Jesus. You must happily make a big commitment to Christ– out of love for Him– and follow Church teaching and laws, and live as a good, devout Catholic and Christian. Doesn’t matter what your neighbors do.
Reply to in but not of: You misread my comment. Jesus and the Holy Family, and all His disciples and friends, were all good Jews, faithfully following God’s Laws, and observed 613 Jewish laws, daily. They could not mix with Gentiles. But they were not isolated. They were all devout Jews, following their beloved religion, together. They avoided “bad Jews,” like the Pharisees. Christ rebuked the Pharisees, they were hypocrites. The Wedding at Cana, and all other events in their lives– were all Jewish! Not Gentile! All good, devout Catholics, old or young, who follow Jesus, will tell you the same thing, exactly— you happily lead a different kind of life, out of liove for Him, and you follow Church teachings– which the world may scorn, and may even persecute you for. You will probably just be kind to them, and ignore them, they do not understand. Devout Catholics are not “isolated,” they just follow Christ faithfully. (Devout Protestants do likewise.) You have no interest to mix with anyone who scorns or persecutes you, for desiring to follow Christ, and lead a good life. You mix only with families who are leading the same kind of life, with lots of companionship, love, mutual support, and sharing. For young, devout Catholics, there are many good youth groups that do likewise, and many of the young find good marriage partners there. They go to Mass, Adoration, Rosary, and other religious devotions together, and are involved doing Pro Life and many other good works for the Church. You also will get together with people of faith of other denominations, or even other religions, for Pro Life, Pro Traditional Marriage, Pro Traditional, Good Schools, and other very good causes.
I will remind you that the Holy Family lived in Egypt.
And as for avoiding Pharisees-the finding in the Temple.
Of course Jesus mixed with Pagans, Samaritans (who were hated by the Jews and bad Jews..
He even touched lepers which makes one unclean under Jewish law.
To lepers– the whole point is, a good, devout Catholic should just ignore what others do, just follow
one’s religious faith, and faithfully serve Christ. We will soon celebrate a Holy Day of Obligation, the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady. We will go to Mass, honor Our Blessed Mother, offer prayers, and observe Our Lady’s special Feast. Others will do other things on that day. Our Western culture has fallen into a great deal of Godless anti-Christian sin, filth and destruction. We, as Catholics and Christians, must avoid and ignore all of that filth and sin, and sinful lifestyles, of others, all around us– and keep on living our lives of religious faith, in love and devotion to Our Lord. It is a big responsibility! Pray, honor Our Lady, go to Confession, observe the Eucharistic Fast, get all ready for the big Holy Day, the Assumption Feast, Aug. 15th! When the Holy Family went to Egypt, they lived as devout Jews.They probably conversed with some Gentiles at times, but mainly went about their business, as good Jews. They did not mix their devout Jewish life and beliefs with the lifestyle and beliefs of Gentiles, or pagans. Catholics are called to lead a very unique life, in devotion to Christ. If interested, go talk to a priest about it.
A life dedicated to Christ requires a lot of maturity. There are even very young people, laymen, in high school or college, who give their lives to Christ, and courageously change their lives, in every way, to follow their beloved Lord. Some of these young people are converts from Islam, in the Middle East and Africa– and are persecuted and even killed, for their conversion to Our Lord. These good young Catholics and other Christians deserve respect and admiration, for their deep dedication and love for Christ! Some of these heroes and martyrs become beautiful Saints.
Reply to: please do not follow lay people or suspended priests.
Somewhere, somehow, some who? You are getting bad instruction.
Not on your lifestyle but on the Catholic religion.
Some vowed religious leave the world to seek God.
They are not rejecting the world. They are seeking what is above.
Other vowed religious go into the world to help the poor or do other works of mercy.
But they are not of the world. They take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
Not all do though.
To bad instruction– Everyone knows, that to devoutly follow Christ, you must lead a completely different life than those who may lead lives of sin. It is a simple thing. Today’s world is filled with sin, and sinful lifestyles, and rebellion against God. To follow the Catholic Faith is a big responsibility. And you must keep your children away from bad influences, help them socialize with other kids from good families in your parish school or homeschool group, dedicated to the Catholic Faith. There are also other non-Catholic, good Protestant families, doing the same thing. This is a very simple, ancient truth. I am now elderly, and to this day, have kept the Faith, like a great many others, who love and follow Christ. There are many young Catholics today, getting married, raising children, doing the same thing. Many decades ago, I used to know a good Catholic lady who was blessed with boy/girl twins. I often would go over to help her, because she came down with a tragic illness. She used to say, “oh, I just want my beautiful children, whom I am so blessed by God to have — to grow up right, with good influences, and learn their Catholic Faith well. I don’t want them to grow up– and shack-up– and take drugs, and ruin their lives.” She was weakened by her illness, and hoped to do her best by her kids. She had a wonderful husband, and they often prayed the Rosary together. And their lovely Catholic family ended up just great! She ended up in a wheelchair, but was a wonderful, dedicated Catholic mom, with a heart of gold– with a wonderful Catholic husband, and great kids! Today, her kids are grown up and married, and she is a proud grandma.
Nice pivot.
My mom was a Catholic who went to Catholic schools in the 1930s, 40s and 50s.
You could create a quiz where she could get every question right.
But you could just as easily create a quiz where she wouldn’t know a single answer.
If you gave her a quiz on the why’s of religious practice, she could not tell you.
She was very smart and got a lot of special attention in high school. She could even understand Latin.
She would never have read the Bible. She prayed the Rosary.
The way people were trained in the faith back then was “Here is the rules. Follow them and you won’t go to hell.”
Or rather “Here are the rules. Follow them or you will go to hell.”
Most older people I knew did not have any assurance they would go to Heaven.
They thought they would go to Purgatory or they did not think about it.
“I’ll see when I get there.”
Bless your good mother. You may never know, exactly, about her interior spiritual life, being a child. All Catholic children must learn the Catechism. Our religion must not be used as a means of abuse to children, or to anyone. I have known math and English teachers who abused students so badly, that they stated they never again wanted to go near that subject! What a shame! There have been wonderful priests and nuns in all eras, who were excellent religion teachers. And there have also been very bad ones. One thing that is very important, is to be objective and use reason and common sense, with religion, as St. Thomas Aquinas taught. If a religion teacher gets off-track, and says rashly, that someone is “going to hell”– that goofed-up teacher must be carefully and objectively questioned, as to their reasons for saying such a thing. Prove it, objectively. Our Catholic religion is not based on a bunch of personal, emotional experiences, biases, or superstitious “baloney.” Look to the Catechism and Bible, for your reasoning for all things, in our religion– it’s all there. Christ was never abusive. He rebuked sinners and desired to free mankind of sin, and open wide the gates of Heaven for us. Heaven is a gift of God, and a great and beautiful Divine Mystery. Best to lead a good life, and know God loves us, and has the best in mind for us. We must seek to live and to die in a state of grace, with lots of faith, knowing God loves us dearly, and has the very best in His Divine Heart for us. God is a great Mystery, we just have to trust Him, and trust in His great Divine Love for us, in a very simple way.
One of the very greatest Catholic catechists of the 20th century, was Ven. Fulton J. Sheen. Especially during the 1930s and ’40s, he brought tons of people into the Church– famous ones and just everyday, ordinary people. His radio broadcasts on the “Catholic Hour,” as well as his famous sermons and lectures at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC and elsewhere — plus, his numerous books, pamphlets, and newspaper and magazine articles, inspired many to join the Church– and strengthened the Faith of millions of cradle Catholics, too. Sheen held a great many classes in the Catholic Faith in many cities, on the East Coast, and they were always full. He also instructed converts privately. Later, he won many awards for his famous TV show, “Life is Worth Living.” Ven. Abp. Sheen inspired millions of people to join, or be strengthened in, the Catholic Faith. He was quite gifted. Hope he will advance on the journey to possible canonization.
I think there are a lot of people, both priests (even a bishop or two) and lay people who aspire to be what Fulton Sheen was. They all fall short.
The California Family Council, along with several other groups, is having a big Rally and Lobby Training Day, at the State Capital in Sacramento, on Mon. Aug. 21st, from 9am-4pm. Please call (866) 866-7993 for information, and registration. The fee is just $5, and the parents’ lobbying training is included.
if you can’t beat ’em – Leave ’em.
“California will put school parents on defensive”
Does this mean school boards are “offensive?”
“California will put school parents on defensive”
Does this mean school boards are “offensive?”