Supporting Equality
Superintendent Carvalho Turns His Back On LGBTQ+ Students
The Florida transplant ignores a lesson on the LAUSD’s long history of supporting LGBTQ+ students. Will the board hold him accountable?
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- LAUSD Resolution
The LAUSD’s new Superintendent must have experienced severe culture shock when he made his move from Florida to California. As a superintendent in Miami, Alberto M. Carvalho was used to operating in an environment where the law makes unions weak. While Florida’s leadership ignored the risks of the COVID-19, the state of California took steps to protect its citizens. The Governor of the “Sunshine States” seeks to increase his presidential prospects by attacking the LGBTQ+ community while the leadership of the LAUSD has long sought to improve its treatment of these students.
At this week’s LAUSD Board Meeting, I used my public comment to remind district leadership of the commitments that they have made to LGBTQ+ students. Instead of listening to learn, Carvalho turned his back part way through the speech and, ignoring the importance of the subject, he carried on a conversation with his leadership team. Given the smile that crossed former Interim Superintendent Megan Reilly’s face, their discussion must have been light-hearted.
The LAUSD Board needs to make it clear that Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” attitude is not acceptable in Los Angeles’ schools. As the Superintendent’s bosses, they need to set clear boundaries of what is not acceptable in our progressive district.
The following are my full comments to the board:
The LAUSD has a long history of supporting the LGBTQ+ community and showing a commitment “to ensuring safe, supportive, and welcoming campuses free from discrimination and harassment for sexual minority youth.” These programs…
