The actions of a conservative advocacy group have triggered condemnation from South Bay political and community leaders.
The group – Informed Parents of Silicon Valley – has been handing out flyers outside of schools, blasting schools for teaching critical race theory and what they call controversial curriculum.
"The bullying intimidation tactics will not be tolerated," Working Partnerships USA Executive Director Maria Noel Fernandez said Wednesday.
The group says on its website that it’s opposed to the teaching of critical race theory and so-called comprehensive sexuality education, which includes information on homosexuality and transgender identities.
It's a debate that's happening in districts across the country, but some say the group's members go too far when trying to get their message out.
Fernandez said she got a flyer while trying to walk her children to school.
"A group of people handing these flyers to every car and every parent at the school," she said. "To me, it was just another reminder of how much work we have to do."
San Jose Councilmember Pam Foley on Wednesday introduced a resolution condemning the group’s activities and declaring that the city stands behind it’s LGBTQ community.
"Bring to light hate speech that is occurring and hate behavior that is occurring targeting our children," she said. "It’s [inappropriate]. It’s unacceptable."
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Those gathered at San Jose City Hall Wednesday said the group’s actions go beyond protected free speech.
"They may be able to do it in terms of their freedom of speech, but what we know in San Jose is that it’s not OK and it’s not right," Fernandez said.
In a statement released Wednesday, Informed Parents of Silicon Valley said, in part, "We aim to protect our children from what their parents may deem to be age-inappropriate information. Those entrenched special interests are, on the contrary, often about disempowering parents."
They went on to say they are "Not anti-LGBT, don't want to ban books, and don't engage in hate speech."
The resolution proposed Wednesday will be heard and voted on at a council meeting in the next few weeks.
Last month, the Santa Clara Unified School District sent a letter to parents after a confrontation between the group and a parent at Laurelwood Elementary School led to police being called. At least one person was cited for assault and battery because of that confrontation.
The district on Thursday issued the following statement: "The district immediately filed for both civil and workplace violence restraining orders, which were not granted by the courts. Given the fact that IPSV members ceased the hostile tactics that were impinging on the rights of students, families, and staff, the district refrained from taking additional action in order to allow us to focus on our core work of educating our children and youth while preserving the right to take further legal action if the need arises in the future."
