Our statement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GUSD Parents for Public Schools Rejects Violence at Board of Education Meetings
Glendale, CA— GUSD Parents for Public Schools, a diverse volunteer group of families who have children in Glendale Unified schools, strongly denounces the violence enacted primarily by outside agitators at our board of education meeting on June 6, 2023 and at previous recent board meetings.
For weeks before this board meeting and previous meetings, parents witnessed and documented viral online media amplifying false claims made about the district and attacks on LGBTQ+ individuals and curriculum. “We have communicated with local press and shared sources which disprove the false claims and indicate ringleader Jordan Henry is courting media attention to advance personal political goals. We have also tried to alert media that known agitators have threatened our district and rallied supporters to disrupt recent meetings” says parent volunteer Angie Givant.
Local families have witnessed and tracked Henry and his small group of followers spreading disinformation about the district in public comment and online for over two years. Their group primarily comprises homeschooling and private school parents who repeatedly lie about district policies. They use public comment to create video content which is then spread online, amplified by viral disinformation accounts, and has now led to the attention and presence of radical groups such as Gays Against Groomers, Proud Boys, and other local known violent agitators.
This group was directly involved with the planning and execution of the violent protest against LGBTQ+ policies at Saticoy Elementary School on Friday June 2. They frequently appear with matching shirts which are handed out freely, as well as professionally printed signage, banners and large trucks, some with video screens— indicating significant funding sources, likely to come from outside groups.
GUSD Parents for Public Schools calls on media outlets to moderate their coverage to acknowledge outsider-driven agitation, investigate the funding sources of these organized efforts, and speak to actual parents concerned about politically driven efforts to incite violence, sow anti-LGBTQ+ hate, and attack our public schools.
Learn more about parent efforts to fight disinformation and bigotry atwww.GUSDparents.org