CalElecteds

California Local Elected Officials (CLEO) of @CalPolicyCenter is a network of experienced local elected officials who are committed to principled governance.

[California Policy Center @CalPolicyCenter]

June 14 is the anniversary of the 1846 Bear Flag Revolt. But how many California students could explain the Bear Flag Republic or how California became a state? We have no idea because California eliminated statewide testing in history and social studies. https://t.co/UuhQI2C7uJ

[Lance Christensen @lancelands]

Every member of the #caleg that is supporting AB 1383 needs to know that the cost will obliterate local government budgets. This bill needs to stop.

[Ari Fleischer @AriFleischer]

Not much difference between this and southern states prior to the Civil War claiming they could nullify acts of Congress.

[CalElecteds @calelecteds]

Thinking about running for local office or preparing for your next campaign? CLEO’s nonpartisan Candidate Academy is a 10-module training for California candidates and local officials to communicate effectively with their communities.
Join CLEO today: https://t.co/iGhpFyxG4R

[California Policy Center @CalPolicyCenter]

"Congratulations to @PaulJonna and @ThomasMoreSoc on their landmark SCOTUS win. This is a major victory for California parents and their constitutional right to be the primary decision-makers in their children’s lives." — Emily Rae, President, California Justice Center

[CalElecteds @calelecteds]

Running for local office— or ready to take your campaign to the next level?
CLEO’s nonpartisan online Candidate Academy is a 10-module masterclass for CA candidates & local officials looking to communicate effectively with their constituents.
Join CLEO at https://t.co/iGhpFyydUp

[Lance Christensen @lancelands]

Sarah is one of the most respected voices in education & parental rights. We are thrilled to have her as our keynote speaker for our 5th annual Parents not Partisans legislative summit in Sacramento next month.

Please register & attend!

[CalElecteds @calelecteds]

Join California’s fastest-growing network of local elected officials committed to restoring trust in government through transparency, accountability and results-driven leadership.
Learn more at https://t.co/iGhpFyxG4R.

[Parent Union (CPC) @ParentUnionCPC]

We’re thrilled to announce @SarahPPerry of @DefendingEd will be our keynote speaker at this year’s #ParentsNotPartisans Summit, March 24–25th in Sacramento.

Space is limited — secure your spot today: https://t.co/NBRdTzE0ar

[CalElecteds @calelecteds]

Thinking about running for local elected office—or strengthening your leadership where you serve? Don't miss CLEO's Candidate & Leadership Academy. Get practical, nonpartisan training on running effective campaigns and governing with confidence.
Register: https://t.co/iGhpFyxG4R

[CalElecteds @calelecteds]

School board trustees: CPC’s Parents Not Partisans Summit returns March 24–25 in Sacramento. Connect with trustees from across the state and hear from CA leaders on education policy issues — from the Capitol to the courts. Register → https://t.co/kLWRjfXmel

[CalElecteds @calelecteds]

School board trustees: CPC’s Parents Not Partisans Summit returns March 24–25 in Sacramento. Connect with trustees from across the state and hear from CA leaders on education policy issues — from the Capitol to the courts. Register → https://t.co/kLWRjfXmel

[CalElecteds @calelecteds]

A federal judge has confirmed what many courageous CA school board trustees have said all along: schools should never keep secrets from parents.
Kudos to @ThomasMoreSoc for this victory for parental rights, and to the educators, parents & trustees who have stood firm for families

[Thomas More Society @ThomasMoreSoc]

PRESS RELEASE & STATEMENTS: Historic Class-Action Victory Permanently Blocks Gender Secrecy Policies and Restores Parental Rights

Read here: https://t.co/v2VPDF9ru7

San Diego, CA- In a landmark class-action ruling, Thomas More Society achieved a historic victory in Mirabelli, et al. v. Olson, et al., ending California’s gender secrecy policies and restoring transparency and parental involvement in public education. The decision and federal court order issuing a class-wide permanent injunction—issued by U.S. District Court Judge Roger T. Benitez just days before Christmas—secures justice not only for teachers Elizabeth Mirabelli and Lori West who began the lawsuit, but for all parents and teachers harmed by these policies statewide.

Elizabeth and Lori, faithful Christians with decades of teaching experience, loved their jobs and dedicated themselves to helping children thrive in the classroom. Under California’s Parental Exclusion Policies, children had an unqualified right to engage in a social transition to the opposite gender at school—forcing all teachers to use opposite-sex pronouns and a new name—and teachers were required to conceal that gender transition from the child’s parents absent the child’s affirmative consent.

This placed Elizabeth and Lori in an impossible position: lie to parents in violation of their faith and ethics, or risk retaliation and ultimately, their jobs. Believing it violated their sacred duty to protect students’ health, safety, and trust, they turned to Thomas More Society and filed suit. Now, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California has agreed, noting that “California’s education policymakers may be experts on primary and secondary education but they would not receive top grades as students of Constitutional Law.”

“Today’s incredible victory finally, and permanently, ends California’s dangerous and unconstitutional regime of gender secrecy policies in schools,” said Paul M. Jonna, Special Counsel at Thomas More Society and Partner at LiMandri & Jonna LLP. “The Court’s comprehensive ruling—granting summary judgment on all claims—protects all California parents, students, and teachers, and it restores sanity and common sense. With this decisive ruling from Judge Benitez, all state and local school officials that mandate gender secrecy policies should cease all enforcement or face severe legal consequences.”

“Elizabeth, Lori, and the parents who stepped forward as class representatives to fight for families everywhere are true heroes,” Jonna added. “Whether facing professional retaliation or protecting their own children, they never wavered in their commitment to faith, family, and the truth. They challenged a system that forced deception and put children at risk. Thanks to their courage, truth and justice prevailed and these unconstitutional policies can now finally be placed in the dustbin of history.”

“We are profoundly grateful for today’s ruling,” said Elizabeth Mirabelli and Lori West in a joint statement. “This has been a long and difficult journey, and we are humbled by the support we’ve received along the way. We want to extend our deepest thanks to Thomas More Society and to everyone who stood by us, prayed for us, and encouraged us from the very beginning.”

“We loved our jobs, our students, and the school communities we served,” Mirabelli and West continued. “But we were forced into an impossible position when school officials demanded that we lie to parents—violating not only our faith, but also the trust that must exist between teachers and families. No educator should ever be placed in that situation. This victory is not just ours. It is a win for honesty, transparency, and the fundamental rights of teachers and parents. We are so thankful that this chapter is finally closed and that justice has prevailed.”

“The State knew this was a losing legal battle and tried to pull out every lawyer’s trick in the book to avoid responsibility,” added Jeffrey M. Trissell, Special Counsel at Thomas More Society and attorney at LiMandri & Jonna LLP. “The Court saw right through this blatant gamesmanship. It’s an absurdity that California elected officials went out of their way to deceive parents and punish honest and faithful educators who dared to challenge their twisted political agenda.”

As the case progressed, numerous parents who had been directly harmed by these policies approached Thomas More Society. One family who joined the lawsuit only learned that their child was being addressed by a different name at school after a tragic suicide attempt. Recognizing the sweeping nature of the constitutional violations, the Court certified the lawsuit as a class action, meaning that every California parent and teacher who objects to these policies now receives justice.

“This case exposed a troubling pattern of agenda-driven adults injecting political ideology into schools, undermining trust between educators and parents, and ultimately harming children,” said Peter Breen, Executive Vice President and Head of Litigation at Thomas More Society. “Most reasonable people agree: schools should be about teaching the basics—reading, writing, arithmetic—not confusing students about gender identity. This ruling restores focus to real education and honoring the centuries-long belief that parents alone have the right to direct their child’s moral and religious upbringing, as reaffirmed by the Supreme Court this year.”

The case also revealed the extreme lengths California education officials went to evade responsibility. They misled the court by claiming these policies were no longer enforced, only to be caught red-handed enforcing them in mandatory teacher training a week before the summary judgment hearing on November 17. As a result, the Court’s order specifically directs California to add the following statement “in a prominent place” in that training:

“Parents and guardians have a federal constitutional right to be informed if their public school student child expresses gender incongruence. Teachers and school staff have a federal constitutional right to accurately inform the parent or guardian of their student when the student expresses gender incongruence. These federal constitutional rights are superior to any state or local laws, state or local regulations, or state or local policies to the contrary.”

“Thomas More Society is proud to have represented Elizabeth, Lori, and the anonymous plaintiffs: Teacher Jane Roe, Teacher Jane Boe, the Poe Family and the Doe Family,” said Breen. “They never sought to be the face of this fight, yet their courage has transformed the lives of families and educators not only in California but perhaps the entire country. We will always defend the religious freedom of teachers and families and ensure that parents retain their constitutional right to raise their children in alignment with their families’ values.”

[Mark Moses @MuniFinanceGuy]

My publisher is running a special on my book. If you've been waiting, now is the time. #municipalfinancialcrisis #localgov #stockingstuffer

https://t.co/GP9exWHCq3

[CalElecteds @calelecteds]

Don’t wait for budget crunch time. Join session one of CLEO’s virtual Municipal Finance Workshop this Wednesday at noon! Offered exclusively for CLEO members.
🔗 Register: https://t.co/5xPHU3ZEwC

[Ashley Zavala @ZavalaA]

New: On CA Capitol Annex, Gov. Newsom said “as a taxpayer” he’d “like to know” about costs being kept from the public.

Turns out, his office’s Director of Operations has been on a panel that meets regularly and makes final decisions on the project in private.

[CalElecteds @calelecteds]

CLEO members! Our virtual AB 1234-Compliant Ethics Training is happening Oct. 29, 2025 from 6–8 p.m. Register today for this free training: https://t.co/sQ7N3iXaxN

[California Policy Center @CalPolicyCenter]

Cal Cities conference attendees! Visit CPC at Booth 464 to explore our tools for navigating budgets & strengthening local fiscal health!

[Ben Adler @adlerben]

Nice try.

This is existing money, already allocated to existing services.

Simply saying this money can also be spent on Prop 36 doesn’t magically create more money to fund those existing services AND the newly mandated Prop 36 requirements.

https://t.co/12WQLdyYCm

[CalElecteds @calelecteds]

This is more than a fundraising workshop — it’s a game-changer for your next campaign! Don't miss CLEO's Fundraising Bootcamp for local elected officials and candidates! Offered exclusively to CLEO members. Register now at https://t.co/iGhpFyxG4R