Staff Reports
A new report this week has conservatives and parents asking a simple question: why did Pomona Unified School District sign a memorandum of understanding that ties roughly $300,000 of taxpayer money to Pomona Valley Pride for a youth “mentoring” program aimed at students age 12 and up? The documents, obtained and shared by the Center for American Liberty and reported by national outlets, raise concerns about transparency, parental rights, and how public schools spend local dollars.
What the MOU reportedly says
The memorandum of understanding quoted in recent reporting describes Pomona Valley Pride providing “academic support, mentoring, and tutoring services” for middle and high school students who identify as LGBTQ+, plus “social-emotional support, health and wellness activities, events, and engaging programs with a youth engagement specialist.” The reported dollar figure is about $300,000 for the 2024–2025 school year, and board materials show the district publicly considered a fiscal agreement with the group.
Why parents and taxpayers are alarmed
Parents worry when programs aimed at teens involve sensitive topics and operate with limited transparency. The Center for American Liberty, led by CEO Mark Trammell, says its public-records request uncovered language and practices that could funnel students into counseling and “gender support plans” without parents knowing. Whether you think the fear is overblown or reasonable, the underlying issue is simple: taxpayers expect clear answers about contracts and parents expect to be kept in the loop about services affecting their children.
Questions the district and Pomona Valley Pride must answer
Pomona Unified needs to produce the full MOU and a clear accounting of how the $300,000 was budgeted and spent. Pomona Valley Pride should explain exactly which services were provided, the ages of students served, and what safeguards exist to notify parents and obtain consent. BoardDocs show the matter was on public agendas and drew comment, so the record is not secret; what remains unclear is whether all responsive records were released and whether any counseling or gender-related plans were used without parental notification.
Legal and policy backdrop
This controversy comes after nationwide debate over parental rights and school disclosure policies. Conservative groups point to recent court rulings emphasizing parental authority and say local districts are still testing boundaries. The Center for American Liberty says it filed a lawsuit after receiving partial records, though a public court docket number for that filing was not immediately locatable in routine searches. If litigation is pending, the documents should become a matter of public record and make the picture clearer.
The bottom line: school boards must be accountable, and parents must be informed. If public money supports outside organizations that work with minors, the contract language, oversight, and parental-notification rules should be posted and explained in plain English. Pomona Unified owes residents a straightforward explanation — and if it doesn’t deliver, taxpayers and parents have every right to demand one.
