San Diego Unified Supports City of San Diego’s Due Process, Safety and Equity Ordinance
The San Diego Unified School District Board of Education reaffirmed the district’s commitment to ensuring that every student, staff member, and family is treated with dignity, fairness, and respect when it voted unanimously Tuesday night on a resolution to support the City of San Diego’s Due Process, Safety, and Equity Ordinance.
“San Diego Unified is proud to stand with the City of San Diego in affirming our shared values of safety, inclusion, and equal treatment for all. Our students and families must know that wherever they go in this city, their rights and dignity will be protected,” said Board President Cody Petterson. “I want to thank Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera for leading the charge to develop the City’s ordinance.”
The City’s ordinance strengthens existing California legal protections by ensuring that no City facility, resource, personnel, or partnership is used to discriminate against or unlawfully detain individuals based on protected personal characteristics, including immigration status, reproductive healthcare history, gender-affirming care, disability, political or religious beliefs, or other legally protected traits.
“No child or adult should be made to live in fear by the actions of our federal government, and we are here to do everything within our ability to uphold the values we teach in our classrooms of fairness, compassion, and respect for every individual,” said Board Vice President Richard Barrera. “By standing together with the City, we’re helping ensure that San Diego remains a place where every student and family can feel safe and supported.”
The Board’s resolution (click here to read) highlights the deep alignment between the City’s ordinance and the district’s longstanding commitment to maintaining welcoming, inclusive, and discrimination-free schools. With this approval, the Board’s vote directs Superintendent Fabi Bagula to:
- submit a formal letter to the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Diego expressing the District’s support for the Ordinance.
- review and, as appropriate, incorporate similar contractor compliance and notification requirements into District contracts and procurement processes to ensure alignment with the principles and protections established in the City’s Ordinance.
- communicate the Board’s position to the public and to collaborate with community partners in advocating for policies that align with the District’s values of safety, dignity, and equal opportunity for all.
Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera said, “San Diegans of all ages and backgrounds deserve to know their schools and their City are committed to making every person feels safe, respected, and treated with dignity. And they deserve to see that commitment through action. The Due Process and Safety Ordinance is about protecting the rights of all San Diegans, including our students and their families, regardless of where they come from or what language they speak. I’m grateful to San Diego Unified for standing with the City to affirm that safety and compassion can, and must, go hand in hand.”
San Diego Unified, beginning in December 2024, to prepare its own educators, students and families for the possible uncertainties the Trump Administration might create for Immigrant rights, LGBTQIA rights and the rights of other marginalized groups. took steps to ensure its students and families were aware of its rights under the law. They have:
- Created a website (www.sdusdequity.com/protecting-students) to help students, families and staff better understand their rights and access information about laws, resources and service providers.
- Assembled a useful information packet for students and families. (Link Here)
- Conducted training with District staff to ensure they are able to support students, families and their colleagues should instances of discrimination, harassment and retaliation occur on their school campuses.
- The Board of Education passed a resolution to reaffirm the San Diego Unified School District as a Welcoming District for All Students. (Link Here)
Click here to read the entire ordinance.