Northern California School Board Trustee Criticizes Transgender Policies, Stirs Debate

Parents protest outside the Davis Joint Unified School District offices over a talk featuring Rachel Pepper, co-author of “The Transgender Child,” in Davis, Calif., on Jan. 11, 2023. Courtesy of Our Duty

SAN FRANCISCO—Emily MacDonald, a trustee of Woodland Joint Unified School District (WJUSD), escaped censure during a June 28 board meeting. The Yolo Democratic Party and Yolo Pride Democratic Club called for her censure following her comments on transgender identification made earlier in the month.

Three dozen public comments poured in at the board meeting, mostly in response to Ms. MacDonald’s controversial remarks made during the June 15 meeting when a proclamation of Pride Month was passed. During that meeting Ms. MacDonald warned about the irreversible transgender procedures and cautioned about exposing children to a “social contagion.”