The California Department of Education is investigating the Temecula Valley Unified School District after board members rejected a social studies textbook — while calling revered LGBTQ+ activist Harvey Milk a "pedophile."
Last month, the district's school board voted to reject a social studies textbook that mentioned Milk, who hailed from California, in the teacher's materials. Despite the textbook itself not mentioning Milk, it was struck down in a 3-2 vote, leaving tens of thousands of students in the state without updated history materials.
During the vote, board president Dr. Joseph Komrosky accused Milk of being a sexual predator, stating: “My question is why even mention a pedophile? What does that got to do with our curriculum in schools? That’s a form of activism.”
He wasn't the only member of the board to directly call Milk a "pedophile" that night.
Danny Gonzalez also said, “I find the inclusion of sexually based topics and the glorification of a known pedophile, who happened to be an advocate for gay rights, to 10-year-olds morally reprehensible and inappropriate," according to the East Bay Times.
Milk was not mentioned in the textbook itself but in the teaching materials that accompany the textbook. When attendees objected that the activist was not a pedophile, Komrosky only responded, “I beg to differ.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom was quick to push back against the comments, calling the remarks an "offensive statement from an ignorant person," and insinuating that he would be pursuing legal action.
"This isn’t Texas or Florida. In the Golden State, our kids have the freedom to learn," he wrote in a tweet. "Congrats Mr. Komrosky you have our attention. Stay tuned."
At a news conference on Wednesday, Komrosky claimed that he was not referring to Milk's sexuality, but rather reports that he had engaged in a relationship with a teenager. As written about in his biography, Milk was involved with a 16-year-old boy he met in New York when he was 33, though it has been documented that the boy was 18 when he and Milk first traveled to California together.
A spokesperson for the California Department of Education has since confirmed to the East Bay Times that the DOE is investigating the school district, though the focus of the probe remains unknown. The DOE has also not yet confirmed what sparked the investigation, though it was launched shortly after Komrosky's comments.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is also seeking documents related to the district's rejection of the textbook. In a press release, Bonta noted that "comprehensive social sciences curriculum" should include "accurate representations of historical figures like Harvey Milk, and not be influenced by personal bias."
“Restricting what our children are taught in school based on animus or ideological opposition contradicts our societal values," Bonta said. '"The Board needs to explain its decision making, and moving forward will need to ensure students have access to a wide range of ideas and perspectives.” Newsom added, “In the Golden State, our kids have the freedom to learn — and there are consequences for denying that freedom. California is closely watching the actions of malicious actors seeking to ban books, whitewash history, and demonize the LGBTQ+ community in Temecula and across the state. If the law is violated, there will be repercussions.”
