Beth Bourne, one of the most visible anti-trans activists in Northern California, has jumped into the Davis Joint Unified School District Board of Education race in Trustee Area 4, instantly turning a typically sleepy local contest into a high-profile fight over parental rights, transgender student policies and overall school climate.
As reported by The Sacramento Bee, Bourne filed her candidate documents Monday and said she wants to bring “a different perspective” to the school board. The Bee notes that Bourne chairs Yolo County's chapter of Moms for Liberty and has repeatedly protested district policies affecting transgender students.
Her move to challenge incumbent trustee Elizabeth Moon was first flagged when she pulled nomination papers, according to The Davis Vanguard, which reported that Bourne took out papers in mid-July after a series of public clashes with district officials.
Bourne told The Sacramento Bee she wants to amplify parents’ roles in decisions about students’ names, pronouns and access to bathrooms and locker rooms. “We’ve sort of been silenced in this town,” she said.
Past Protests and Safety Concerns
Bourne’s activism has sometimes been hard to miss. At a Sept. 18, 2025, school board meeting she removed clothing during public comment to dramatize her objections to the district’s locker-room policy, according to the L.A. Times.
Reporting also shows that a 2023 Moms for Liberty event in Davis was followed by multiple anonymous bomb threats to local schools and the public library, raising safety concerns across the district, according to The Aggie. Those incidents intensified an already heated debate in Davis over how schools handle gender identity and student safety.
District Response
District officials have pushed back. On June 12, the district sent Bourne a notice barring her from district property for 14 days and warning it would pursue “all legal remedies available to prevent such behavior, including criminal prosecution,” according to The Davis Vanguard. The letter marked the latest turn in a years-long tug of war between Bourne and district leaders over her protests and social media posts about staff.
Who She'd Replace
Bourne is seeking the seat currently held by Elizabeth Moon, who was elected in 2022 as the trustee for Area 4, according to the Davis Joint Unified School District. Moon is one of five elected trustees who set policy for DJUSD schools and programs.
Broader Context
Bourne’s candidacy is part of a larger national push by parent-activist groups to gain influence over local school boards and recruit candidates to run in low-turnout elections. Analysts at Brookings note that Moms for Liberty has become a central player in education politics, with mixed results so far for its endorsed candidates.
Legal Questions
In 2023, DJUSD sought a workplace-violence restraining order against Bourne over social media posts officials said targeted employees, then later moved to dismiss that TRO, according to BlueDevilHub.
The district’s handling of the TRO and its response to earlier anonymous threats have left officials weighing First Amendment protections against campus safety concerns, as detailed by The Aggie.
Whether Bourne ultimately qualifies for the ballot or not, her run has already shifted the tone of school board politics in Davis and virtually guarantees a contentious fall campaign. Voters will be deciding whether they want a trustee who has made national news for dramatic protests and high-profile parental-rights organizing.
