Board actions put policy dispute on the ballot
The Elk Grove Unified School District board has taken different positions on proposals concerning transgender students. In 2025, trustees voted 6-1 to end further discussion of a resolution introduced by Trustee Heidi Moore that would have barred transgender students from girls’ school sports, according to The Sacramento Bee. Moore represents Area 7, which includes northeast Elk Grove and parts of Wilton, Rancho Cordova and unincorporated Sacramento County.
The board later approved a policy allowing transgender participation in sports and private spaces by a 6-1 vote, according to a video posted on Moore’s trustee Facebook account. Moore said she was the only dissenting trustee and argued that the policy should be changed to align with federal anti-discrimination laws.
State law limits what the district can change
California’s legal framework is another constraint on the local debate. In July 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1955, known as the SAFETY Act. The law bars school districts from requiring employees to disclose a student’s gender identity or pronoun changes without the student’s consent, according to Courthouse News. That restriction would apply to local trustees even if voters elected candidates who wanted to change district disclosure practices.
What protections and complaint options are available?
According to Elk Grove Unified School District’s Title IX materials, students who believe they experienced sex-based discrimination or unequal treatment may file a confidential complaint with the U.S. Office for Civil Rights or the California Department of Education. The materials also say students are protected from retaliation for filing a complaint.
Candidates offer different directions
The Area 2 race pits incumbent Michael Vargas against challenger Kirk Thomson. The Sacramento Bee reported that Vargas helped introduce the district’s 2024 resolution recognizing Transgender Day of Visibility. The resolution addressed discrimination and violence against transgender people and called for students and others in school communities to be valued and respected, according to The Sacramento Bee.
The Bee also reported that Vargas has linked support for transgender students to student safety, health and academic achievement, and said educators should consider students’ circumstances rather than letting personal beliefs determine how they are treated. Those positions are attributed here to the Bee’s reporting.
Thomson opposed the district’s recognition of Transgender Day of Visibility and supported Moore’s proposed sports restriction. The Bee reported that he called the proposal common sense, said boys and girls are different, and criticized trustees who blocked it as pursuing what he called a failing and dangerous agenda. In an August interview with the Bee, Thomson also said he would seek greater board transparency about debates over transgender girls’ participation in girls’ sports and use of girls’ restrooms and other facilities.
The Area 2 contest
Vargas represents much of central Elk Grove. Thomson’s campaign lists endorsements from Moore, the Elk Grove Police Officers’ Association and the Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, according to his campaign website. The Area 2 vote will determine whether an incumbent who has supported the district’s recognition and inclusion efforts remains on the board or is replaced by a challenger who has backed restrictions on sports participation and called for greater disclosure of the board’s discussions.
