Tustin

Candidate for Santa Ana Unified School District, SAUSD, Trustee Area 1

***This is a long one, we know.  Please take the time to read it all.***

Running against incumbent Rigo Rodriguez, current school board president and teacher.

Brenda’s husband, Pastor Mark Lebsack, is now a pastor at Norwalk Assembly of God in Norwalk.

Supported by the PAC “Santa Ana Families for Excellence in Education, Yes on Boucher-Reyes, Lebsack and Suarez, No on Alvarez and Rodriguez for SAUSD” 

The above PAC received $3,500 from Michael Harrah of Caribou Industries, a local real estate mogul and a board member of the Lincoln Club, a far-right political organization in Orange County with anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments. 

Also received $1,000 from Verde Consulting (asking KM for more info)

Represented by Lysa Ray Campaign Services, which has also worked on the unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign for Travis Allen, who is considered to be "California's Trump." He has used the slogans "Take Back California" and "Make California Great Again" for his campaign. She also was the campaign treasurer for OC District Attorney Todd Spitzer, and was involved in a minor campaign finance controversy, where she took the blame for incorrectly filed financial information. And perhaps most importantly, Lysa Ray, who was compensated as a campaign strategist for this campaign, served as County Supervisor Andrew Do’s treasurer during the events that led to his current downfall and FBI investigation for financial corruption. Lysa Ray is representing anti-LGBTQ school board candidates up and down SoCal this election season. 

Brenda is extremely anti-trans. She spreads misinformation about kids being indoctrinated into gender ideology and medically transitioned in public schools. She has been spreading this information FOR YEARS. 

Probably the earliest example was in 2018 when new California Healthy Youth Act: Comprehensive Sexual Health Education (CHYA) changes were introduced that included information on sexual relations, sexual orientation, and gender. Lebsack wrote an opinion piece for the OC Register that was picked up by EdSource.

https://edsource.org/2018/parents-educators-should-scrutinize-concepts-of-gender-and-sexual-identity-in-states-health-education-framework/606025

In an interview with the OC Register, Brenda said, “There are pros and cons of student cell phone use in schools. The pros are it empowers students to record teachers who are abusing the classroom as a political pulpit or training ground for activism. The con is that it is an academic distraction and an easy cheating device”.  

Later in the interview, she said, “There are teachings coming into our schools that are in contrast to many of our community members sentiments. Teachings about unlimited gender choices, and divisive teachings about race and religion, which the district is in a lawsuit about right now. There are policies in place, one passed by the board in 2023, instructing employees to deceive parents using identity support plans (in case a child wants to change his name, gender, and pronouns) for any age child, including children in special education. This is a huge betrayal of trust and violates the conscience of many school employees”. 

Affiliations:

• Family Research Council

• Gays Against Groomers

• California Policy Center

• Lincoln Club of OC

• Karen England

• Protect Our Kids CA

• California Family Council

• Save California

• No OUSD Recall

• Rebecca Friedrichs

• Mari Barke OC Board of Ed. member & CLEO of CPC

• Jeff Barke Orange County Classical Academy board member, anti-vax & extremist

• Mark Bucher CPC founder & current CEO

• Stephen Bean OCBOE Superintendent 

• A long list of extremist school board members from school districts across Southern California; Madison Miner, Sonja Shaw, Leandra Blades, Komrosky, etc

• Pastor Tim Thompson

Websites: 

Brenda operates two websites, brenda4kids.com and Interfaith 4 Kids - Home

On Brenda4kids.com she rails against CRT that was never taught, teacher’s unions, and the Suicide Prevention Hotline. On, Interfaith 4 Kids - Home, you'll find lots of extremist language. 

2016 Campaign Donation Sources

Brenda is a former school board member of Orange Unified School District, OUSD. Her 2016 campaign was almost exclusively funded by a single predatory charter school PAC.

VOTES -

2019 Lebsack voted to approve the controversial charter Orange County Classical Academy, OCCA, that involves former OUSD Attorney and Education Alliance (now named the California Policy Center) founder Mark Bucher and other controversial leaders.

Quotes - 

Hillsdale College Curriculum during OUSD school board meeting when Branda was a school board member 

• “It’s a great program.”

In support of Orange County Classical Academy during OUSD school board meeting when Branda was a school board member 

• “We live in a capitalistic society to prevent corruption and education should no longer be monopolized as any other institution in this country. So that is why I am supporting the Hillsdale Charter.”

Gender  

• "We have books in our preschool, kindergarten, first-grade libraries telling kids that their gender can change like the weather," said parent and teacher Brenda Lebsack. 

• She added by encouraging the idea of gender fluidity, schools could be confusing students. 

• "And then if they're keeping secrets from their parents about their anxiety, that can create a mental crisis," said Lebsack. 

• “I have solution to the school budget dilemma. We need to take the CTA identity politics and create a salary scale that reflects their ideology. All teachers should start at the same rate regardless of of seniority or experience... for the sake of EQUITY. From that starting point, salaries should then go up or down based on level of privilege or oppression. For example: White, heterosexual, Christian males should ALWAYS be at the bottom of the pay scale. This of course could be adjusted if they change their religious affiliation, sexual orientation or gender identity. And since ethnicity is based on "perception" according to our CSBA school district policies, their "whiteness" may also have potential adjustment.

• Maybe this would solve the issues of systemic racism as defined by the CTA because reparations could be built into salary schedules. And maybe it would provide incentives for people to identify in a way that is politically correct.”

• “The term "undue hardship" needs to be specifically defined because people of faith are feeling like their environment is becoming more hostile due to affirming different genders. They are questioning whether, if they don't use particular pronouns citing their faith as reasoning, they will be accused of hate.

Brenda speaks on her relationship with gender in a reply to a comment to an online EdSource article:

“Andy, I can only speak for myself. When I was a child I was a tomboy. Instead of playing with barbies, I played pirates and cops and robbers. I went through a phase when I just wore motorcycle t-shirts. My parents did not make a big deal about it. I never doubted I was a girl, but deep inside I wished I was a boy, because I thought boys had more fun. I looked and acted so much like a boy sometimes, that if I was in an unfamiliar environment, I would get kicked out of the girl’s bathroom. As I grew up, I changed.

I’m still not a prissy girl, but that does not make me any less female. All I can say is, speaking for myself, these teachings would have caused me psychological damage and major confusion. As a 9 year old when I heard about female menstruation for the first time, I freaked out. It sounded like the most horrific thing in the world (and sometimes it is, LOL!).
But as a child with an immature perception, I would have thought…”If there’s a way to get out of this, then I want it! Puberty blockers or whatever it takes.” This is just me, because I know how I thought as a kid.

I’m grateful my parents just accepted me for who I was and did not put a label on me. I’m glad they did not use gender stereotypes to define me. Although I am now a wife and a mom, I still don’t fit in many of those feminine stereotypical roles, but isn’t that what accepting a person for who they are all about?”

***Brenda uses this story fairly often in her speaking gigs, and has also shared this story in an article called “Like Most Kids, I Grew Out of Gender Dysphoria”.

Brenda hosted the premier of the anti-trans movie, Disconnected. 

She’s also a contributor to the far-right newspaper, Epoch Times, which is ran by Falung Gong (yes, the same group behind the Shen Yun shows). 

The OC Register asked Brenda about 1955, and her views on the role of parents in schools. 

OC Register: “California has a new law, set to go into effect in 2025, that prohibits districts from enforcing what’s been called parental notification policies, rules for school employees to contact parents if their child may be changing their gender identity. What do you see as the role of parents in education? Is there a limitation? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)”

Brenda: “First of all, parental deception is not suicide prevention. As a board member, I would educate parents about the definition of nonbinary that is on our student data forms. It does not mean transgender. It means unlimited gender choices. This definition is being taught to young impressionable kindergartners. We have books teaching children that their gender can change from day to day and year to year and that their pronouns can change like the weather based on their feelings. The role of parents is to protect and nurture their children so they can grow up and become independent responsible adults. Their right as parents is to raise them according to their cherished values. When those endeared values contradict with unreasonable state mandates, there could be a revolt.”

Brenda also went on the Tim Thompson Podcast this year and bragged about how she got the Suicide Prevention Hotline signs taken out of Santa Ana Unified Schools - the district she’s running to serve.  Her argument was that the Suicide Prevention Hotline is connected to the Trevor Project, which she paints as something far more sinister than it is (this is connected to the conspiracy that Chaya Raychek of Libs of Tiktok was spreading at the same time as her story takes place).  She employed a far-right legal firm to send a letter to the school district demanding that the signs be taken down, suggesting that the school was participating in ‘grooming’ behavior.   

What she doesn’t include in her story, however, is that the signs were only removed for a few days for the school district to do their due diligence (normal operating procedure when served with legal papers), and went back up, unchanged, because of course there’s nothing wrong with the Trevor Project and providing mental health resources to students is essential. 

We could go on for a long time - there’s a lot of information regarding Brenda’s anti-LGBTQ+ activism - but we’ll leave you with this. 

Brenda replied to our School Board Advocacy Pledge (every candidate received one, it can be found on the Voter Guide Home Page) without a ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but did provide this answer. 

“Thank you for this invitation.  I have requested to meet with the OC LGBTQ+ Center Leadership more than once for open dialogue but they never respond. I have some serious concerns about our LGBTQ+ youth in our schools because I do not think our schools are safe.  Is there a time we can meet and talk about these issues?   I would also like some clarification because religion is just as much a legal protected characteristic as gender identity and sexual orientation.  Schools must be safe for ALL students of diversity.

Thank you for this opportunity to discuss these important issues.  

Sincerely, Brenda Lebsack”

We did reply, asking if she’d provide a yes or no to the pledge, and have not received a response yet.  We feel her response is best considered in partnership with her other background.

Candidate for Santa Ana USD - Trustee Area 1 

Rigo agreed to take our school board advocacy pledge, saying “Absolutely. I pledge my support to these critical issues. Let me know if you have any questions.”

Endorsed by Chispa, “Launching in 2017, Chispa operates with a focus in three tiers; base building, policy, and elections. By creating an infrastructure for young people to engage in policy campaigns, and taking a position on candidates, Chispa is an organization that represents young Latinos / Latinx in all levels of government.”

Voted Yes: 

SANTA ANA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 2 RESOLUTION NO. 23/24 - 3544 3 RECOGNIZING JUNE AS 2SLGBTQIA+ PRIDE MONTH 4 and 5 OCTOBER AS 2SLGBTQIA+ HISTORY MONTH BY RAISING PROGRESS PRIDE FLAG 6 AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE

https://sausd-test.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/Regular+Board+Meeting+February+27%2C+2024/1_gdm8x929/344632042

Attended the Pride Month Ceremony, a June 1st raising of the Pride flag and LGBTQ+ resource fair, in his official capacity as trustee. https://www.instagram.com/p/C7sDdtbh4o4/?img_index=3

Rigo posted a selfie with LGBTQ+ ally and CA Education Superintendent Tony Thurmond, calling him a “great ally” in reference to public education. https://www.instagram.com/p/C2WBhW-h-rE/?locale=uken1&hl=am-et&img_index=1

In 2022, Rigo endorsed Katelyn Brazer Aceves, who also voted Yes to the Pride month resolution. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChnskhbhnfN/?locale=uken1&hl=am-et

He’s also the  Chair of Chicana(o) and Latina(o) Studies Department – California State University, Long Beach

He’s a board member at the Delhi Center, a non-profit that hosted 2023 OC Trans Pride.

Candidate for Santa Ana USD, Area 2

Progressive stances on her campaign website include: 

• Advocate for student representation on the board: giving students a direct voice in decisions that impact their education and school experience

• Prioritize community schools: to provide comprehensive support services, addressing students’ academic, emotional, and social needs for their success.

Endorsed by: 

• Vicente Sarmiento, District 2 Orange County Supervisor, who has consistently voted with LGBTQ+ allyship in mind

• OC Young Democrats

• Chispa

• Women In Leadership

• California Young Democrats

• California Working Families Party

• OC Action

• Santa Ana City Council Members: Thai Viet Phan, Benjamin Vasquez, Jessie Lopez, Johnathan Hernandez

• Santa Ana USD Trustees: Dr. Rigo Rodriguez, Carolyn Torres, Dr. Alfonso Alvarez, Hector Bustos (All of these trustees voted yes on the historic move by SAUSD to be the first OC School District to fly the Pride Flag from its district office during June)

Graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 2020 with a degree in Criminal Justice

Received $1,000 in campaign donations from Carolyn Torres, a SAUSD Trustee who has been a consistent LGBTQ+ ally, saying at the board meeting about her time as a teacher, “just the (pride) flag being in my classroom, behind my desk, was a cue to students that this was a safe space - and it was also a cue to students who were thinking about using homophobic slurs, or transphobic slurs, that this is not a safe space to say those kinds of things”. 

“(SAUSD Faculty who want to display Pride) have to know that we’re ready to support them at the district level and the site level, and the admin needs to be ready to support those teachers as well”. 

https://sausd-test.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/Regular+Board+Meeting+February+27%2C+2024/1_gdm8x929/344632042 

Received $1,000 in campaign donations from Hector Bustos, the openly gay SAUSD Trustee who championed the effort for the district to acknowledge Pride month and to fly the Pride flag, as well as passing a policy to protect transgender, non-binary, and gender nonconforming students in SAUSD. He said, “I’m committed and I know this board, this district is committed, to our LGBTQ+ students.  And that’s why this (the resolution to fly the Pride flag), this resolution today, means even more than it probably would have a year ago (prior to additional policies being passed) - because I wanted to make sure that we weren’t just going to raise a flag and say, ‘well, we’ve raised the flag, we’ve done enough’ - no.  We can’t just celebrate our LGBTQ+ community during the month of June.  We need to do more.  Because we are LGBTQ+ every single day of our lives”. 

https://www.sausd.us/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=25349&dataid=121184&FileName=BP%205145.31%20TRANSGENDER%20NON-BINARY%20AND%20GENDER%20NONCONFORMING%20STUDENTS%205-9-23%20final.pdf

Candidate for Santa Ana USD Area 2

Endorsed by Jorge Valdes and Tim Shaw, two OC BOE Trustees who have consistently worked against the LGBTQ+ community, including by voting to sue the state over AB 1955, the SAFETY Act. 

Endorsed by far-right Nancy’s Picks, who characterized him as “is a zealous defender of parents’ rights, protecting school children, strongly  believing in rights of parents to choose”. 

Endorsed by the OC GOP

Endorsed by the anti-LGBTQ “Reform California” 

supported by the PAC “Santa Ana Families for Excellence in Education, Yes on Boucher-Reyes, Lebsack and Suarez, No on Alvarez and Rodriguez for SAUSD” 

The above PAC received $3,500 from Michael Harrah of Caribou Industries, a local real estate mogul and a board member of the Lincoln Club, a far-right political organization in Orange County with anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments. 

https://michaelfharrah.com/about/#:~:text=Michael%20F.,hotel%20resorts%20and%20entertainment%20venues.

Also received $1,000 from Verde Consulting (asking KM for more info)

Represented by Lysa Ray Campaign Services, which has also worked on the unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign for Travis Allen, who is considered to be "California's Trump." He has used the slogans "Take Back California" and "Make California Great Again" for his campaign. She also was the campaign treasurer for OC District Attorney Todd Spitzer, and was involved in a minor campaign finance controversy, where she took the blame for incorrectly filed financial information. And perhaps most importantly, Lysa Ray, who was compensated as a campaign strategist for this campaign, served as County Supervisor Andrew Do’s treasurer during the events that led to his current downfall and FBI investigation for financial corruption. 

On facebook, he shared an article from far-right network OAN about “gender ideology”. 

His campaign instagram includes a post encouraging people to watch ‘Sound of Freedom”, the film that garnered heavy criticism for its characterization of human trafficking in a manner in which experts called ‘inaccurate and sensationalized’.  The movie gained a cult following amongst QAnon believers and self-proclaimed “MAGA” Republicans. https://www.instagram.com/p/CuPNZwarePI/ 

One of his campaign promises is “(2) INVOLVE PARENTS IN REVIEWING PROPOSED CURRICULUM

I would like parents to have an open-and-honest platform where they are not prohibited and not ignored to speak their opposition to any proposed curriculum that, (from the context of their culture, tradition, and belief system),  may detrimentally-impact their children's' lives for a lifetime.” Pride at the Pier recognizes this as a dog-whistle, especially in the context of the anti-LGBTQ+ activists and leaders supporting his campaign. 

https://www.facebook.com/BoucherReyes4SAUSD

The OC Register asked Lloyd his opinion on AB 1955 and the role of parents.  

OC Register: “California has a new law, set to go into effect in 2025, that prohibits districts from enforcing what’s been called parental notification policies, rules for school employees to contact parents if their child may be changing their gender identity. What do you see as the role of parents in education? Is there a limitation? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)”

Lloyd: “From my perspective, a school is an extension of parents’ academic plans for their children. I believe that parents impart a certain level of trust to educators when they take their children to school. This imparted trust should foster a relationship between parents and educators in a way that educators inform parents of every achievement and challenges experienced by school children. I believe that schoolchildren must not be counseled by any school staff or outsourced service provider that pertains to the children’s lifetime choices without written authorization from parents. The role and authority of parents in their children’s education, wherever the educational environment is located, is absolute and without limits.”

Candidate for Santa Ana USD - Trustee Area 3

Was endorsed in his 2020 run by Chispa.  “Launching in 2017, Chispa operates with a focus in three tiers; base building, policy, and elections. By creating an infrastructure for young people to engage in policy campaigns, and taking a position on candidates, Chispa is an organization that represents young Latinos / Latinx in all levels of government.”

Endorsed by Cooperative Campaigns, a political volunteer cooperative dedicated to getting progressive candidates elected in Orange County, and in particular, People-run campaigns free of moneyed influence, and Participatory Democracy & Governance in Local Government

The OC Register asked Alfonso his opinion on AB 1955 and the role of parents. 

OC Register: “California has a new law, set to go into effect in 2025, that prohibits districts from enforcing what’s been called parental notification policies, rules for school employees to contact parents if their child may be changing their gender identity. What do you see as the role of parents in education? Is there a limitation? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)”

Alfonso: “All school districts are required to follow the law. Parental rights and parent inclusion is important. Although we are required to follow the law, there are several initiatives that have been implemented in SAUSD to help parents develop a relationship with their children, as a way to encourage children to confide in their parents instead of someone outside of the home. In an attempt to strengthen the relationship between parents and students, SAUSD offers free parenting classes in Spanish and English and several school sites have implemented a Parent University program. This program seeks to strengthen the parent/child relationship by providing engaging activities and opportunities outside of the home. In addition, there are several resources to help parents strengthen their relationship with their children. School social workers are available to assist, as well as the school site counselors and the school site Family and Community Engagement worker. Parents are the ones that should be making decisions regarding their children and we are seeking ways to help parents and children strengthen their relationship so that the child doesn’t have to rely on confiding on people outside of the home.”

Voted Yes: 

SANTA ANA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 2 RESOLUTION NO. 23/24 - 3544 3 RECOGNIZING JUNE AS 2SLGBTQIA+ PRIDE MONTH 4 and 5 OCTOBER AS 2SLGBTQIA+ HISTORY MONTH BY RAISING PROGRESS PRIDE FLAG 6 AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE

https://sausd-test.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/Regular+Board+Meeting+February+27%2C+2024/1_gdm8x929/344632042

Candidate for Santa Ana USD Area 3

Tamiko has not filed any of the required campaign finances forms that she’s legally obligated to report to the OC Registrar of Voters, so we cannot say who is financially supporting her campaign. 

Endorsed by far-right “Nancy’s Picks”, who characterized Tamiko as “Former teacher, who supports back-to-basics, fundamental schools, and believes in transparency and parent's right to know”. 

Endorsed by the far right, anti-LGBTQ group Reform California

When asked by the OC Register what experience what she brings to the role, she said, “I have read the book of life from cover to cover, all 1,500 pages. Yes, the Bible, and I worship our Creator. I have children, and I know that it is better to teach young persons the values of life”. 

The OC Register asked her about her views on AB 1955 and the role of parents - and Tamiko made her views on gender very clear. 

OC Register: “California has a new law, set to go into effect in 2025, that prohibits districts from enforcing what’s been called parental notification policies, rules for school employees to contact parents if their child may be changing their gender identity. What do you see as the role of parents in education? Is there a limitation? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)”

Anderson: “There is no such thing as “changing one’s gender;” there have been no proven studies. What would be the purpose? Students should be taught beneficial subjects and information that will be of value in their lives. Not theory indoctrination that will deform their minds and body. I answer to God on morals.”

While her presence online is very limited, she does appear to be the sole individual (at least publicly facing) behind the No on Measure I campaign. Measure I is an Santa Ana bond measure aimed at improving SAUSD facilities. 

https://ocvote.gov/sites/default/files/elections/gen2024/measures/layouts/SANA%20USD%20-%20I%20-%20LAYOUT%20-%20TP%2C%20FT%2C%20TRS%2C%20IA%2C%20AF%2C%20RAF%2C%20AA%2C%20RAA.pdf 

https://ocvote.gov/sites/default/files/elections/gen2024/measures/SAUSD%20RAF%20for%20web_Redacted.pdf

ICandidate for SAUSD Trustee Area 3

While Dana doesn’t seem to have any campaign finance filings for herself, she is supported by the PAC “Santa Ana Families for Excellence in Education, Yes on Boucher-Reyes, Lebsack and Suarez, No on Alvarez and Rodriguez for SAUSD” 

The above PAC received $3,500 from Michael Harrah of Caribou Industries, a local real estate mogul and a board member of the Lincoln Club, a far-right political organization in Orange County with anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments. https://michaelfharrah.com/about/#:~:text=Michael%20F.,hotel%20resorts%20and%20entertainment%20venues. 

Also received $1,000 from Verde Consulting (asking KM for more info)

Represented by Lysa Ray Campaign Services, which has also worked on the unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign for Travis Allen, who is considered to be "California's Trump." He has used the slogans "Take Back California" and "Make California Great Again" for his campaign. She also was the campaign treasurer for OC District Attorney Todd Spitzer, and was involved in a minor campaign finance controversy, where she took the blame for incorrectly filed financial information. And perhaps most importantly, Lysa Ray, who was compensated as a campaign strategist for this campaign, served as County Supervisor Andrew Do’s treasurer during the events that led to his current downfall and FBI investigation for financial corruption. 

Dana’s income reportings for the Orange County Registrar of Voters lists her job as a “mental health counselor” (which is different than a therapist, social worker, or psychologist, needing much less education and licensing requirements in CA) for a company called “Mary’s Path”. 

Mary’s Path is a “Pregnancy Care Center” organization in Orange County that focuses on teens in foster care.  Its homepage explicitly states its anti-abortion mission, and it appears to be a part of the controversial “troubled teen” industry. “Many of our residents have run away from both foster homes and family homes. A very common theme is that our residents have run away for a significant amount of time and turn themselves into the authorities to receive care for themselves and their unborn child. The baby becomes the stabilizing factor.”

Per their instagram, Mary’s Path pushed hard against SB 1043, a bill that would have required state-level transparency for short-term residential therapeutic programs, asking for published information about their usage of restraints and seclusion rooms on their patients.  SB 1043 did pass into law this summer, and Mary’s Path seems to be one of the programs now held to this new standard.  

Dana, as a mental health counselor for Mary’s Path, does not have any information available online about her involvement in restraints or seclusion rooms used in patient treatment at Mary’s Path.