GUHSD Board passes biased nonviolent discourse resolution and scaled-down limits on protestors

By Alexander J. Schorr

Screenshot: Board President Gary Woods with Superintendent Kirsten Vital Brulte, defending their non-violence resolution in classrooms.  “Trust is earned.” Jay Steiger, 2025

October 16, 2025 (El Cajon) -- The Grossmont Union High School District Board passed an amended policy limiting protests outside board meetings, adopted a resolution providing religious exemptions in classrooms, and adopted a policy on nonviolence in political discourse on school campuses.

Political cherry picking over nonviolent discourse resolution.

Board President Gary Woods proposed the “Nonviolent Civil Discourse” Resolution in the classroom. The resolution’s language calls out the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, while refusing to mention politically motivated violence across the political spectrum, such as the assassination of Democratic Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman.

Charlie Kirk, a key ally of Donald Trump, espoused a variety of conservative stances, which included opposition to abortion, gun control, DEI programs, mental health resources and LGBTQ rights. His more controversial views included his criticism of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as his promotion of COVID-19 misinformation, false claims of elector fraud in 2020 and the white genocide

Community members voiced frustration at this apparent hypocrisy. The board majority stated in their resolution that Kirk’s killer was a Democrat, which was incorrect

Mattew Norris expressed that people in Grossmont high school community “are extremely frustrated that they’re being ignored— they’re being stone walled.” He illustrated the importance of speaking to and reaching out towards others beyond the ideological standard of the conservative board majority: “Speak to other people who have been killed for their beliefs… If you want to recognize one, you need to recognize the other.” The board was not swayed by this perspective.

Trustee Fite concurred with the public sentiment of reaching out to all people throughout political discourse, illustrating that political violence towards anyone is wrong: “We need to have balance,” said Trustee Chris Fite. “Otherwise, that defeats the purpose of this whole resolution.” Trustee Fite, who opposed the original proposals, said that the revisions were “light years” better than the original ones.

Gary Woods, Scott Eckert, Robert Shield, and Jim Kelly passed the resolution anyway with deference to Kirk but not Melissa Hartman and her husband, as well as the myriad of others like her in the wake of politically motivated violence, deliberately ignoring and scorning those whom the board majority do not like politically.

Political violence and support for it are both on the rise. Three in 10 people say that Americans may have to resort to violence to justify political affiliation, according to a new NPR / PBS News / Marist Poll. The last few years have seen the storming of the US Capitol by Trump supporters to impede the certification of the 2020 election, with more than 9,600 recorded threats against members of Congress.

While political violence is never acceptable, it is worth mentioning that in a Cato Institute Study, which used 18 data sets and documents, found that a total of 3,599 people have been murdered in politically motivated terrorist attacks in the US since 1975, with most violence being perpetrated by the right. The study categorized left-wing attacks as those motivated by animal rights, environmentalism, and “anti-police sentiment," right-wing attacks include those motivated by sentiments like white supremacy and anti-abortion beliefs.

Board amends protest limits after public objections

The GUHSD board majority also passed a “Non-Activity-Zones” resolution to limit protests outside of board meetings, but in response to objections over free speech limits raised by the public, amended the measure to limit the zones to no wider than ten feet. Activities such as leafletting and protests cannot occur within that zone.

The action came after several months of community members protesting the board majority’s decision to lay off district librarians. The board also opted to hire a district librarian to oversee the entire school district, after firing the onsite librarians at every school over vocal public objections.

GEA Vice President Stephanie Macecca addressed the apparent hypocrisy of the board majority’s request for civil discourse, comparing the non-violence resolution with the restriction and control of civil and peaceful protestors: She called the restrictions on where people can protest the board “deeply suspect, adding, “For a [governing] board agenda that claims to support civil discourse in schools, this is an aggressive contradiction."

Additionally, during public comments, Greg Kelly said the conservative board majority has “marginalized the needs of students struggling with mental health, sexual identity and or sexual preferences because in your eyes, they are not welcome in your version of the community.” He blasted the board’s position on respect and transparency, stating: “I think somewhere along the way, you became convinced that you’re the district, the staff are your subjects, and the public are annoyances that will eventually go away.”

New Religious Exemption

The board also passed a resolution in response to recent Supreme Court rulings, specifically the Mahmoud v. Taylor case. Their resolution will allow parents to opt their students out of classroom instruction which parents may feel "infringes" on their religious beliefs.

Board member Chris Fite did not oppose moving the district into compliance with the latest rulings, but he had some concerns: “There has been a softening of the idea that public schools should basically refrain from getting involved in religion,” Fite said. He said it’s acceptable for schools to have classes that teach about religion, but hat “expression of religion, for me, in the classroom just opens a can of worms that— it’s going to be problematic.”

In order to avoid teachers “proselytizing” in the classroom, the proposed revision states that teachers cannot “coerce students in prayer or other religious activities as part of their official duties.” Fite ultimately voted in support of this resolution due to significant revisions to the original draft.

Screenshot, right: Trustee Chris Fite and Student Board Member Ava Hersch differ on the nature of the resolution.