NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (KNX) – A protest was being held outside Saticoy Elementary School Friday morning ahead of an assembly being held recognizing Pride Month.
The assembly in question involves teachers reading a book by Mary Hoffman called, "The Great Big Book of Families.” The book touches on diversity, especially in families, according to Fox 11 News.
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the book as approved by the district.
"I think there's fairly good awareness as to what the book represents (and) what the book does not represent," Carvalho said, according to City News Service. "But as I said, people today easily pick political sides and decide to stick to the political sides, while to a certain extent ignoring the reality and the truth; so there's general awareness as to what the book represents."
LAUSD School Board member Kelly Gonez said she felt the material that was being presented was actually very appropriate.
"LGBTQ families exist in our community," she told reporters. "And I think that children are able to see that and there's nothing wrong about acknowledging the diversity and the existence of LGBTQ families in our community because they are students and roles at Saticoy who have those types of families."
The parents, who created the Instagram page “Saticoy Elementary Parents” urged others to “keep your kids home and innocent” on Friday.
Some of the parents involved in the protest told KNX News they’re not anti-LGBTQIA+, they believe that topic should be left up to the parents to address and not school.
"We recognize the importance of promoting equality and acceptance for all individuals,” the group said in an Instagram story.” Our intention is to raise the parents voices in wanting a say in when this topic is discussed with our kids."
"There's no hidden agenda on our part," one protestor said. "All we're saying is keep it away from the small children."
The Los Angeles Police Department said it was at the school Friday morning to “support our LAUSD partners and facilitate a peaceful and lawful exercise of constitutional rights.”
KNX News reporter Jon Baird said there were a couple instances in which the protesters and counter protestors have gotten into scuffles, but police intervened.
The tensions come in the midst of an investigation over the burning of an LGBTQIA+ flag that occurred at the school over the weekend.
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