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School board rejects resolution on same-sex marriage

BY MAGGIE CREAMER, Californian staff writer
mcreamer@bakersfield.com | Tuesday, Sep 2 2008 10:07 PM

Last Updated: Wednesday, Sep 3 2008 10:25 AM

Mona Twocats lives in Bakersfield with her wife, who she has been with for 20 years, and they have sent three children through the Kern High School District.

So when she found out a resolution to support Proposition 8, which is a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, would be discussed Tuesday evening, she decided to speak to the KHSD board.

“We have families, real families, and to hear someone say that my children are less than others because they were raised by two women, when they have so many scholastic and athletic honors,” she said after the meeting. “To hear that from a school board member is disturbing.”

In a split vote, the school board rejected the resolution, with trustees Ken Mettler and Chad Vegas voting for the resolution and trustees Joel Heinrichs and Bob Hampton voting against. Board President Bryan Batey was absent from the meeting and the resolution needed a majority to pass.

The first part of the resolution states: “the People of California affirm that it is in a child’s best interest to be raised by a father and mother in the bond of marriage.”

Mettler, who proposed the resolution, said this impacts schools because for thousands of years, traditional marriage has been the best way for children to be raised.

Donel Crow, who is a clinical psychologist for children and teenagers, said she spoke at the meeting because she felt like the resolution would not benefit students.

“This today did not seem relevant for education,” she said.

Vegas said he understands why some of the people who spoke during the public comment section questioned how this dealt with education. He said the board is charged with overseeing policy decisions for students, and since this is such a watershed issue, it is important for the board to take a stance.

The board removed from its agenda a vote on the limits of board member authority, which would give trustees the power to sit in on administrative interviews.

Also, trustees heard a presentation on the use of drug-detecting dogs in school. Mettler brought up the proposal in the spring, but the board voted it down.

The dogs would mainly search lockers, desks and vehicles on the district property and at district-sponsored events.