Paging Tom Homan: Riverside County Office of Education Wants to “Find Out”
"RCOE Resolution resolves that “students and families are a protected space…” and that they will work with “community organizations” to ensure that."
Superintendent Edwin Gomez, Ed. D and the rest of the Riverside County Board of Education (RCOE) are scheduled to approve Resolution 09-25 at their February 5th meeting, which could encourage every school in Riverside County to defy Federal Immigration Enforcement.
The Resolution, titled “Recognizing Riverside County's Commitment to Provide All Children Equal Access to Education,” does not explicitly order school districts to defy law enforcement, should they show up on-site or request information on a dangerous illegal immigrant, but the language certainly seems to encourage defiant behavior.
The Resolution begins by citing the American Declaration of Independence before launching into the tired trope that California benefits from “immigration” (intentionally leaving out the “illegal” part). Finally, the Resolution pines how illegal immigrants feel “uncertainty” and “concern for their safety.” The Resolution does not say “illegal immigrants” of course, rather it refers to illegal immigrants as “students and families in Riverside County.”
In other words, the RCOE is about to declare, without a shred of evidence, that anyone in Riverside County that is a relative of a student (or is one), feels unsafe and uncertain due to, by implication, President Trump. You can let the RCOE know if those descriptors apply to you if you like through the contact information at the end of this article.
On the pretext of how hardworking illegal immigrants are, without differentiating between legal and illegal, the RCOE Resolution resolves that “students and families are a protected space…” and that they will work with “community organizations” (emphasis mine) to ensure that protection. But not ICE.
Wait, students and families are protected “spaces?”
The Resolution further resolves, somewhat bizarrely, that the RCOE “affirms its focus on promoting the County Superintendent’s Equity and Inclusive Practices Initiative by elevating tolerance, equity inclusiveness, and kindness to all students, families, and staff at all county school sites, facilities, and material property;”
Lastly, the Resolution resolves to abide by the 2018 Board Policy 5145.13 Response to Immigration Enforcement. The intent of adhering to the board policy is to “protect the data and identities of any student, family member, or school employee, who may be adversely affected by any future policies or executive action that results in the collection of any personally identifiable information to the fullest extent provided by the law;”
RCOE Response to Immigration Enforcement
Board Policy 5145.13 reads, in part, that the County “…shall not…provide assistance with immigration enforcement at district schools, except as may be required by state and federal law.”
The policy further says that the RCOE will “develop procedures for addressing any requests by a law enforcement officer for access to district records, school sites, or students for the purpose of immigration enforcement.”
One procedure would be that any requests for information or “access to a school site” for immigration purposes would be reported to the entire County Board of Education in a “timely manner.” Surely, that will cause Border Czar Tom Homan and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to chill and wait for the RCOE to be “timely.”
FAFO
Think twice RCOE before passing this Resolution. There has been quite a bit of “Finding Out” lately from the likes of Panama, Venezuela, Washington DC Feds, et.al. The Recognizing Riverside County's Commitment to Provide All Children Equal Access to Education Resolution sure seems to fall under the “FA” category.
As Agent Sadusky says in National Treasure, “someone’s got to go to prison, Ben,” it’s just a question of will it be Edwin Gomez, Ed.D and the RCOE Board or some crazy leftist principal that will use the Resolution to defy law enforcement?
The RCOE Board meeting is scheduled for February 5, 2025, at 3939 Thirteenth Street in Riverside. No time is given but the last board meeting was at 5 pm. Meetings can also be viewed on the RCOE YouTube channel.
RCOE Board contacts and documentation below:
Kim Joseph Cousins
kjcousins@rcoe.usVice President
Trustee Area 1
Corona-Norco USD, Lake Elsinore USD (part),
Riverside USD (part)
Term expires 2026
Ben Johnson II
Member
Trustee Area 2
Alvord USD, Jurupa USD, Riverside USD (part)
Term expires 2026
Jamie Azpeitia-Sachs
jsachs@rcoe.usMember
Trustee Area 3
Moreno Valley USD (part), Riverside USD (part),
Val Verde USD
Term expires 2028
Bruce N. Dennis
bdennis@rcoe.usMember
Trustee Area 4
Hemet USD, Menifee Union SD, Nuview Union SD,
Perris Elementary SD, Perris Union High SD, Romoland SD
Term expires 2028
Ray "Coach" Curtis
Member
Trustee Area 5
Banning USD, Beaumont, USD, Moreno Valley USD (part),
Palm Springs USD (part), San Jacinto USD
Term expires 2028
Elizabeth F. Romero
efromero@rcoe.us
President
Trustee Area 6
Coachella Valley USD, Desert Center USD,
Desert Sands USD, Palm Springs USD (part),
Palo Verde USD
Term expires 2026
Jennifer Mejares Pham
jmejarespham@rcoe.us
Member
Trustee Area 7
Lake Elsinore USD (part), Murrieta Valley USD,
Temecula Valley USD
Term expires 2028
Full Resolution
Board Policy 5145.13
Will send emails out right now!