Executive Summary
Investigation of Foothill Technology High School
LGBTQI+ Pride Week
February 12, 2019
Background
At a meeting of the Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) Board of Education held on
November 13, 2018, several student and teacher speakers alleged that the Foothill Technology
High School Principal prevented the school’s Associated Student Body organization from holding
a LGBTQI+ Pride Week on campus. Pride Week was held at Foothill Technology High School
from November 13-16, 2018, under the sponsorship of the school’s Queer Straight Alliance student
organization. It was also alleged the Foothill Technology High School administration would not
allow the Pride Week sponsors to use the school’s mascot/logo on the event t-shirt.
The Board of Education directed VUSD Legal Counsel Anthony Ramos to conduct an
investigation of the allegations. In conducting the investigation, Mr. Ramos interviewed a total of
14 individuals including Foothill Technology High School students, teachers and administrative
staff, and District level support and administrative staff. He also reviewed a total of 38 documents,
including e-mails, notes, school bulletins, student newspaper articles and VUSD Board Policies
and Administrative Regulations. Mr. Ramos has completed a confidential, comprehensive
investigation report that has been provided to the VUSD Board of Education, Interim
Superintendent and Appointed Superintendent. The purpose of this Executive Summary is to
provide interested VUSD students, staff, parents and members of the community with the key
findings of the confidential investigation report, and an associated recommendation. All of the
findings are supported by credible evidence, and/or corroborated statements based on the
interviews and documents reviewed in the investigation.
Investigation Findings
Questions #1 - Did site administration at Foothill Technology High School prevent the
Associated Student Body organization from sponsoring a LGBTQI+ Pride week in violation
of VUSD Board Policy/Administrative Regulation 6145.5 – Student Organizations and Equal
Access?

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 Prior to October 31, 2018, students of the Foothill Technology High School (FTHS) Associated
Student Body (ASB) organization discussed anti-bullying programs taking place in the District
and decided to host a LGBTQI+ Pride Week to provide resources to the student body. The FTHS
ASB Advisor informed the FTHS Assistant Principal of the event. A t-shirt was designed and
ordered to commemorate the event. The t-shirt included a graphic picturing a rainbow surrounding
the school’s dragon mascot/logo, and the statement “fthsPRIDEweek, #bornthisway.” Pride Week
notices were included in the FTHS school bulletin, and a picture of the t-shirt was on a web posting
announcing Pride Week and the availability of the t-shirts. Parent and community concerns in the
form of phone calls and emails, some anonymous, were received by site and school district
administration regarding Pride Week. Questions included, is this a school pride week, or a gay
pride week, and is it sponsored by the school? The FTHS Assistant Principal and ASB Advisor
met to clarify the intention of Pride Week and ASB sponsorship of the event, and provided
information to school district administration in response to the concerns.
The next school day the FTHS Principal spoke to the ASB Advisor to discuss the same
clarifications. He stated, “We cannot sponsor any event that lends itself to a specific viewpoint.”
The ASB Advisor interpreted the Principal’s statement to mean that the event could not be held.
She was disappointed, and concluded the conversation. The Principal then spoke with the
Assistant Principal about his conversation with the ASB Advisor, indicating that by stating “we
can’t sponsor” he meant the school, school administration, and District cannot sponsor such events,
but the event could be student initiated, student run, and student led. Following her conversation
with the Principal, the Assistant Principal met with the ASB Advisor to clarify the conversation.
The ASB Advisor and Assistant Principal decided the event would be sponsored by the Queer
Straight Alliance (QSA). The Principal later clarified with the ASB Advisor that ASB sponsorship
of the event would also have been appropriate. However, the ASB Advisor chose not to revert
sponsorship back to ASB because of favorable student responses to QSA running the event. Pride
Week took place as planned from November 13 - 16, 2018.
Conclusion – Question #1
The investigation found sufficient credible evidence the FTHS Principal did not cancel the Pride
Week event, and the shifting of event sponsorship from ASB to QSA was a result of a
misunderstanding, and not as a result of a directive from the Principal. In addition, the
investigation found no evidence to determine the Principal’s actions were discriminatory.
Question #2 – Was the Foothill Technology High School site administration’s decision not to
allow the Queer Straight Alliance student organization to use the school’s mascot/logo on a
Pride Week t-shirt commemorating the event, a violation of VUSD Board
Policy/Administrative Regulation 6145.5 – Student Organizations and Equal Access?
As previously stated, following the FTHS ASB decision to sponsor LGBTQI+ Pride Week, a tshirt to commemorate and promote the event was designed and an order was placed with a t-shirt
printer to produce the shirt. Immediately following her conversation with the Principal, the ASB
Advisor contacted the t-shirt printer to put the order on hold. In a follow-up discussion with the
Assistant Principal, the Assistant Principal indicated the school mascot/logo could not be used on
the t-shirt but that the name of school could remain on the shirt, and that the student organization
sponsorship should also be included. The event t-shirt was printed and distributed with the name
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 of the event and sponsor, the school name, but not the mascot/logo. The use of the school
mascot/logo is to be pre-approved by the principal of the school, and that had not initially happened
in this case. The FTHS ASB student organization has been allowed to use the mascot/logo on
“spirit wear clothing” sold in the Student Store in the past, and on rare occasions to promote an
event. District policy does not differentiate between ASB and other student sponsored
organizations, and specifies that student organizations must be composed completely of students.
Conclusion –Question #2
In denying the use of the school mascot/logo to the QSA student organization on the Pride Week
t-shirt, having approved its limited use by the ASB student organization in the past, FTHS
administration was in violation of VUSD Board Policy/Administrative Regulation 6145.5 –
Students Organizations and Equal Access, and more specifically, the equal access provisions of
the policy. However, it is noted that use of the school mascot/logo had not been granted to student
clubs and organizations other than ASB in the past.
Recommendation
Existing VUSD Board Policy and Administrative Regulations provide guidelines for the definition
of student organizations, the approval of student organization sponsored events and publications,
and equal access and non-discrimination protections for student organizations and student speech.
These policies also provide for the impartial presentation of controversial issues, the opportunity
to explore alternative points of view, and the rights and responsibilities associated with
establishing a Limited Forum for the expression of student views. The content and meaning of
these policies is not universally understood by VUSD secondary administrators and student
advisors, and the protocols and practices for implementing these policies are not uniform across
schools. Based upon the findings of this investigation it is recommended: 1). A committee be
formed of District and school site administrators, and teachers and other school site staff
responsible for supervising student organizations; 2). The committee review all relevant VUSD
Board Policies and Administrative Regulations, and develop uniform, consistent and practical
guidelines and protocols for the supervision and approval of student organizations and activities;
and, 3). The District hold initial, and periodic refresher training on the guidelines and protocols
for all appropriate District and school site staff.

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