Board president: ‘I have drawn closer and closer to God during this time’<\/h2>\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/cdn.christianpost.com\/assets\/img\/icon\/chat-rect.svg\")
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<\/source><\/picture>A screenshot of a CVUSD board meeting in April 2023.<\/span> | Screenshot\/YouTube\/Chino Valley Unified School District<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cIt\u2019s no secret I\u2019m a Christ follower.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Sonja Shaw doesn\u2019t shy away from sharing her faith, as the school board president of Chino Valley Unified School District (CVUSD), she\u2019s among at least two people being threatened over the board\u2019s policy on notifying parents about their child’s welfare, including any request to be identified as the opposite sex.<\/p>\n
The threats of violence over the district\u2019s parental notification policy<\/a>, which the board passed<\/a> in late July, has sparked an active police investigation that has led to at least one arrest.<\/p>\nSince the investigation, which is ongoing, Shaw is unable to share much information but told The Christian Post via email Thursday that \u201cmultiple threats\u201d are under investigation, including one from \u201csomeone that identified with the name \u2018Antifa\u2019\u201d in which Shaw\u2019s private address was revealed.<\/p>\n
A related post included one with the quote, \u201cNo justice, no peace, we know where you sleep,\u201d while another stated, \u201cI\u2019m declaring war on Sonja Shaw,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, police announced <\/a>the arrest of Rebecca Morgan, 52, of Berkeley, who was arrested on Aug. 1 on suspicion of threatening a public official after investigators identified her as \u201cone of those who made threats against members\u201d of the CVUSD board.<\/p>\nWhile police say the first threat made was linked to a non-California resident and Chino police worked with local authorities on that case, \u201cseveral other threatening messages, emails, and social media posts have been sent to members of the CVUSD Board\u201d \u2014 including Shaw herself, who told CP there have been \u201cvoicemails threatening my life and now one other board member\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.christianpost.com\/images\/cache\/image\/14\/99\/149900_w_400_468.jpg\")
<\/source><\/picture>Chino Valley school board president Sonja Shaw<\/span> | CVUSD website\/https:\/\/www.chino.k12.ca.us\/<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cOur police department is nothing short of amazing,\u201d she said. \u201cThey have a reputation here in Chino with criminals, and us community members know if a crime is committed here, they are actively on it and do everything they can to protect us all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaw, who was elected to the board last November, and others were apparently targeted after CVUSD adopted the parental notification policy in a 4-1 decision on July 20. That policy requires school officials to notify parents within three days of a student\u2019s decision to identify with a gender \u201cother than the student\u2019s biological sex\u201d or other official records.<\/p>\n
At that July 20 meeting, Shaw had a confrontational exchange with Tony Thurmond, the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, who also attended <\/a>the meeting to object to the policy\u2019s passage on behalf of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration.<\/p>\nSince that meeting, Thurmond has suggested potential legal action could be taken against CVUSD.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe actions of this board are deeply troubling, and I\u2019m not talking about being thrown out of a public meeting. I am talking about the blatant disregard for student privacy and safety,\u201d Thurmond said in a statement. \u201cForced outing policies harm everyone \u2014 students, parents and guardians, families, and school staff. What CVUSD has done may be in violation of state law. We will be working closely with the State Attorney General\u2019s office to verify and enforce California law.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaw, a Chino native who is a wife and mother of two, is also a small business owner and leads <\/a>a local Bible study.\u00a0<\/p>\nShe says her decision to run for the school board began during the COVID-19 lockdowns as California enacted some of the most stringent public health restrictions in the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the shutdown happened a few years ago is when so many of us parents got involved and things were revealed about the elected officials and they began exposing their intentions and focus,\u201d Shaw said. \u201cAs more and more parents united, we knew they had no desire to listen to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her support for the parental notification bill, she said, found a majority on the CVUSD board and led to Shaw working with the Coalition for Parental Rights \u201cto make sure the policy was strong and covered things parents and community members were concerned about.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t believe any of this was accident,\u201d she said. \u201cI brought it forward, and then, the next meeting, we voted and adopted this policy.\u201d<\/p>\n
But despite the bill\u2019s passage and the ensuing threats against her and other board members, Shaw knows this fight is likely just beginning. Her source of strength for that fight, she said, comes straight from the Word of God.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople from all over the nation have called, emailed and continue to write letters of support and saying this gave them hope,\u201d she explained. \u201cA few years ago, when I joined this journey, God kept showing me hope [in] Jeremiah 29:11<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cI have drawn closer and closer to God during this time and look to Him for direction and protection.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nIan M. Giatti is a reporter for The Christian Post and the author of\u00a0BACKWARDS DAD: a children’s book for grownups<\/a><\/em>. He can be reached at:\u00a0ian.giatti@christianpost.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/source><\/picture>\u201cIt\u2019s no secret I\u2019m a Christ follower.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Sonja Shaw doesn\u2019t shy away from sharing her faith, as the school board president of Chino Valley Unified School District (CVUSD), she\u2019s among at least two people being threatened over the board\u2019s policy on notifying parents about their child’s welfare, including any request to be identified as the opposite sex.<\/p>\n
The threats of violence over the district\u2019s parental notification policy<\/a>, which the board passed<\/a> in late July, has sparked an active police investigation that has led to at least one arrest.<\/p>\n Since the investigation, which is ongoing, Shaw is unable to share much information but told The Christian Post via email Thursday that \u201cmultiple threats\u201d are under investigation, including one from \u201csomeone that identified with the name \u2018Antifa\u2019\u201d in which Shaw\u2019s private address was revealed.<\/p>\n A related post included one with the quote, \u201cNo justice, no peace, we know where you sleep,\u201d while another stated, \u201cI\u2019m declaring war on Sonja Shaw,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n On Thursday, police announced <\/a>the arrest of Rebecca Morgan, 52, of Berkeley, who was arrested on Aug. 1 on suspicion of threatening a public official after investigators identified her as \u201cone of those who made threats against members\u201d of the CVUSD board.<\/p>\n While police say the first threat made was linked to a non-California resident and Chino police worked with local authorities on that case, \u201cseveral other threatening messages, emails, and social media posts have been sent to members of the CVUSD Board\u201d \u2014 including Shaw herself, who told CP there have been \u201cvoicemails threatening my life and now one other board member\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur police department is nothing short of amazing,\u201d she said. \u201cThey have a reputation here in Chino with criminals, and us community members know if a crime is committed here, they are actively on it and do everything they can to protect us all.\u201d<\/p>\n Shaw, who was elected to the board last November, and others were apparently targeted after CVUSD adopted the parental notification policy in a 4-1 decision on July 20. That policy requires school officials to notify parents within three days of a student\u2019s decision to identify with a gender \u201cother than the student\u2019s biological sex\u201d or other official records.<\/p>\n At that July 20 meeting, Shaw had a confrontational exchange with Tony Thurmond, the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, who also attended <\/a>the meeting to object to the policy\u2019s passage on behalf of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration.<\/p>\n Since that meeting, Thurmond has suggested potential legal action could be taken against CVUSD.<\/p>\n \u201cThe actions of this board are deeply troubling, and I\u2019m not talking about being thrown out of a public meeting. I am talking about the blatant disregard for student privacy and safety,\u201d Thurmond said in a statement. \u201cForced outing policies harm everyone \u2014 students, parents and guardians, families, and school staff. What CVUSD has done may be in violation of state law. We will be working closely with the State Attorney General\u2019s office to verify and enforce California law.\u201d<\/p>\n Shaw, a Chino native who is a wife and mother of two, is also a small business owner and leads <\/a>a local Bible study.\u00a0<\/p>\n She says her decision to run for the school board began during the COVID-19 lockdowns as California enacted some of the most stringent public health restrictions in the country.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the shutdown happened a few years ago is when so many of us parents got involved and things were revealed about the elected officials and they began exposing their intentions and focus,\u201d Shaw said. \u201cAs more and more parents united, we knew they had no desire to listen to us.\u201d<\/p>\n Her support for the parental notification bill, she said, found a majority on the CVUSD board and led to Shaw working with the Coalition for Parental Rights \u201cto make sure the policy was strong and covered things parents and community members were concerned about.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t believe any of this was accident,\u201d she said. \u201cI brought it forward, and then, the next meeting, we voted and adopted this policy.\u201d<\/p>\n But despite the bill\u2019s passage and the ensuing threats against her and other board members, Shaw knows this fight is likely just beginning. Her source of strength for that fight, she said, comes straight from the Word of God.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople from all over the nation have called, emailed and continue to write letters of support and saying this gave them hope,\u201d she explained. \u201cA few years ago, when I joined this journey, God kept showing me hope [in] Jeremiah 29:11<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI have drawn closer and closer to God during this time and look to Him for direction and protection.\u201d<\/p>\n Ian M. Giatti is a reporter for The Christian Post and the author of\u00a0BACKWARDS DAD: a children’s book for grownups<\/a><\/em>. He can be reached at:\u00a0ian.giatti@christianpost.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.christianpost.com\/images\/cache\/image\/14\/99\/149900_w_400_468.webp\")
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