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In an era where many elected officials stay silent to avoid controversy, Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) board member Brenda Lebsack is doing the opposite. She’s speaking up. And for that, she’s been punished.
After raising concerns about biological males competing in girls’ sports during a school board meeting earlier this year, Lebsack was formally censured by her fellow board members last month.
Her real offense? Standing up for parents, students, and religious communities who feel sidelined by California’s increasingly radical school policies.
The controversy began on April 22, when the SAUSD board voted to recognize April as National Arab American Heritage Month. Lebsack, a teacher for over three decades and former California Teachers Association (CTA), abstained from the vote—not out of disrespect, but to request a more inclusive proclamation that acknowledged Arab Muslims and affirmed the religious rights of all students. She also shared her recent visit to the Islamic Center of Santa Ana, where Assemblyman Avelino Valencia met with families to discuss pending education legislation.
According to Lebsack, during her visit, members of the Arab Muslim community voiced strong opposition to state policies allowing biological males in girls’ locker rooms and on girls’ sports teams. She told her colleagues that the group expressed deep concern that these policies undermine their cultural, religious, and family values.
“They were united,” Lebsack said, “in opposing legislation that allows biological males to compete against girls or access their private spaces in locker rooms and bathrooms.”
That statement alone sparked outrage from board members Valerie Magdaleno and Katelyn Brazer Aceves at a May 20 meeting.
“Unfortunately, Miss Lebsack’s continued promotion of anti-trans rhetoric disguised as governance falls outside the scope of ethical leadership,” said Magdaleno.
Brazer Aceves added, “Words matter, especially when they come from individuals in positions of public trust.”
But Lebsack didn’t flinch.
“I wanted to speak up and propose a resolution that protects all religious faiths,” she told IW Features. “The board is afraid that if people, especially in Hispanic communities, find out we have books in our schools teaching kindergartners they can change their gender, there will be backlash.”
She’s not wrong. A 2025 Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) survey found that 71% of public school parents in the state believe trans-identifying athletes should compete based on biological sex, not “gender identity.”
Still, that public sentiment didn’t stop the Santa Ana board from voting 4 to 1 to censure Lesback—a formal reprimand meant to shame and silence her.
In the resolution, Lesback’s colleagues smeared her for pushing an “anti-trans,” “dangerous,” and “divisive” narrative.
The resolution states, “Board Member Lebsack has made public statements that are anti-trans … These remarks misrepresent the diversity of beliefs within our communities and foster a dangerous, divisive narrative that pits marginalized groups against each other … Her comments directly undermine this commitment and violate Board Policy … to provide all students equitable access to a safe and supportive educational environment.”
The resolution further accuses Lesback of creating “confusion” and “disrupt[ing] the governance role of this Board” by questioning the inclusion of trans-identifying students in women’s sports.
“By violating this standard … Board Member Lebsack has breached the public’s trust and compromised our ability to function as a unified governance team,” it states.
Notably, the Santa Ana board’s vote to censure Lebsack came after the board quietly approved layoffs for 262 employees. That decision, which Lebsack voted against, received almost no media attention compared to the firestorm over her common-sense beliefs.
A Voice in the Wilderness
Lebsack’s advocacy goes far beyond sports policies. Since joining the SAUSD board in 2024, she has raised red flags about sexually explicit materials in school libraries, graphic sex-ed lessons disguised as health education, and a disturbing lack of transparency from school officials regarding this inappropriate content.
“I found a book in our school libraries called ‘This Book Is Gay’ that tells students how to download the Grindr app and upload a photo,” Lebsack said.
Grindr is a popular social networking app designed primarily for gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people to connect for dating, chatting, and meeting up. It’s location-based, meaning it shows users nearby people.
“Other books in the school libraries in the district have X-rated pornographic content—detailed descriptions of violence, threesomes, rape, even sex with animals,” she added.
Many parents in the district share Lebsack’s concerns and have spoken during public comment at the Santa Anta Unified school board meetings, reading aloud some of the sexually explicit content made available to their children. Lebsack directed IW Features to a searchable database where parents can see which pornographic books are available at their child’s school.
Though critics try to paint her as anti-trans, Lebsack insists her goals are simple: to protect children and empower parents.
Fighting From the Inside
The Santa Ana Unified School Board is considered one of the most progressive in California. According to Lebsack, that’s part of the problem.
“They’re actively encouraging students to change their gender like the weather,” she said.
A Public Records Act request she submitted revealed that more than 200 students in the district have changed their names, pronouns, or genders—without parental knowledge.
“Many parents have no idea how radical the sex education curriculum has become,” she said. “It’s designed to bypass parents entirely so they can indoctrinate and brainwash children.”
Lessons in Courage
Despite the backlash against her, Lebsack remains steadfast. Her story offers a roadmap for other school board members, parents, and community leaders ready to stand up for fairness, safety, and the rights of families.
Her advice? “Parents need to join forces with other parents and get their churches involved.”
To that end, Lebsack regularly speaks at churches and has built a diverse coalition of rabbis, imams, and pastors through her organization, Interfaith4Kids. As part of this effort, Lebsack filed a California Public Records Act (PRA) request to discover how many students from 4th grade onward at SAUSD had changed their gender identity in school without parental knowledge. Upon learning that 260 kids had been socially transitioned behind their parents backs, Lebsack bought a billboard near Santa Ana College at the bus stop on the crossroads of 17th and Bristol to warn parents, both in English and Spanish.
With faith and conviction, Brenda Lebsack is leading by example. She’s reminding parents that they’re not powerless—they’re essential.
