Maria Su, superintendent of San Francisco schools, answered questions about drag queen story hours during a hearing of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
Jill Tucker / S.F. Chronicle
Washington, D.C. — If Maria Su was nervous as she faced a sharply critical congressional committee Wednesday, she didn’t show it. Her voice, marred by laryngitis, remained measured. Her demeanor reserved, even as lawmakers accused her district of sexualizing and indoctrinating students while keeping parents in the dark about their own children.
The hearing of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce drew a large crowd of parents, activists and media as the nation’s broiling culture wars were on full display, the battle over transgender policies, religious beliefs and parental rights at the forefront.
Su sat at the witness table, three rows of viewing seats full behind her and a line of people outside the committee room waiting for a seat to open.
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The first question she faced set the tone for the hearing.
“At what age do you think students should be exposed to drag queen story hour?” Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Michigan, asked.
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She declined to respond with a specific age, but said the district follows state and federal law and that parents can choose to opt out of such activities based on a religious objection.
Maria Su, Superintendent of San Francisco schools, and suffering from laryngitis, waits for a Congressional House Committee on Education and the Workforce to begin Wednesday. Su is providing testimony about the city’s schools.
Jill Tucker / S.F. Chronicle
Su had five minutes to provide an initial statement prior to questioning and within the first minute was unapologetic about the district’s commitment to San Francisco’s “proud” history.
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“The city is known as a pioneer in LGBTQ rights,” she said. “We have a long tradition of embracing diversity and welcoming everyone, including those who feel marginalized or overlooked.
“As a school district, we were one of the first to recognize the importance of teaching about our diversity so that can learn and grow together.”
Walberg made it clear in his opening statement that Su and the other witnesses, including Chicago CEO and Superintendent Macquline King and Loudoun County (Virginia) Superintendent Aaron Spence, were each sitting in a highly visible hot seat.
“Witnesses were invited to explain policies in their districts that sidelined parents, compromised student privacy rights and for radical ideology,” he said, citing elementary school students exposed to gender identity and puberty blockers among other topics. “The consequences of the policies are horrific.”
Questions in the first hour from Republican members included whether the school leaders asserted children could change gender and whether abortion by suction or by removing individual body parts was preferable.
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Democratic members challenged the premise of hearing, saying the topics were “part and parcel” of the Trump Administration, which is putting political gains before the education of children, said Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Virginia.
California Rep. Mark Takano questioned why the committee was focused on “witch hunts,” rather than the “thousands of students” experiencing harassment, abuse and neglect who are waiting for the federal Office of Civil Rights to investigate their cases.
Instead, the office is focused on investigations initiated by the department rather than parental or student complaints.
Su’s appearance follows the announcement Monday that the Office of Civil Rights, within the federal Department of Justice, is investigating San Francisco Unified as well as three other California school districts to review their compliance with parental opt-out requirements related to “sexual and gender ideology” instruction.
The hearing and enforcement action put San Francisco squarely in the Trump Administration’s sights, setting it up to be a progressive poster child amid the midterm elections and forcing district and city officials to spend time and resources on MAGA-motivated legal battles rather than focusing on students and families.
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District parents said as much in a letter to the congressional committee prior to the hearing, which praised Su for stabilizing the district financially and reforming curriculum.
San Francisco families want what parents everywhere want: strong schools, safe learning environments, excellent teachers and an education grounded in reading, writing, math and preparation for the future,” said Meredith Dodson, executive director of the SF Parents Coalition, which represents 10,000 public school families and supporters. “We appreciate SFUSD’s continued focus on strengthening student outcomes while serving one of the most diverse student populations in the country.”
Dodson said Su has the support and trust of parents and families and urged the congressional committee “to ensure its oversight efforts remain focused on advancing educational opportunity and improving outcomes for students.”
The Department of Justice has also targeted school districts in swing states, including three in Michigan and 36 in Illinois.
The federal scrutiny in San Francisco has interrupted a period of increasing stability in the district, with the fiscal crisis ebbing, labor contracts settled and payroll and other operational issues mostly mitigated.
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Preparation for the hearing occupied much of Su’s schedule for over a month as she crammed to walk through the landmine of questioning.
It wasn’t the best timing given the June 30 deadline to prepare and pass next school year’s $1.3 billion budget. The district is also starting work on a new student assignment system, expanding Mandarin immersion programs and opening a new school for severely disabled students previously sent outside the district to receive special education services.
The superintendent, however, had to walk a tightrope during the hearing, careful to avoid viral moments that could fire up the MAGA base while also defending the district’s commitment to all students.
The hearing was streamed live on YouTube,
This story will be updated.