Superintendent Dr. Griffin told the Humboldt Unified School District board that a February "Dear Colleague" letter from the U.S. Department of Education's civil rights division prompted a district review of curriculum and hiring practices to ensure compliance with federal guidance.

Why it matters: The guidance does not create new law but instructs districts about interpretation and application of existing civil-rights regulations, which in turn affected the board's conversation about whether district policy should specifically prohibit certain controversial instructional content or language.

Board member Dr. Dillinger read model policy language derived from a Paradise Valley template that lists concepts staff may not make part of curriculum (language that, if adopted, would prohibit presenting assertions that an individual is inherently morally or intellectually superior based on race or that individuals should feel guilt or psychological distress because of race). Dillinger said she believed the district already adheres to these principles but recommended adding explicit language.

The board debated whether to revise policy BA (goals/strategies language) and whether the district should adopt the broader proposed prohibitions. Trustees agreed to accept a slate of ASBA-recommended policy updates while pulling policy BA for more discussion. The motion to remove BA for separate review and accept the other policy changes passed.

Superintendent Griffin said the district's curriculum team and HR would continue reviewing materials and hiring practices for compliance; the board asked staff to return with recommended wording and more detailed policy options.

Clarifying details: The board did not adopt the specific Paradise Valley language during the meeting; the direction was to examine policy BA and consider incorporating tighter language to make expectations explicit rather than relying on general practice.