Encinitas Union School District (EUSD), which serves nine elementary schools in San Diego County, is facing growing controversy over radical gender ideology taught in the classroom. In 2024, concerns erupted over district practices that appear to cross the line into ideological conditioning—often without parental knowledge or consent.
The controversy began in May of 2024 when local resident Carlos Encinas asked his 11-year-old son how his day went, and his son responded, “Dad, it was a little weird.” His fifth-grade son explained that he had been instructed to read My Shadow is Pink and then do a read-along with his kindergarten buddy as part of the “Kinderbuddy” program at La Costa Heights Elementary School, Encinas said. The program pairs fifth-graders with kindergarteners for weekly reading and bonding activities.
The book, which explores gender identity, was followed by a shadow-tracing exercise where students were asked to discuss the colors of their shadows—a task Encinas believes promoted gender ideology and conflicted with his family’s religious beliefs. After unsuccessfully trying to resolve his concerns with the teacher, principal, and district, Carlos Encinas took his family’s story public. His social media post quickly went viral.
According to Encinas, the controversy with the school district deepened when it became clear that the Kinderbuddy program and shadow-tracing activity were not isolated incidents but part of a premeditated effort with a specific ideological goal. Internal communications reviewed by IWFeatures revealed that two teachers had deliberately designed the lesson plans to introduce gender identity concepts to young children.
In one email exchange, a teacher even expressed hope that the shadow exercise would “inspire some sweet things to fly toward their shadow”—a phrase many parents have interpreted as an attempt to influence kindergarteners through their trusted fifth-grade buddies to “come out” as another gender or sexual identity.
What followed was deeply troubling. After voicing their concerns, the Encinas family faced harassment from school officials and local residents alike. Carlos Encinas said the local Parent-Teacher Association and La Costa Heights Elementary School organized a “Pink Out the Hate” day and then targeted his 5th grader for choosing not to participate. The school community wore pink in solidarity, making Encinas’ son appear visibly ostracized. Soon after, the Encinas family received threats and their children were bullied, ultimately forcing them to transfer to another school.
Chris West, the husband of a district teacher, even sent aggressive, unhinged texts to Carlos Encinas after his son objected to the lesson. Despite school officials being aware of the situation, they took no action.
Further complicating the situation, district officials denied requests from parents to opt their children out of gender-related lessons. Citing California state law, EUSD argued that parental consent was not required for the content being taught, which many parents found both alarming and disrespectful.
In 2024, Carlos and Jennifer Encinas filed a federal lawsuit against the Encinitas Union School District. The lawsuit alleges violations of parental rights, free speech, and religious freedoms under the First and Fourteenth Amendments. Targeting district leaders, including Superintendent Andree Grey and Principal Christie Kay, the lawsuit claims these activities were part of a broader pattern of radical indoctrination, with little to no parental involvement or consent.
The exhibits in the lawsuit also shed light on other controversial practices within the district. Assistant Superintendent Amy Illingworth allegedly has promoted Gender Unicorn, a controversial book aimed at teaching children that gender is fluid and separate from biological sex.
In court documents, Illingworth was quoted stating the book was necessary to teach, even though it had sparked public debate. More disturbingly, she reportedly instructed teachers to conceal children’s gender transitions from their parents. “I want a parent NOT to know,” Illingworth allegedly said during a training session, suggesting that the school should develop “gender support plans” for students—plans that parents were not privy to.
This controversy, still unfolding, has drawn national attention to the broader issue of parental rights in education. The Encinas family is being represented by First Liberty Institute and the National Center for Law & Policy. In a statement to IWFeatures, Nate Kellum, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute, said: “Teachers and administrators have a responsibility to work with parents to make sure their instruction respects the religious liberty of all their students. No child should be forced to speak a message that violates their religious convictions.”
As this case moves through the legal system, it will likely become a flashpoint for similar battles nationwide, especially in school districts and states that continue to defy parental wishes in regards to the education and upbringing of their children.
