Conservative-tied assembly at Chino Hills school draws protest

A patriotic assembly celebrating the United States' 250th anniversary at a Chino Hills middle school drew protests after parents discovered it was organized by groups affiliated with Turning Point USA and other conservative organizations, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

The incident at Canyon Hills Junior High highlights growing tensions over whether outside political organizations should help shape patriotic events at public schools, a debate gaining visibility across Southern California.

The assembly — titled "History Rocks 250" and held in two separate 45-minute sessions — included the pledge of allegiance, a national anthem performance by the school choir and remarks from two Canyon Hills students, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Katharine Gorka, a senior advisor for civic education with the U.S. Department of Education and a former Trump administration member, served as the event's featured outside speaker.

Before the event, community concern mounted after parents learned that the assembly's organizers had ties to Turning Point USA and other conservative groups. Debra Esquivel, a Chino Hills grandparent, told ABC7 she was troubled by who was behind the event. "I'm concerned about the views of Turning Point USA, and the Heritage Foundation, which produced Project 2025," Esquivel said.

On the day of the assembly, community members gathered outside the school holding banners that read "No politics in school," and some parents chose to keep their children home rather than have them attend. Chino Valley Unified School District Board of Education President Sonja Shaw was met with boos from some attendees when she appeared at the event.

Shaw brushed off the heckling with a brief "It's OK. I heard." She later addressed the parents who had withheld their children from the school day. "I feel bad their kids missed school, that's a whole day of instruction time, it was an interaction, obviously every lie that was put out before the event took place did some damage," Shaw said, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Inside the assembly, Gorka delivered remarks on American identity and immigration. "We are the most welcoming country on earth, and I love that about this country," she said. A Canyon Hills student offered the closing words of the event: "What makes America special is that for generations families all over the world have come here, searching for freedom, opportunity and the chance to build a better life."

Canyon Hills Junior High is part of the Chino Valley Unified School District in San Bernardino County. The assembly was organized to mark the United States' 250th anniversary, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.