In the latest salvo in a battle between Gov. Gavin Newsom and the president of the Temecula Valley Unified School District over a banned book, Newsom announced Thursday that the state will purchase the book for district students if the board does not ensure that students have sufficient material before the start of the school year on Aug. 14.
The feud between the district and Newsom began last month when the school board voted to ban a social studies book because it referenced LGBTQ+ activist Harvey Milk.
"Cancel culture has gone too far in Temecula: radicalized zealots on the school board rejected a textbook used by hundreds of thousands of students and now children will begin the school year without the tools they need to learn," Newsom said Thursday in a release.
The state will "deliver the book into the hands of children and their parents" if "the school board won't do its job by its next board meeting to ensure kids start the school year with basic materials," Newsom said.
"We'll send the district the bill and fine them for violating state law," he said.
The board must purchase one of the four standard programs approved by the state, a governor's spokesperson said.
The cost of the curriculum is about $1.6 million and the fine would be about $1.5 million under Assembly Bill 1078, which is making its way through the state Legislature.
The move comes after the Temecula Valley school board voted in May to ban the book after objections raised by board President Joseph Komrosky, who baselessly called Milk a "pedophile."
Milk — a member of the San Francisco Board of supervisors and the first out gay man to be elected to public office in California — was mentioned only in supplemental material included with the book.
Newsom fired back at Komrosky on Twitter, slamming Komrosky as "ignorant" for his "offensive comments."
"This isn't Texas or Florida," Newsom wrote on Twitter. "In the Golden State, our kids have the freedom to learn. Congrats Mr. Komrosky you have our attention. Stay tuned."
A few days later, Komrosky and school board member Danny Gonzalez held a news conference in which they responded at Newsom.
"Gov. Newsom, I'm glad that I have your attention. Now you have mine," Komrosky said to applause from supporters attending the conference.
Komrosky did not back away from his comments regarding Milk and said he had "received my first death threat" after the governor's tweet.
Gonzalez waved away concerns that students would not have textbooks for the start of the school year. State law requires that school districts have enough materials for all students.
"Our students and teachers will have what they need for the start of the year," he said, "and I continue to work through this daily."
Komrosky did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the governor's move.
In June, the mostly conservative school board fired Supt. Jodi McClay without cause. McClay had previously clashed with the board's conservative members over the banning of critical race theory and the curriculum that included mentions of Milk.
McClay had voted for the curriculum and opposed banning CRT.
In the release from Newsom's office, the Temecula Valley district curriculum was slammed as "outdated and in violation of state law."
"Students in the district are forced to use a textbook published in 2006," the governor's office said.
In June, the governor and state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta sent a letter to the school board demanding information about its "process and decision-making" regarding its decision to ban the textbook.
"Concerning statements made by Board members during the May 16 meeting, including allegations about LGBTQ+ community leader Harvey Milk, the Attorney General's letter expresses deep concern about the potential discriminatory intent," the governor's office said.
And since the school board's decision on the textbook, Newsom and State Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond have thrown their weight behind Assembly Bill 1078, which would, among other things, require a two-thirds supermajority for a board to remove materials from a curriculum.
