A dipute over political attire led to the cancellation of a candidate forum at Arroyo Grande High School on September 21. Organizers cleared the audience following a disagreement regarding Shannon Kessler's clothing, an incident that disrupted a meeting intended for Lucia Mar Unified School District trustee candidates.
The "Save Girls Sports" shirt and the September 21 standoff
The League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County and the American Association of University Women's 5 Cities Pismo Beach Branch were the primary organizers of the event. According to Kessler, a Republican candidate for California's 30th Assembly District, the confrontation began when she entered the forum wearing a shirt that read "Save Girls Sports."
As reported by OutKick, the organizers reportedly instructed Kessler to cover the message on her shirt. While Kessler initially refused, she eventually agreed to conceal both the front of the shirt and the campaign information on the back after the host announced a violation of the forum's rules. The host stated that because of the violation regarding campaign slogans, the forum could not proceed with an audience present.
Claims of uneven enforcement regarding "Trans kids belong" attire
Shannon Kessler, a Republican candidate for California's 30th Assembly District, claimed that the rules were applied inconsistently during the event. she alleged that while she and her companions were told to cover or turn their "Save Girls Sports" shirts inside out, other attendees were not subjected to the same scrutiny. Specifically, Kessler noted that an attendee wearing a "Trans kids belong" shirt was permitted to display the message without being asked to cover it.
Local law enforcement responded to the scene following the incident. Arroyo Grande police records indicate a "disturbance-of-the-peace" call was placed to the high school's address at 6:07 p.m. on September 21, though the public log does not detail the specific actions taken by officers or the exact nature of the dispute.
A local flashpoint in the Lucia Mar Unified School District debate
The confrontation occurred amidst a long-standing debate within the Lucia Mar Unified School District regarding transgender students' participation in girls' sports and access to locker rooms. although the Lucia Mar Unified School District clarified that the forum was not a district-sponsored event, the tension surrounding these specific policy issuees clearly permeated the candidate forum.
Who authorized the mass removal of the forum audience?
Several details regarding the confrontation remain unverified by the organizers. While Kessler alleged that a woman she identified as a League leader labeled her shirt as carrying an "anti-trans hateful message," the specific identity of this individual has not been confirmed. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether the decision to eject the entire audience—rather than simply addressing the candidate's attire—was a collective decision by the League of Women Voters or an individual directive from a staff member.
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