Maria Su defends S.F. schools as Congress presses on gender and parental-rights policies

WASHINGTON - San Francisco's schools superintendent Maria Su walked into the congressional lion's den Wednesday to defend her district against a Republican onslaught of culture war questioning, with topics ranging from abortion and drag queen story hour, to white supremacy culture to hormone blockers and gender identity.

Bathrooms - and specifically who could use women's restrooms and locker rooms - was an oft-repeated line of inquiry during the hearing by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, which was focused on parental rights as well as the indoctrination and sexualization of students.

Su, her voice hoarse and scratchy from laryngitis, appeared largely unscathed from the three hours in front of the committee, compared to other witnesses called to testify with her.

But the first question she faced set the tone for the hearing.

"At what age do you think students should be exposed to drag queen story hour?" Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., asked Su.

As was the case with many of the questions she faced, Su dodged the specific question and responded that the district follows state and federal law and followed that by confirming parents can choose to opt out of such activities based on a religious objection.

Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., questioned Su about a 2024 teacher training seminar in the city that included information about "white supremacy culture."

"What do you believe white supremacy culture is?" he asked. "Do you believe it's a problem in San Francisco?

She again skirted the specific question.

The session was a high-profile, high-stakes moment for Su, who took the superintendent's job 18 months ago with no previous school district experience and after serving 25 years in City Hall, including several as director of the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families.

The congressional grilling required Su to walk a tightrope, careful to avoid viral moments that could fire up the MAGA base while also defending the district's commitment to all students.

She had five minutes to provide an initial statement prior to questioning and started by defending the district's commitment to diversity and highlighting San Francisco's "proud" history.

"The city is known as a pioneer in LGBTQ rights," she said. "We have a long tradition of embracing diversity and welcoming everyone, including those who feel marginalized or overlooked.

"As a school district, we were one of the first to recognize the importance of teaching about our diversity so that they can learn and grow together."

She echoed those sentiments throughout her testimony.

"Do you think that not using a student's preferred pronoun is morally equivalent with assault?" Rep. Rick Allen, R-Ga., asked.

"In San Francisco we welcome all of our students as they are," Su responded. "We believe firmly that when we allow students to come in and truly be themselves, we're able to teach our students and support our students to be thriving adults."

The hearing drew a large crowd of parents, activists and media as the nation's broiling culture wars were on full display, the battle over transgender policies, religious beliefs and parental rights at the forefront.

Su sat at the witness table, three rows of viewing seats full behind her and a line of people outside the committee room waiting for a seat to open.

Walberg made it clear in his opening statement that Su and the other witnesses, Chicago CEO and Superintendent Macquline King and Loudoun County (Virginia) Superintendent Aaron Spence, were each sitting in a highly visible hot seat.

"Witnesses were invited to explain policies in their districts that sidelined parents, compromised student privacy rights and fuel radical ideology," he said, citing elementary school students exposed to gender identity and puberty blockers among other topics. "The consequences of the policies are horrific."

Questions in the first hour from Republican members included whether the school leaders asserted children could change gender and in one specifically directed at the Chicago superintendent, whether she believed abortion by suction or by removing individual body parts was preferable.

Democratic members challenged the premise of the hearing, saying the topics were "part and parcel" of the Trump administration, which is putting political gains before the education of children, said Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va.

Rep. Mark Takano, D-Riverside, questioned why the committee was focused on "witch hunts," rather than the "thousands of students" experiencing harassment, abuse and neglect who are waiting for the federal Office of Civil Rights to investigate their cases.

Instead, the office is focused on investigations initiated by the department rather than parental or student complaints.

Su's appearance follows the announcement Monday that the Office of Civil Rights, within the federal Department of Justice, is investigating San Francisco Unified as well as three other California school districts to review their compliance with parental opt-out requirements related to "sexual and gender ideology" instruction.

The Department of Justice has also targeted school districts in swing states, including three in Michigan and 36 in Illinois.

The hearing and enforcement action put San Francisco squarely in the Trump administration's sights, setting it up to be a progressive poster child amid the midterm elections and forcing district and city officials to spend time and resources on MAGA-motivated legal battles rather than focusing on students and families.

District parents said as much in a letter to the congressional committee prior to the hearing, which praised Su for stabilizing the district financially and reforming curriculum.

San Francisco families want what parents everywhere want: strong schools, safe learning environments, excellent teachers and an education grounded in reading, writing, math and preparation for the future," said Meredith Dodson, executive director of the SF Parents Coalition, which represents 10,000 public school families and supporters. "We appreciate SFUSD's continued focus on strengthening student outcomes while serving one of the most diverse student populations in the country."

Three district parents affiliated with the group attended the hearing, each saying they thought Su successfully navigated the divisive issues - topics aren't remotely controversial in San Francisco, said mom Autumn Brown Garibay.

"I feel like Dr. Su did a fantastic job, she was well prepared, answered their questions, didn't let their pointedness get to her," said one of the parents, Autumn Brown Garibay. "It was really interesting to see so many of our values put into question in the way that they were."

The partisan divide embedded in the questions was striking, said Sharon Chihyun In. That included those related to transgender youth and LGBTQ policies.

"One of the things that surprised me is what we value as the SFUSD community - what I value as a parent and as an educator - how that could be viewed so differently,'" she said.

Rep. Kevin Kiley of Rocklin (Placer County), who recently changed his party affiliation from Republican to independent, said he has been "pretty critical of SFUSD in the past."

"I actually think there's been some encouraging changes recently," he said, citing the recall of three progressive school board members who tried to rename schools during the COVID school closures, including Lincoln High School.

He also noted the district's improved financial status, the restoration of Algebra 1 in middle schools and a new ethnic studies curriculum, among other changes.

"It sounds like things are on the right track," Kiley said. "I love San Francisco, I think the city's had a lot of problems, the district's had a lot of problems, but I think on both counts we've seen a lot of improvements in recent years. … There's still probably plenty I disagree with, but I think these are important steps."

Walberg also praised San Francisco's efforts.

The other two superintendents, King and Spence, had a much rougher ride through the hearing. Several lawmakers grilled Spence about an incident involving a transgender student in a boys locker room, and King was asked for her personal opinion about abortion, the appropriate age for sexual activity, and whether men and boys can go into girls locker rooms in Chicago public schools.

Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., questioned Spence about the locker room incident, despite the superintendent's repeated assertion that he couldn't talk about individual students or disciplinary actions against them; he said the characterization of what happened - involving the alleged filming of the three boys in the locker room - wasn't accurate.

"You are weak, you are extremely weak, you are pathetic, and thank God my children didn't go to your school district," she said after he declined to say if or why the transgender student wasn't disciplined.

The federal scrutiny in San Francisco has interrupted a period of increasing stability in the district, with the fiscal crisis ebbing, labor contracts settled, and payroll and other operational issues mostly mitigated.

Preparation for the hearing occupied much of Su's schedule for over a month as she crammed to walk through the minefield of questioning.

It wasn't the best timing, given the June 30 deadline to prepare and pass next school year's $1.3 billion budget. The district is also starting work on a new student assignment system, expanding Mandarin immersion programs and opening a new school for severely disabled students previously sent outside the district to receive special education services.

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., echoed that in her questioning of the witnesses, asking the superintendents what was the most pressing concern in their districts.

Budget cuts topped the list for all three, with Su also saying that parents repeatedly call for academic rigor while meeting the needs of all students.

Su was not immediately available to comment after the hearing.

The hearing was streamed live on YouTube.

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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 7:08 PM.