Anaheim Girls Stage Walk Out: ‘Boys Don’t Belong in Girls’ Bathrooms’

Students at Esperanza High School, led by junior Lesley Ledesma, staged a walkout this morning after administrators confirmed a trans-identified male student would be permitted to use the girls’ restroom. The students were joined by California Family Council Outreach Director Sophia Lorey, Chino Valley Unified School Board President and candidate for California State Superintendent Sonja Shaw Sonja Shaw, and Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District Trustee Leandra Blades.

The controversy erupted when junior Ledesma confronted a male student entering the girls’ restroom. “When I asked, ‘why are you in this bathroom?’ I was told ‘I am trans, I identify as a girl,’” Ledesma explained at a press conference following the walkout. “I was immediately alarmed not because I wanted to disrespect anyone’s identity, but because I was suddenly uncertain about my own privacy and safety in a space I had always trusted.”

Ledesma, who has attended Esperanza since freshman year, said the incident stripped away the sense of safety she once felt at her school. “As a woman, this felt like a slap in the face to me,” she said. “As a young woman who has used the girls’ bathroom my entire life, I was now being asked to step aside. It didn’t feel fair. It didn’t feel respectful. It felt like my concerns, and the concerns of other girls, were being overlooked.”

Administrators told Ledesma and others that if they were uncomfortable sharing the restroom with a male student, they could use the nurse’s office instead.

“Everyone deserves dignity,” she said. “But dignity cannot come at the cost of someone else’s sense of safety. We must find a solution that protects the rights and feelings of all students, not just some.”

Several of Ledesma’s male relatives spoke in support of her leadership. Her cousin Gabriel said, “When we allow transgender individuals who are born male to use the girls restrooms, they can make many, many girls feel uncomfortable and unsafe. Restrooms are places where we expect privacy, and mixing males with females can make awkward situations lead to harassment and bullying.”

Her younger brother Eddie, a freshman at Esperanza, added: “Restrooms are supposed to be private and safe, but when a male student goes in a girl’s restroom, it doesn’t feel that way anymore for the girls here. It creates stress and discomfort. As a brother, it is very hard for me to see my sister struggling with this, especially when I can’t fix it for her. That’s why I’m speaking up. …This isn’t about hate. It’s about respect.”

Speakers at the event tied the controversy to AB 1266, a 2013 state law allowing students to use bathrooms and locker rooms based on gender identity. Lorey noted that Democrats in the California legislature had recently blocked efforts to repeal or amend the law. “Now these students have taken it into their own hands to lead a student walkout, to stand strong and say they are not okay with boys in the girls’ restrooms,” she said.

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District Trustee Leandra Blades said, “What this is about is the safety of our people. Our females do not feel safe in the bathrooms. Our females do not feel safe on the athletic field. They don’t feel safe. And so what is the state of California doing? They’re violating Title IX.”

Sonja Shaw was even more blunt: “This is the hill, let me remind you, this is the hill that we will die on to protect our kids. Today, I’m standing with a brave young woman… these girls have been forced into the unthinkable situation. A boy has been allowed into their restrooms. … This isn’t progress. This is regression. This is hate on girls.”

Ledesma made clear that her activism is not motivated by hostility but by concern for fairness and safety. “Let me be absolutely clear: I am not here to attack anyone. I do not wish harm on those who see things differently or anyone in the transgender community. I truly believe every person is created in the image and likeness of God and deserves love, dignity, and respect. But I also believe that females deserve to feel safe and comfortable in private spaces like bathrooms and locker rooms. Respect must go both ways.”

She concluded with a message to school officials and lawmakers: “We want the district to hear us and realize that our voices matter. Thank you for listening, and thank you for standing with me.”

Watch the press conference: here: https://x.com/SophiaSLorey/status/1973419252737818705

Watch interviews with Ledesma’s brother and cousin: https://x.com/SophiaSLorey/status/1973437255965618501

About California Family Council
California Family Council works to advance God’s design for life, family, and liberty through California’s Church, Capitol, and Culture. By advocating for policies that reinforce the sanctity of life, the strength of traditional marriages, and the essential freedoms of religion, CFC is dedicated to preserving California’s moral and social foundation.