Thanks for joining us. On to the point.
I'm Becca Habiger in for Alex.
Right now, a youth pastor is fielding
a death threat and hateful comments.
After a national group turned
its attention to Placer County.
Parents in the Roseville Joint Union
High School District received an e-mail
from district leaders alerting them to
a video and article by Project Veritas,
which some consider to be an
undercover journalism organization.
But critics call it a far
right activist group.
So in tonight's main point,
we want to add some context
to the controversy,
and we've reached out to
all the parties involved.
Pastor Casey Tinnon leads Loomis
Basin Congregational United Church of
Christ and founded the landing spot,
a non religious support group
for LGBTQIA plus youth and
their parents in Placer County.
In this story you'll also
hear the umbrella term queer,
a word which for years was used
offensively but has since been reclaimed
by the LGBTQIA Plus community.
You know, for a lot of our kids,
the landing spot is the only place
where they feel comfortable.
It's difficult to be a queer teenager.
This is a parent whose
teen attends the landing.
But and a Roseville joint Union
High School district school.
She asked us not to use her name
out of fear of retaliation.
That's because the landing
spot and Pastor Tennon are the
subject of a hit piece by Project
Veritas released on Sunday.
It's entitled California Reverend
says it is critical to discuss
sexual identity and gender with
children at a young age.
Admits parents would be upset if they
knew their queer kid was coming to me.
I and the older queer folks are
mentoring these young adults
when they know that they're
clear kids is coming to me.
Thank you for support.
They're going to be it's when you
are purposely misgendering them,
when you are purposely not using their name,
how do you handle that?
I called CPS.
Supporters of the landing spot say
Pastor Tinnin was recorded without
his knowledge or permission and his
words were taken out of context.
They say he was led to believe he
was speaking with parents of trans
kids who were seeking his advice.
Now, as a result of this project
Veritas piece, he has received a
death threat and hateful comments.
We reached out to Sacramento.
Bernie Mark Reichel,
who was not connected with this situation
to ask if how Project Veritas went
about getting this video was legal.
He says no California Penal
Code 632 makes it clear,
he says if a person has a reasonable
expectation that a conversation will
be private and not recorded even in
a public place like a restaurant,
then it is illegal.
We asked Project Veritas about this,
a spokesperson told us.
We stand behind our reporting,
which was conducted legally since the
landing spot works with teens in the
Roseville Joint Union High School District.
And, up until recently,
had met periodically in
the schools themselves.
The district emailed parents Monday night,
citing the Project Veritas Video and
distancing itself from the landing spot.
Given statements by Pastor
Tennon in the video,
along with other related concerns,
district staff contacted the
Roseville Police Department and
Child Protective Services to advise
them of the matter so they can
ensure no students have been harmed,
the statement said in part.
We reached out to the Roseville
Police Department,
which told us they have received
no official criminal complaint
from the High school district.
There's currently no active.
Investigation related to the referenced
parent communication and Placer
County child welfare services and
foster care services told us by law,
child welfare referrals are
confidential and we are unable to
confirm or deny whether a particular
referral has been received.
Supporters of the landing spot
say they're disappointed in how
the district worded its statement.
Thinking that they would take a
misinformation campaign and elevate
it and give it any validity.
There has been no investigation,
there's been no allegation,
there's been no incident that has occurred,
she says. The ones hurt most by
all this are the queer students.
Landing spot is not the problem.
Landing spot is a solution for our
kids who are already struggling.
And just hours ago,
the nearby plaster Union High School
District released a statement saying
in part that although they have
never received any complaints in
regard to the landing spot being
at student club meetings,
starting immediately,
neither of the landing spot nor their
representatives will be allowed on campuses.
You can read the full statement
on abc10.com slash to the point.