Professor Pruitt Talks to EdSource About LGBTQ+ Politics in Conservative County
Professor Lisa R. Pruitt commented in a July 8 story in EdSource about Bobbie Simpson's tenure so far on the board of the Gateway Unified School District in Shasta County. Simpson is the first elected openly transgender person to serve on a California school board. She was elected in 2024 to serve a four-year term.
Pruitt provided perspective about the contentious dynamics between LGBTQ+ rights and conservative Christian ideology found in this area of the state.
Distinguished Professor of Law Lisa R. Pruitt is Brigitte Bodenheimer Research Scholar and president of the Rural Sociological Society. Her recent work explores the legal relevance of rural spatiality, including how it inflects dimensions of gender, race, and ethnicity. Pruitt's work also considers rural-urban difference in transnational and international contexts. She is the recipient of the law school’s 2020 Distinguished Teaching Award.