Boys & Girls Club faced political attacks in south O.C. over its diversity stance

Earlier this year, Aliso Viejo Mayor Mike Munzing closed out a Feb. 7 City Council meeting with a quick roundup of his community activities.

He briefly mentioned having attended the Boys & Girls Club of Capistrano Valley’s annual Youth of the Year competition held in Rancho Santa Margarita.

“That was very exciting,” Munzing said. “I do love that our council, more than other councils it seems like, we always love being out there and supporting them.”

But, according to records obtained by TimesOC, Munzing had already texted Nicole Watson, a Boys & Girls Club of Capistrano Valley executive staffer, the day after the Jan. 26 competition with concerns over its embrace of the concept of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

“We do need to have a bit of a chat regarding this big DEIB stuff that y’all [were] pushing hard last night,” Munzing texted Watson. “It is a deeply political issue and a new emphasis for the club, so I’d like to know who’s pushing it.”

By April, Aliso Viejo City Atty. Scott Smith stepped in with a letter to club executive staff clarifying that an unnamed council member’s comments that the city’s agreement with the club “could be in jeopardy” due to its DEIB position statement were unauthorized and incorrect.

“The city’s relationship with the club would never hinge on the constitutionally protected value statement or mission statement of the club,” Smith wrote.

Watson, who now serves as the club’s chief executive, told TimesOC the letter pertained to a conversation Munzing had with her on March 8 that included “threats to cancel the contract if he shifted the council to a more conservative alignment.”

The Boys & Girls Club of Capistrano Valley may seem like an unlikely organization to be targeted in the political polarization surrounding DEI programs at corporations, nonprofits and college campuses.

In South Orange County it provides a number of services, including after-school programs and summer day camps. The nonprofit maintains “neighborhood-based” youth facilities in San Juan Capistrano, Aliso Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita.

According to 2024 statistics, the club serves more than 1,100 youth, 59% of whom are Latino, across all three locations every year.

An archived version of the club’s website shows a link to its past position statement that has since been deleted.

“We reject any and all forms of racism, inequity or unkindness,” the statement read.

It also pledged equal access to club programs, among other stated principles.

The club’s board adopted the position statement in October 2020.

Similar DEI stances are found at the Boys & Girls Club of America’s national website.

After the city attorney’s letter, Munzing continued to voice his disagreements. He turned down an invitation to the club’s bocce ball championship at Doheny State Beach.

“With your radical new DEI stance, I can no longer participate,” Munzing texted Watson.

TimesOC reached out to Munzing, who did not immediately respond.

In May, Munzing took his anti-DEIB stances to Rancho Santa Margarita when its City Council considered a one-year extension with the club for services at the Bell Tower Regional Community Center.

“This new direction … will only hurt the kids and encourage them to be bitter victims,” he said in emails where he identified as an O.C. GOP Central Committee representative for Rancho Santa Margarita. “Do what’s right for the kids.”

Councilman Jerry Holloway followed up with Munzing and asked what he meant by that.

Munzing pointed to a list of books that he claimed accompanied the club’s DEIB position statement that had been posted on their website.

“Every one of these authors are focused on making everything about ‘race,’ which is inappropriate for the young minds that are under their care,” he wrote. “Kids should be allowed to be kids and they are too young to have to deal with curriculum that is based on a political agenda.”

The book list included titles such as “White Fragility,” “How the Irish Became White” and “Race Matters.” Cornel West, James Baldwin and Toni Morrison were among the authors.

Holloway responded by asking Munzing if he knew how many kids, if any, were being directed to read from the book list.

“They are certainly teaching them something,” Munzing claimed.

Watson told TimesOC that the reading list on the website was never intended for the youth members.

“It was developed as a resource for adults — parents, staff and community members — who wanted to further educate themselves on topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion,” she said. “Our goal was to offer a tool for thoughtful reflection and understanding, not as a directive for our youth.”

Munzing’s concerns found favor with Councilman Tony Beall, who referred to DEIB as a “toxic” ideology and railed against the book list.

“It’s wrong for our City Council to support spending any more taxpayer dollars to hire an organization to provide after-school care to the children of our community when that organization proudly promotes this type of critical race theory,” Beall said at the May 8 council meeting.

But support for ending the agreement with the club failed to find favor elsewhere.

Councilman Bradley McGuirr pointed to five schools in the Saddleback Unified School District that would be without an after-school program if the agreement expired without renewal in July.

“I don’t agree with the reading list, but to me that’s secondary to the needs of the children and the parents in this community,” McGuirr added.

Rancho Santa Margarita City Council voted 3-1 to grant a year extension to the club, with Beall opposing and another council member absent.

Watson hasn’t had any conversations with Munzing about the club since but said she is looking forward to strengthening its partnership with Aliso Viejo.

“We remain committed to looking toward the future and finding new ways to address the needs of our community,” she said. “Together, we are shaping a brighter future for our youth and our community — this is where our attention and focus lie.”