Outrage over plans to admit girls to prestigious Catholic school as parents warn that boys will be distracted

An all-boys private Catholic high school in California announced that it will admit its first class of female students, leaving some families and alumni outraged.

Jesuit High School in Sacramento has educated only young men since it was founded in 1963.

Following the announcement in early October, some want it to stay that way – with one alumnus claiming that girls would be a ‘distraction.’

‘You don’t have a lot of distractions. Girls – while we’re never going to avoid them… that devotion to excellence has also not been emphasized enough,’ graduate Louis Stanfill told Fox40.

He gathered with other families at the school on November 11, with some attendees donning ‘Make Jesuit All Boys Again’ hats and signs reading ‘Marauder Brotherhood Forever.’

Jesuit High School plans to admit its first class of girls in the fall of 2027. Both freshmen and transfers will be welcome in the new school year.

Protest group Men for Others has led the charge against the move and encouraged people to ‘stand up for our boys.’

The group argued that families were never consulted about admitting girls.

Jesuit High School in Sacramento has been all-boys since it was founded in 1963

After the announcement of its first female class, families gathered at the school in protest

School President Chris Alling explained the decision in a letter to families on October 4.

‘The Trustees have charted a bold direction, deciding that in the fall of 2027, Jesuit will offer the opportunity for young women in Sacramento to experience a Jesuit education in a unique co-divisional education model – one school with two divisions,’ he wrote.

‘This model offers a single-sex classroom experience while providing opportunities for boys and girls to engage socially, spiritually, and in co-curricular activities.’

While the female students will take classes in different classrooms, students will have the opportunity to mix during service, athletics, arts, and leadership events.

The school said this will provide students with ‘vibrant, integrated co-curricular experiences.’

Alling cited financial stability and ‘mission richness’ as the reason for the change.

Tuition for the school comes in at just under $20,000 per student.

Jesuit High School operates with a 1,1000-student enrollment cap in Sacramento County.

Alumnus Louis Stanfill even argued that girls would be a ‘distraction’ to the young men’s education

In a letter to families, President Chris Alling announced the change

Fox 40 reported that there are only 166 open slots for the 2027 class of girls.

At the protest this week, families argued that the ‘co-divisional model’ will alter the school’s values.

Some have even offered Jesuit High School millions of dollars under the condition that the school does not move forward with the decision.

Donors hoped to compensate any additional admission the school may need to maintain financial stability.

Stanfill said the more than $3.5 million in donations pledged to the school over the next few years would go toward getting Jesuit ‘where we used to be.’

But the school denied the money and said the pledges ‘conflict with the mission and the direction of the school.’

Parents even alleged that their students were threatened with expulsion if they spoke to the media about the controversy.

Families gathered with signs, some even wearing ‘Make Jesuit All Boys Again’ hats

The private high school said that the decision was final, despite donation pledges from families to reverse the decision

They were told it violated student hand books.

Jesuit High School officials have said that the decision is final, regardless of the complaints.

Families with concerns were instructed to go to the school directly.