Outcry was immediate and severe, despite the school's extensive efforts to notify students and parents of the policy. Los Angeles Unified School District officials sided with parents, stating that the policy may not be valid because it was not approved by the school board. Palisades officials countered that, as a charter school, they were exempt from governance by the board and free to make their own policies. They also argued that board members approved the attendance policy when they approved the school's charter. 

The controversy put a spotlight on what many teachers feel is a growing problem: that their efforts to effectively educate the children trusted to them are often thwarted by politically powerful parents. Its this sentiment that led to the creative, this fictional, phone message (see below).  It was created by an anonymous author as a bit of humor to cynically express teachers' frustrations.  It was never "voted unanimously by the office staff."  In fact, Palisades Charter High School doesn't even have a menu-based phone system.