An attempt to remove Val Verde Unified School District Board President Matthew Serafin earlier this month failed on a 2-2 vote.
“Many community members and Val Verde staff have come forth to express some deep concerns about the conduct of Board President Matt Serafin, including several formal and informal complaints made against Serafin,” Board member Melinda Young said.
Young pointed to a number of instances when Serafin used unprofessional language, including at the Aug. 1 meeting when he said the Footsteps to Freedom training as “dope as f**k.” The training focuses on the Underground Railroad and strives to foster “equitable, transformative change that contributes to thriving, inclusive and united communities that embrace diversity,” according to the program’s website.
Members of the public, including Fred Banuelos, Roy Bleckert and Lori Lopez all called on the board to remove Serafin as board president for his use of curse words and other unprofessional language while on the dais.
“I would ask that member Serafin be censured as a result of his behavior, and I would further ask that a vote be taken to remove him as president,” Lopez said. “I do not believe the parents, the students [or] the community of this great district want to be represented in the way that Mr. Serafin has demonstrated. His actions and foul language do not belong in any elected body, specifically one where students are supposed to be first and foremost.”
The speakers also referred back to a February meeting in which Serafin said, “it takes a lot of b*lls,” to participate in work stoppages. In that same meeting, he called for an end to the back and forth between himself and Young, which he characterized as “bulls**t.”
“Every meeting you start with reading the mission statement,” Banuelos said. “How are you guys creating a positive learning environment with Matthew is saying this?”
Val Verde Teachers Association President Micki Gates, while not advocating that the board take any action, called on them to be aware of the fact that their positions make them role models in the community.
“As elected officials, you are elected and you are role models to our families, our students, our employees, and in education, we are held to a higher standard than we are to a lot of other professions,” she said. “So please remember that, especially when you’re up here on the school board, and you’re addressing everyone in things that you say and how you act. It matters.”
Young also brought up a number of concerns with Serafin’s performance as the board president, stating that he does not work with the superintendent’s office in preparing agendas for the board.
“His lack of preparation, communication and leadership makes for contentious board meetings,” she said. “By doing so, he is setting up [Superintendent Michael] McCormick and the board for failure with his actions.”
She also said Serafin fails to enforce board policies and ensure the board adheres to the Brown Act, “continuously makes false allegations and statements with no evidence or supporting documentation,” and violates McCormick’s contract.
“I have brought these concerns directly to Serafin and to the board as a whole, yet he continues to be in violation of bylaws and board policy,” she said. “What is even more concerning to me is that board members Daniel Aquino and Erica Zamora condone and support his egregious and unprofessional behavior by electing him as board president on December 2022.”
Young said that she had “lost all confidence” in Serafin, Aquino and Zamora.
“This is not what the board is about,” she said. “Correction, this is not what I’m about, and it’s concerning to me that he does not apologize to the public that he serves.”
Serafin responded to Young by saying that he was there for the students and not the “political nonsense and attacking and divisiveness that we see on the board.”
“I want to truly be able to have a conversation with you, Young, without mud being thrown in our faces,” he said. “I get it, you like to play in the mud. I can play in the mud too. I have no problem with that, but moving forward, I really hope that we can agree to disagree and not constantly bring items like this.
“It’s not helpful,” he continued. “It just sends the wrong message, but I’m gonna put them on there if you guys want to keep doing this, you know what I’m saying?”
Ultimately, the motion to remove Serafin from his position as board president failed with Kirkland and Young voting in favor of his removal and Serafin and Aquino voting against. Board member Erika Zamora was absent.
In other action: The board briefly discussed the rationale behind adopting resolutions for annual events such as the Great California Shakeout and Hispanic Heritage Month before adopting both on a split vote with Board member Melinda Young voting against both.
A video of the meeting can be found here on the district’s website.
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