Last week’s Temecula Valley Unified School District Board of Education meeting came to an abrupt end after Trustees Allison Barclay and Steven Schwartz left the dais during an item involving an open letter Trustee Jen Wiersma hoped to get board support to distribute publicly.
“You’ve done an end-run around to get your letter out to the public on a topic that is not permitted,” Barclay said as Wiersma started to read the letter. “And you put it on the agenda, so people could read it, using district resources [for] your personal agenda.”
The letter was a response to a July 25 email Superintendent Gary Woods sent to the community as required by the California Department of Education stating that the district would not be implementing portions of a controversial parental notification policy adopted by the board last august after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1955 into law.
Tension over the item was clear from the start of the meeting, after Wiersma declined to entertain a discussion over removing the agenda item as suggested by Schwartz who said the item lacked clarity as to what action the board was supposed to take.
“It’s not in the best interest as trustees to censor one another or block the public from understanding what’s going on,” Wiersma said. “So as far as [that item], I’d like to keep that on, because I think transparency is imperative, so I won’t be removing that.”
Barclay also questioned why the item was on the agenda, because she said both board and district policy were clear on how district resources could be used, which did not include “sending out opinions of board members.”
When it came time for the board to discuss the open letter, seven members of the public spoke, most in opposition to Wiersma’s open letter.
“I don’t think you understand what your job is as a public school board trustee,” Kristi McClure, a TVUSD parent, said. “I don’t understand why you spend so much time, energy, and again, my tax dollars, trying to fight laws and regulations. You don’t have to like them, but guess what? You’re supposed to follow the law.”
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The two who spoke in support of the letter included resident Jack Marston.
“Your attitude is very commendable, how you just go with the punches, despite all the hatred and disgusting vile that has just been thrown at you from these insane teachers,” he said to Wiersma. “You are a true role model, and I just want to show my support for the letter on parental rights.”
Immediately following public comment, Schwartz called for a motion, which Wiersma declined to make, instead asking that there be discussion. In response, Schwartz walked off the dais, leaving the board without a quorum and leading to a brief recess of the meeting.
When the three board members were back at their seats, Wiersma again pushed for discussion on the item.
“This is actually an item that I sponsored and put on the agenda, and you cannot prevent and censor discussion,” she said. “It would be convenient, but you absolutely cannot do it.”
Both Barclay and Schwartz reiterated that they were not trying to censor Wiersma, but rather follow parliamentary procedure for there to be a vote on whether or not to support the letter for public distribution.
“That’s how this board has operated in the past,” Barclay said. “Once the question has been called, that item goes to vote, and that’s it.”
When Wiersma began reading the letter, members of the audience began shouting, prompting her to tell those in attendance that they could either stay and listen or leave.
“Sounds good,” Barclay said as both she and Schwartz got up from the dais and left the meeting, leaving the board without a quorum.
“This meeting has not been adjourned,” Wiersma said as the audience left. “The point of order has been rejected. There was no rule violation. This meeting is still happening.”
However, Woods said that since there was no quorum, the meeting was adjourned, even as Wiersma continued reading from her letter.
“It looks like they’re leaving,” Woods said before motioning for the livestream to end. “So the meeting is adjourned.”
A full recording of the meeting can be found here on the district’s YouTube channel.
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