Board members cite bylaw violations including racist comments
A resolution to censure Newhall School District trustee Donna Robert for multiple violations of board bylaws against Superintendent Leticia Hernandez, including discriminatory comments, passed on a 4-1 vote following a brief discussion during Thursday’s special meeting.
Trustee Ernesto Smith made the motion to approve the item and Sue Solomon seconded while Robert opposed it. It passed on a 4-1 vote.
The resolution to censure, or provide a formal public statement of strong disapproval or condemnation, came following a third-party investigation that found Robert engaged in a pattern of “hostile, demeaning and discriminatory conduct” toward Hernandez.
The findings of the investigation stated that Robert made comments to another district employee about Hernandez and her professional competence, including a comment on March 27 that read, “Well, like I tell my granddaughter, who is part Mexican, ‘Are you Mexican or Mexican’t?’ [The superintendent] always just says no,” Robert said, according to the resolution.
During Thursday’s special meeting, before the board took a vote on the matter, a public comment by a Newhall Teachers Association representative and the board vocalized their displeasure with Robert. They all showed support toward Hernandez and her leadership.
“The findings in this proposed resolution are very concerning. A well-run school district depends on mutual respect, professionalism, and a workplace free from discrimination, hostility and intimidation,” said Hilary Hall during public comment on behalf of Newhall Teachers Association President Melanie Musella, who was unable to be present. “I want to acknowledge Dr. Hernandez’s leadership and her commitment to our students and staff. While she has been our superintendent, she has been accessible, collaborative, and supportive of our teachers, actually all of our staff, and she consistently demonstrates the ability to identify areas of need within the district and work collaboratively with all stakeholders to find solutions that work for both teachers and students.”
“As a result, many teachers have felt a renewed sense of partnership, trust, and professional respect under Dr. Hernandez’s leadership. Morale throughout the district has improved significantly,” Hall added.
Newhall district governing board President Rachelle Haddoak stated that there were no personal opinions or biases within the investigation conducted by a third party before she opened the agenda item for further discussion.
Robert was the first among the trustees to comment on the agenda item and denied the allegations made against her.
“There are several statements that are false, misconstrued, and/or taken out of context,” she said, adding that none of the witness statements were made under penalty of perjury and individuals she presented to be interviewed weren’t.
“I’m always looking out for the best interests of the students and the families. That’s my No. 1 thing. I feel that I’ve been met with hostility ever since I asked, ‘Can we quantify how many of our sixth graders are lacking basic math skills? So, I don’t feel that I’ve been demeaning or disrespectful. I might be compassionate about my questions, but I ask my questions from my heart with sincerity, not to be demeaning,” Robert said.
Trustee Smith responded to Robert, stating his displeasure.
“That ‘Mexican and Mexican’t’ comment, that’s 100% racist. I don’t know how else to tell you that. That’s not even up for debate. I don’t care what context it was in, it was absolutely wrong,” he said adding that he was embarrassed for the board and the district.
“To say that you don’t agree with the information on there, I disagree with that. These comments, they run deep. This is so disrespectful and just hurtful to our community, to our staff, and ultimately to our students. What do our students see with this? One of our board members is saying something about a certain culture, people from a certain country, like this is not right.”
Smith then defended Hernandez and her leadership, calling her evaluations “absolutely perfect.”
The resolution stated that Robert characterized Hernandez as “incompetent and untrustworthy on multiple occasions and in various settings to other district staff and board members,” and even threatened to give her a negative performance evaluation without evidentiary basis.
“We’ve come to this point and it’s sad, it hurts all the way around. The reason we’re here is because we need to preserve the integrity of the Newhall School District and the integrity of our superintendent,” trustee Solomon said. “I second what Ernesto has said.”
Trustee Isaiah Talley echoed other board members’ remarks during his comment and said, “We should always be building each other up in encouragement to be better if we find a shortcoming, never in something that’s demeaning or disparaging. So we’re here to try the correct course on previous behavior.”
Before calling the item to a vote, Haddoak said that having findings like the one presented to the board wasn’t something that should be ignored, “no matter what someone’s opinion is on the truth of the findings,” she said. “I have worked with you, Donna, for four years, and I know your intentions are good. I know your heart is in the right place, but good intentions can still lead to behavior and comments that are not OK and it’s something that we need to address.”
