Latest news with #CoachellaValleyUnifiedSchoolDistrict
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
California principal blocked Border Patrol from career fair; school district apologizes
The Coachella Valley Unified School District has apologized to the U.S. Border Patrol after one of its recruiters was barred from attending a high school career fair earlier this week. The border patrol officer was denied from participating in the Coachella Valley High School career fair in Riverside County on Wednesday, which sparked immediate backlash from one of the agency's leaders in Southern California. "Agendas in Schools? After being invited to a career fair @ Coachella Valley High, the principal told our recruiter to leave - no explanation given," Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino based in El Centro, Calif., said on the social media platform X. "Students depend on leadership promoting an environment of learning and creativity, not agenda driven edicts." A day later, the school district said in a statement the denial was inadvertent and that those involved would face discipline. "We want to make it very clear that we do not condone this behavior, and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken with the involved staff members to ensure this does not happen again," the statement said. "Our students have greatly appreciated the valuable interactions and insights they have gained from learning about careers in Law Enforcement and the Border Patrol." Read more: 'I don't feel safe anywhere.' California moves to aid undocumented students as fears surge Coachella Valley Unified's student body is predominantly Latino with many migrant students and the incident occurred as the Trump administration has promised to carry out mass deportations of people without proper documentation across the country and the mere presence of agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has stoked fears among immigrant communities. Many cheered on Bovino's post questioning the district's motives. He posted an update Thursday after the district apologized. "We accept & thank the Coachella Valley Unified School District for the apology. We look forward to continuing our relationship with them for the benefit of our youth & students," he said. Others, however, cheered on the staff who denied the officer's entry. "We like a principal who helps their students! Grow a back bone and advocate for the community you serve," one person wrote in the comments to the district's statement on Facebook. The district's statement concluded that it would welcome the border patrol at future fairs. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
California principal blocked Border Patrol from career fair; school district apologizes
The Coachella Valley Unified School District has apologized to the U.S. Border Patrol after one of its recruiters was barred from attending a high school career fair earlier this week. The border patrol officer was denied from participating in the Coachella Valley High School career fair in Riverside County on Wednesday, which sparked immediate backlash from one of the agency's leaders in Southern California. 'Agendas in Schools? After being invited to a career fair @ Coachella Valley High, the principal told our recruiter to leave - no explanation given,' Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino based in El Centro, Calif., said on the social media platform X. 'Students depend on leadership promoting an environment of learning and creativity, not agenda driven edicts.' A day later, the school district said in a statement the denial was inadvertent and that those involved would face discipline. 'We want to make it very clear that we do not condone this behavior, and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken with the involved staff members to ensure this does not happen again,' the statement said. 'Our students have greatly appreciated the valuable interactions and insights they have gained from learning about careers in Law Enforcement and the Border Patrol.' Coachella Valley Unified's student body is predominantly Latino with many migrant students and the incident occurred as the Trump administration has promised to carry out mass deportations of people without proper documentation across the country and the mere presence of agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has stoked fears among immigrant communities. Many cheered on Bovino's post questioning the district's motives. He posted an update Thursday after the district apologized. 'We accept & thank the Coachella Valley Unified School District for the apology. We look forward to continuing our relationship with them for the benefit of our youth & students,' he said. Others, however, cheered on the staff who denied the officer's entry. 'We like a principal who helps their students! Grow a back bone and advocate for the community you serve,' one person wrote in the comments to the district's statement on Facebook. The district's statement concluded that it would welcome the border patrol at future fairs.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
California school district apologizes after Border Patrol recruiter denied entry into high school career fair
A California school district has apologized after a U.S. Border Patrol recruiter was "inadvertently" denied access to a high school career fair this week, saying what happened was a "misunderstanding." The Coachella Valley Unified School District said a Border Patrol recruiter was "inadvertently denied" entry to a career fair at Coachella Valley High School by the principal on Wednesday. "We want to make it very clear that we do not condone this behavior, and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken with the involved staff members to ensure this does not happen again," the district said in a news release. Cartels Lure American Teens To Smuggle Illegals: 'No Idea What They're Getting Into' – And 'No Way Out' "Our students have greatly appreciated the valuable interactions and insights they have gained from learning about careers in Law Enforcement and the Border Patrol," it continued. "We recognize the importance of providing our students with real-world career options and opportunities." The district added that it welcomes the Border Patrol's presence at any future career fairs across its three high schools. Read On The Fox News App U.S. Border Patrol Sector Chief Gregory Bovino wrote about the incident on X, prompting him to ask: "Agendas in Schools?" Youngkin To Draft Sanctuary City Ban, Making State Funding Contingent On Ice Cooperation In a subsequent post, he thanked the school district for its apology. "We look forward to continuing our relationship with them for the benefit of our youth & students," he wrote. The high hosted 36 vendors at its career fair on Wednesday, the Desert Sun reported. Bovino said the U.S. Border Patrol has been invited to participate in the high school's college and career fair for three years to promote careers in federal law enforcement. Earlier this year, the district began equipping schools with red cards, known as "Know Your Rights" cards, to help people assert their rights and defend themselves if they encounter federal immigration authorities, the newspaper reported. Last week, the school board approved a policy addressing immigration-related concerns, including how to respond to immigration article source: California school district apologizes after Border Patrol recruiter denied entry into high school career fair
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Coachella Valley Unified school board race results from Imperial County now in: What to know
The Imperial County Registrar of Voters released the final results of the Coachella Valley Unified School District school board race on Tuesday, confirming that all three incumbents won re-election. A special election was held on Tuesday, March 4, after about 2,400 ballots for Imperial County voters within the CVUSD boundaries inadvertently left out three contested trustee races in the November general election. The error led a Riverside County Superior Court judge to issue a temporary restraining order, preventing Riverside County from releasing vote counts for Trustee Areas 1, 2 and 4 until Imperial County voters had a chance to cast their ballots. CVUSD's district boundaries extend across both Imperial and Riverside counties and trustees are elected at large — allowing voters within these boundaries to cast ballots for all trustee areas, regardless of the specific trustee representing their geographical location. The Riverside County Registrar of Voters' final results were released on March 4. In Riverside County, 19,880 of the 32,850 issued ballots were cast, resulting in a 60.52% turnout. There were 2,389 registered voters in Imperial County, and 292 ballots were cast, resulting in a voter turnout of 12.22%, according to the results report available on the county's website. There were 246 votes cast by mail and 46 on Election Day. The Imperial County Board of Supervisors is set to consider accepting the election certification at their board meeting on March 25, according to an email from Linsey Dale, Imperial County Registrar of Voters. Here's a breakdown of the three trustee races, which includes the total for both Imperial and Riverside counties: Trinidad "Trini" Arredondo (11,082 votes) beat challenger Agustín Arreola (6,313 votes). In a call with The Desert Sun on Tuesday afternoon, Arredondo thanked the community for trusting him with his re-election and said he hopes to collaborate with stakeholders to continue improving the school district. "For the next four years, I really look forward to making sure that our district is on good financial solid ground and making sure that we have a strong budget so that we don't have continued layoffs — and (so) that we're able to bring back people as the year goes on," he said. In addition to collaborating with his colleagues to improve school facilities, Arredondo said he looks forward to establishing accessible academy pathways that provide students with a clear track and support for the education they wish to pursue after graduation. "I really want to focus on improving our graduation rate and making sure that our students have the opportunity to be successful in our district, and I want to encourage also our community to send the kids to our schools," he said, noting CVUSD's declining enrollment. "They choose our school district because our school district is a good school district." Valerie García and Joey Acuña Jr. also represent Trustee Area 1. Incumbent Jesus Gonzalez (9,599 votes) beat challenger Altrena Santillanes (7,751 votes). As of Tuesday evening, Gonzalez had yet to respond to The Desert Sun's request for comment. Silvia Paz also represents Thermal. More education news: When is spring break 2025 for Coachella Valley schools? Here are this year's dates More education news: CVUSD teachers' union president sues district, alleges discrimination against non-Latino employees More education news: Which University of California schools are College of the Desert students most enrolling in? Incumbent Jocelyn Vargas (9,732) beat challenger Adrian Rodriguez (7,013 votes). As of Tuesday evening, Vargas had yet to respond to The Desert Sun's request for comment. Thomas Tortez Jr. ran unopposed in the general election for the Trustee Area 3 seat, which covers Oasis and the Salton Sea. The former tribal chairman of the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians was sworn in as a board member by Superintendent Frances Esparza in December. The seat for Trustee Area 3 had had been vacant since Adonis Galarza-Toledo's resignation in late June 2024, with about five months remaining in his term. At its regular meeting scheduled for Thursday, March 20, the board will swear in the three incumbents, with the superintendent administering the oath. The seven-member board will then elect a president, vice president and clerk, each serving a one-year term. Currently, Joey Acuña Jr. is president, Jocelyn Vargas is vice president and Silvia Paz is clerk. Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Incumbents win all three Coachella Valley Unified special election races
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
CVUSD teachers' union president sues district, alleges discrimination against non-Latino employees
The president of the teachers' union at Coachella Valley Unified School District is suing the school district, alleging retaliation and discrimination. Here's what you need to know. The complaint, which was filed on March 11 on behalf of Carissa Carrera, alleges retaliation for reporting racial discrimination against non-Latino employees and corruption within the district. She also claims she was falsely accused of misusing district funds for her son's mental health care, prompting an unfounded law enforcement investigation that resulted in a privacy violation and the unauthorized release of medical records. The complaint names the school district; Superintendent Frances Esparza; two board members, Jesus Gonzalez and Joey Acuña Jr.; Bea Gonzalez, CVUSD's director of expanded learning; the Riverside County Latino Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services and its executive director, Leonel Contreras; and 25 unnamed individuals. Carrera, who has worked at the district since 2004, has led the teachers' union as its president since 2017. Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez, no relation to Jesus Gonzalez, recently honored Carissa Carrera the Woman of the Year for Assembly District 36 in recognition of her advocacy for educators, students, and the community. The complaint alleges that Carrera was retaliated against for reporting racial discrimination against non-Latino employees and corruption within the district. She claims the district has openly favored Latino candidates for jobs and promotions, while excluding or retaliating against non-Latino employees. Carrera also raised concerns about non-Latino employees being laid off at a higher rate than Latino employees, according to the lawsuit. Carrera was placed on paid administrative leave just days before the November general election, during which she and the union actively opposed Jesus Gonzalez's re-election. She had filed two complaints with the Fair Political Practices Commission against Gonzalez and Acuña, who was running for the California State Assembly, alleging financial conflicts of interest. More: Special election results: Incumbents lead Coachella Valley Unified school board races in unofficial results More: How much money is being raised by Coachella Valley Unified's school board candidates More: What voters should know about Coachella Valley Unified's special election in Imperial County "In retaliation against Ms. Carrera for her engagement in these protected activities, and due to Ms. Carrera's non-Latino racial identity, Defendants began in 2023 and 2024 began an increasingly hostile campaign of harassment, discrimination, microaggression, and intentional actions meant to hurt Ms. Carrera's reputation, career, and standing in the community," the complaint read. Days after Carrera filed her complaint with the FPPC, she said the school district placed her on leave on Oct. 25. The district later issued a press release stating that an employee was under investigation for allegedly misusing district funds, which the Riverside County Sheriff's Department later determined to be "unfounded." An incident report provided by CVTA in December detailed a deputy's investigation into Carrera, which began in October after the sheriff's department was contacted by a private investigator hired by the school district. The private investigator was looking into a "possible fraudulent incident" involving Carrera's use of services at the Riverside County Latino Commission, a contracted provider for the district, for her minor son, who was then a student at Desert Sands Unified School District. "As a direct and proximate result, Plaintiff was harmed; she has been humiliated, suffered emotional pain and distress, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life and economic damages," the complaint read. CVUSD has not publicly responded to the lawsuit, and the district spokesperson has not immediately returned a request for comment. Carrera is requesting a jury trial and seeks compensatory damages to be determined at trial, along with exemplary damages against the defendants. Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: CVUSD teachers' union president sues district, alleges discrimination
