Parents, community urge district to reconsider ASB removal after student social‑media video; callers cite staff posts with explicit lyrics

Parents, relatives and community members addressed the board during public comment on Sept. 9, asking the district to review a disciplinary removal of a Southwest High School student from Associated Student Body duties after she posted a personal TikTok video that used a trending sound. Several speakers described the student as a high-achieving senior and asked for a proportionate consequence instead of total removal from ASB.
Why it matters: speakers argued the district appears to enforce social-media rules inconsistently, citing multiple school-run TikTok and ASB posts and at least one video featuring Principal Derma set to music with explicit lyrics. They said staff-endorsed posts with profanity or sexual content were not disciplined.
What speakers said: Melissa Lara, whose daughter Misha is a Southwest High senior, said her daughter "is not a troublemaker" and that she "deleted the video herself" after learning how it could be interpreted. Lara asked the board to consider alternatives to full removal such as probation or Saturday school. Frances Mejia and Lawrence Castaneda urged the board to examine and standardize how the district monitors and responds to both student and official accounts. Peter Ramirez, the student’s grandfather, also asked the board for leniency and a chance for redemption.
District response and process: Board President (name unclear in the transcript) noted the superintendent had already met with the family and planned further meetings. The board did not take action on discipline during the meeting; trustees reiterated that day-to-day discipline is typically handled by school administrators and the superintendent, but the board may intervene in disproportionate or inconsistent cases.
Context: public commenters provided examples of district- and school-run accounts that have used popular music with profanity or sexual references in school posts, and they asked whether the district has a consistent monitoring process across official accounts. Callers requested clarity about the standard applied to students’ personal accounts versus staff- or school-run accounts.
Next steps: the superintendent had arranged further contact with the family. Several speakers asked the board to direct the superintendent to reconsider the punishment or return to the board with review findings and recommendations for consistent social-media guidance for staff and student leaders.