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Student and parents press board over bullying, investigations and administrative handling
Summary
A graduating student and several parents told the Tehachapi Unified School District board that bullying and harassment reports have gone unaddressed and urged the board to investigate administrators' responses and improve protocols.
A Tehachapi High School senior described years of bullying and said school staff did not adequately investigate, and several parents called on the board to hold administrators accountable.
"Every year, I have experienced a form of bullying at this school," said graduating senior Everett Behr, who told trustees he had been harassed and threatened and that school officials did not follow up to his satisfaction. "Miss Hoffman asked me to delete the photos to protect the privacy of the student, essentially destroying evidence of a case of harassment," Behr said.
Behr said he had been excluded from activities and yearbook entries and accused administrators of ignoring evidence. His mother, Melissa Dean, told the board she was "disgusted" and demanded administrators be investigated and trained to handle bullying more seriously.
Jenny Jolley, a parent, said the district has not produced records she requested through a public records request and said a vice principal mischaracterized her son's statements during an incident that led to his arrest. "No one has corrected the record. No one has issued an apology. No one has cleared Zaden's name," she said.
Trustees responded that the district has discussed bullying and that some board members will request an agenda item for a broader review. Trustee Paul Napier said he would send a request to the superintendent for a formal investigation and asked the public to submit information to the board email address.
Why it matters: Bullying and how schools respond carry potential legal and safety implications; speakers told trustees they wanted formal investigations, policy reviews and accountability for administrators who handle harassment and safety complaints.
Board response and next steps: Trustees acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations and said staff have discussed the issues; one trustee said he will ask the superintendent to place an item on a future meeting agenda to present a plan for addressing bullying and discipline processes. No formal vote or personnel action was reported at the June 10 meeting.
Ending: Trustees encouraged parents and students to share incident details with the district and said the board will consider a specific agenda item to review how the district handles bullying complaints.
