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Public speakers press board for answers as KBEV teacher remains on leave and superintendent exit draws scrutiny
Summary
Multiple public commenters demanded the board reinstate KBEV adviser Romeo Carey and called for transparency after Superintendent Michael Breggi’s resignation announcement. Speakers said the prolonged administrative leave disrupted student programs and cited First Amendment and student‑journalism concerns.
Scores of students, parents and community members used the Feb. 25 public‑comment period to press the Beverly Hills Unified School District board for answers about an ongoing investigation and the administrative leave of longtime KBEV adviser Romeo Carey. Speakers also criticized the district’s handling of Superintendent Michael Breggi’s announced resignation earlier in the month.
Several students said KBEV — the student‑run television program and extracurricular laboratory — has deteriorated in Carey’s absence and urged board action. “Mr. Carey helped me get immersed into a new environment,” student Gunnar Warmsley told the board. “If it wasn’t for him, my English wouldn’t be like this.”
Parent and longtime KBEV advocate Michael Rizzoli read an apology to students on behalf of the board: “On behalf of this board and all who represent them, to the KBEV students, I’m sorry for the disrespect you have been shown by this administration,” he said, citing what he called a period of “interrogation” of students. Others questioned whether the investigation had been prolonged for months without publicly disclosed findings.
Multiple speakers raised free‑speech concerns after a sequence in which program volunteers were restricted from studio access and district staff requested passwords for student accounts. Media‑center founder and longtime technician Dusty Stiles — who said he has worked on the district studio for 55 years — said the station’s operations had been interrupted and urged restoration of normal access.
Students said the disruption affected competitive and curricular activities. “It’s been impeding students’ ability to complete their work,” one student told the board about SkillsUSA and other CTE activities. Several parents said they believed the district had not been sufficiently transparent about the investigation and urged the board to complete and release findings or reinstate staff if no credible evidence exists.
The public‑comment speakers repeatedly urged an immediate resolution. “We will keep speaking. We will keep fighting because we refuse to accept this injustice,” said student Deborah Cohen. Another student, Veil Wiseman, urged the board to “fix what you broke.”
Why it matters: KBEV is a long‑running district extracurricular program that students say functions as an applied journalism and career‑technical education pathway. Community members say months without the program’s lead advisor have disrupted learning and competition readiness; the dispute has also surfaced broader concerns about district governance and communication.
What the board said: Board members listening during public comment did not disclose personnel details (state and federal privacy rules and pending investigations typically limit public disclosure). Several board members later said they were working to clarify process and would return with next steps; President Marcus and other trustees reiterated constraints about what they can legally disclose about personnel investigations and asked for civility and time to complete administrative processes.
