Parents, officials call for investigation after interim superintendent placed on leave; board composition challenged

Board President Lydia Hernandez presided over a contentious Cartwright Elementary School District governing‑board meeting on Jan. 16 as community members and elected officials pressed the board for transparency after Interim Superintendent Emma Hategui was placed on administrative leave.

The meeting’s public‑comment period drew repeated calls for an independent investigation into the legality of actions taken at a Jan. 15 special meeting and into whether two related board members are serving in violation of district policy. State Representative Anna Bathea said the board’s actions “are projected to result in fiscal loss of $1,000,000 to the district and expose it to potential lawsuits, which could ultimately cost the district 1,000,000 more.”

The speakers described uncertainty and community distress after Hategui’s leave. Andrea Barrera, identifying herself as a grieving community member, said Hategui’s removal left “the air ... thick with an uncertainty for the future” and urged the board to acknowledge the “human cost.” Calvin Terrell, a racial literacy specialist who has worked with the district, told the board he did not know why Hategui was placed on leave and said, “I don't think the community knows why.”

Several speakers alleged the governing board may…