San Ysidro parents demand answers after preschool sexual-abuse allegation; board members call for independent review

Dozens of parents and community members pressed the San Ysidro School District Governing Board on Oct. 16, 2025, after the alleged sexual abuse of a preschooler that the San Diego Police Department has since investigated.

Speakers said the incident occurred in January and that parents were not notified until September. "You thought that you could hide this from parents for 8 months and then deliberately mislead us," said one public commenter, who characterized the district's earlier communications as minimizing the act by calling it a "school safety incident." Several speakers demanded the immediate removal of Superintendent Dr. Gina Potter and called for greater transparency.

Why it matters: Parents and the board said they want an independent review of how the incident was handled, who was notified and why. The case has prompted urgent questions about reporting practices, campus security and whether district officials complied with legal notice and child-protection requirements.

What speakers said and what the district said - Multiple speakers described learning about the alleged incident only months after it was reported to law enforcement. One commenter said DNA from a district employee, later charged, was found in a child’s underwear; others criticized the district’s phrasing in communications to families. - "We want transparency, not trophies," Roxanne Palestino told the board during public comment, referencing district awards while urging an FCMAT fiscal and governance review. - Board Vice President Antonio Martinez told the meeting he wants the board — not only district administration or counsel — to lead an independent investigation and proposed calling a special meeting to choose outside counsel for that work. - Superintendent Dr. Gina Potter and district counsel said the district cooperated with law enforcement and licensing authorities, immediately placed the employee on administrative leave when notified, and that termination proceedings and criminal investigation were underway. The superintendent said she cannot release additional details because of privacy, ongoing legal processes and pending litigation.

Board action and formal outcomes - The board announced in open session that during closed session (item 5.2) it unanimously voted to terminate a classified employee; the board recorded that motion as made by Trustee Antonio Martinez and seconded by Trustee Senayna Rosario. The termination was announced in open session after the closed session ended. - Several trustees publicly supported an independent external review; Trustee Martinez explicitly asked the board to select outside counsel for that probe and to do so transparently so the community can have confidence in the results.

Context and next steps - Community members continued to press for immediate safety reforms, including more extensive camera coverage and faster parental notification if alleged abuse involves a staff member. - Trustees scheduled further discussion of bond priorities and safety upgrades; Martinez and others said they would seek a special board meeting to establish the scope for an independent investigation and to solicit proposals from law firms.

What the district said it has done - The district said it placed the employee on administrative leave when the San Diego Police Department alerted the district, cooperated with investigators and initiated termination proceedings. - The district said it has existing safety plans, staff training and partnerships with law enforcement and child-protective agencies and that it would consider additional safety measures requested by the public.

Ending: The board did not vote at the Oct. 16 meeting to remove or suspend the superintendent. Multiple trustees said they supported hiring outside counsel for an independent review; supporters in the audience urged an emergency vote to remove the superintendent immediately. The district and at least one trustee said confidentiality requests from the affected family shaped what the district could disclose; community members said they were unsatisfied and pressed for greater transparency.

Votes at a glance (selected formal actions announced on Oct. 16) - Closed session item 5.2 — Termination of a classified employee: motion by Trustee Antonio Martinez; second by Trustee Senayna Rosario; board announced unanimous vote to terminate and that termination proceedings were completed. (Announced in open session at 06:38.) - The board discussed (but did not vote to adopt at the meeting) motions proposed by community members to remove the superintendent; no emergency termination vote of the superintendent occurred on Oct. 16.