Parents press for hallway cameras and demand accountability; trustee publicly faults district counsel
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Summary
Multiple public commenters urged hallway cameras after safety incidents and alleged administrative negligence; a trustee placed a formal no-confidence notice in district counsel Joseph Sanchez and requested a forensic audit and contract review.
During public comment, multiple speakers urged the San Jacinto board to install working hallway cameras and pressed the district for stronger oversight and transparency.
A speaker identified several past incidents—including a recent stabbing where police credited campus footage for identifying a suspect—and said cameras in common areas should not be optional. "Cameras provide objective oversight and protection that words and policies alone haven't," one commenter said while urging cameras in hallways, not classrooms.
Several public speakers linked concerns about safety to district administration and budget priorities. One commenter alleged that the district lost a Head Start program and tied that loss to lapses in supervisory oversight, and warned that layoffs would hurt classroom staff while administrative compensation remained a focus of criticism.
Trustee (speaker 7), speaking both as a community member and as a newly elected trustee, publicly stated a lack of confidence in the district's legal services and requested two actions: a board review of the contract with district counsel Joseph Sanchez (Best & Clear LLP, cited in comments) and a forensic/state audit of legal expenditures dating to 2018. "A review of district records shows that legal counsel, Joseph Sanchez, has used incorrect laws to guide district actions," the trustee said on the record and placed a formal notice of no confidence in the public record.
Board and staff responses were procedural: counsel and management noted limits on discussing confidential investigations in public and clarified that some matters cited in comment were not appropriate for public disclosure. The board discussed whether an independent private investigator should be hired or whether to request a state-led review by the attorney general, county office of education or district attorney. A motion related to contracting independent investigation services was placed on the agenda and later considered by the board.
What’s next: Trustee requests for contract review and a forensic audit were placed on the record. The board opened and closed a public hearing on facility renaming during the meeting and deferred action on some investigations pending closed-session discussion and further agenda items.