Parent asks San Bernardino school board for independent review of Newmark Elementary office conduct

Antoinette Hatch, a parent at Newmark Elementary School, asked the San Bernardino City Unified School District Board of Education on Tuesday to initiate a board-level review and an independent investigation into what she described as repeated unprofessional conduct and a broader culture of fear among school office staff.

Hatch told the board she was referred to as the "stupid hatch lady" by the school secretary, Dina Carreras, and said her calls were intentionally left unanswered or placed on hold rather than documented for staff callbacks. "Professional communication protects parents, staff, and students by ensuring clarity and also accountability," Hatch said, urging the board to provide a process that allows staff to be interviewed confidentially and without fear of retaliation.

She said a restorative conversation had been proposed and scheduled with the secretary but that the staff member later became unavailable and no timeline was provided. Hatch asked that the documented concerns be considered in performance evaluations and that an independent review permit staff to speak confidentially. "When both teachers and office staff feel they cannot safely voice concerns, that signals a systematic issue," she told the board.

Board members acknowledged the comment during board reports and a follow-up request was recorded asking staff to investigate the parent complaint at Newmark and report back to the board as appropriate. The board did not vote on any personnel action during the open meeting; the transcript shows the parent requested board-level review and staff were asked to follow up.