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Minutes dispute, accusations of silencing and heated exchanges mark Hacienda La Puente board meeting
Summary
Trustee Stephanie Serrano sought corrections to prior minutes and accused the board chair of repeatedly cutting her off; the meeting recorded lengthy procedural debate and public comments alleging targeting, while counsel and other trustees described parliamentary options and confirmed a closed-session settlement vote.
A contentious minutes discussion and repeated procedural warnings over the course of the Feb. 26 meeting highlighted tensions among trustees and between board members and members of the public.
Trustee Stephanie Serrano asked that the minutes from the Feb. 12 meeting be corrected to state that she "expressed concerns that she was not able to share her comments and ask clarifying questions" about a CEQA item because, she said, she had been cut off and threatened with removal. Serrano said she was "denied the opportunity to speak" and asked that the record reflect her attempted post‑vote comments; she told the board the video and audio would corroborate her account.
Other board members and attendees described the parliamentary mechanics at issue: multiple speakers explained that calling the question ends debate and that the board had voted to end debate at the earlier meeting, meaning further comments would be outside the scope of the original agenda item. Trustee Victor King and counsel offered procedural options (tabling the minutes, withdrawing seconds, or making a new motion) to resolve the matter.
Public commenters and union leaders also raised broader transparency and governance concerns in public comment, including allegations about use of the district logo by outside groups, delayed retroactive paychecks for union members, claims about past contract awards, and demands for clearer conflict‑of‑interest guidance. Danny Tucker, president of the Hacienda La Puente Teachers Association, publicly pressed for clarity on delayed retro pay and staff training related to the immigration policy; Brenda Kaye and other residents called for honesty and integrity from trustees.
The meeting recorded multiple formal roll calls, warnings for violations of parliamentary procedure, and repeated accusations of targeting and harassment by participants. The board reported that in closed session it had approved a settlement agreement in a Los Angeles Superior Court matter by a 4–1 vote (Ms. Quinones dissenting), and later voted on the minutes-related motions with resulting roll-call tallies recorded in the minutes.
What happens next: The board directed staff and counsel to follow parliamentary options previously discussed; trustees asked for video/audio review and for minutes to reflect the agreed-upon language or, if necessary, to bring motions forward following proper procedure.
