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Community voices concerns: alleged retaliation at AMR center, unsafe band room and security costs draw scrutiny
Summary
Multiple community members and union representatives pressed the Hacienda La Puente board to investigate alleged retaliation and staffing moves at the AMR Children's Center, urged repairs or relocation for an unsafe La Puente High School band room, and questioned a temporary $32,000-per-month security contract and fiscal transparency.
Community members, classified staff and union leaders used the board's public-comment period to press trustees for accountability on several operational issues, notably alleged retaliatory reassignments at AMR Children's Center, unsafe conditions in La Puente High School's band room and a costly temporary security contract.
Tilly Carlos, treasurer of CSEA chapter 115, described detailed incidents she said show retaliatory staffing moves and safety lapses at AMR Children's Center. "This move was based on fabrication... This move was self serving, retaliatory, discriminatory," she said, urging the board to investigate and reverse recent reassignments and to restore Spanish-speaking staff members who served largely Spanish-speaking families.
Staff and parents echoed those concerns. Dennis Quinones contended the changes harmed families and undermined safety and communication at the center. Veronica Miranda, an alumna and employee, said the turmoil at AMR contributes to family attrition and urged trustees to visit the site.
Band-room safety at La Puente High School drew repeated attention. Band and choir director Robert Marshall described a decades-old room with a sagging floor, intermittent HVAC, exposed asbestos tiles and limited electrical capacity, asking the board to fund remediation or provide an alternative practice space. "We need a proper band room," he said. Parent Kimberly Strickland urged the board to move students to the library or a temporary space so rehearsals can continue safely.
A separate exchange focused on security: trustees approved a temporary contract with Matthew Kiaba dba Blackwater Public Safety at up to $32,000 per month after citing repeated copper-theft incidents and trespass at unused sites. Several trustees said the arrangement is a temporary measure while the district expedites hiring two school police officers; others urged a longer-term plan that relies on their own police department or alternative strategies.
Trustees and speakers also raised fiscal transparency issues. Sam Brown and others flagged long-standing facility-use arrangements in which some after-school providers had been misclassified as nonprofits and underbilled; the district's staff memo acknowledged reclassification and a decision not to pursue retroactive charges.
What the board said: trustees acknowledged the seriousness of the complaints. Several members urged staff to provide follow-up reports and site visits, and interim superintendent Dr. Kimberly said investigations and personnel actions would be handled according to district processes.
What's next: speakers asked for formal investigations, remedial work orders for facilities and clearer accounting of facility use and contracting decisions. Trustees directed staff to follow up; the public will likely expect updates in future board packets.
