Teacher says she was assaulted; association urges district-wide crisis-prevention training

At the board—s public-comment period, Pedro Galindo read a statement from EMETA association president Mariester Espinosa reporting that on Feb. 5, 2026 a teacher was assaulted by an escalated student, sustaining what the statement described as a nasal fracture.

"I was assaulted by an escalated student in my classroom. This student punched me with a closed fist, causing a fracture to my nose," the statement read, which Galindo presented on behalf of Mariester Espinosa. The statement said the student had an assigned behavior interventionist who "was not trained in crisis prevention intervention," and alleged the site did not contact a police officer or school-resource officer.

The statement cited "California Education Code section 44,014" as requiring immediate reporting to local law enforcement for district employees who are attacked, assaulted or physically threatened by a student, and said the teacher filed a police report at the El Monte Police Department on Feb. 7, 2026. The comment called on the district to implement comprehensive safety plans at all sites, a workplace-violence incident-reporting system and crisis-prevention intervention training for all staff.

Board President Mendez Garcia thanked the commenter. The meeting record shows the board later adopted a revised comprehensive safety plan and related policy updates at the same meeting; the public comment did not prompt an immediate board action on the record during open session. The district said in the policy presentation that the safety-plan revisions reflect recent state law changes and are intended to strengthen safety and reporting procedures.