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Former trustee tells Los Banos board to overhaul hiring checks after citing staff arrests
Summary
Ry Martinez, a former trustee, urged the board to review hiring and background‑check protocols after citing several recent staff arrests and naming a recent hire, Christopher Huff; the board indicated staff follow‑up with the superintendent’s office.
At the Los Banos Unified School District board meeting, former trustee Ry Martinez used non‑agenda public comment to warn trustees that recent hiring practices have allowed people with concerning behavioral histories onto school sites.
"Hiring protocol practices and procedures need immediate attention," Martinez told the board, saying the safety and well‑being of children and staff must be ‘‘number one priority.’’ He alleged that in the last year several teaching staff were arrested for predator‑related crimes or terminated for other offenses, and he said he provided the board a police report related to a June 5, 2024 incident involving a person he named as Christopher Huff.
Martinez asked who is responsible for hiring and how background and character checks are being performed. A trustee response directed him to consult with district hiring staff, naming Dr. Kelas (as cited in the meeting transcript) as the appropriate contact for questions about hiring procedures.
The remarks were offered as public comment; no formal board action was taken during the meeting to initiate an investigation or policy change. The speaker said he had delivered the letter to trustees about two and a half months earlier and concluded by urging accountability for hiring decisions.
Next steps: The meeting record shows the public comment and the board response directing follow‑up to district staff; any formal audit or policy change would require a future agenda item or personnel review.
