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Grandmother and parent tell board Serrano Middle School failed to protect students; family moved grandchildren to Shannon Hills
Summary
At the board meeting two family members described prolonged bullying and a reported assault at Serrano Middle School, said staff failed to protect their grandson, and reported transfers to Shannon Hills Middle School where they say the children are thriving; they urged the district to take accountability.
Two relatives of students raised detailed allegations about safety and bullying at Serrano Middle School during public comment at the Dec. 8 board meeting, saying school staff failed to respond to repeated incidents and that the family transferred three grandchildren to another campus.
Elizabeth Ramirez, who identified herself as a grandmother of three students formerly enrolled at Serrano, told the board the family raised multiple reports to school staff after her grandson was repeatedly bullied and cyberbullied and, on one occasion, suffered a head concussion. "Not once did he feel protected," Ramirez said, describing a year of incidents she said were not adequately addressed.
Ramirez said school staff told the family the district would protect the child, but she said that did not happen and the family eventually removed the children from Serrano. "We have now removed ourselves from Serrano Middle School. We are now attending Shannon Hills Middle School. And let me tell you, my grandchildren are thriving," she said.
Later in the meeting, Gustavo Me Santiago — who said he was speaking on behalf of his son and had raised the matter with district staff and youth services — told the board his son had been able to document negative comments and that county youth services supported the student. He praised two officers who intervened at school and said transfers to Shannon (Shannon Hills) returned his children to safety and improved their academic and extracurricular lives.
Board President Myra Sios thanked both speakers for coming forward. The record shows the board later considered multiple closed-session discipline and expulsion recommendations and reported actions from closed session approving expulsions and other disciplinary measures; the public comments themselves were delivered during the open-comment period and the board said it may follow up through staff if additional investigation or contact is needed.
What the board and district said: During the public comment period the board emphasized it may not discuss non-agendized matters in detail under the Brown Act but that staff would follow up if a commenter provided contact information. Officials said the district’s Positive Youth Development and school-site administrators had been engaged on student-discipline processes; in closed session the board approved a slate of discipline and expulsion items as recommended by hearing panels.
Why it matters: Safety and bullying allegations at a school trigger both district-level review (discipline, site practices) and potential state-mandated procedures; parents and guardians raised concerns about whether school staff acted promptly and whether additional monitoring (for example, cameras and staff presence) is needed. The speakers asked the board to hold Serrano accountable and to ensure similar cases are handled consistently districtwide.
Follow-up requested: The speakers and several board members asked staff to continue follow-up with the family and to provide information on what steps the district will take to address the concerns raised about staff response and campus safety.
