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Public comment spotlights calls to rename Anaheim High and accuses district of failing family in a student's death
Summary
During public comment, speakers urged the board to rename Anaheim High School for Indigenous concerns and several speakers, including family members, accused the district of failing to support Mia Leah Mahia and asked for investigation and accountability; the board heard many parent voices praising community schools as well.
Public comment at the Anaheim Union High School District meeting ranged from praise for community schools to heated accusations about the district's response to a student tragedy.
A community member urged the board to change the name of Anaheim High School, saying the current name honors colonization and does not represent Indigenous community members. "It was very hard for me to grow up and them ask me like, 'What high school do you go to? Where do they stand for?' ", the speaker said, urging a November ballot or formal process for renaming.
Several speakers representing Orange County Congregation Community Organization (OKO) and parent groups praised the district's community-schools work for increasing family involvement, bilingual outreach and student leadership. Norma Huarees and other parents described participating in LCAP and community school committees and said the programs made them feel included.
Separately, multiple speakers representing the Mahia family made direct accusations about the district's post-crisis handling after the death of student Mia Leah Mahia. Bianca Garcia told the board she was correcting minutes from a previous meeting and asked the board to record her testimony as a charge of "systemic and intentional failure" by district leaders to provide resources to the Mahia family. She accused specific officials of ignoring crisis-response protocols and said she acted as a de facto social worker for the family.
Roberto Garcia, a family member, said the family continues to seek accountability. "It is an absolute insult to her memory," he said of the district's reported internal discipline, and urged parents to demand more transparency. The speakers raised a potential conflict of interest, saying a district director was married to a Lexington Junior High School principal and questioning whether that affected the district's response. No district official offered a detailed rebuttal during public comment.
Board members acknowledged the comments and later heard district staff reports; the meeting did not produce an immediate formal inquiry or vote on those citizen requests. Trustees did not dismiss the concerns: one trustee urged sensitivity when discussing survivors and promised staff would follow up through appropriate channels.
The meeting also included multiple other public statements from parents and students in support of community schools, wellness centers and student-led projects; several parents described how participation in LCAP and community-school structures changed their engagement with schools.
