Hacienda La Puente board votes to remove attendee after heated public comment and accusations against trustees

At its Feb. 13 meeting the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District board voted to remove an attendee from the meeting after a prolonged public comment period that included accusations of misconduct by board members and calls for censure.

After an initial round of public comments, the board recessed to closed session and reconvened in the evening. During public comment, Mr Solis accused the district of withholding information about closed‑session items and said district legal spending had ballooned, asserting, "who gave that law firm a blank check because that's what it is they gave that law firm a blank check to to fight this deal until whenever." His remarks asked trustees to seek full details before approving related items.

The meeting later turned confrontational when the president and several trustees repeatedly warned an attendee identified as Miss Lera for interrupting proceedings. The board reconvened at 9:22 p.m. and placed a motion to remove Miss Lera from the meeting for what trustees described as ongoing disruption. The motion passed on a roll call vote (4‑1); audio on the record shows trustees voting in favor while Miss Loera objected, saying she had been exercising a "point of order" and declaring, "If I am removed I will be suing the district." The transcript shows the board's vote passed and the president directing removal.

Multiple public commenters criticized the board's handling of internal disputes and called for formal discipline. One speaker demanded a formal censure of Trustee Jeffrey Deor, alleging repeated verbal aggression toward Trustee Nancy Loera and citing board‑conduct rules that require members to act with dignity. The board's legal counsel was asked to clarify procedural rules during the exchange; counsel confirmed that members may be briefly permitted to respond to public statements under certain bylaws.

Board members acknowledged the meeting's disruption and emphasized the need for governance training and clearer application of bylaws. Following the removal vote and further public comment, trustees voted to continue the meeting to Feb. 18, 2025, at 5:30 p.m., and adjourned at 10:55 p.m.

No formal censure of any trustee was adopted at the Feb. 13 meeting; however, several members of the public said they would pursue legal or administrative avenues to seek accountability.