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Multiple Palo Alto Unified employees tell board of alleged harassment and discrimination; speakers say HR has not resolved complaints
Summary
Several district employees and community members used public comment to allege harassment and discrimination by a supervisor, say internal complaints were not addressed, and urged the board to respond; board members directed commenters to file formal complaints via HR during the meeting.
Several speakers used the meeting's public-comment period to describe alleged workplace harassment and discrimination by a named supervisor and to say they had not received satisfactory responses through existing human-resources processes.
Herard Velasquez Jr., who identified himself as a district employee of 10 years, said his supervisor, Brett Larson, repeatedly mocked his appearance, weight, race and sexual orientation and that the conduct caused severe stress requiring medical treatment. "I have experienced a tremendous amount of harassment by my supervisor Brett Larson," he said during his two-minute public comment, and asked the district to "stop this immediately." The board president and staff advised him to file a complaint through Human Resources.
Miguel Gonzalez, who also identified himself as a district employee, said he and several Latino colleagues felt mistreated and that previous HR complaints "don't go anywhere" because investigators keep findings internal. He asked the board to meet with staff and Latino employees to hear concerns.
Other commenters at the open forum repeated related allegations and urged the board to take measures to address retaliation fears and the pace of HR responses. One speaker said substitutes had refused short assignments in a learning center, citing discomfort or lack of willingness to work with students with disabilities.
Board response and process notes: Board members repeatedly counseled commenters to file complaints through the established HR channels and noted policy exists for filing. Trustees acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations and invited complainants to use the district complaint process so the board and HR can act within policy and legal limits.
Why it matters: Allegations of harassment and discrimination by district employees implicate personnel policy, civil-rights obligations and trust between staff and administration. Complainants said fear of retaliation has kept some employees from speaking earlier.
Quotes: "This has caused tremendous stress in my life and also mental distress that I had to seek medical treatment for," Herard Velasquez said. A board member responded, "Please file a complaint; you can do that through HR or you can go through [policy avenues]."
What happens next: Trustees directed commenters to file formal complaints with Human Resources. The board did not take formal action at the meeting; several employees asked for follow-up and community engagement to ensure complaints are investigated and addressed.
