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Parents, teachers press Murrieta Valley Unified on student discipline, classroom materials and safety
Summary
Multiple public commenters at the Sept. 12 board meeting described growing discipline problems, alleged classroom materials they considered inappropriate, and a student assault reported near Thompson Middle School; teachers and the MEA urged stronger supports for special-education needs and staff safety.
Several parents, teachers and union representatives used the Murrieta Valley Unified School District board’s public-comment period to press trustees on student discipline, classroom content and staff safety.
Teacher Jen Baker described multiple incidents in recent weeks that she attributed to students with substantial behavioral needs: “they're all students with IEPs with deep behavioral issues and they have discipline records a mile long,” she said, and urged the district to increase specialized programs and supports rather than keeping some students in general-education classrooms where they disrupt learning.
Parent Mitchell Ferman recounted a separate incident near Thompson Middle School involving his sixth-grade twins, saying his son was assaulted after leaving campus and that school staff interpretations of the event differed from his. He told trustees the school-resource officer’s summary labeled his son as the aggressor after a short confrontation; Ferman asked the board to empower school staff to act promptly when incidents occur and to prioritize student safety.
Teresa Wells, a parent who attended a back-to-school night, told the board she found a classroom bulletin board promoting books that she said contained “sexually explicit content” and alleged the display normalized inappropriate conversations with minors. The principal told her he had not noticed the board that night but acknowledged the material raised concerns under Education Code 6144; the district said staff would follow up.
Lisa Murray, president of the Murrieta Educators Association, acknowledged ongoing behavioral challenges but praised district administrative attention to behavior supports and said the union will continue to press for more protections and resources for teachers.
Board members and the superintendent responded to the comments by acknowledging serious behavioral incidents and promising follow-up. Superintendent Dr. Andress described district monitoring of air quality after a nearby fire and outlined ongoing work on positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS); several schools were recognized for PBIS implementation.
Next steps noted in the meeting included staff follow-up on classroom materials concerns, internal review of the reported Thompson Middle School incident, and continuing discussion about specialized supports for students with persistent behavioral needs.
