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Public commenter alleges trustee misused facility access; board urged to follow procedures
Summary
During public comment, Andrew Criado alleged Trustee Sergio Valdez may have misused authority over after‑school facility usage and urged the board to enforce its procedures; the board did not take immediate action and later discussed creating a schedule for facility use requests.
Andrew Criado told the Mendota Unified School District Board of Trustees that he is concerned a board member may have improperly influenced after‑school facility usage and urged the board to review and follow the district’s procedures for outside and nonprofit program use of school facilities. The minutes record that Criado “addressed concerns about a board member, Sergio Valdez, potentially misusing his authority in relation to after‑school facility usage.”
Trustees did not vote on the allegation during public comment. Later in the meeting Trustee Lupe Flores suggested creating a schedule for facility use requests to reduce misunderstandings with nonprofit groups, and other trustees thanked staff and discussed procedural clarifications. The minutes do not record a board direction to investigate the specific allegation or any follow‑up assignment to staff.
The comment was part of the regular public‑comment period, which the minutes note is limited to four minutes per speaker. The district’s written policies on facility use were referenced by the commenter through his urging that the board "review and follow procedures," but the minutes do not quote any staff response or identify whether staff will report back. The board’s discussion later in trustee communications emphasized the need for a schedule to manage facility requests and to avoid conflicts.
Next steps: the minutes record trustees discussing a schedule and procedures during communications, but do not record a formal referral or investigation. The transcript does not provide additional detail about alleged dates, programs, or documentary evidence underlying Criado’s claim.
