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Hacienda La Puente board votes to proceed with TRO for employee after closed session
Summary
After an extended public-comment period and a closed-session debate, the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District board reported rescinding prior direction and voted to proceed with a temporary restraining order for the employee named in the case. The board reported a 4–0 tally with one abstention recorded; a trustee later disputed the abstention record.
The Hacienda La Puente Unified School District Board of Education reported on Jan. 9 that, following closed-session discussion, it "rescinded prior direction and proceed[ed] with the temporary restraining order (TRO) for the employee only." Superintendent Dr. Jimenez announced the action and said the motion was made by Trustee Jeffrey De La Torre and seconded by Trustee Kwok.
The board's public minutes state the motion passed with four "yes" votes and one abstention recorded. The transcript records a later clarification in which Trustee Nancy Loera said she did not abstain and "was not part of the vote," indicating a discrepancy between the initial announcement and a trustee's later statement. Board counsel earlier had advised adding the litigation item to closed session under Government Code section 54956.9(d)(1), referencing Los Angeles Superior Court case No. 24STCP04131. The board did not release additional factual findings in open session; the superintendent said counsel had provided direction to the board in closed session.
A public-comment segment before closed session included multiple speakers who urged the board either to remove the TRO matter from the agenda or to proceed and investigate alleged conflicts of interest. Christine Salazar told the board the Dec. 22 special meeting that produced earlier direction was an "illegal special board meeting" and called for an independent investigation; Nancy Loera urged that any action be left to the courts. After reconvening, President Serrano read the closed-session report and the board moved on to other business.
Notes: Vote recorded in the meeting report was "yes" from Serrano, Kwok, Quinones and De La Torre with one abstention recorded; the transcript includes a trustee's on-the-record statement that she "did not abstain" and "was not part of the vote." The board provided no additional public materials about the court case at the meeting.
