A recent decision by the Perris Union High School District to eliminate diversity and wellness jobs has received backlash from community members, with some claiming the decision was politically charged.
Several people, including advocacy group leaders, spoke at the district board meeting on Wednesday, May 15, to express their concerns.
The board approved cutting some positions in March ahead of the state’s employee layoff deadline. Among the positions eliminated was the district’s director of diversity, equity and inclusion, who was replaced by Cassandra McNair, who was hired last year. Other job cuts include five behavioral support specialists, seven school social workers and five drug intervention specialists. The temporary contracts of five middle and high school school counselors were not renewed.
All positions were cut by a 4-1 vote, with board member Elizabeth Vallejo voting no each time.
Business Services Deputy Director Candace Lynes said Wednesday that the list of positions being eliminated has not changed since March.
The job description for the diversity position states that the director will “provide strategic leadership” to advance the district’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals. Duties include overseeing education, programs, and training at the school. Support human resources departments in recruiting diverse talent. Develop grant proposals for DEI initiatives. and review student performance data “to inform programs for disproportionately represented student groups.”
At the March meeting, Vallejo asked “what was the rush” to fire the DEI director and said the position was not scheduled to be cut until next year.
“This seems very targeted to me,” she said.
No reason was given for eliminating the job at the meeting, but budget and funding constraints were commonly cited as reasons why layoffs should be approved.
Officials with information about how much the cuts saved the district could not be reached Thursday, May 16.
Speakers at Wednesday’s meeting asked the same question.
“We are here tonight to get answers,” Executive Director Janice Ruth said. Inland Empire-The nonprofit, based at the Center Against Racism and Trauma, added that people want to know why the district fired its DEI director when it had at least a year of funding remaining.
Ruth described problems reported in the district’s schools, including racial slurs directed at black students.
“Why would we take away talent who can effectively reduce or eliminate these problems?”
She asked the board to consider bringing McNair back or hiring a replacement.
Anthony Noreiga, District 5 director of the United League of Latin American Citizens, also called for the restoration of diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
“In their rush to eliminate the program, they ignored community pleas,” he said.
Noreiga said he was “disappointed” to see the district “succumbing to right-wing ideology” and directed his words at board member Steve Campos.
Campos, a teacher in the Temecula Valley Unified School District, describes himself as a “conservative Christian.” His Twitter/X account He previously announced his support for Temecula Valley’s conservative board majority to be elected in 2022.
Rocco Nelms, a student who is Black and identifies as LGBTQ+, said cutting back on DEI efforts “risks undermining our commitment to equality and marginalizing vulnerable populations.”
Carolyn Murray, a professor at the University of California, Riverside and education chair for the Riverside Regional Chapter of the NAACP, said the California Department of Education is asking school districts to: He called for the adoption of a plan to address the issue. This is “grossly disproportionate” for Hispanic students.
“The solution the district adopted was to establish a wellness program,” Murray said. She described the program as an “overwhelming success,” noting that McNair received $7.3 million to support its wellness team.
This effort was also highlighted by Riverside County Superintendent Edwin Gomez, who praised the district’s high school wellness center and the efforts of its staff, including social workers and counselors, in his State of the Education address the next day, March 6. Stated. Positions were being cut.
An op-ed published in the Black Voices News newsletter by Murray, Ruth, Perris City Councilman David Starr Love, and NAACP Branch President Miles Ross said the board’s decision to reduce positions was based on a “cosmetic approach.” It seems to include all of the above.”
The commentary claims that some Perris Union board members believe in a plan called “Project 2025,” a lengthy handbook by the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, former Trump administration members and other conservative groups. are doing. It outlines Donald Trump’s plan to shrink and reorganize government functions if he wins the presidential election.
“Their intent is to exclude the federal Department of Education and other similar organizations, as well as anything related to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” the commentary reads.
It is unclear whether board members have previously expressed support for the plan.
Before the March district meeting, Rep. Corey Jackson (D-Perris) expressed concerns about the cuts in a news release.
He acknowledged the district’s “tough” financial situation, but called the Perris union’s actions “a warning example of acting too hastily without giving the community enough time to respond to potential cuts.” “It’s happening,” he said.
The announcement states, “All school districts and communities should be on guard against divisive rhetoric that advocates defunding programs designed to support marginalized and minority populations.” It emphasizes the importance of “keep going.”
Board members had little to say on the topic during Wednesday’s meeting, but Vallejo emphasized the importance of addressing diversity, calling it “very necessary.” She also asked if more information about the department’s work and achievements could be provided later.
The school district serving Perris and Menifee had 11,731 students last school year, and enrollment has been increasing gradually, according to data from the California Department of Education. About 71% of students last year were Hispanic or Latino, 13% were white and 6% were black, which roughly mirrors the countywide average. The remaining 10% of Perris Union’s enrollment consisted of students of other ethnicities, two or more ethnicities, or unreported ethnicities.
