Oversight Sought For 'Dysfunctional' Temecula Valley USD Board

TEMECULA, CA — "Wow, this meeting is wild."

That's what a public speaker opined during Monday night's lengthy special meeting of the Temecula Valley Unified School District board.

TVUSD Board President Dr. Melinda Anderson brought forward the majority of the five items on the meeting agenda, and each item directly or indirectly centered on the investigative outcome of a sexual harassment allegation made by Board Member Jennifer Wiersma against fellow Board Member Steven Schwartz.

The investigation conducted on behalf of the district concluded there are "concerns about the credibility of, and motivation behind, Ms. Wiersma's complaint and suggests her complaint may not have been made in good faith — or, at best, that she exercised poor judgment ... ."

Monday night's 3 1/2 hour meeting had only one actionable outcome: In a 3-2 vote, it was decided that the district will request oversight from both the State Superintendent and the Riverside County Office Education on the TVUSD board's governance practices and its use of district funds. Board members Wiersma and Dr. Joseph Komrosky cast the dissenting votes.

Anderson had requested the agenda item because she said, "This board is dysfunctional."

Several community members spoke, most siding with either Schwartz or Wiersma. Few remained consistently on topic. Insults were a theme.

At the end of the meeting, all board members except Anderson made closing comments, with Komrosky and Board Member Emil Barham casting sharp barbs. Barham called for Komrosky and Wiersma to step down, labeling them "toxic." Komrosky questioned Anderson's mental health and ability to lead.

In her final comments, Wiersma stated that the investigative process into her sexual harassment allegation was "flawed," and she insinuated that the outcome was a result of "institutional retaliation" by the district. She said she questioned whether the "coverup was worse than the crime."

The investigating agency that the district selected — San Clemente-based Nicole Miller & Associates, Inc. — came highly recommended by all of TVUSD's attorneys, including those hired as a result of conservative board members Komrosky and Wiersma.

During his final comments, Schwartz recounted his decades-long career in education and said the allegation made by Wiersma was painful, both personally and professionally.

Monday night's drama might not be the end of the story. Schwartz is still considering civil action against Wiersma, and a closer look at the board's use of district funds could be damning.

For months, all TVUSD attorneys have urged that the sexual harassment allegation was a civil matter between two non-employees of the district. Still, nearly $40,000 in public funds were spent responding to Wiersma's claim, and the matter erupted into a public spectacle.

According to the investigative report that was dated June 4, all witnesses interviewed for the probe, including all TVUSD board members, were consistent in their answers, except for Wiersma. An investigator "noted several inconsistencies in Ms. Wiersma's account throughout her interview, and her statement seems to have lacked consistency over time."

Wiersma's sexual harassment allegation stemmed from a December 5 gathering at a California School Boards Association conference in Anaheim. All of the TVUSD board members were in attendance, and that evening the group joined together for a photo in front of a Christmas tree in a hotel lobby.

As the board members posed for the photo, Wiersma was next to Schwartz. In her recounting, Wiersma said Schwartz made an inappropriate comment, telling her she could "cop a feel" if she wanted and that his wife would not mind.

Wiersma further alleged that newly elected TVUSD board member Anderson was nearby and overheard the crude remark, but dismissed it, telling Wiersma, "That's just Steve."

Not only did Schwartz adamantly deny making the egregious comment, Anderson told an investigator she never heard it nor heard about it from Wiersma that night. She also firmly rejected the notion that she told Wiersma, "That's just Steve."

Furthermore, the probe found that none of the other board members, nor anyone present during the photo gathering, heard the alleged comments.

During a rideshare to an area restaurant immediately after the photo, Anderson, Wiersma and TVUSD Board Member Dr. Joseph Komrosky were together in the vehicle. The alleged comments were never mentioned, according to the probe's findings.

Nearly two months after the alleged incident, Wiersma filed a complaint against Schwartz with the district.

Then, on Feb. 11, during a TVUSD board workshop that was being livestreamed, she made her allegation public.

Incensed, Schwartz communicated to the district his intent to make a complaint against Wiersma, alleging her statement of sexual harassment by him was false and made in bad faith.

Then, in late March, after the investigation was launched, Wiersma requested to expand the scope of the probe to also look into how the TVUSD handled her sexual harassment complaint. Wiersma alleged the district failed to address her claim adequately.

Her request to expand the investigation was approved, although the probe ultimately determined that the district was not negligent in its response.

As for Schwartz's assertion that Wiersma made the sexual harassment claim in bad faith, investigators agreed, finding that "nearly all witnesses shared the perception that Ms. Wiersma was dishonest in her complaint" against him.

Schwartz released a July 7 statement about the probe to The Press-Enterprise: "This pattern of sabotage and refusal to work collaboratively is something our community has seen before from Trustee Wiersma. It hurts our district and distracts from our mission of serving students."

Wiersma and Schwartz have not had a great relationship and have often clashed over board policies.

Barham told an investigator that he believed Wiersma's sexual harassment allegation was fabricated, spurred on by previous clashes with Schwartz and her disappointment in not being appointed as TVUSD board president after the November 2024 election.

During Monday's meeting, Wiersma and Komrosky called this conclusion "biased."

Wiersma did serve as interim TVUSD board president after Komrosky was recalled in June 2024. She made a bid for the board president position after the November election, which saw Komrosky return to the dais. In a 3-2 vote, with Anderson, Barham and Schwartz in the majority, Wiersma lost her bid.

Wiersma serves on the TVUSD board representing Trustee Area 3. She was elected to the position in 2022. Her term expires in 2026.

Schwartz represents Trustee Area 5. In November, he was re-elected to his seat. His current term expires in 2028.