By Jondi Gumz
On May 7, the behavior of Pajaro Valley Unified School District Trustee Gabriel Medina came under the microscope as board president Olivia Flores and vice president Misty Flores spearheaded a resolution to censure Medina that eventually failed in a 2-4 vote.
Trustees Carol Turley and Jessica Carrasco, who were elected with Medina in November to oust trustees who had lost favor with voters, and newly appointed Trustee Joy Flynn voted no, as did Medina. Trustees Daniel Dodge Jr. was absent.
Gabriel Medina
Trustees extended the meeting until 1 a.m. after Medina was successful in expanding the time for public comment, which Flores had limited to 30 minutes despite 33 people seeking permission to speak.
Navarro, a physician who lives in Aptos, said, “I am where I am because of education.”
She said she has a brother who is half-Mexican and that she devoted her career to lifting up the Hispanic community.
She took offense at Medina calling her “Barbie,” saying, “That’s Dr. Barbie to you.”
She added, “It’s hard when someone decides who you are rather than getting to know you.”
She said she had asked Medina to coffee, to lunch and offered him a book on governance she had read, which she said he threw back in her face.
“I’ve tried really hard,” she said.
Navarro said Medina had some “good ideas” that “got lost” as he shut down anyone who disagreed with him.
Attorney Ramon Munoz of Lozano Smith law firm read the resolution.
Medina said the resolution to censure him was “politically motivated.”
He said he was elected to “ask difficult questions, speak uncomfortable truths and represent my community without apology.”
He pointed out then Trustee Oscar Soto publicly reprimanded Student Trustee Daniel Esqueda for negative comments at the Sept. 25 meeting. The board took no action but Esqueda filed a complaint using a state process.
Describing himself as a 33-year-old with ADHD, Medina said, “I’ll admit you have tried — but the way you do it! You are not serving constituents. That is so demeaning.”
As far as name-calling, Medina said he was “flipped off and was called Donald Trump” by Navarro.
He also said she said, ”F—you under her breath.”
Navarro popped in, “I also have ADHD. I don’t attack you.”
Flores said, “The bullying has been really hard to work with,” adding staff members were afraid to present and Jenny Im quit as finance director after Medina’s criticism.
Flores said she erred in not saying anything on the spot about Medina’s previous outbursts, explaining she was “shocked, caught off guard” and “intimidated,” unable to make a quick response.
The trustees, she said, have been working in a “hostile and unsafe environment.”
During public comment, Micah Posner recalled when he was censured in 2016 by the Santa Cruz City Council, he voted for his own censure.
“We have to learn to disagree with each other,” he said.
Michael Levy, a teacher in Santa Cruz, recommended “mediated listening” and for both sides to “get curious.”
However, mediation was not on the agenda, only training for board members.
Trustee Turley, who sits next to Medina, proposed to “pause” — table — the censure action.
She couldn’t keep back tears.
“We need to figure out how to work together,” she said.
Her goal — “we are a highly functioning board” — and she expected a 4-3 vote or 3-4 vote, which she felt would not achieve that goal.
Trustee Carrasco said, “We’re all human, we all make mistakes… Stay focused on what matters — our students.”
Trustee Flynn agreed with Turley on a pause and called for “mediated snippets of conversation.”
She said, “I am a proponent of restorative justice.”
She apologized for speaking at April 16 board meeting of “economic power historically held by the Jewish community.”
Members of Temple Beth El in Aptos viewed that comment as antisemitic.
At 9:45 p.m., closing in on four hours, Flores moved for a vote on the censure, got only two yes out of seven yes votes.
The meeting at Watsonville City Council Chambers was full, and many carried signs in support of Medina or against Zionism.
TOP PHOTO: Gabriel Medina speaks against the censure before the vote.
