Turlock school board to meet virtually after trustees can’t resolve fight over masks
In a special session Monday morning that turned chaotic, Turlock Unified School District trustees voted unanimously to allow virtual school board meetings.
The virtual meeting at 7 a.m. was called solely to vote on the resolution on electronic meetings and lasted 30 minutes. It followed the board’s cancellation of its Jan. 4 meeting because people did not wear not wear masks or agree to participate remotely, spokeswoman Marie Russell previously told The Bee.
Monday, Assistant Superintendent Barney Gordon III identified trustee Jeffrey Cortinas as repeatedly not following guidelines from the California Department of Public Health.
“The bottom line is we need to tighten this up,” Gordon said. “And it needs to start with the leadership structure.”
Cortinas was the first to comment in support of the resolution and dominated the discussion that followed.
He pointed out that some children and adults have attended the board’s meetings unmasked for the past few months. He said he attended a social event this weekend with about 200 people, of which 10 or so wore masks. “Which is fine,” he added. “I think people need to do what they need to do to protect themselves.”
Cortinas said he’s able to attend such events and “nothing’s happening.” The district hasn’t had an “incident” in the boardroom as people have attended unmasked, he said.
Trustees Daniel Benedict, Mary Jackson and Jose Sanchez said they were disappointed by the need for the resolution.
“This is pretty disappointing that few — very few — people are able to make us come to this resolution,” Benedict said. “But that is where we are, so I guess let’s move forward and make the best of it.”
Jackson said it’s “extremely frustrating” when adults can’t act as adults.
“We shouldn’t be in this situation,” Jackson said. “It doesn’t matter if you attend events and people are masked or unmasked. There are guidelines that we are asked to follow as elected officials.”
Cortinas said the trustees’ “kind of bold statements” exemplified bullying.
“We shouldn’t be calling people childish because they have exemptions,” he said. Cortinas has said he requested a medical exemption for not wearing a mask.
Gordon said the district has an interactive process for considering employees’ requests for exemptions. The most common alternative is a face shield with a drape, he said.
Medical exemptions for school settings require a note from a licensed doctor or medical professional, Gordon said.
“I don’t know of any exemption that results in somebody being in a public space without some kind of face covering or face shield or other accommodation as far as remote work,” Gordon said.
He said people who do not wear masks have been able to watch board meetings on YouTube and submit comments by email. Trustees have been able to participate in sessions remotely, he said.
When meetings are in person, people may watch from a separate room, Gordon said. They can email comments from that room or put on a mask to address the board in the boardroom.
Gordon said it’s difficult to have conversations with people who resist following mask guidelines when the board’s leadership does not follow those same guidelines.
“So you’re telling me that somebody on the leadership board panel is not following directions?” Cortinas responded. “Who is that?”
“Mr. Cortinas, you have frequently not worn a face covering,” Gordon said.
“Are you implying that I’m not following guidelines up there? Are you going on record in a public hearing saying I’m — accusing me of not following guidelines?” Cortinas countered.
“You’re not taking the accommodations that the district is offering,” Gordon said.
From there, board President Lori Carlson tried to step in, but Cortinas continued talking because he said Gordon had “made it personal.” Cortinas and Carlson argued, sometimes talking over each other, for the next couple minutes.
“This is becoming ridiculous,” Jackson said. “And it doesn’t need to be done this way.”
Carlson quickly moved to ask for a motion to vote on the resolution.
Resolution details, meeting logistics
The resolution says “participants at recent meetings of the Board of Trustees have indicated an unwillingness to adhere to current CDPH requirements for masking nor were they willing to participate remotely as an accommodation established by the District and used successfully in the past.”
Meeting in person “may present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees and/or the state of emergency continues to directly impact the ability of the members to meet safely in person, due to the potential continued noncompliance with CDPH mandates, including mask wearing requirements, by meeting participants,” the resolution states.
Such a resolution is a requirement from a state law called AB 361, Gordon said during the meeting. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed this in September, legislative documents show.
Regular board meetings are held in the evenings, but Monday’s session was scheduled at 7 a.m. to accommodate board members’ work schedules, administrative assistant Shari Rocha-Fraga said Friday by email.
Trustees met on Zoom. Members of the public watched on YouTube, which listed 40 people tuning in live by the end of the meeting.
The board invited members of the public to submit comments by email. Superintendent Dana Trevethan read the names of seven people who submitted messages for public comment ahead of the meeting, but did not read their messages.
District officials did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.
The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 18, according to its calendar. It will include agenda items from the meeting that was canceled, Russell previously told The Bee.
