The intention of Monday night’s school board meeting was to be simple and boiled down to one line item. Action Item 12.1 which stated “Approval of Contracts of Assistant Superintendents and Chief Business Officer” through June 30, 2025.

District Superintendent Larry Mendonca shared at the Monday, July 17 Oakdale Joint Unified School District board meeting that the meeting was scheduled as this is a timely line item, which must be handled in a public forum.

Yet it was an item from Closed Session, listed under Personnel Matters, which seemed to prompt most in attendance.

When the meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m., President Tina Shatswell reviewed the items which had been reviewed in Closed Session, followed by a statement indicating “there was no action taken.”

As the Public Comment portion of the meeting was opened to those in the room the “Parent Complaint Against District Employee” from Closed Session, however, continued to be a topic of concern for both parents and students.

First to the podium was parent Autumn Skultety, who filed the formal complaint against an Oakdale High School ag teacher on June 8, 2023. Of the number of items listed in the complaint on behalf of her two sons, one included a noose being placed around one son’s neck as a form of “extra credit.”

“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to speak tonight or not,” Skultety shared, noting she felt it important to address the board to offer some clarity, ask some questions and point out some inconsistency.

“I’m not waiving my right to appeal,” she stated.

“A noose was in fact thrown around my son’s neck. It left a rope burn which was documented the day it happened and three days later it remained,” the mother shared from the podium.

Skultety further shared that she had received a response to her complaint from June 8 from Assistant Superintendent, Craig Redman. Within his findings, Redman stated there was not enough evidence to support her son suffered from a rope burn. Skultety shared, Redman also stated that there wasn’t proof that her son was humiliated during class. To which the mother questioned what makes the administrator qualified to determine how her son felt based on student testimony.

“Quote, student witnesses all confirmed that my son did not appear to suffer any injury after the roping incident and appeared fine, end of quote,” she said, adding that prior to the act all students had their phones taken by the teacher. This allegation was later supported by another parent of a student as well as a student from that class during Public Comment.

“The fourth allegation, the ag teacher provided little or no guidance when my sons were building their project and then purposely broke the project to show they weren’t doing a good job,” Skultety shared of her complaint.

“Mr. Redman felt that this was not the case because the ag teacher said quote, he merely demonstrated to the students why the project wasn’t sufficiently stable,” she noted. “He broke it.”

The majority of the night’s meeting would see the initial speaker followed by numerous parents, as well as students supporting her claims against the same teacher with their own stories of misconduct, mistreatment, harassment, as well as retaliation from the teacher as well as other students for speaking up.

Board member Terri Taylor reminded the audience and speakers that until a proper investigation is done, all complaints are considered allegations and are not actionable until investigated. She also reminded the group that social media is not a proper means to use and encouraged those with complaints to properly reach out via email to the administration or by filing a formal complaint.

Parent John Sphar questioned the board on the availability of a form for filing a formal complaint as he himself came up empty when inquiring on one with the district. Superintendent Mendonca confirmed that while there is not an actual form, a drafted email or letter noting the items of concern sent to the Administration of the district is considered a “Formal Complaint.”

“Correct, there’s no formal template form, by which we ask questions and what is the allegation. Just a written format,” Mendonca said.

A number of parents stepped to the podium, sharing concerns and stories of retaliation toward their student and others at the hands of the teacher in question.

“We don’t tolerate retaliation either. So, there are provisions and processes in place to address your concerns about retaliation,” Mendonca stated to a speaker.

What may have been considered the “mic drop” moment of the meeting would have been when four students, including two OHS FFA Officers, spoke before the board in support of the allegations with their own stories of mistreatment.

“I didn’t speak up because I felt there was no point,” OHS Class of 2023 graduate Jewlia Word shared, addressing the board after her father Brett, who had also spoken and shared they too would be filing a formal complaint.

“So yes, I’m here and these are my facts,” the younger Word said. “I’m ashamed to say it, but I was mentally abused by your teacher. He destroyed me. As much as I tried and I fought him, he tore me down and I felt there was nothing you were going to do about it, because nothing had happened for four years. I defended myself against a grown man and nobody helped me.”

As the board took in the reality of these students and their parents speaking up in regards to the Ag teacher, President Shatswell reassured the students and parents that all allegations were being taken seriously and would be looked into.

“We want you guys to be safe. We don’t want you guys to feel unsafe,” Shatswell stated. “We really want people to come forward. If you feel like at the lower level you’re not getting anything done please come to the district. We want to look into it. We want to hear them.”

Supporting Word in her allegations and sharing her own story, OHS FFA Officer Amanda Osmundson spoke of the Ag teacher “inappropriately staring” at her.

“I had actually considered quitting officer team because of everything that was going on with this teacher,” Osmundson said. “Being a senior who has just graduated, I have heard countless and countless things that have been said about that teacher by other students, females in particular, that were uncomfortable but too afraid to say anything.”

The 2023 graduate further shared stories of retaliation, inappropriate behavior and concerns with the teacher’s maturity by way of his behavior.

Close to one hour of the one hour and five minute meeting was dedicated to Public Comment, primarily regarding the teacher in question.

At the meeting’s conclusion, board member Clayton Schemper became emotional, sharing his concern and compassion for the students speaking.

“For the kids who shared they were too scared to say anything, honestly for me, that just breaks my heart,” Schemper stated. “For you guys to feel you were in an environment where you didn’t feel safe, that’s going to change.”

The next regularly scheduled school board meeting will be hosted on Monday, Aug. 14 at the OJUSD Tech Center with the public portion of the meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m.