Controversial Ad Misrepresents Visalia School Board Member’s Vote
An advertisement targeting Randy Villegas, a Visalia, California school board member, has come under scrutiny for presenting misleading information regarding his role in the hiring of a school employee with a troubling past. The ad, funded by the GOP-aligned Congressional Leadership Fund PAC, claims Villegas enabled a sexual predator to work within the school system.
In October 2022, Villegas was part of a school board vote that approved Dejuan Jones as a campus supervisor at Mt. Whitney High School. Six months later, Jones was arrested for engaging in sexual misconduct with a student. At the time of his hiring, the board was unaware of Jones’ previous misconduct, which included dismissal from Mt. Whitney in 2013 for inappropriate communication with a student and an investigation at Monache High School for similar behavior.
The attack ad suggests that it was “Randy’s decision” to hire Jones, a claim that has been labeled as exaggerated. In reality, the school board’s vote encompassed the approval of 10 hires and 15 other agenda items in a single batch, following recommendations from the Visalia Unified School District Office. No individualized vote on Jones occurred.
Juan Guerrero, who once presided over the Visalia school board, acknowledged that the situation was a “human resources failure,” emphasizing that the board did not receive information about Jones’ history prior to the vote. He stated that assertions in the ad were “untrue, misleading, and profoundly disrespectful to those impacted,” noting that such claims detract from efforts toward justice and accountability for victims.
Villegas, currently challenging Republican Rep. David Valadao in a highly competitive U.S. House race, addressed the controversy during a KGET-hosted debate on September 10. “I stand with survivors of abuse of any kind,” Villegas affirmed. He condemned Jones’ actions as “despicable,” expressing relief that Jones is now incarcerated, far removed from the school environment.
The incident has prompted the school district to enhance its pre-screening protocols. At the time of Jones’ hiring, his clean criminal record allowed him to bypass these checks, a loophole that has since been addressed. The post School board attacks on Villegas proven to be misleading appeared first on American Journal News.
—
Read More Kitchen Table News
