Placer Union teacher was fired for immoral conduct. He was sworn in as board trustee
Jeremy Jeffreys, who announced he was ending his candidacy in early October, was sworn in as a Placer Union High School District trustee Tuesday night.
The educator was previously set to be fired from the school district in 2022 for immoral and unprofessional conduct, dishonesty, evident unfitness for service and persistent violation of or refusal to obey school laws or regulations of the state or district. He resigned before the board moved to officially dismiss him. Allegations against him included inappropriate physical contact with a student, an unwillingness to adhere to special education laws and subjective grading practices.
Jeffreys expressed frustration with the disciplinary process, alleging that it was a targeted campaign to oust him for reasons unrelated to his teaching, and said in late September that part of the reason he ran for office was to establish policies that would better protect staff members.
The new board member spent five weeks before the November election in relative silence as an anonymous group campaigned on his behalf. He had previously told the remaining candidate, Gayle Hamm, that he wouldn’t accept the oath of office if elected, but his tune changed just before election day, when he was pictured holding his campaign sign.
Prior to his oath of office, audience member Ed Koons sought to interrupt the process, demanding to make a public comment ahead of the ceremony. His request was denied by Deputy Superintendent Steve Caminiti, and Jeffreys and fellow trustee-elect Tom Duncan were each sworn in.
Koons said in the public comment period following the ceremony that should he have been able to speak before, he would have urged Jeffreys to not take the oath. He asked him to resign, citing Jeffreys dishonesty about his campaign and his previous dismissal as a district teacher.
“You can still step down,” Koons said in the public comment period following the ceremony. “You made a promise, a public promise that you would not take the oath of office. If you have any integrity, you will step down tonight. … If you take the oath of office, you’re going to have a serious conflict of interests with respect to any personnel matters, with respect to the many administrators and teachers who gave evidence that eventually led to your termination.”
Two other commenters also expressed their distrust of Jeffreys.
“Removing and terminating a teacher requires extensive evidence and documentation and allows the teacher through the peer review process to improve their teaching practice,” Barbara Smith said. “A school district takes the action to terminate only when there is sufficient cause and no other remedy. The sustained complaints and the findings upholding the termination of Jeremy Jeffreys are disturbing and concerning.”
Jeffreys said in an interview that he changed his mind election night when he was contacted by “former colleagues, former students, parents of former students and even a couple of board members” asking him not to resign. He also cited the high cost of conducting a special election.
“They knew who I was and what I was about, what my background was and what what I did for my students, and they wanted me to see to see me on this board.” he said. “In addition to all of that, to some extent, there’s the will of the voter. Like, there’s thousands of people that wanted to see me in this position, and I would be letting them down as well.”
Upheaval on the board
Jeffreys and Duncan join the Placer Union High School District board at a time of instability. Just before the November board meeting, the trustees voted unanimously to terminate then-superintendent Jeffrey Tooker’s contract, marking the end of several decades of employment in the district.
There is still a vacancy on the board due to Ron Oates’ sudden resignation from the trustee seat he held for 30 years. He announced his decision to leave his post two years early in an emotional speech at the end of the last board meeting in November.
The board, which only had three members due to Trustee David Underwood’s absence, discussed the process to replace Oates Tuesday night. They decided to begin the process to appoint a board member rather than pursuing a special election, which could cost up to $800,000.
The application window for trustee-hopefuls is open Dec. 18 through Jan. 7, 2025. Board members will interview candidates at a special meeting on Jan. 16.
Why one trustee resigned
In an interview, Oates ultimately attributed his decision to the outcome of the recent election and the political influence that outside political groups had on Placer school board races. Both Jeffreys and Duncan were endorsed by the Placer County Republican Party and Moms for Liberty, as was Trustee Jessica Spaid in 2022.
“There is now a majority supported by one group of people, so my history with the board, my understanding of the position of a school board member was no longer going to be effective,” he said.
In his public announcement, Oates said that he had been considering whether or not to leave for two years. Trustees Casey Jeffreys (brother of Jeremy Jeffreys) and Spaid were elected that year, each supported by conservative special interest groups. He said that one member, referring to Casey Jeffreys, took to his responsibility as a school board member quickly and worked well with the other trustees and that the other “worked primarily based on outside influences from various organizations.”
Despite his vote in the unanimous decision to end Tooker’s contract, Oates expressed reverence for the former superintendent as an educator.
“I wasn’t happy about it at all,” Oates said. “He has dedicated his adult life to Placer Union High School District as a teacher, as a coach … and then as an administrator on various sites, principal, assistant principal and then as assistant and then deputy superintendent. He had been groomed for his whole career to be the superintendent.”
Ultimately, he said, the decision to oust Tooker came down to the incoming board and a superintendent’s ability to work together and emphasized that a unified 5-0 vote was essential to attracting a new, qualified superintendent. Tooker expressed a similar sentiment in his farewell message to staff.
“The landscape of public education is always evolving, and I clearly understand the incoming board’s vision and values differ from mine,” he said. “As they look to lead our district in a new direction, they will need a different Superintendent.”
In reflecting on his career as a school board member, Oates recalled a time where the Placer Union High board was considered one of the most functional in California, despite being composed of various members with conflicting opinions. He said that the root of the trouble was what he called the state’s mismanagement of COVID-19 which caused strife between board members who wanted to push back against state policies and those who wanted to observe the law. He also cited parental notification policies as a topic that caused similar friction.
“As a school board member we cannot decide which laws we’re going to observe and support and which ones we decide, ‘well, that’s not going to work in our district,’” he said.
This story was originally published December 18, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
