Sobrato students felt “harassed” by April 26  incident

By Marty Cheek

Pamela Gardiner

A classroom visit by Morgan Hill Unified School District Trustee Pamela Gardiner to an ethnic studies class at Sobrato High School has prompted an investigation by the Santa Clara County Office of County Counsel.

According to ethnic studies teacher Avery Unterreiner, during the April 26 visit, Gardiner allegedly made several students uncomfortable by questioning their work on class projects intended to explore the role of power in systems. The teacher said the trustee allegedly expressed distrust of their project’s content and factuality, while taking and sharing photos of student projects without permission.

Unterreiner said she had to ask Gardiner to step outside the classroom and expressed to her concerns about the trustee’s conduct.

“The students felt very harassed and uncomfortable,” Unterreiner said. “They felt their work was being criticized by an adult in a position of authority, which was very distressing for them.”

Multiple students reported to Unterreiner that Gardiner made demeaning comments about their work, interrupted them, and accused the class of teaching negative things about America.

The Office of County Counsel is now investigating the incident for possible violations by the trustee, according to the MHUSD’s public information officer. The administration and the board of trustees will not comment on the matter because it is under investigation.

“The district is looking into the matter and will not have further comment at this time,” said Lanae Bays, the PIO. “We are fully committed to ensuring a safe learning environment for all students.”

Gardiner declined being interviewed for this story. She did provide a statement by email on the condition that she did not grant permission to print a partial comment. Here is her unedited text:

“As a Trustee of the Morgan Hill Unified School District, I value transparency and community engagement in our curriculum process. My recent visit to a classroom at Sobrato High School aimed to gain insight into the new Ethnic Studies course and its implementation. While I understand concerns about protocol, I want to emphasize the importance of fostering an open dialogue among trustees, administrators, educators, and parents.

“Last spring (May 16th, 2023), the Board approved a process for parent participation in the Ethnic Studies curriculum decision. However, it appears there has been a lapse in ensuring this process is being followed. It is concerning the Superintendent has not followed up on the Board’s approval for parent participation in this process. As trustees, it’s essential for us to uphold the decisions made by the Board and ensure they are implemented effectively.

“Furthermore, it is disappointing that the Superintendent has not provided training for trustees regarding protocol for classroom visits, especially given there are three new trustees who may not be familiar with these procedures. While I apologize if any protocol was inadvertently overstepped during my visit, it is crucial for the Superintendent to provide clear guidelines and training for all trustees to ensure that such situations are avoided in the future.

“Moving forward, I expect the Superintendent to prioritize the development of a clear field guide or set of protocols for trustees regarding classroom visits. Additionally, I urge the Superintendent to ensure parent participation is an integral part of the Ethnic Studies curriculum approval process, as previously approved by the Board. Our community deserves transparency, collaboration, and accountability in all aspects of our educational system, and I am committed to working towards that goal.”

Live Oak High School ethnic studies teacher Ingar Wang noted that while shocking, Gardiner’s alleged behavior was not completely unexpected given her past opposition to the ethnic studies curriculum.

“Trustee Gardiner has been pushing against the program ever since it was proposed,” Wang said.

He believes much of the pushback by some parents and other residents against teaching ethnic studies in MHUSD high schools stems from a fear by some people of acknowledging injustices and imperfections in America’s history and institutions.

Click HERE to read a Community Voices column by a student in the ethnic studies class

The school district implemented ethnic studies classes at Live Oak and Sobrato as an elective course to prepare for when all California students entering as ninth graders are required by state law to take the class before graduation. In October 2021 with the passage of Assembly Bill 101, California made history by becoming the first state to require ethnic studies as a high school graduation requirement. The law mandates students in the class of 2030 take one semester of ethnic studies, and schools must offer these courses starting in the 2025-2026 school year.

Ethnic studies is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the histories, cultures, struggles, and contributions of historically marginalized peoples in the United States, such as Native Americans, African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans. The course aims to provide students with the opportunity to see themselves and their family’s experiences reflected in the curriculum while learning about the life experiences of others with different backgrounds.

While many educators, policymakers, and activists support the ethnic studies requirement in California, there have been some objections and concerns raised about Assembly Bill 101 and the implementation of ethnic studies classes in schools. Objections include:

  • Concerns about curriculum content: Some critics argue the ethnic studies curriculum could potentially promote divisiveness, anti-Americanism, or a narrow ideological perspective. They worry that the course content might vilify certain groups or present a biased view of history and social issues.
  • Potential for political indoctrination: There are concerns ethnic studies classes could be used as a vehicle for political indoctrination, pushing a particular ideological agenda rather than encouraging critical thinking and open dialogue.

Wang said the Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers asked the district to hold Gardiner accountable for her behavior toward the Sobrato students.

“I don’t know what actions the district has taken yet or what they plan to take,” he said. “When we find out what they’ve done and we feel that’s satisfactory, I don’t think the union has to get involved because it’s not like the rest of the board is of the same mind.”

Last month, Unterreiner invited all the trustees as guests to her ethnic studies class to see the students do presentations of their “Systems of Power” projects. The goal was to look at various social challenges in American history such as slavery, the mistreatment of Native Americans, and the Chinese Exclusion Act. Only Gardiner attended the presentation.

For their individual projects, each student could choose a system in the United States. They had a list but could choose something different if they wanted. “System” is a social structure that permeates and influences people’s lives and is engrained in how our society functions, Unterreiner said. The students conducted their own research on how power works within a system, who has certain types of power and who doesn’t. They then constructed a physical object like an artwork or poster-board documentation explaining the power differentials and issues like inequity and describe solutions that can address those problems.

“It’s not just what’s bad but it’s also, hey, if we find a problem what’s the solution,” the teacher said.

As students discussed their projects with fellow students, Gardiner started taking photos without permission of the poster-board presentations on classroom walls, Unterreiner said.

Multiple students later told the teacher they felt “attacked” by the conversation they had with the trustee, the teacher said.

“They said the trustee was asking questions that were very distrustful, was questioning their work, was telling them they were wrong, was telling them they didn’t know what they were talking about, was essentially being very demeaning of their work and accuracy of their content and interrupting them when they were trying to explain themselves, and took a picture of their work and that they saw her send the picture to someone else.”

Unterreiner said that in a conversation she had with Gardiner outside class, the trustee told her the content in the projects made her feel “uncomfortable.” Gardiner also acknowledged to the teacher her questions also made the students uneasy.

“The comment was also made by a couple of students that she (Gardiner) feels this class is teaching them to hate America and this country and she thinks the only thing we learn is everything that is negative,” Unterreiner said.