Placer Union High School District trustee Jeffreys turns controversy to purpose

When poll results declared the winner of the Trustee Area 1 seat for the Placer Union High School District (PUHSD) board following the November election, Jeremy Jeffreys was unsure whether he would accept the position. Jeffreys began working for PUHSD in 2015 when he and his family moved to Placer County and began his tenure as the video production and broadcasting teacher at Del Oro High School in 2017. In an interview with the Auburn Journal, Jeffreys detailed how he was well liked by his students and colleagues – including those with the Placer County Sheriff's Search and Rescue team, the Long Valley 4-H club and other nonprofits he contributes his time to – and always received exemplary evaluations. The decision to run for the PUHSD board was Jeffreys' way of finding a silver lining after dealing with a cloud that resulted in his decision to resign from the district as a teacher. After pulling out of the race, debating his next course of action and ultimately accepting the trustee position, Jeffreys' integrity was called into question by the community. After hearing comments made and seeing a guest editorial in the Auburn Journal about his character, Jeffreys reached out to the Journal to tell his side of the story. Course to resignation Jeffreys said the district first seemed to turn against him during the COVID-19 pandemic when Del Oro students were continuing core classes online and the grades of elective classes were frozen as final for the year. The structure of his class includes teaching students how to utilize cameras and equipment and how to edit video in roughly the first eight weeks, so his students had yet to complete a project when the directive was given in March 2020. Jeffreys confirmed he questioned the directive as he was uncomfortable with giving passing grades when students had yet to produce a video, but was willing to give students an incomplete, or temporary, grade until students could show they could complete a video from start to finish. "I don't feel comfortable giving them a grade on a video class if they haven't completed a video," he told the Journal. "That's like if it was a guitar class, you're giving an A in guitar class even though they never picked up a guitar." In following years, Uniform Complaint Procedures (UCP) were filed against Jeffreys to include concerns regarding his grading policy during a hybrid model of teaching toward the end of the pandemic, failure to implement Individualized Education Programs (IEP) and interactions with students. Jeffreys noted during that time the district switched his curriculum from video production to history, which he'd never taught before, and had him split his day between Del Oro and Foresthill high schools. According to Jeffreys, the complaints resulted in a formal investigation and hearing in 2023. A report from the Office of Administrative Hearings summarizes Jeffreys' misconduct "constituted immoral conduct, unprofessional conduct, dishonesty and a persistent violation of or refusal to obey reasonable regulations prescribed by the District's governing board." The report concluded cause existed to terminate Jeffreys' employment and he had not presented "compelling evidence that the District should continue his employement." Jeffreys told the Journal the hearing was the "hardest five days of my life" due to his inability to respond to the allegations. "I had to sit there and listen to them either flat-out lie about me or completely exaggerate everything about me and talk about how a terrible person I am and how unethical I am," he said. "And I take that ethics part super seriously having my background, and civilian and military law enforcement." One commissioner on the panel, however, dissented the decision, as they "do not believe the evidence presented in this hearing proves an evidence unfitness to teach." "If the respondent is truly unfit to teach, then where is the evidence of this unfitness before the pandemic?" Commissioner John Petersen stated in his dissent. "What was established here is that the district placed respondent into a subject he had never taught in his career and then proceeded to document his struggles to adjust as evidence of unfitness for service. When he sought help he was reassigned to an itinerant position that gave him no time to prepare for his lessons. These circumstances made it impossible for him to succeed. I do not feel he was ever given a chance to flourish in social studies. To me, this was a constructed termination orchestrated for reasons never presented to the panel. Furthermore, I believe that allowing this decision to move forward will have a chilling effect on the profession, as it rewards the aggressive targeting of teachers by districts." Following an arduous legal process, Jeffreys decided to not pursue the appeal process and instead offered his resignation to the district's then-Superintendent Jeffrey Tooker. "I realized that even if I did win, they were never going to treat me neutrally or respectfully," Jeffreys said. "I was never going to get a fair shake, so I decided to resign. Which I did. The resignation was accepted by the superintendent and the school board." In an email provided to the Journal, Jeffreys submitted his resignation on Oct. 11, 2023, and Tooker confirmed the acceptance of the resignation the same day. The Journal reached out to PUHSD regarding the details surrounding the investigation and resignation, to which the district confirmed it does not comment on personnel matters. Sarah Rath, communications officer for PUHSD, did, however, confirm the district follows board policy and regulation (Policy & AR 1312.1: Complaints Concerning District Employees; Policy & AR 1312.3: Uniform Complaint Procedures) when handling all complaints against teachers. Additionally, Rath confirmed the district's mission is to be "Committed to student learning by providing teaching excellence in a supportive environment." "The policies and procedures implemented by the District have allowed both the District and our communities to engage in the creation of outstanding learning environments, leading to exceptional teaching and learning experiences throughout our campuses," Rath provided in an email to the Journal. Entering the board race Jeffreys said with the decision to resign came the desire to run for the PUHSD Board of Trustees. "I'm going to make sure what happened to me never happens to anyone else again," Jeffreys said. "Because it wasn't just bad for me, it wasn't just bad for my family – it was bad for my students." Jeffreys completed the filing process and began his campaign efforts. During the campaign period, Jeffreys said Sacramento Bee reporter Jennah Pendleton reached out to him in relation to a series of articles she wrote regarding the complaints made against him, the investigation and his departure from the district. Out of an abundance of caution for his new teaching position, Jeffreys decided to drop out of the race, stopped campaigning and notified Pendleton and opponent Gayle Hamm. Jeffreys alleges Pendleton recrafted her coverage after he resolved not to pursue the board seat. Despite his decision to drop out of the race, Jeffreys' name remained on the ballot. Additionally, someone began campaigning under his name. Jeffreys confirmed he was not involved in the campaigning, had not spent any election funding during that time and is still not aware who was responsible for the shadow campaigning. He also confirmed he did not ask any of his supporters to rescind their endorsements. "Somebody else was campaigning under my name," Jeffreys said. "I didn't know who that was. Weeks go by and they had put big yard signs and small yard signs. It's crazy." Jeffreys said he was invited to a Placer County GOP event and went solely to thank his supporters despite not pursuing the position. Jeffreys said he was asked to pose for a photo during the event and was handed one of the shadow campaign signs to hold. Although he was no longer campaigning, Jeffreys said it would have been awkward to turn down being in the photo. "I was like, that's fine. I'll just hold the sign," he said. "So I was holding the sign. The other candidates that were running were also standing there. They were holding their signs. Picture was taken, it was posted on social media." Jeffreys stated The Bee articles preceding the shadow campaigning and the event photo were more neutral. Once the photo was shared, Jeffreys said he was accused of lying and the articles took on a more negative light. The Journal reached out to The Bee regarding its coverage of Jeffreys, to which The Bee did not comment. As election results rolled in with Jeffreys in the lead, he debated not accepting the position if finalized results declared him the winner. Controversy during victory After securing 5,362 votes compared to his opponent's 4,225, Jeffreys said colleagues, former students and parents of former students asked him not to step down from the position. After weighing the decision with his wife, Debbie, Jeffreys said he decided he would "accept and bite the bullet and see what happens." Despite the uphill battle, Jeffreys has been serving since January. "The reason I decided to run for the board, and the reason I decided to accept the position was because I want to make sure what happened to me never happened to anybody else," he said. "Because it's not just bad for the employee, it's bad for the students, too. "I owe it to the people that supported me and voted for me, want me there, to do what I said I was going to do and be a voice for teachers and make sure I put some things in place, or the board put some things in place that's going to protect teachers, which I've already done," Jeffreys added. Jeffreys experienced backlash at the beginning of his appointment, as additional articles regarding the investigation, including his teaching credential being suspended on Jan. 19, were published. According to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) website, Jeffreys' credential was reinstated on March 4. According to Jeffreys, the revocation was a result of the district recommending the action to the CCTC. After the CCTC conducted its own investigation based on information provided by the district, it decided a 45-day suspension ending March 4 was sufficient. According to the CCTC website, Jeffreys' credential now shows as clear and valid. Additionally, community members utilized the board's public comment period and the Journal's commentary page to call Jeffreys' integrity into question. "Jeffreys' resignation can mitigate the damage," Barbara Smith wrote in her guest editorial published in the Jan. 11-12 edition of the Journal. "He didn't act with honor or integrity when he took the oath of office. He can provide some small remedy by upholding his promise and leaving the board. It is up to us to demand it." In spite of the small blemish of the backlash, Jeffreys' fellow trustees feel he is a vital addition to the board. "Jeremy Jeffreys cares deeply about the opportunity to serve his community," Trustee Area 5 Board Member Tom Duncan said. "He is smart, logical and inquisitive about the challenges affecting our district. His character has been strong and unwavering. … His experience has been evident on many topics. He has challenged the board to think deeper on issues. I have had the opportunity to partner with him on the grading committee where I have witnessed his commitment to a diligent and strategic process. Our board with Jeremy is stronger. I appreciate his resolve as we have gone through many challenges in the first few months of the new board. I look forward to continuing to work with Jeremy on the important issues we need to solve to improve our district." Trustee Area 3 Board Member David Underwood also confirmed Jeffreys has been a hard worker and contributor on the board. The Journal also reached out to Trustee Area 2 Board Member Jessica Spaid, who confirmed her comments reflect her own thoughts and insights and are not representative of the board. "Jeremy is an intelligent and passionate individual who consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic," she said. "He is an effective communicator and collaborator, a veteran, and serves on our local Search and Rescue team. I have observed him as a devoted husband and an engaged father. Regarding the investigation and disciplinary process involving Jeremy as an employee of Placer Union High School District, those events occurred before my term on the board, as did his appeal, so I cannot speak to the specifics. Based on my own experience on the board with complaints and investigations, I have concerns about how the previous district leadership handled these situations, and I have been advocating for increased transparency and accountability to help restore confidence in our district. Jeremy's knowledge and insights have significantly contributed to the discussions within the Board of Trustees. He comes prepared for meetings, is bold, and does not hesitate to express his opinions. Jeremy has participated in three ad hoc committees with different trustees, highlighting his ability to collaborate with his peers. His perspectives are valuable in shaping policies and decisions. Despite facing recent challenges, his ongoing commitment to education and his willingness to advocate for both students and staff demonstrate his genuine desire to make a positive impact on the community." Jeffreys expressed frustration over the battle to restore his reputation, but feels as the months pass the board is making great progress and he is happy to be a contributor to the developments. Jeffreys said although the first months of his tenure included an "occasional negative comment" from supporters of his opponent, he has since been getting great feedback from the students, staff and parents with whom he interacts. "We have a great board who, like me, are interested in bringing PUHSD back to a super-positive and student-centered focus," Jeffreys said.