Protesters disrupt Poway Unified board meeting, cause its adjournment

A “Let Them Breathe” rally that began an hour before Poway Unified School District’s monthly meeting on Thursday night got so disruptive that the board had to adjourn before completing its business.

According to Sharon McKeeman, the founder of “Let Them Breathe,” what happened later at the meeting by individuals in attendance was not due to the organized rally that she says concluded prior to the later situation.

The meeting was to begin at 6 p.m. in the Poway Unified district office in Carmel Mountain Ranch. It was also to be livestreamed so those interested could watch via video. However, the livestream of the meeting was not started on time due to a disruption in the board room, according to Christine Paik, PUSD’s chief communications officer. At its peak, more than 70 viewers were in the YouTube waiting room, waiting for the meeting to begin.

About 75 minutes later, the board briefly appeared on screen in order to adjourn the meeting.

According to Paik, police were called to clear the room. She later released a statement saying that “Due to the ongoing disruption of the Sept. 9, 2021 Board of Education meeting and the concerns for the safety and well-being of staff and students attending the meeting, law enforcement recommended we adjourn and reschedule the meeting.”

As of Thursday evening, Paik said she did not know when the board would schedule an emergency meeting in order to address items on its agenda. These included an informational presentation on trustee area redistricting and a Communities Facilities Districts Special Tax Reduction Plan. The latter has the potential to save district taxpayers more than $1 billion over the life of the bonds, according to the meeting’s agenda packet.

A 5 p.m. mask-choice rally outside the district office on Thursday was promoted on social media. Paik said many of those who disrupted the meeting were carrying “Let Them Breathe” signs.

The movement, which has held rallies throughout the county, is opposed to masks mandates at campuses. Per the district’s posted reopening plan, masks are required indoors for all students and adults, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status unless there is a valid medical exemption. Masks are optional for everyone outdoors.

Paik said she was not aware of police making any arrests at the meeting.

At 8:30 p.m. Thursday Paik released a statement signed by the PUSD board. It stated:

“Tonight, unfortunately, the Poway Unified Board of Education was advised by law enforcement to adjourn the school board meeting without conducting the business of the District.

“A small, disruptive group forced their way inside the district office, pushing past staff. The group was politely asked to leave but refused. The protestors not only prevented the Board from doing the business of the school district, which serves nearly 36,000 students, but also prevented recognition of our hardworking teachers, classified employees of the year, and student representatives.

“The Poway Unified Board of Education has a vested interest in including the public in our meetings, and we have a well-established process to do so. This meeting was clearly posted as a meeting with limited in-person attendance due to COVID safety protocols, defined under the Governor’s modified health order which temporarily allows public comments and attendance via teleconference. The meeting is live streamed and accessible to the public, and there were dozens of members of the public who signed up in advance, waiting to speak via the online link. Just this week alone, Board members received nearly a thousand emails from our stakeholders respectfully advocating their opinions and positions on various topics.

“However, due to the ongoing presence of protestors who refused to leave the meeting room and verbally abused the staff, law enforcement advised adjourning the meeting to ensure the safety of our staff and students. This is an unfortunate example of modeling inappropriate behavior for our students and children who were present. The Board encourages civil discourse, but this type of behavior will not be tolerated at any meetings.”

McKeenman, who said she was not present at the meeting but spoke to some who were, said “Parents organized a Let Them Breathe rally previous to the Poway school board meeting but it concluded before the meeting and did not disrupt the meeting ... Let Them Breathe did not plan and was not affiliated with the actions individuals took at the Poway school board meeting. Let Them Breathe is committed to peaceful, appropriate discourse and effective legal advocacy through the judicial system, and does not condone threatening or disruptive behavior.”