Community members spoke out and voiced their concerns over bullying claims against Antioch Unified School District employees on Thursday night. Pete Suratos reports.
Community members spoke out and voiced their concerns over bullying claims against Antioch Unified School District employees on Thursday night.
Antioch Unified School District Superintendent Stephanie Anello recently recused herself from overseeing the district’s investigations into employee bullying claims that were first reported by NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit.
The Investigative Unit recently uncovered the bullying claims against Antioch Unified School District Director of Facilities, Maintenance and Operations Kenneth Turnage. There were least 10 employee complaints about Turnage, including one where he directed multiple district workers to move an employee’s desk to a rooftop to allegedly publicly humiliate them. Turnage is accused of doing this on district time and using school resources.
The employees making the claims believe Turnage’s close relationship with Superintendent Anello and her husband, former Antioch police chief Allan Cantanado is why he has not been properly disciplined.
Following NBC Bay Area’s report, Antioch school board president Antonio Hernandez called Thursday’s special meeting to discuss the performance of the superintendent, who he feels needs to resign for mishandling these cases.
But the meeting did not go as planned with three school board members declining to show up. With the lack of quorum, meaning a majority of the board present, the meeting turned into a community forum with dozens of speakers expressing their concerns about workplace bullying at Antioch Unified School District and a lack of accountability.
“It’s time for everybody to make a change and get it together, come in love and peace,” said one resident.
Kim Atkinson was one of the district employees who came forward with bullying claims in NBC Bay Area’s report.
Since the report, Atkinson said the past week has been emotionally difficult but seeing the community support gives her hope that her story might lead to change.
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“So proud. I can't even put into words how proud I am," Atkinson said. "And how brave they were to be here tonight and to speak from their hearts."
On Thursday, NBC Bay Area reached out to the three board members not in attendance - Mary Helen Rocha, Clyde Lewis Jr. and Gary Hack - but they did not respond. NBC Bay Area also reached out repeatedly to Anello, her husband and Turnage but there's been no response as of this report.
As for the next steps by the school board regarding the future of the superintendent, board member Jaguanana Lathan, Ed.D., one of the two school board members at Thursday’s meeting encouraged community members to move the conversation forward.
“We have a board meeting May 8," she said. "I encourage people to come and express their same concerns and to make demands that leadership changes,” she said.
If you have a comment on this issue or another investigation tip, email candice.nguyen@nbcuni.com.
