In a May 14, 2024 letter, Antioch Unified School District (AUSD) Chief Human Resources Officer Robert Martinez told AUSD maintenance worker Jim Kesser he investigated Kesser’s original bullying complaint about Director of Maintenance, Operations and Facilities Ken Turnage.
Kesser had reported to human resources that in January 2023 “Turnage…harass[ed], bull[ied], intimidate[d], and humiliate[d]” him when Turnage directed other employees to move his desk onto a roof. The public display included a ladder and a hand-painted sign that read “Kesser’s Access.”
“Ken rules by bullying and by intimidating people. And he was waiting for the opportunity to get back at me – to send a message to everyone else while I wasn’t there,” Kesser told the Investigative Unit in a recent interview.
Kesser said he and Turnage has been arguing about his job duties, and the desk incident was public retaliation. However, AUSD’s human resources department disagreed.
According to the letter, Martinez determined Turnage’s motivations were to “lighten the mood…and make people laugh,” and that Turnage did not act with “ill intent.” Martinez said he concluded Turnage’s actions were not a “violation of either board policy or law.”
“I totally disagree,” said Kesser.
Kesser and three other AUSD employees told the Investigative Unit they are not surprised by the district’s and Martinez’s findings. They also filed bullying and harassment complaints against Turnage and distrust the process.
In NBC Bay Area’s report last April, they said they believe Turnage is getting special treatment from the district because he’s close, personal friends with AUSD Superintendent Stephanie Anello and her husband, Allan Cantando, Antioch’s former police chief. They said the school district turned a blind eye until NBC Bay Area started asking questions, eventually at an April 2024 public school board meeting where Superintendent Anello continued to stay silent.
Human Resources’ May 14 letter to Kesser said the school district hired an outside law firm Dannis, Woliver, Kelley to “review the [district’s] process regarding the investigation.” That review found “the investigation was correct.”
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“If every request gets denied, where do you go? Where do you go if you are an employee and you have a complaint? You’re supposed to go to H.R.,” Kesser said responding to the firm’s findings.
NBC Bay Area reached out to the law firm. An attorney told us the issue is confidential. We contacted Anello and her husband again. Anello replied in an email saying, “Dannis, Woliver, Kelley is a well-respected firm that works with school districts throughout the State.” She added, “there are several administrative remedies available” to the district’s public employees and the “District encourages them to take advantage of those remedies.”
Speaking publicly for the first time is Antioch Unified welder Tom Sellers who recently retired. He admits he gave the greenlight to this so-called desk prank when he says Turnage was walking around asking people what they thought about him putting Kesser’s desk on a roof. Sellers was the chief union steward at the time and ended up getting disciplined by the union for his involvement.
“I apologized to Jim. I told him I was sorry,” Sellers said. “Why did I think it was funny? Well, I sure don’t think it’s funny now.”
Sellers said he thought the district’s investigation was very narrow and that officials did not interview enough people.
“It’s like a double standard,” he said. “[Turnage] is allowed to do what he wants and say what he wants, but if we do that, we’d be called on the carpet, disciplined or fired.”
Superintendent Anello has been on medical leave since NBC Bay Area’s report in April. Human Resources Officer Martinez is now acting superintendent. He told NBC Bay Area in a statement, “While it may appear to some complaining parties that their complaints have not been effectively addressed… those employees are not made aware of any specific consequences or discipline which may be imposed on other employees…”
Kesser said he’s frustrated by this vagueness because he’s asked for follow-up information from the district.
“I spoke to four different people in H.R., and each one says ‘Well, we’re not going to go backwards in time. Let’s just focus on this. And if you want to, file an official complaint.’ Why would I file another complaint? The biggest complaint, the most glaring one is sitting right in front of you and it’s denied!” he said.
Turnage has not responded to NBC Bay Area’s requests for comment. He’s currently on administrative leave, which is standard, as the district investigates at least two other bullying complaints against him.
To catch up on all of NBC Bay Area's exclusive reporting on this scandal: www.nbcbayarea.com/bullyingcase
