UPDATE, 2:47 p.m. — The Palo Alto Schools Management Association, a union that represents principals and other administrators in the district, is calling for Chiu to resign.
“By posting and commenting on an incendiary social media post filled with racially charged rhetoric and personal attacks against a PAUSD initiative and staff, Ms. Chiu has violated the ethical obligations of her position and betrayed the trust of the community she was elected to serve,” the letter said. “Her actions reflect a divisive, harmful, and regressive mindset that threatens the very foundation of inclusivity and educational equity that PAUSD upholds.”
<b>ORIGINAL, 10:14 a.m.</b> — Fourteen former Palo Alto school board members have signed a letter condemning new school board member Rowena Chiu for reposting an online message that was critical of a school district employee in connection with the Ethnic Studies debate.
The letter was signed by Alan Davis, Diane Reklis, Julie Jerome, Susie Richardson, Amado Padilla, Cathy Kroymann, Gail Price, Dana Tom, Barbara Sih Klausner, Terry Godfrey, Ken Dauber, Jennifer DiBrienza, Todd Collins and Jesse Ladomirak.
Chiu reposted a message from Asians Against Wokeness. The message said Chiu announced during the school board’s Jan. 23 meeting on Ethnic Studies “‘she has not felt very safe’ due to bullying by other woke school board members.”
The message that Chiu reposted claims that about an hour later, a district employee “lectures (Chiu) about how the word ‘unsafe’ is essentially inappropriate for people of Asian background because Asians are not truly oppressed.”
Because of the message, the employee was “harassed by numerous racist comments on the Asians Against Wokeness post Chiu reposted,” according to a news release circulated by former board member Ken Dauber.
“Before Chiu made her repost, the thread already included many racist and bullying comments directed at the staff member, which Chiu’s post rebroadcasted,” the news release said.
Dauber’s news release said that Chiu appears to have deleted her repost from her own timeline sometime on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
The Post is in the process of getting Chiu’s side of the controversy and will update this story with her comments.
The board voted 3-2 to keep Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement. Board members Shounak Dharap, Shauna Segal and Josh Salcman voted for the class. Chiu and Alison Kamhi voted against it.
This is hilarious coming from Dauber. How many times did his wife bully and villainize people in the community including school employees? Yet he never once said a word about her.
I support Rowena and feel this is a smear campaign. Rowena is standing up for Asian families. Too bad Ken Dauber doesn’t like that. Change is needed in PAUSD. It’s good that Dauber is gone, but Rowena needs to be able to speak at board meetings without having to worry about attacks. The former school board members who signed Dauber’s letter should feel ashamed. They have tainted their reputations.
I don’t understand something. The employees work for the school board, right? Since when do the employees get the right to tell off their bosses as (name removed) did at this board meeting? This is backward. Austin has lost control of his staff.
It’s her first ammendment right to post whatever she wants. I’m proud that she’s standing up for, and hearing parents voices in PAUSD. She’s coming at it with logic and not emotion. Thank you Rowena!!!
The most liberal people are racists. Asians can’t say they or their ancestors were oppressed? Really? Ken, thanks for revealing yourself.
I support Rowena and understand why she said she “has not felt very safe.” At the school district meeting on the evening of January 23, 2025, only students who supported keeping Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement were allowed to speak, while opposing parents were left waiting outside and couldn’t get in. By around 8:30PM, there was hope that the decision would be overturned with a 3-2 vote, but then came endless delays and excessive questioning, ultimately leading to a reversal. The entire meeting felt like a drawn-out, bureaucratic process. Rowena spoke boldly and stood her ground until the very end, advocating for what was right. It was no easy feat.
Another obvious attempt to silence Asian voices. And a coordinated effort as well. Is it no wonder Trump won in a landslide? The district should be ashamed at this blatant political play.
The fact that Rowena Chiu got attached by those PAUSD educators proved how much an Asian is oppressed in PASUD’s own “inclusive” policy!
Asians are probably the most oppressed group by the peninsula liberals. Ken and his “wife” Michele don’t want anyone to succeed by hard work and believing in family. Let’s drop them to the lowest common denominator so they will stay in line and do what “we” say. Individual thought is not allowed.
Rowena needs to stay off social media – but asking her to resign over this is laughable. The school board has bigger things to worry about than this nonsense. Grow up!
The audacity of a school administrator to tell a board member if she can feel oppressed or not! There’s something seriously wrong with this school board and the Don Austin administration. Time to take out the broom and sweep these racists out!
Rowenda shouldn’t resign. She’s was exercising her right to free speech. The 14 former school board members should apologize for trying to censor her. I guess they think that the Asian lady on the school board is supposed to stay silent and bow down to the racists. This black administrator should resign for making such a racist comment.