The District Board of Trustees convened for their monthly meeting on Wednesday night. The Board announced the termination of Mike Molieri and heard public comment concerning a recall effort against the three trustees not up for reelection in 2026.
Mike Molieri’s Termination Process
After a closed session prior to the Board meeting, Trustee Amy Koo reported that the Board unanimously voted to initiate the termination process of a “permanent certificated teacher.”
“The terminated employee, so everybody understands, is Mike Molieri,” Dan Molieri, M. Molieri’s brother, said in public comment.
The Board placed M. Molieri on immediate, unpaid suspension until the outcome of his termination process. They elected to forgo confidentiality during his termination process by removing redactions in his investigation report.
The District placed Molieri on paid administrative leave on Aug. 12, 2024, after accusing him of student privacy violations. During his paid leave, he filed a tort claim in April 2025, followed by a lawsuit in November 2025, alleging the District retaliated and discriminated against him based on age and race.
M. Molieri’s lawsuit against the District is still pending.
Public Comment and Trustee Recall Effort
Parents shared their campaign to recall trustees Maria Cruz, Mary Beth Thompson, and Rich Ginn. The three trustees are not up for reelection until 2028.
Johanna Mahal, the parent of a former TIDE Academy (TIDE) student, highlighted that the parent group held a press conference outside of the District office to launch the recall effort through their new website earlier that same day.
In addition to recalling Cruz, Thompson, and Ginn, she called for the removal of Superintendent Crystal Leach.
Mahal expressed satisfaction with Trustee Saathvik Nori’s endorsement of Michael Dekshenieks for the November 2026 election. She also stated that the parent group will support Koo’s challenger, Alon Shiran, in hopes of replacing the current Board.
“We are not here because of one disagreement. We are not here because of the closing of TIDE. There is a pattern of failed leadership. For too long, the District has confused talking with listening. Where is the real engagement?” Mahal said.
Recap of the Beginning of the School Year
20 days into the 2026-27 school year, the principals from all seven schools in the District presented on the start of the year and the special qualities of each school’s community.
M-A Principal Karl Losekoot highlighted M-A’s engaging staff and the variety of opportunities for students. He celebrated new courses, such as Advanced Bio-tech and the Mariachi Band class. He noted high student participation in fall sports, AVID, and freshman electives.
Losekoot’s presentation also included videos of M-A students sharing their opinions on the new year and appreciation toward staff. He specifically commended M-A math teacher Bobby Wong for receiving the District’s 2026 Certificated Employee of the Year Award.
Losekoot briefly celebrated that the bleacher construction on Coach Parks Field has begun.
Continuing the school presentations, Woodside Principal Karen van Putten shared that the 26 TIDE transfer students are slowly settling in.
Carlmont Principal Gay Buckland-Murray announced that three new staff members joined them from TIDE. She expressed excitement to have former TIDE Principal Simone Rick-Kennel join as a fifth administrator to support Carlmont.
The Board will reconvene on Oct. 7.
