SUSD Under Fire: Hawkins and Trunky Targeted by Moms for Liberty

 

By Santa Clarita Star Staff

 

The Saugus Union School District faces mounting challenges as Superintendent Colleen Hawkins and board member Chris Trunkey come under fire from Moms for Liberty, a right-wing group opposing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, LGBTQIA+ student support, and public education policies. Amid declining enrollment, school closures, and political divisions, the district continues to navigate controversies over leadership and funding in Santa Clarita.

 

SANTA CLARITA, Calif.— Moms for Liberty has expressed anger toward Saugus Union School District board member Chris Trunkey and Superintendent Colleen Hawkins because of their policy choices and decisions that the group says promotes a liberal agenda. Hawkins faced backlash for implementing inclusive programs and adhering to state mandates on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), which Moms for Liberty opposes. The group also blamed Hawkins for declining enrollment, school closures, and low staff morale — issues largely outside her control. Trunkey drew criticism for maintaining order during previous board meetings, which members of the group viewed as dismissive and disrespectful toward their concerns. The Mom for Liberty’s frustrations reflect broader cultural and political divisions over educational policies and governance in the district. 

 

Superintendent Colleen Hawkins Faces Unwarranted Criticism Amid District Challenges

Superintendent Colleen Hawkins has come under fire from members of Moms for Liberty, a right-wing group designated as an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Critics have blamed her for declining enrollment, school closures, and low morale among teachers and staff—issues largely outside her control.

 

Hawkins, who successfully guided the district through the COVID-19 pandemic, has faced accusations over her leadership despite overseeing remote learning, mask and vaccine mandates, and implementing health protocols to ensure student safety. Her supporters, however, argue that she should be commended for navigating unprecedented challenges rather than being criticized.

 

 

Accusations and Backlash

Moms for Liberty members confronted Hawkins during the December 11, 2024, board meeting, accusing her of supporting programs that attend to the needs of students with disabilities, who have individual educational plans, and benefit from the district’s diversity, equity and inclusion policies. The Moms for Liberty label these programs as part of the woke and liberal agenda. They claim they are defending parents rights when making decisions about education and student engagement. The members of the Moms for Liberty have campaigned to eliminate diversity and inclusion programs in the district for years.

 

Rebecca Sewell Hindman, whose child was a student in the district, rejected these accusations, calling them abusive and unwarranted in an interview with Santa Clarita Weekly.

“Inclusion is about allowing all students to learn together, regardless of ability,” Sewell-Hindman said. “But somehow, inclusion has become a dirty word.”

 

 

Critics have also targeted Hawkins for adhering to state mandates and national education standards, accusing her of promoting progressive values. Supporters counter that Hawkins is simply following established educational policies and focusing on student success.

 

 

Programs and Progress

Under Hawkins’ leadership, the district has implemented programs such as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) to improve student behavior and emotional development. These programs emphasize positive reinforcement rather than punishment, encouraging students to build confidence and succeed academically.

 

“These programs have boosted test scores and earned the district national and state awards,” Hindman noted. “We should be celebrating that progress, not attacking the person who made it happen.”

 

However, funding challenges have impacted the implementation of these programs, leaving some teachers without adequate resources or classroom aides. Critics argue this lack of support has contributed to low morale, but supporters emphasize that budget constraints are statewide issues, not failures of Hawkins’ leadership.

 

 

Opposition to Measure N

The Board put a bond measure (Measure N) on the ballot for the November 2024 election to rectify some of the budget issues the district was facing. This would replace an expiring bond measure. The AD 40 Republican Party and the Los Angeles County Moms for Liberty successfully campaigned against Measure N, which would have provided a bond measure to earthquake-proof school buildings in the Saugus Union School District. Despite California law requiring schools to meet seismic safety standards, opponents of the measure argued against the funding proposal, effectively preventing much-needed upgrades to aging infrastructure. Supporters emphasized that schools also serve as emergency shelters during natural disasters, making seismic safety upgrades essential for protecting teachers, students, and the broader community.

 

 

Broader Political Tensions

Hawkins has also been criticized for promoting inclusivity and supporting LGBTQIA+ students, policies aligned with California’s mandates but opposed by Moms for Liberty. The group has pushed to restrict access to certain books in school libraries and challenged efforts to make events more inclusive.

 

“Banning books and excluding students isn’t what education should be about,” Hindman said. “Education should expand minds, not limit them.”

 

 

Looking Ahead

The recent controversies reflect broader political divides over education policy. While Hawkins’ supporters credit her for improving the district, critics continue to challenge her leadership. The Saugus Union School District now faces the task of balancing community concerns with its mission to provide quality education.

 

“We need to put politics aside and focus on supporting teachers and students,” Hindman added. “Until that happens, kids will be caught in the crossfire, and teachers will continue to feel exhausted.”

 

With board meetings becoming increasingly contentious, the district’s ability to bridge divides and refocus on education will remain a key issue in the months ahead.

 

 

Saugus School Board Meeting Erupts Over Leadership Vote

Tensions flared at the Saugus Union School District Governing Board meeting on December 17 as members of Moms for Liberty opposed the election of Chris Trunkey as board president. Their objections stemmed from Trunkey’s attempts to enforce order at previous board meetings.

 

 

Criticism and Controversy

Ingrid Boydston, one of the speakers and a kindergarten teacher in the district who was the California Teacher of the Year in 1999 when she taught sixth grade at Santa Clarita Elementary, accused the board of unfairly lumping all speakers from the December 11 meeting together and likened their treatment to being called Nazis.

 

“Everyone who spoke on the 11th was lumped together, we were compared to Nazis and we were accused of being politically affiliated now,” said Boydston, who is married to former City Councilmember TimBen Boydston.

 

Tammy Messina, spouse of Hart School Board member Joe Messina, urged the board to reconsider Trunkey’s nomination.

“I’m asking you, along with each of the other members of the board, to carefully consider your choice when electing this year’s president,” Messina said. “Mr. Trunkey has disqualified himself for board leadership when he failed to create a supportive school environment for board member behaviors and actions.”

 

 

Heated Exchanges

The meeting took a contentious turn when Len Unkeless criticized Trunkey’s leadership style.

“The way you treated people in this room and all the people outside the room. Keep looking at me, Mr. Trunkey. Show some respect, Mr. Trunkey. Show respect to your employers,” Unkeless said before launching into a tirade. “Do not under any circumstances put him in the presidency.”

Board member Matt Watson interrupted to call for civility.

“Mr. Unkeless, I’m gonna ask you to watch your language, please,” Watson said. “Continue to address this board respectfully.”

 

 

Unkeless apologized briefly but quickly uttered another curse word.

 

“You’re being—we’re not asking. We’re demanding. Don’t put him in. He will be the undoing of any possible meaningful work that this board is doing,” Unkeless said. “You don’t have any mandate from God to treat us that way.”

 

 

Board Decision and Fallout

After the contentious debate, the board ultimately bypassed Trunkey, who had been in line for the presidency based on rotation. Instead, board member Patty Garibay was elected president, conceding to the demands of Moms for Liberty.

 

 

Moving Forward

The Saugus Union School District continues to face divisions over leadership and policy. The district is also faced with low enrollment and financial challenges that will take time and careful planning to resolve. The president of the board will be taxed with finding common ground between board members and members of the community, no easy task given how the most recent board meetings have unfolded. 

 

The board faces demands from an extreme political group and has a responsibility to serve the students and parents at its schools. The success of the students and the schools is paramount. The distractions created by groups like Moms for Liberty only takes away from clearly successful programs put in place by the superintendent and board members. The board’s attention should be on the success of the students and the teachers, not on the political squabbles coming from a group that doesn’t have the best interest of the district at heart.