Students at Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez High School on Wednesday demanded answers from L.A. Unified, a day after a walkout in protest over their principal’s sudden removal.
At a closed meeting held inside the school’s multi-purpose room, roughly 20 students met with LAUSD Local District East Supt. José Huerta and Gilberto Martinez, the region’s administrator of operations.
During the tense meeting, a student read a list of demands that included full transparency from LAUSD about the return and cause of Principal Mauro Bautista’s monthlong absence. They also asked for his reinstatement in time for graduation, according to a Boyle Heights Beat reporter who was present.
Officials reiterated they could not comment on personnel matters and said they would do their best to address student concerns. “We’re going to follow district rules as we move forward for the next couple of weeks,” Martinez said.
Outside on the quad, dozens of students participated in a sit-in, part of a planned action that kicked off with the Tuesday walkout. Many students marched around campus holding signs that read “We want transparency,” while others sat, took part in dances and exercise routines to stay busy.
The lack of communication from the district has confused many students, including Micaela De Leon, a 17-year-old senior. “It sucks because we really don’t know what the future is going to hold for Mendez,” De Leon said.
The situation has also been difficult for Bautista’s daughter, Rosa Bautista, a sophomore at Mendez High. She says her peers are looking to her for answers she doesn’t have.
“The spotlight is on my family. It’s stressful because it’s a very public thing,” Rosa Bautista said.
“When I saw [the sit-out] the first time it felt nice because my dad has helped so many students and made an impact in their lives.”
Bautista, who became assistant principal when the school opened in 2009 and was promoted to principal in 2011, has been absent for a month without explanation. According to students and staff, John Cerezo, an assistant principal at the school, has also been absent. Dr. Edna Bereal was assigned as interim principal.
An L.A. Unified spokesperson said in an email to Boyle Heights that district officials could not disclose details about Bautista’s absence, citing confidentiality laws. The district sent a message about Bautista’s absence to parents, faculty, and staff on April 29 and May 13, the spokesperson said. Another message went out on Tuesday evening, alerting parents about the student demonstration.
At Wednesday’s meeting, students asked district officials about the lack of transparency. Officials acknowledged a need to improve communication and said they would schedule a parent meeting, but gave no further details.
For parent Monica Perez, whose daughter is a senior at Mendez, the lack of communication was enough to keep her daughter home from school on Wednesday.
“There’s this almost undying support for Mr. Bautista,” Perez said. “I just feel like there’s not enough information for the kids who are standing in solidarity with the principal.”
Most concerning for Perez is what prompted Bautista’s removal. “As a mother of three daughters, my mind wanders… We think about ‘how much danger is our kid in?’”
Kenia Matias, whose son is a senior at Mendez, said she supports the students’ actions because she and other parents hope it will result in answers. “It’s very difficult to say if he did something bad or not but the main thing we want is transparency about what is happening,” Matias said.
Dolores Olivas, a special education teacher at Mendez, said she and other teachers want Bautista back because of his strong commitment to Boyle Heights. “He’s from here, he lives down the street,” Olivas said.
Faculty and staff previously sent a joint statement to LAUSD asking for clarification about Bautista’s absence and demanding his reinstatement before the graduation ceremony.
A parent meeting has been scheduled at Mendez High School at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 30.
This article has been updated to reflect details of the parent meeting.
