WATSONVILLE >> A proposal to censure Trustee Gabriel Medina, and an ethnic studies contract the board previously took no action on when approving its contract with Community Responsive education, are on the agenda for Wednesday’s Pajaro Valley Unified School District meeting.

A censure is a formal statement of disapproval issued by a legislative body, typically against one of its members.

The agenda for Wednesday’s meeting did not include any supplemental materials for the item or an explanation for what the board is being asked to censure Medina for, and Pajaro Valley Unified spokesperson Alicia Jimenez said the district had no further comment on the item, except that it would be discussed Wednesday.

However, the item comes as the board remains under scrutiny by local Jewish groups for comments made by Medina and Trustee Joy Flynn at the April 16 meeting where the board unanimously approved an ethnic studies consulting contract with Community Responsive Education that has been the center of public comments at board meetings for a year and a half.

In 2023, the board opted not to renew its contract with Community Responsive Education, a for-profit consultant firm founded by San Francisco State University professor Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, after concerns were raised by trustees of antisemitism in the material. These concerns appeared to stem from a rejected framework presented to the California Department of Education, which Tintiangco-Cubales co-signed. Tintiangco-Cubales denied any antisemitism in the material, and the action resulted in many packed board meetings over the next 18 months to demand the contract be brought back for consideration.

The contract was presented among three separate contracts at the April 16 meeting with the board voting 7-0 to reinstate its contract with Community Responsive Education. While many in the audience spoke in favor of the contract, local members of the Jewish community accused the firm of promoting a divisive curriculum with little material on antisemitism.

In response, Medina accused opponents of only attending meetings when it is beneficial to them and not attending protests of people of color’s rights are being taken away.

His comments, along with a comment made by Flynn accused of perpetuating a trope regarding the money and economic power of Jewish people, were widely criticized in Jewish media outlets and received a rebuke from Faris Sabbah, Santa Cruz County superintendent of schools, in a letter to the district.

“I trust your Board agrees that anti-Semitic rhetoric has no place in PVUSD, least of all from the trustees charged with upholding students’ rights, ensuring nondiscrimination, and fostering safe, inclusive educational environments,” he wrote.

Medina did not return a request for comment but acknowledged the censure in an Instagram story posted over the weekend where he said it was unsurprising and accused Board President Olivia Flores and Vice President Misty Navarro, who serve on the board’s Agenda Setting Committee, of being followers rather than leaders.

“When you refuse to stay quiet and challenge power, they come for you,” he wrote.

In a public Facebook post, Navarro called Medina’s behavior since joining the board “reprehensible,” citing attacks on her eruption as well as mistreatment of district staff.

“His actions are not conducive to the values we aim to instill in our children, nor do they contribute to the betterment of our district,” she wrote. “Regardless of your stance on this matter, it is crucial to express your opinion and emphasize that such behavior is detrimental to our students, teachers, and the district’s mission. The financial burden caused by his actions, amounting to thousands of dollars, is a disservice to our taxpayers and undermines the support our students and teachers deserve.”

The last time the board censured a trustee was in 2021 when then-Trustee Georgia Acosta was admonished for missing more than a year’s worth of meetings and sharing confidential documents ahead of a controversial decision to fire then-Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez, who was reinstated to her position five days later following public support from the community.

At the April 16 meeting, Medina attempted to censure former Trustee Kim De Serpa for her role in the Community Responsive Education contract not being renewed in 2023, but this motion was defeated 4-3.

Also on the agenda is a contract with Facing History and Ourselves for a series of six ethnic studies training sessions for teachers and district leads. The Boston-based nonprofit was one of three firms with an ethnic studies contract that went before the board at its April 16 meeting. While the district recommended the board approve all three contracts, the board did not take action on Facing History and Ourselves’ proposal. In a public comment at that meeting, Gabriel Barraza — co-founder of Pajaro Valley for Ethnic Studies and Justice — said the organization was more rooted in teaching history with an emphasis on multiculturalism rather than ethnic studies.

In its proposal, Facing History staff wrote that it while it is not a dedicated ethnic studies trainer or curriculum provider, it has supported various schools, districts and county offices of education throughout California to help implement the California Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum.

“Our resources and pedagogy align with the core themes and outcomes in the ESMC,” the organization wrote.”Facing History’s vast array of resources and teaching strategies can be used in numerous courses within the Social Studies and English Language Arts classrooms which includes but is not limited to Ethnic Studies.”

The proposed 90-minute sessions would go over topics like fostering civil discourse to navigate challenging critical conversations, creating reflective learning spaces, the history and legacy of racial ideologies in the American education system and analyzing examples of youth activism from the past and present. The course rates would be $120 to $350 per participant.

The third contract to go before the board April 16 was with Campbell-based curriculum consultant Ignacio Ornelas Rodriguez, and the board voted 4-3 to work with him on some level.

In other business, the board will consider resolutions to recognize May as Jewish American Heritage Month and May 22 as Harvey Milk Day, which would include flying the Progress Pride Flag at school sites through the end of June.

The board will meet publicly at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the City Council Chambers at Watsonville Civic Plaza, 275 Main St., Watsonville. A closed session will precede the regular meeting at 5 p.m.