On December 19th, the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District in Orange County, California, held a special meeting and quickly decided to place Superintendent Alex Cherniss and seven other administrators on unpaid administrative leave. Cherniss stated that he had done nothing wrong and that taxpayer money should not be wasted on what he called “this farce.”
Following the final confirmation of election results in California on the 13th, incumbent board member Marilyn Anderson was elected as board chair at a meeting on the 17th. Cherniss, who was suspended, told Epoch Times, “Anderson decided to hold a special meeting to terminate me just one hour after I filed a claim. This is retaliation. Putting seven outstanding, hardworking people on ‘leave’ and wasting funds on ‘internal review’ is unbelievable. I hope the public holds them accountable.”
Cherniss has worked in public schools for over 24 years and was hired as superintendent of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District in May of last year. Prior to that, he served as superintendent of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District for five years, where students excelled in academic achievement in California.
“When we embrace the holiday spirit, I will remember the joy of giving back to society.” Before the deadline, Cherniss’s message of gratitude, reflection, and recognition for achievements in 2025 could still be seen on the district’s website. However, the new board chair called a meeting after Cherniss filed a claim regarding a “hostile work environment” to terminate the superintendent and seven others and replace legal counsel.
During the meeting on the 19th, some residents and parents expressed support for Cherniss and the other administrators, believing they prioritized students’ interests and performed well. About two-thirds of the teachers’ union members and supporters present but not speaking voiced support for Anderson, Carrie Buck, and Tricia Quintero, three board members. After a public meeting, the six board members held a two-hour internal meeting and passed proposals for administrative leave with a 5-0 vote.
In a post-meeting press release, Anderson appointed Reene Gray as acting superintendent with immediate effect and placed Cherniss and the other seven administrators on administrative leave pending internal review (the names and positions of the other six had not been formally announced). She stated that due to employee confidentiality agreements, further details could not be disclosed.
Board member Leandra Blades released a statement after the meeting, saying that Anderson violated board regulations just one day after being elected chair by instructing staff to submit confidential claim details to her and disregarding procedures by preventing claims from being reviewed by lawyers. Blades believed that the seven administrative personnel were unfairly treated and Anderson’s actions of ignoring regulations “not only exposed the district to potential civil liability but also created unnecessary difficulties.”
Since 2004, the law firm Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo has been providing legal services to the district, with nine offices in California and over 250 lawyers. Blades pointed out at the public meeting that Anderson and vice-chair Buck attempted to terminate the long-standing contract with the law firm but issued the contract to Todd Robbins, a lawyer dismissed by the firm in 2023, without following the proper procedure of listing it on the agenda 10 days in advance.
Blades stated, “Doesn’t it seem strange to you? To change law firms on the same day staff filed claims.” Robbins is a parent in the Riverside Unified School District and previously stated at a local district meeting: “Those who claim that school staff keeping information on student gender identity confidential violate parental rights do not speak for me. The court has ruled that students have a personal privacy right to this information.”
Board member Todd Frazier of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District raised questions during the meeting: Why spend more money to change law firms? “Currently, we are billed in units of one-tenth of an hour (6 minutes), whereas the new contract will bill in units of one-quarter of an hour (15 minutes), which is a significant difference,” where a lawyer making a phone call will be billed every 15 minutes.
He mentioned that the district also agreed to pay the law firm a 5% administrative fee monthly (based on the firm’s monthly fees) and to pay the firm “at rates higher than standard hourly rates for special projects or specific scopes of work,” which he referred to as undisclosed secret costs.
Frazier said, “Without compelling reasons, I don’t understand why we would change law firms.” The board eventually decided to renew the contract with the original law firm for six months. ✧