Recall Campaign Names Former PUSD Superintendent, Teamsters Rep as Co-Chairs

A campaign seeking to recall Pasadena Unified School District Board President Tina Fredericks and Trustee Scott Harden has named former PUSD Superintendent Brian McDonald, Ed.D., and Michael Leon, business representative for Teamsters Local 986, as its campaign co-chairs.

By News Desk

The Committee to Protect PUSD Schools, Recall Fredericks and Harden, announced the appointments Thursday, Aug. 27. McDonald served as PUSD superintendent from 2014 through 2023 and is a PUSD parent. Leon represents more than 250 PUSD employees through Teamsters Local 986.

Leon said the proposed recall is connected in part to concerns about the potential closure or consolidation of schools and the effects those decisions could have on employees and the broader community.

“Closing schools means local families lose jobs,” Leon said in a statement. “These are not just buildings on a map. They are workplaces for teachers, classified employees, custodians, food-service workers, bus drivers, and many other members of our community.”

McDonald said the district is facing significant decisions involving schools, students, staffing and resources. He said those decisions require transparency, sound judgment and community engagement.

“This recall is about protecting the future of our communities’ public schools and making sure that families, educators, employees, and the broader community have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect our children,” McDonald said.

The campaign said the addition of McDonald and Leon reflects a coalition that includes parents, former district leaders, school employees and community members.

“This is not simply a disagreement among a handful of parents,” said Sara Poggi, a committee representative. “Our coalition includes parents, former district leadership, school employees, and community members.”

The committee said its concerns include transparency, accountability and possible violations of California’s Brown Act, the state’s open-meeting law. According to the campaign, public-records requests submitted by community members produced communications involving four PUSD trustees about matters that were, or later became, significant board business.

The committee contends that the records raise questions about whether trustees discussed or developed positions on substantive board matters outside properly noticed public meetings. It also cited communications related to the district’s emerging consolidation plans and the selection of Total School Solutions for a $233,000 contract.

“These records matter because they go directly to trust,” Poggi said. “Whether you support or oppose consolidation, everyone should agree that the process needs to be transparent, lawful, and accountable.”

The campaign also said Fredericks and Harden have not adequately responded to the PUSD Student Assembly, the findings of the Superintendent’s Consolidation Committee or concerns from constituents. Those statements represent the recall committee’s position.

The recall effort applies to voters in Trustee Areas 4 and 6, where Harden and Fredericks serve, respectively, according to the campaign. The committee is filing paperwork to be recognized as a ballot-measure committee, organizing volunteers and collecting signatures from registered voters in the two trustee areas.

The campaign said its stated focus is on accountability and the future of the district rather than on any individual school, employee group or political party.