– Temecula school board President Joseph Komrosky recall
– Temecula school board President Komrosky loses recall.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
A conservative public school board president in Temecula, whose advocacy for policies on race and gender sparked a national debate over critical race theory and LGBTQ+ rights in schools, narrowly lost a recall vote on Thursday.
Joseph Komrosky, a philosophy professor at Mt. San Antonio College, was elected to the board of the 28,000-student Temecula Valley Unified School District around 19 months ago. As part of a three-member conservative majority, he led the district into the midst of the culture wars that have been sweeping through school boards across the country.
The district faced legal challenges after implementing a ban on the teaching of critical race theory and requiring parental notification for students who identified with a gender different from their assigned one at birth. The lawsuits are ongoing. Under Komrosky’s leadership, the district also prohibited the display of non-U.S. and non-California flags, a move seen as targeting LGBTQ+ Pride flag exhibits. At a school board meeting last year, he caused controversy by referring to gay civil rights activist Harvey Milk as a “pedophile.”
Close Recall Vote Results
The final results of Komrosky’s recall election showed voters from the eastern and central areas of the district narrowly voting against him remaining in office.
Out of 9,722 ballots counted since June 4, 4,963 were in favor of the recall, while 4,751 were opposed. The voter turnout, at 45.1% of the registered 21,578 voters, was less than half.
The recall puts an end to the 2-2 deadlock on the board following the resignation of Komrosky’s ally, Danny Gonzalez, in December. The board will not be complete until the next elections in November.
In an email to The Times on Thursday, Komrosky, who describes himself as a “God-fearing patriot,” hinted at the possibility of running for a seat again.
“Given the narrow margin, I will likely run again in the November 2024 general election,” Komrosky said. “If not, it has been an honor to serve the Temecula community, and I am proud to have fulfilled all of my campaign promises as an elected official. My commitment to protecting the innocence of our children remains unwavering.”
Celebrations and Disappointments
The announcement of the recall results was met with both celebration and disappointment.
“We did it! We did it!” exclaimed Monica La Combe, a long-time resident of the district whose children graduated from Temecula Valley high schools. She expressed relief at the recall, stating that the previous board had instilled fear and tarnished the community’s image.
On the other hand, Jason Craig, a parent of two boys in elementary school in the district, voiced his disappointment at the election outcome. He supported Komrosky’s policies as a way to prevent what he saw as negative societal influences, like critical race theory, from infiltrating the classrooms.
Legal Battles Over LGBTQ+ Policies
The Temecula district is not the only one in Southern California embroiled in controversy over LGBTQ+ issues. The Chino Valley Unified School District is facing legal action for a similar parental notification policy. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has taken the Chino district to court, while a group of parents, students, teachers, and the teachers union have sued Temecula Unified.
In the Chino Valley case, a judge ruled the notification policy illegal, prompting the district to revise it in hopes of passing legal scrutiny. In contrast, a judge upheld the Temecula parental notification policy, which is currently under appeal.
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1. Temecula school board President Joseph Komrosky recall
2. Temecula school board President Joseph Komrosky loses recall vote.
