Tensions Explode at CVUSD Board Meeting Amid Lawsuit and Leadership Feud

Another contentious Coachella Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) board meeting erupted last week, filled with personal accusations, emotional outbursts, and lingering tension surrounding a lawsuit filed by Teachers Union President Carissa Carrera.

Carrera has filed a lawsuit against the district and individual board members, including Jesus Gonzalez and Joey Acuna, alleging retaliation, discrimination, harassment, hostile work environment, humiliation, and invasion of privacy. The issue dominated the meeting, with roughly 45 minutes devoted to discussion of her case—overshadowing more routine business.

The drama stems in part from union-funded billboards supporting opposing candidates during recent elections, which Gonzalez and Acuna reportedly discussed in closed session. Gonzalez expressed concern over leaks from those private sessions, stating, “Somebody in the room is passing that information on. And I know it’s not me.” But public records hint that Gonzalez may, in fact, have been the source—something that was alluded to but not directly addressed.

Acuna, visibly frustrated, vented about being personally named in the lawsuit:

“At a certain point, you try not to make it personal... but when they start suing you individually... I have a problem with that.”

He further accused Carrera of consistently attacking him since his election and criticized her allies for “spreading false narratives” on TV and online.

NBC’s Fred Roggin, who was mentioned by name during the heated exchanges, addressed the accusations directly. Gonzalez reportedly called Roggin “a racist” and accused him of being “run out of Los Angeles.”

Roggin responded:

“In the spirit of complete transparency, I wasn’t run out of L.A. — I still live there. I left Channel 4 after 43 years. I’m on TV and radio daily, including on the Dodgers station and KFI, the number one talk station in the country.”
“I talk about CVUSD on both,” he added. “And people in L.A. are stunned—and often laugh—at how absurd these stories are.”

Among the absurdities, Roggin highlighted the district’s new initiative called “Do the Right Thing”—an ironic name considering the chaos at hand. CVUSD is reportedly facing a $54 million deficit (or $41 million, depending on the source), hundreds of staff members are being laid off, and a single construction company receives approximately 75% of district contracts, with Jesus Gonzalez chairing the facilities committee.

With public confidence wavering and infighting dominating the boardroom, many are left wondering: Does anyone at CVUSD actually know what the right thing is?

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