WATSONVILLE — Despite a recommendation by an ad hoc panel against censuring Trustee Steve Trujillo over profane posts on his personal Facebook page, the Cabrillo College Governing Board of Trustees at its Monday meeting voted 7-1 to censure Trujillo.
The decision stemmed from complaints received over public posts on Trujillo’s Facebook page made between March and July and directed at national political figures, which the complainant found to be inappropriate, “misogynistic” and “racist” against “white European people in history.”
The cited posts include derogatory language directed at national political figures such as former President Donald Trump, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, as well as female Republican voters.
The complaint argued that the posts violated board policy, specifically “Policy 2715,” which was in place at the time of the postings but had been replaced with an updated version Oct. 2. Further, Trujillo has maintained that the posts did not come from him and he had been hacked. As of Tuesday afternoon, all of the posts in question had not been taken down and were still public on Trujillo’s profile.
Trujillo had invited an ad hoc committee consisting of Trustees Rachael Spencer and Martha Vega to review his Facebook page. According to the committee’s findings, it sustained the allegations of profanity, epithets and misogynistic language, but not the posts allegedly containing racist comments directed at white European people in history. It was also not able to corroborate Trujillo’s claim of being hacked.
Spencer said that before the new board policy was adopted, there was nothing that prevented such language on trustees’ social media, as the previous policy was written in 1994.
“I would suggest that 25 years ago, people didn’t behave this way,” she said. “We have amended that.”
Spencer expressed disappointment that the posts had not been taken down after the policy was changed and that they were mixed in with positive Cabrillo content, such as the Robotics Club winning first place in the World MATE ROV Competition.
“That was interspersed with these very nasty posts starting in March,” she said. “I don’t know how he could keep posting and not see them.”
Spencer opined that if the board did not accept Trujillo’s denial, he would be in violation of the amended board policy, which states that trustees have a First Amendment right to free speech, but also “a responsibility to follow respectful protocols for verbal and written communications, including email, social media posting, and all other means of expression.”
“Therefore, verbal and written communications, including email, social media posts, and trustee comments should refrain from offensive language and avoid bringing the college and board’s reputation into disrepute,” per the new policy. “Repeated forms of expression that reflect offensive language, indecency, or tend to bring the college and board’s reputation into disrepute can be sanctioned by the board through the investigation and censure process.”
Although the posts were made before this section was added, the board had to determine if Trujillo leaving them up afterward constituted a censure.
Trujillo cited at least six sites dedicated to hacking Facebook and shared that 77% of the site’s users had been hacked in the past.
“I’ve been hacked numerous times,” he said. “I’ve had an account since 2010 when I first ran for office for the Santa Cruz City School Board of Trustees. It is extremely common.”
Trujillo also argued that Facebook explicitly does not allow misogynistic posts, which has resulted in others getting banned from the site in the past, and emphasized he has not been banned from the platform because “I follow the rules.”
He also repudiated claims of being a misogynist by holding up a Community Hero award he had received from the Diversity Center of Santa Cruz County in 2019 for fighting for LGBTQ+ equality.
“You don’t get this by being a misogynist or a bully,” he said.
Vega asked why the posts had not been removed. Trujillo said he did not know how to, and other trustees pointed out that it can be done by clicking on the three dots in the upper right corner of a post and clicking “Move to trash.”
Trustee Dan Rothwell said it was also easy to send out a message stating that a person’s profile has been hacked.
“I’m having a very, very difficult time believing that there was hacking involved, and even if there was, I don’t believe Mr. Trujillo has done his due diligence in this regard,” he said.
Trujillo emphasized that he did issue a post a few days earlier stating “I will not accept attempted hacks into my FB page.”
Rothwell asked why the motion did not include a censure. Board Chair Adam Spickler asked attorney Sarah Kaatz to explain the concept of censuring. Kaatz said the board did not have the ability to remove a board member, which lies with voters by way of elections or recalls. However, the board did have the ability to issue a statement of disapproval and show it did not condone the action.
Spickler asked Kaatz if not taking the posts down would constitute a violation of board policy.
“That would be the board’s determination to make,” she said. “However, I will say that since the policy changed and they are still there, that’s a valid question for the board to address.”
Vega recognized Trujillo’s right to free speech but also noted that things were different with the amended policy.
“The board does not condone certain language, especially when you’re holding an elected position,” she said.
Rothwell said he was a free speech absolutist but emphasized that a censure would not deny Trujillo’s right to free speech.
“We’re not denying you your freedom of speech,” he said. “It’s just that there is an opportunity for us to say that we really don’t like this. It reflects very badly on the college.”
The board voted 7-1 to censure Trujillo, who cast the lone dissenting vote.
Trujillo — who represents portions of the Pajaro Valley, Pajaro Dunes, Las Lomas, Aromas and the Interlaken region as the Area 7 trustee — said he plans to run for reelection next year during the trustee comments portion of the meeting.
“It’s always nice to be ganged up by fellow board members and a few people in the audience,” he said. “Nonetheless, I have every intention of running for reelection and winning just to spite you all.”
Trujillo also said he would “rearrange and cancel out” the offensive posts.
In an email to the Sentinel, Trujillo reiterated he was not a misogynist, citing his Diversity Center award and support for appointing Vega to the board.
“These posts are from those who hate my woke, liberal, progressive agenda,” he wrote. “This started when i was elected to the santa cruz school board of trustees in 2010.”
Trujillo also believed the complaints were due to his efforts to rename the college.
“If there were ever a misogynist, it was Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo,” he wrote. “Our college , like me, believes in : Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Cabrillo practiced conformity, inequity and exclusion.”