Jo Alegria suddenly resigned from the Cajon Valley Union school board this week after almost 10 years as a trustee — and with two years left on her term.
She wasn’t present at Tuesday night’s board meeting in El Cajon, but board President James Miller read a statement from her at the beginning of the session.
In a formal resignation letter to the county Office of Education, Alegria said she was leaving office because of a new job — which she told me Thursday morning is driving buses for MTS.
“I simply cannot properly meet my obligations as an employee and a board member without compromising my responsibilities in each role,” she wrote in letter received Feb. 15.
But she also cited “disgraceful personal attacks that are incredibly offense and hurtful” on social media.
“There is no need in a civilized society for ad hominem personal attacks,” she wrote. “I categorically deny all of the recent vicious personal attacks. They saddened me on a personal level, but more importantly they are grossly misleading this community that I have faithfully served.”
Ashley Carnevale, wife of Cajon Valley trustee Anthony Carnevale, had posted that Alegria used an anonymous Instagram account called SaltyBeachKiss “to troll my husband and other parent advocates. But it wasn’t until after she stalked my sons that I went public with this.”
Also accusing Alegria of unspecified offenses was Amy Reichert, the anti-mask activist and ReOpen San Diego founder during COVID who lost a race for county supervisor in November.
Last week, Reichert posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Just discovered an elected official in East County used an anonymous lnstagram account, saltybeachkiss, to harass & stalk children of officials & candidates, including me. Calling for her immediate resignation today from the Cajon Valley School Board.”
In her resignation letter, Alegria added:
It is perplexing to me that people would stoop so low as to make false and defamatory statements in an effort to disparage my work and good name. At the end of the day, I take great comfort in knowing that I am telling the truth without reservation.
Social media and bullying have become a serious issue for all of us to guard against. We are role models for students, and it is important that no one be bullied or intimated by lies or innuendo.
She concluded:
I have not served in this position to gain popularity, nor do I believe that any of my fellow board members do so. Please continue to do the right thing for the District and do not allow threats or intimidation to obstruct your obligations to do the right thing.
I am confident that this board has and will continue to be a beacon of light for the District. I want to thank all of you for your dedicated service and I am certain you will continue to do so.
Miller and other school board members didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Alegria, 58, who has been the subject of attacks by several people in recent months.
According to minutes from the school board’s Jan. 10 meeting, Ashley Carnevale asked that an agenda item be placed on the February meeting agenda.
“It will address the social media conduct of governing board members,” said the minutes. “She is asking to adopt a board policy that would prohibit members of this board from following, engaging with, or stalking students of the district on any social media platforms.”
Ashley called the unnamed trustee a “disgrace of a human who sits up there who decided to stalk my children” and urged her to step down from this board immediately “because ‘Cocoa’ has no right to sit on this board.”
On Wednesday, Ashley responded to my query on Instagram: “On January 10th, I made a public comment to the board and did not mention the names of any CVUSD board members. The future agenda item I requested was not placed on the next meeting agenda, which took place last night. No members of the CVUSD Board (past or present) have reached out to me.”
Priscilla Schreiber is a former Grossmont Union High School District trustee who now serves as president of the Literacy First Charter Schools board.
Schreiber says: “There’s been talk about her wanting to step down for a while,” and she’s heard that Alegria’s husband, Charlie, was not in good health.
Regarding the social media attacks, she said: “Was this issue the straw that broke the camel’s back? Maybe so.”
Music Watson of the county Office of Education said Wednesday that the effective date of Alegria’s resignation is Feb. 21.
Citing county rules, Watson said that within 60 days of now, the school board must either order an election or make a provisional appointment to fill the vacancy in the K-8 district of about 15,000 students on 10 campuses.
“If the board takes no action within the 60-day period, the county superintendent of schools shall call an election to fill the vacancy,” she said.
Alegria was first elected to the Cajon Valley school board in November 2014 after a failed run in 2012. Her current term ends in 2026.
Two years ago, Alegria was among a group of San Diego County school board members calling on the state to end its school mask mandate and “stop forcing COVID-19 rules onto school districts and charter schools,” reported The San Diego Union-Tribune.
In a Facebook message, Alegria said: “Since I am the lowest on seniority (at MTS), I work odd and often long hours and I still work as director of development for the Pregnancy Care Clinic. Our family has encountered some challenges, (and) it became necessary for me to work more. I’ve been employed since November.
“My concern was the district afforded the much needed health benefits for our situation. My position with the board took a lot of time and energy with essentially no income. It was for our family’s best interest for me to seek employment to supplement our income and offer health benefits.”
Updated at 7:15 a.m. Feb. 22, 2024