Recall Tina Fredericks
In the News
In an October 7 letter, the district's outside counsel wrote that "a mistake was made" regarding Fredericks' remote attendance at the September 3 special meeting and that "a technical violation may exist." The same day this ran, a judge said her lawsuit against the recall did not state a valid basis for relief.
Fredericks turned to the courts to stop the recall. Her original filing included 124 unidentified "Doe" parties, matching the number of residents who signed the notice of intention to circulate the recall petition. Fredericks denies the allegations.
Michael Leon, Teamsters Local 986, argues that Fredericks treated Resolution 2894, adopted June 25 to start a district transformation process with student input and community engagement, as a mandate for rapid school consolidation, and calls for her resignation.
Former PUSD Superintendent Dr. Brian McDonald and Michael Leon, Business Representative of Teamsters Local 986, will serve as co-chairs of the campaign to recall Board President Tina Wu Fredericks and Trustee Scott Harden.
Fredericks was scheduled to speak and present diplomas at the Thurgood Marshall Secondary School commencement on June 4. She walked around outside the Pasadena Civic Auditorium and left; Trustee Patrice Marshall McKenzie presented the diplomas. She attended two other high school graduations, but not those of the two schools included in her "Consolidation 2027" plan, and did not attend Blair High School's.
A May 2026 Stanford University brief found that savings from closures are routinely offset by enrollment loss, fixed costs transferred to remaining schools, and community disruption, with no meaningful improvement to per-pupil fiscal balance.
Students forced to switch schools experience drops in math and reading achievement that widen over time. Students from standalone middle schools are 18% more likely to not enroll in 10th grade, a harm compounded when a 6–12 school is converted to middle-school-only.
In March 2026, Harden privately used AI to research high school consolidations and admitted it was "hard to find success stories", while publicly telling parents Marshall was "fine."
PUSD's Legal Justification for Closing Schools Doesn't Hold Up
The EIA projects $4.6M in annual savings from closing Blair and Marshall. When asked for the basis, TSS cited "professional experience." No underlying data, no methodology, no source.
Moving Blair and Marshall students to schools miles away will require new bus routes. The EIA excluded all transportation costs as "too uncertain to estimate" — while locking in the savings.
Pasadena High and John Muir don't have capacity for the incoming students. The EIA used outdated capacity figures and acknowledged the deficit — then recommended the closures anyway.
Marshall (3.54% FCI) and Blair (6.52%) have lower facility repair costs than Pasadena High (7.22%) and John Muir (9.58%). The district is closing its better-maintained campuses.
The School Community Advisory Committee — the body convened specifically to review the EIA — voted unanimously to reject the report's findings. The board moved forward anyway.
PUSD's LACOE-required Fiscal Stabilization Plan lists 13 items totaling $83.1M in savings. Closing schools is not one of them. The board added closures on top — without updating the plan.
"I think it would be best to not mention our discussions to the superintendent and let her own the process."
"Since all emails to TSS are discoverable with a Freedom of Information Request, you may wish to consider getting Sarine involved... which would allow the communication to be protected by attorney client privilege."
"Note, we are a 7 member board so this is as many board members we can have within the Brown Act."
A Formal Demand Has Been Sent to PUSD
A Cure and Correct Letter under California Government Code § 54960.1 was delivered to the PUSD Board demanding they immediately suspend Resolution 2852 and all related school closure processes. It gave the board 30 days to comply, or face litigation.
"Board President Fredericks and Board Members Harden, Velázquez, and Kenne are engaging in unlawful, private deliberations in the form of serial communications in violation of the Brown Act."
"Immediately suspend its ongoing District Transformation Planning Process, suspend its ongoing Equity Impact Analysis, suspend any decision to vote to close schools... Board Resolution 2852 must be rescinded."
"If you fail to cure or correct as demanded, such inaction will lead to litigation and judicial invalidation of the challenged actions pursuant to Section 54960.1."
Contact the Board
Email the full board and superintendent directly. Public officials are required to read correspondence from constituents.
Informed
Enter your email to receive updates on the recall campaign, including when and where to sign the petition. The recall requires wet signatures, ink on paper from registered District 6 voters.
Used only for the recall campaign. Not sold or shared.
Add your name to the community petition telling PUSD that closing schools is not the answer.
Sign the Petition