(KRON) — A group of Asian American civil rights and advocacy organizations is calling for the resignation of San Francisco Board of Education President Kevine Boggess. The group claims Boggess supported a “racially discriminatory” selection process for the SF Parent Advisory Council, but he disagrees.

Those calling for Boggess to resign are members of a consortium of Asian American groups including Asian American Voters and Asian Leaders Alliance. The alliance says the issues started in Sept. 2022, when a Chinese American parent was informed by the PAC coordinator that she was rejected from the council because the office had “received more applications for our Chinese community than could be accommodated.”

This came after a PAC member complained that there were undisclosed racial quotas being used against Asian American candidates at the selection meeting on June 9, 2022. Marin Trujillo, Head of Staff for the SF BoE, then wrote a memo to the PAC members and noted that there were “serious issues with the process.” He went on to say the BoE should consider not moving forward with the slate of candidates because of the allegations.

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Though several complaints had reportedly been made about the new slate of PAC candidates, Boggess brought the slate forward at the May 9 board meeting. He also addressed the claims in the meeting.

“I felt that they did follow the Brown Act in that there was not any discriminatory practices that they engaged in as a PAC, is what they have relayed to me, and that they feel confident in the nominations they brought forth and the process that they’ve gone through. 

I want to also just highlight that there have been a lot of claims as far as what is happening, but the district did not do a formal investigation to verify those claims, and so at this point they do exist as claims that are disputed by people in the PAC. 

And so I think that is something as well to lift up as we go through this conversation. We haven’t got all the answers to the questions that are there and that is leaving a lot of doubt as far as what are the actual facts.” — San Francisco Board of Education President Kevine Boggess

SF BoE Vice President Lisa Weissman-Ward shared concerns at the May 9 meeting. She stated that the board was aware of the “well-documented” allegations of discrimination and bias in the review and recommendation process for PAC members. She argued that though complaints were presented to the board months ago, “they remain unresolved, and without thorough review.”

Weissman-Ward advised that the board to evaluate and adjust their selection process. “Where the allegations are documented, it is incumbent upon us to do the necessary work to make sure that the process is not tainted,” she said.

The board members went on to table the slate of PAC candidates. The group voted in support of working with the Superintendent’s office to determine best practices for the ongoing oversight and management of the PAC.

In a May 23 letter to the BoE, Stand with Asian Americans said tabling the candidate selection is not enough. “Knowingly seeking to ratify a slate of PAC members who were selected through an illegal and racially discriminatory process is unconscionable… accordingly, we call upon Mr. Boggess to immediately resign from his role as Board President.”