After a tense meeting on Tuesday, the Palo Alto Board of Education voted 4-1 to reassign board member Rowena Chiu to serve as liaison on the Los Altos Town Council, Santa Clara County Committee on District Organization and the Santa Clara County School Boards Association. She previously served as a liaison to the Fiscal Advisory Committee, Early Childhood Programs, Special Education, Hoover Elementary, Nixon Elementary, Gunn High School, Preschool and the Parent Teacher Association.

The initial board resolution, titled Resolution No. 2024-25. 11 to Restore Trust in Board Governance, was proposed by Board President Shana Segal and Vice President Shounak Dharap following Chiu’s controversial X repost on Jan. 27. The initial resolution called for Chiu to engage in meetings with the Palo Alto Management Association and the Palo Alto Educators Association in addition to reassigning her from her current school liaison and committee assignments. 

The board did not vote on the original resolution because of Chiu’s proposed countermotion. She voted against her own motion.

“I have always been and remain willing to meet with the affected member of district staff, the union that represents district staff, and any others who feel affected by my actions, so that I can make appropriate apologies face to face and in the presence of a mutually agreed third party mediator for the protection of all and to ensure that a safe and constructive spirit can be maintained,” Chiu said during the meeting. “The resolution no longer seems to serve any substantive purpose, because I am already willing to meet and apologize to the people listed. I’m also willing to accept the proposed reassignments, although I have not asked for them, and I do not need them for my own safety. Given that I’m already committed to the proposed trust building measures, the only possible remaining purpose of the resolution is to publicly shame me and to distort what is happening here.”

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More than 100 community members, both in support of and against Chiu, assembled outside the district office before the school board meeting to protest the original resolution. In an interview with the Campanile before the meeting, former mayor Lydia Kou said Chiu’s situation requires compassion and forgiveness. 

“We need to be kind people and recognize that if there’s a mistake, that it’s a mistake,” Kou said. “Put yourself in an empathetic position to understand that it’s not only about what is on the surface — it’s also what is behind. There might be something happening in their family, there might be something happening with the person, so think beyond that.”

However, Sean Allen, the Silicon Valley president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said Chiu’s conduct is inexcusable and has caused division and hate within the community. 

“She is not understanding how her responses lack control and empathy,” Allen said. “She’s creating a divisive relationship between the Asian and the African American community. We believe it’s intentional. It’s out of ignorance, and again, it’s called causing people (to) fear for their personal safety.” 

Still, not everyone sees it that way. Deborah Goldeen, a PAUSD alumna and parent, came to protest the resolution because it criticizes Chiu for issues out of her control. 

“Rowena was elected by a huge margin, and she’s the voice of the people,” Goldeen said. “I am livid at the way she’s been treated by the board. They started out with this blast expecting her to resign, and asked for an apology –– and she gave an apology. It wasn’t even her that they were upset about. It was the comments in the thread. This is such bad behavior. I am astounded, and I think it’s unacceptable on a school board.”

During public comments on the resolution, senior Amani Fossati-Moiane said it was a necessary step to establish trust between the board and the community. 

“Chiu doxed a black woman, a professional we trust and respect, in a racist (account) on X,” Fossati-Moiane said. “How do we trust her again? She did everything our teachers have been teaching us forever not to ever do. What consequences would a student face if they did something like this to a peer or a teacher? By misconstruing facts to suggest she was a victim of racism and suppression during the Jan. 23 board meeting, Trustee Chu invalidates everyone — every one of us — brown, Black, Asian or Jewish who actually had these experiences.”

But Ethan, a student who did not give their last name, spoke during public comments at the meeting saying the board should model forgiveness, not censure.  

“The school that’s supposed to teach us about respectful dialog and learning from mistakes feels more like a battlefield right now,” Ethan said during the meeting. “Trustee Chiu may have made an error in sharing that post. However, she followed what we’re taught in school, acknowledged her mistake, removed it and apologized. These calls for her resignation and attacks on her character contradict everything we learn about accountability and forgiveness. What message does this send to students about the consequences of speaking up and making mistakes? All I see is division. If we’re truly being prepared as future leaders, then our community needs to demonstrate how to work through challenges together, not tear each other apart.” 

But Principal Brent Kline, speaking on behalf of Palo Alto Management Association, which represents management employees, psychologists and administrators, said Chiu’s actions demonstrate a lack of professional conflict resolution.   

“This issue transcends personal or political differences — it is not about disagreements over curriculum or voting records,” Kline said during the meeting. “At its core, this is about the permanent harm caused by behavior that is incompatible with the responsibilities of public office. In our schools, we teach students to address conflicts directly and respectfully, using conflict resolution skills to resolve disagreements face to face. Unfortunately, this standard was not upheld. Instead of engaging in professional dialogue, misinterpretation was shared on a platform that amplified hostility. This behavior endangered a staff member and contradicted the values we instill in our students, undermining the culture of respect we strive to maintain throughout our district and school sites.” 

In contrast, senior and former Paly student school board representative Karthi Gottipati said if the board were to approve the resolution or try to force Chiu to resign, the board would be overstepping its authority. 

“While I was on the board, I learned that it’s very difficult to accurately represent the entire community, especially when we’re so divided,” Gottipati said during the meeting. “Thankfully, if this board feels that a member of the board has done something so egregious that she deserves to be sidelined, we have due process for that … When we ignore it, when we sideline it, when we’re impact focused, as Mr. Dharap says, and our impact is sidelining members that the community has elected, what message does that send about trust? It tells us, the community, that we should trust the board, as you’ve asked us to do, but the board won’t trust us to make decisions for who we feel should accurately represent us on the board. ” 

Despite her identity as an Asian-American woman who has experienced racism herself, Ohlone Principal Elsa Chen said Chiu’s conduct towards Reynolds was unacceptable and must be condemned. 

“As a leader, I believe that great power comes with great responsibility,” Chen said. “To me, that means showing up with grace and professionalism, when things are hard, really, really hard. As a principal, I have been berated and yelled at in my office. I have been slandered in emails. I wish this was not part of the job, but I do not get to control that. Instead, I assume its intentions, because we have a shared goal. But I cannot remain silent today when a trustee has personally attacked an educator over social media, instead of engaging in a professional manner. As an Asian American woman school leader in Palo Alto, please hear my colleagues.”

Although Chiu may have not engaged Reynolds in the proper way, an anonymous 8th grader who spoke at the meeting said the board’s treatment of Chiu and the situation lacks equality. 

“You teach us to treat everyone equally, Why can’t you do the same?” the student said. “When a board member, especially one from the minority community, is treated unfairly for speaking up, it sends a message. It tells me that my concerns don’t matter, that I don’t matter, or worse, that some people matter more than others. It makes me incredibly sad and fearful for my future. Here, instead of learning to trust the system that is supposed to protect me, I’m learning the opposite.”

Furthermore, Eli, a student who did not give their last name, said the Board’s resolution is an act of hypocrisy that prevents discussion of civil discourse. 

“You call for different opinions to be allowed in your district’s schools, but refuse to practice when you preach, attempting to suspend board member choice for an alleged racist mark, which was not, in fact, racist,” Eli said. “(This) is not an attempt to ensure civil discourse in unity, but an outrageous attempt at doing the exact opposite. Why does the board president feel the need to suspend her and take her voice away? … If this school district truly values civil discourse and inclusivity, they will lead by example and stop this child-like behavior of forcefully removing opinions they disagree with.” 

No matter what the board decides to do, Senior Heiren Noone said Chiu needs to be held responsible for her irresponsible action of perpetuating hate speech and endangering Reynolds.

“It is widely known that platform X is a platform that supports hate speech,” Noone said during the meeting. “I find it highly unprofessional that Ms. Chiu brought this situation to this platform by reposting a group that supports hateful comments opening the door to harm in the community that her job is to help. Countering what was perceived as hate with more hate only breeds more hate. I would hold my 14 year old sister with more standards than our school board is currently being held. Ms. Reynolds is owed a public apology, and Ms. Chiu should be held accountable for her less than mature actions.”

After public comments, each of the board members discussed the resolution, and Chiu publicly apologized for the harm she caused to Reynolds in making the post. 

“Firstly, and most importantly, I would like to address my remarks to Ms. Danae Reynolds,” Chiu said. “Please believe me that it would never, ever and wasn’t my intention to be associated in any way with the perception of harm to another woman of color, even inadvertently. I’m deeply grieved that there’s been a perception that this was the case. In my desire to shine a light upon Asian oppression and my own lived experience, I did not properly anticipate any possible and unintended impact on you, personally, and for this, I truly am deeply sorry.” 

Following her apology, Chiu said the conflict created within the board detracts attention away from students.  

“I am deeply troubled that our students, whom we are supposed to be educating and protecting, are watching these arguments play out and seeing adults mired in blaming, in cancel culture and in racial tribalism,” Chiu said. “I pray that we can find a way to acknowledge that racism is bad whomever is being oppressed, and work out how to move forward together as a community.”

In defending his proposed resolution, Dharap stressed the importance of reestablishing trust between the board and the community. 

“I think it’s important for us as a board to recognize that if principals and administrators feel that their words are going to be taken and changed, and a narrative is going to spread that creates a fear of retaliation so they don’t want to speak up, then how are we supposed to govern?” Dharap said during the meeting. “That’s a real problem. This isn’t political. This isn’t about shaming Ms. Chiu. This is a practical problem. If staff don’t trust us, and we don’t trust staff, they can’t carry out our decisions, and we can’t do the work of the board, we can’t serve the community. We can’t do anything.”

Given that a board member targeted a district staff, Segal said it’s challenging to reestablish trust with staff. 

“It’s equivalent to a company’s CEO publicly criticizing an employee’s views, or a principal publicly singling out a teacher statement bringing about racist and hateful comments underneath,” Segal said during the meeting. “I cannot say those comments out loud, because when I read them, I cried. As leaders of the organization, we must be cognizant of the power imbalance between the board and district employees. Board members take actions that create the potential for harassment of our employees — we risk fostering a hostile workplace environment.”

However, Chiu said she feels the power imbalance between herself and Reynolds is more nuanced than what other board members characterized. 

“I would just like it to be stated for the record that even if, in theory, a board trustee who is newly elected holds a position of great power, it doesn’t mean that that feels true to the person who is living through that experience,” Chiu said during the meeting. “Certainly, in the last two weeks, I have felt I have not had any power or any voice even to speak up for myself the level of hate that has been directed at me directly in emails.” 

Although board member Josh Salcman acknowledged Chiu’s comments were problematic, he said Chiu took responsibility for her actions.  

“Board member Chiu, I think, made a grave mistake,” Salcman said during the meeting. “I believe that she has also expressed remorse for that mistake. She has made it clear that she understands the impact that that mistake had. When we talk about trust, one of the things that we have to think about is trusting when someone says that they’re sorry and that they feel that they’ve made a mistake and that they’re going to do better in the future. I think if we see a pattern of behavior, that is a different issue, and at this point, I haven’t seen that as a pattern of behavior.”

Similarly, board member Allison Kamhi said moving forward, rebuilding trust requires better communication.

“I would like to see us talking to my colleagues and thinking really hard about how to build or how to rebuild, if necessary, relationships between the board and staff and community, so that everybody feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and disagreeing in public, including in sensitive conversations and about sensitive topics,” Kamhi said during the meeting.

History teacher Ken Tinsley said the board’s decision to reassign Chiu from her current positions was a good step towards building trust. 

“I am glad that there’s an apology — I wish the best of reconciliation and healing,” Tinsley said. “I think for the time being, it’s probably best to help rebuild that trust at a distance. I think the reassignment is necessary at this point and worth re-examining at a later time and trust is rebuilt again. It sounds like (Chiu) wants to move on, the board wants to move on, the community wants to move on and the staff obviously wants to move on because this impacts our work, so I hope the mediator can help support the reconciliation between trustee Chiu and the staff.”

Overall, Kline said as the situation resolves, it’s crucial to return the community’s attention to the student body. 

“It is important we shift our focus back to the heart of our mission: our students,” Kline said during the meeting. “Over the past few weeks, the attention drawn to this adult-centered narrative has overshadowed the needs of the very individuals we are here to serve. Our students deserve our full attention, and we must refocus our efforts on supporting their growth, learning, and wellbeing.”