
A month and a half ago, Principal Todd Wilson of Pajaro Valley High School decided against renewing a contract with Barrios Unidos, a grassroots Santa Cruz organization that has long worked with incarcerated and system-impacted people, drawing wisdom and leadership from those with lived experience in struggles for social change.
When pressed by upset parents to explain why he made this terrible call, Wilson gave conflicting, inconsistent answers. What’s clear is that in a breach of protocol, he bypassed the high school’s site council in making a decision that impacts the well-being of his students. While Wilson supports having school resource officers (SROs) on his campus, despite the fact that they are actually commissioned Watsonville police officers, he has chosen to divest from Barrios Unidos, a local community organization with a proven track record of keeping low-income communities of color genuinely safe.
Few parents likely realize that in Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD), SRO citations are registered on a student’s criminal record. This is how the school-to-prison pipeline is paved. A 2021 ACLU report indicates that “students who face barriers are the ones most often targeted for police intervention.” SROs, data show, disproportionately target working-class youth of color, leaving the barriers the latter face unaddressed. Schools with SROs unnecessarily ratchet up the consequences for issues and behaviors that could be addressed through more holistic, less punitive approaches. Such schools are prone to conflating tardiness, absences, poor grades, cursing, disruption, disobedience, and drug use with criminality.
This criminalization has life-altering negative repercussions.
Barrios Unidos served as a needed community lifeline for Pajaro Valley High School’s majority Latine student population. Emerging from the Chicano civil rights struggle and antiwar movement, Barrios Unidos empowers communities targeted by state violence. Although hired on contract last year, its mentors were not outsiders.
All Barrios Unidos staff are formerly incarcerated, system-impacted, or both, and thus have organic perspectives on the challenges faced by local youth. Drawing from an Indigenous worldview and healing practices, they are dedicated to ensuring the next seven generations survive and thrive. Their mentorship is enriched by wisdom gained from living on the underside of the rock, and their strength and optimism come from having built community alternatives to systems of racism and violence.
Barrios Unidos brought community-grounded practices of safety to Pajaro Valley High School, meeting with students twice a week on campus as well as supporting them outside school by doing home visits, conducting outreach on their behalf, accompanying them to NA meetings, and showing up for them at court hearings.
Students describe Barrios Unidos as having cultivated a rare “safe space” on campus, one of the few expressive arenas not supervised by a disciplinary figure. In a recent radio interview, one student said, “We do have school counselors, but I feel like a lot of times you have to watch what you say or you feel.” Another described Barrios Unidos’s mentorship program as enabling her and others to “express ourselves without being judged.” Omar Dieguez, one of two Barrios Unidos mentors at the school, stated that students “need that space to come and express themselves, to unload a little bit of that weight that they’re carrying with them.”
This ultimately is a matter of life or death.
We know structural violence often manifests on socially intimate registers as domestic abuse, bullying, addiction, self-harm, and suicide. When left unaddressed, the message is one of disposability for working-class youth of color.
Maya Mendoza, who also served as a Barrios Unidos mentor at Pajaro Valley High School, observed that “a lot of the students are going through very severe emotional and mental distress, whether that be from issues that they’re personally facing or with their family or that they’re seeing in the community, anywhere from being housing insecure or getting their apartments sprayed by gangs or having to witness police violence or having to witness domestic violence in the home, being food insecure as well.”
At a recent PVUSD board meeting, the mother of a Pajaro Valley High School student pleaded with the district to reinstate Barrios. She wept while recalling her stymied efforts to convince administrators to address the bullying her child faced at school. She described calling Superintendent Heather Contreras, but never hearing back. Similarly, she conveyed her concerns to Pajaro Valley High School, but “nobody listened to me.”
Barrios Unidos, she said, was the only place where someone heard her and helped. “The only person who defended my child was Omar [Dieguez] at Barrios Unidos,” she said. Pointing to how his mentorship led to an intervention for her child’s well-being, she stated, “Barrios Unidos needs to be in the school district. …All the schools need Barrios Unidos.”
True school safety in underresourced schools cannot be achieved through policing. It requires mentorship as a tender and tough practice – the kind of world-wise compassionate mentorship that cannot be learned from a degree-granting program but instead must be materially grounded in local community wisdom. The kind of mentorship offered by Barrios Unidos speaks to youth where they are at. It is essential to school safety and the life chances of students from historically marginalized backgrounds.
In its half year at Pajaro Valley High School, Barrios Unidos worked with 200 youth, creating a life-giving web of relations within and beyond the school. “We were building bridges between the students [and] the teachers, the students [and] the administration, the students [and] the community, and we were putting their voice out there,” stated Dieguez. Those connections will now be broken.
The abolitionist Frederick Douglass once stated, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” Barrios Unidos is committed to both and has a powerful grassroots legacy of working with previously incarcerated men and women while also empowering youth. Carmen Perez, the director of Gathering for Justice and a mentee of Barrios Unidos’s founder Nane Alejandrez, observed that “Barrios Unidos is actually a breeding ground for leaders. A lot of us who have gone on to do work around the world have come through Barrios Unidos.”
In bringing Barrios Unidos to his school last year, Principal Wilson seemed to understand that educational institutions must serve as life-affirming spaces for students navigating social realities conditioned by systemic racism. His failure to continue the contract is a blow to some of the most vulnerable students in his school, cutting them off from support furnished by grassroots leaders with roots in Watsonville.
Principal Wilson has made a terrible mistake by expelling Barrios Unidos from Pajaro Valley High School. According to bylaws, site councils must be involved in decisions that impact student achievement. Principals must notify the school board, enabling trustees to pose questions and make recommendations. None of this happened.
Our district schools must be accountable to the students and communities they are meant to serve. We call on PVUSD to intervene to ensure that students at all district high schools be mentored by staff from Barrios Unidos, MILPA, and other organizations with a history of engaging youth from perspectives grounded in community wisdom.
The authors organize with Pajaro Valley for Ethnic Studies and Justice (PVESJ), a coalition of community organizers, teachers, ethnic studies practitioners, parents, and students who coalesced as a grassroots formation in the fight for ethnic studies in Pajaro Valley Unified School District.
Be advised:: the Trumpster is coming with short hoes and lots of ICE
Not sure why parents would send their kids to you. Change is needed in how parents manage their homes—maybe offering parenting courses? You are just another group brainwashing kids into victimhood, making parents believe you are helping them. Look around Watsonville. There are a lot of “Hispanics” who live in beautiful homes and drive nice cars. More Hispanics are owning businesses, from retail, ag to manufacturing. You are just another outfit holding Hispanics back.
As a teacher at PVHS, I have witnessed Omar Dieguez exhibit unsettling and unprofessional behavior on campus and at board meetings. It is widely known that he was involved in altercations at two board meetings this past year with individuals he didn’t politically agree with, necessitating police intervention. He made verbal threats and yelled obscenities to school district employees and a board member. This is not how a mentor to students should EVER conduct themselves. Now PVUSD board meetings always have WPD presence with two officers present for every meeting. Omar behaves similarly on campus, creating an atmosphere of fear for staff and students who he disagrees with philosophically or politically. Students don’t have supervision and run wild on campus when they are supposed to be working with Barrios Unidos causing safety issues. He has improperly released confidential information on students. And there are many of us who are scared to speak out who don’t believe that Barrios Unidos is actually making the difference that Omar is claiming. Where is the data?
I’m super racist and scared of Brown people! Please call the cops!!!!!
As one of the authors of the above piece, I feel compelled to respond to your wild allegations and outright lies. Please get your facts straight. Your account is defamatory on multiple fronts. You allege that Omar improperly released confidential information about a student. He did nothing of the sort. He allowed for students who were grieving the suicide of one of their peers to express what they were feeling. You insinuate that the police have been present at every single board meeting because of Omar. Anyone can call or write to the school board to see if your allegation holds any weight. It was then-PVUSD President Georgia Acosta, someone notoriously hostile to the community, who outrageously called the police last year. Please read local press coverage on this very matter. I asked one of the police officers why they were present, and he responded that he had no idea and further remarked that, from his perspective, everything was peaceful. Nothing about the police presence in that first instance had to do with Omar. Against what you state, in another instance earlier this year, the police were indeed called in response to some of the classified staff members threatening Omar, not the other way around. This is to underscore that I directly witnessed the two “altercations” you refer to and contest your warped version of Omar’s role in what happened. Over the past year, a handful of classified workers aligned with Oscar Soto, a trustee who openly bullied a student trustee during an open PVUSD session, have sought to intimidate members of the PVESJ coalition. (It should be noted that PVESJ succeeded in flipping the three open seats on the school board, including Soto’s.) One of the classified staff even physically blocked me from returning to the PVUSD school board meeting room after one of his colleagues threatened Omar and got directly in Omar’s face. Omar never “made verbal threats” to anyone. He did ask a school employee who was wearing a homophobic t-shirt and a MAGA hat at a school board meeting why he was wearing clothing broadcasting those kinds of intimidating messages when students, some of whom are undocumented and queer, were present. That, to my mind, is a reasonable question. It is not a “verbal threat” of any kind, and it is not a matter of political or philosophical difference, as you reductively claim. ICE has been snatching people off the streets. Due process has flown out the window. Basic rights are under attack. Homophobic, racist, and anti-immigrant messages are tied to real-world, life-altering harm. We do democracy a disservice if we view the questioning of hateful messages as the problem. These terrible times require clarity and courage. Your account of things obfuscates the truth. You do the public a disservice with your defamatory account of Omar and Barrios Unidos.
Another one of the authors here to respond and I was present at the board meetings that the “Scared PVHS Teacher” mentioned. First off, no one should be scared to communicate their experiences in their workplace. If that is the case, I hope this teacher can talk with their support systems in place at the school to open up the lines of communication. Secondly, and this is very important, the description above of Omar being involved in “altercations” that “necessitate police intervention” paint a sensational and untrue picture of incidents where men aligned with MAGA tried to provoke Omar, who did not escalate the situations. No police intervention occurred at those times, but the author of that comment attempts to paint Omar as some kind of out-of-control criminal. In my time knowing Omar I have witnessed people of privilege demonize or criminalize him many times, all without merit or truth.
It is wild to me that people see ICE kidnapping their neighbors and still try to write off opposition to MAGA as “political disagreements” – I really think that framing it that way speaks for the author’s values more than anything I could possibly say. As for that data you asked for, Scared PVHS Teacher, here is a study on the benefits of mentorship. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9600165/ Please enjoy the ability to have peer-reviewed sciences while we still can.
This anonymous post by someone calling themselves “Scared PVHS Teacher” is a textbook example of defamatory propaganda, one that relies on fear-mongering, vague accusations, and unsubstantiated claims to assassinate the character of a respected community leader, Omar Dieguez. The writer cloaks themselves in anonymity, a classic tactic to evade accountability while weaponizing public discourse against those they ideologically oppose. Their language—“unsettling,” “verbal threats,” “run wild,” “scared to speak out”—relies not on facts or verifiable incidents but on emotionally charged innuendo designed to evoke fear and distrust. It’s worth noting that no evidence, police reports, or credible sources accompany these claims, nor are any specifics about the alleged “confidential student information” violations provided—just a series of vague insinuations strung together to manufacture the illusion of wrongdoing.
What we are witnessing is a strategic character assassination rooted in political discomfort with Omar Dieguez’s unapologetic commitment to racial justice, community healing, and youth empowerment. His decades-long work with Barrios Unidos speaks for itself: mentoring at-risk youth, advocating for restorative justice, and challenging systems that criminalize and marginalize working-class Brown and Black students. To suggest that students “run wild” under his guidance is not only disrespectful—it reeks of the same racialized dog whistles that have historically been used to discredit grassroots organizers and Chicano elders who dare to demand dignity for their communities.
Furthermore, invoking police presence at school board meetings as if Omar is to blame is disingenuous and historically blind. The increased police presence is part of a broader national trend of criminalizing dissent, especially when it comes from BIPOC voices demanding accountability from institutions. If anything, this moment should force us to reflect on why law enforcement is being used as a tool to silence public participation—not on blaming the very people courageously speaking out.
To the anonymous poster: if you’re truly concerned about student outcomes, let’s talk about structural inequality, school pushout rates, and the over-policing of youth of color. But don’t hide behind fear tactics to smear someone whose life’s work has been to heal, not harm. Omar Dieguez is not the problem—he is one of the few acting with integrity in a system that too often fails our youth.
As another person who has actually been at the Board Meetings, who has met with and worked with Omar Dieguez and other Barrios Unidos staff, and who has worked with other community agencies like MILPA and Santa Cruz Black, I can attest to, and need to respond to the spurious claims by “Scared PVHS Teacher” and others who have commented.
I was personally present for those “incidents” claimed by Scared PVHS Teacher which, “necessitated police intervention” and as stated by Trustee Medina and others, are false and bordering on defamatory. The first incident when Georgia Acosta called police was when a grieving father wanted to address bullying of his child to the board after district staff had ignored the family for over a year. Instead of allowing the man to speak, Acosta suspended the meeting, retreated to council chambers and called the police while the crowd in the room chanted, “Let him speak”. Meanwhile outside the council room my wife had confronted the PVUSD Employee for ignorant comments he had made during public comment. Omar, myself, and another community member stood there to maintain the peace. There was no cursing, although there were raised voices. Omar was not involved in anyway in any activity requiring police response.
In the second incident Omar did confront a PVUSD employee who wore hateful MAGA clothing and other homophobic/transphobic clothing to a meeting where LGBTQ students and members of the immigrant community were present. Three people got up in Omar’s face and were provoking him and when I came in to make sure they did not gang up on Omar, they began to insult me as well. My wife was the one who called the police at that time to report the disturbance once the three men got in Omar’s face. That same PVUSD employee wore that same hateful MAGA gear to an elementary school.
To the person who says that Barrios or any other community agency “brainwashes” kids into victimhood I say, “Tell me you are a right wing reactionary, without telling me you are a right wing reactionary”. You have NO idea how community agencies work. Both my children have participated with Barrios and MILPA and will very likely be future leaders in the community. They are not victims and have been empowered by their work with Barrios and MILPA to work to dismantle the corrupt system that keeps our gente down.
To the Scared PVHS Teacher, I have two students attending PVHS. I have met wonderful teachers at PV but your statement makes me question whether you should be teaching there. I would trust Omar with my children any day. If you are scared of Omar and if your interpretation of the situation is an indication of your teaching style, please tell me which classes you teach so that I can make sure my children avoid them.
I too was present at the meetings “scared PVHS teacher” mentions, and I can confirm that the allegations are false. The first time the police was called was because Georgia Acosta, who was president of the board at the time, refused to hear a parent who wanted to talk about the lack of communication and support he had received from the school district. Instead of giving this father 2 minutes of her time, she paused the meeting for 30 minutes and called the police. The second time the police was called, it was because I called them. Omar questioned a school employee about his homophobic shirt and MAGA hat. This school employee had already been reprimanded for wearing his hateful attire during school hours, so he decided to wear it to a public school board meeting. Knowing there were students from the LGBT community and immigrant students, Omar felt the need to protect these students. This is why he confronted this Trump-loving school employee about his attire. That’s when the employee’s dad and his friend jumped in. My husband and I saw what was happening so we went to support Omar. When they saw my husband, they started to verbally attack him too. I quickly realized these 3 individuals were there to cause problems, so I called the police. These 3 individuals were trying to instigate an altercation, not the other way around. I didn’t want the situation to escalate any further. When they heard me calling the police, they backed down. The police arrived and spoke to these three men. That was the end of that incident. Please don’t write lies and make false accusations when you did not witness these events. I was actually there and can confirm what you said is false.
As a parent of students who attend PV High, I know many teachers at the school and not one has shared your concern regarding Omar’s behavior or that of feeling afraid because of him. Most of the teachers at PV High that I have spoken with have said they are happy Omar is there. I also speak with many of the parents from PV High and the parents have also said they are very pleased with his work. Additionally, I met with the principal to discuss issues he had with Barrios Unidos and he never once mentioned teachers feeling afraid or any safety concerns. The concerns the principal mentioned were minor issues that had easy solutions.
Lastly, if you are truly a PV High, then have a conversation with the students Omar worked with and asked them how they feel about Barrios not being on campus this coming year….or are you afraid of them too?
Omar is a great advocate for the kids that he works with and many parents have spoken to his credit at School Board Meetings. To insinuate that police are now at school board meetings because of Omar is false. Omar has demonstrated compassion, honesty, and being reliable in handling very difficult situations with the youth in our community. If this “Scared PVHS Teacher” was really concerned about the students, why wasn’t this addressed at the time of the supposed incident? I know why, because it never happened. I don’t understand why the facts weren’t checked prior to allowing this person to comment , this can damage someone’s credibility and reputation. Omar has always gone above and beyond for the youth in our community. He is a reliable community supporter and a positive influence on our youth. Parents look for him when they need help with their kids.
The comments by “ Scared PVHS Teacher” does not reflect Omar’s character.
While I appreciate the opinion from PVESJ and agree with the value of Barrios Unidos, it is odd that no one in that group works at PVHS. Other schools are represented, but not PVHS. This matters because the argument is lacking a basic understanding of the complexities and difficulties we have had at our campus and the significant progress we have made over the past year. Our teachers and students went through an extremely difficult three years prior to Principal Wilson returning to our campus last year.
The accusations placed on our principal make it look as though this was a sinister plot from a new principal who hates Barrios Unidos. The reality is that he invited them back onto campus. I do not agree with everything Principal Wilson has done, and we will continue to disagree, but for an outside organization to make accusations impugning the motives of someone who has worked so hard for these students, seems like a cheap tactic that is beneath PVESJ. Do better.
I have no insight into why this decision was made, and I prefer that Barrios Unidos remain on our campus. However, it is childish and irresponsible to attribute all of this to the whims of an administrator. Even more so, when it seems that none of the people writing the article were involved in this process. We are seeing a decline in students and funding throughout the district which is going to continue to complicate funding for programs we want to keep.
Additionally, I am disappointed by the reaction to Scared PVHS Teacher. Board Member Medina, you know why a teacher would post anonymously. The political environment in our district is toxic and we are expecting more layoffs next year. You are more aware of this than anyone. Teachers are afraid. Most teachers just want to teach our students. They believe in the value of imparting skills on the next generation. There is a segment of teachers who are also social activists, but many are not. What teachers have seen over the past two years in regards to name calling and accusations in our district is embarrassing and silencing.
I disagree with “Scared PVHS Teacher.” I think Barrios Unidos should remain on our campus. That said, that teacher is not racist for disagreeing, as some commentors have suggested. If we cannot disagree with each other while still recognizing each other’s humanity, what social justice is possible. If we want to help our children we have to stop excluding each other just because we don’t agree.
I didn’t want to respond to this letter, because I too am opening myself up to petty derisive comments, but the narrative being spread about my school is wrong. PVHS is resilient. Last year, our test scores were better than Watsonville High! We have the best band in the district. Our students finally felt safe on campus. The admin and teachers have given a lot to make this happen, please don’t falsely accuse them just to score a political point.
The district should consider adopting the National Schools of Character program (https://character.org/)
When did Barrios last serve at PVHS?