CUSD Students & Parents Call on Trustee Krista Castellanos to Resign During Explosive Meeting

“Any trustee who deliberately takes such a quote out of context to falsely smear a colleague as a racist is betraying that trust and manipulating the situation for political gain,” said one San Juan Hills High School senior.

“I'm saddened that I have to stand here tonight as a student to tell the adult leaders of my District how appalled I am by what I've seen over the past four weeks.”

Those comments, delivered by a San Clemente High School senior, were among the first delivered at the most recent Capistrano Unified School District meeting. It was a heated, contentious affair, even for CUSD. And it saw dozens of outraged students coming forward to call for the resignation of Trustee Krista Castellanos.

So, why did this happen? And what’s going on at CUSD?

Previously, at the March 12, 2025 Board meeting, CUSD Trustee Judy Bullockus spoke in support of a novel called James, a retelling of Mark Twain’s classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of a runaway slave. While paraphrasing one of the book’s characters, she used the N-word—not to use a racial slur callously, but to illustrate a main theme of the novel. In either case, Bullockus later apologized, stating “I was trying to share in our discussion how awful the characterization is in contrast to the true character of James, who possessed dignity, compassion and love for family and people… It was never my intention to hurt or offend anyone.”

At the meeting itself, fellow Board Trustee Krista Castellanos made no comment acknowledging the use of the word. However, she later took to Instagram to fire shots at Bullockus, stating that she was “deeply disturbed and outraged by the use of a racial slur.” “This kind of language is completely unacceptable—not only does it violate the values of our district, but it harms students by further marginalizing students of color and by breaking the trust necessary to serve,” Castellanos’ post reads. 

Even after Bullockus’ formal apology, Castellanos continued with her harsh criticism: “This type of language has no place in our schools, boardroom, or community. It was offensive and harmful. I unequivocally condemn its use. Words matter, and the use of a derogatory term particularly in an educational setting undermines the values of respect that we strive to uphold as a district,” one email reads. 

If Castellanos saw the James controversy as an opportunity to drag a colleague with whom she frequently disagrees, that strategy seems to have backfired. At the April 24, 2025 CUSD Board meeting, many students attended to say that Casellanos’ remarks were in poor taste. Some went as far as to say she should resign. 

“Any trustee who deliberately takes such a quote out of context to falsely smear a colleague as a racist is betraying that trust and manipulating the situation for political gain,” said San Juan Hills High School senior Nathan [last name not provided]. “When a trustee uses the N-word while discussing a book, it is clearly within an educational context, not as a slur. Our educators and fellow students know the difference between quoting literature and using hateful language.”

Several students noted that the room had been packed with union activists on Castellanos’ side—activists who broke into uproarious applause when Student Board Member, Katherine Verrando, delivered remarks condemning Bullockus. Among the organized groups supporting Castellanos are Our Schools USA and Our Schools Capo. When one parent called out both groups by name—later calling them “hate-fueled organizations” that “create unnecessary conflict,” they began cheering and hollering.

Micah, a senior at San Clemente High School, spoke about the appalling display of “manufactured division” at CUSD.  

“Instead of building unity, Trustees Castellanos and Pritchard are choosing chaos and conflict at tonight’s meeting… Tonight, I am calling [on] Trustees Castellanos, Pritchard, and any Trustee voting to censor Trustee Bullockus to resign immediately,” he said. 

“Trustee Castellanos’ behavior has deeply eroded trust within the Capistrano Unified School District by posting deliberate falsehoods about fellow board members online,” said one participant named Linda. “She has manipulated public sentiment and stirred unnecessary political outrage. This is not the behavior of a responsible leader; it's the tactic of someone prioritizing personal ambition over the welfare of our schools.”

One parent, Morgan, called out Trustee Castellanos’ “influence over hostile activist groups and partisan media outlets,” while another, Lisa H., stated that  Castellano’s actions “have brought enough disruption, division, and distraction.”

Dozens more came forward with similar comments. For context, Castellanos and Pritchard both voted to approve James when it was being considered for inclusion within the CUSD curriculum.

The session for public comment came to a fiery end when one of Castellanos’ supporters began shouting at Trustee Lisa Davis, arguing that the Board “stacked the deck” with people that would support Bullockus, even after having been told by Superintendent Christopher Brown that cards to speak are handed out on a first-come-first-served basis. Everyone was then asked to escort themselves out.

What makes the meeting noteworthy isn’t its unruly nature or the ideological divide between Trustees. It’s notable because the “manufactured opposition” from activist groups like Our Schools USA—who once overwhelmed these types of meetings and were successful in drowning out the voices of local families and who are always firmly in Castellanos’ camp—were not able to combat the sheer number of concerned parents and students. Prior reporting by SoCal Daily Pulse outlines how groups associated with Castellanos have organized efforts to “block the public from participating in the discussion by monopolizing a majority of allotted public comment time” as evidenced by “emails, slideshows, Zoom trainings, in-person meetups, and Google sign up sheets sent to district employees.”

Evidently, that can only go so far once families start catching on to the scheme.

“We have witnessed countless board meetings at which union activists run roughshod over innocent community members and trustees while seeking to force their angry agenda and alternative worldview onto innocent children in our schools. They’ve been bullying for decades, and tragically, they’ve made a ton of progress. They’ve also silenced community members who’ve been too terrified to attend board meetings,” wrote Rebecca Friedrichs in a recent OC Register op-ed. 

“So it was good to see honest community members come out in force, and we hope more will join them,” she concludes.