Dozens of community members carried signs reading messages like “Stop cancel culture” and “Respect our educators” in anticipation of a resolution calling for Board Trustee Rowena Chiu’s resignation. The PAUSD board meeting on Tuesday was the first chance for the public to speak to the board directly since the special Jan. 23 meeting that resulted in the PAUSD Ethnic Studies graduation requirement passing in a 3-2 vote.

In response to Chiu’s X post, PAUSD Board President Shana Segal and PAUSD Vice President Shounak Dharap co-wrote a resolution urging Chiu to discuss concerns about her social media activity with district staff and be reassigned to another county liaison role.

Chiu then proposed a motion to only address the second clause of the resolution and to reassign herself as the Los Altos Town Council Liaison, a member of the Santa Clara County Committee on District Organization and a member of the Santa Clara County School Boards Association. The board passed Chiu’s proposed motion in a 4-1 vote despite Chiu’s dissent on her own proposal.

“[The resolution] is impact-focused, not intent-focused or judgment-focused,” Dharap said. “The ultimate intent, hopefully, is able to move forward.”

Chiu first addressed principals and teachers to apologize for “any perceived disrespect toward district staff” and clarified that her admiration for their roles remained unchanged. She then said she apologized for her X post and denied any intent to promote racism.

During the meeting’s public comment period, students were given priority over community members.

Palo Alto High senior Amani Fossati-Moaine was in favor of Chiu’s relocation and spoke on behalf of Palo Alto High’s Social Justice Club and Black Student Union, as well as Gunn High’s Black Student Union.

“How do we trust her [Chiu] again?” Fossati-Moaine said. “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?”

Ohlone Elementary Principal Elsa Chen was also in favor of the resolution while other students were against Chiu’s potential reallocation and said her voice was unjustly suppressed by the proposed resolution calling for her reassignment.

“She [Chiu] shouldn’t be pushed out just because some people feel like it,” a fourth grader said. “No one should lose their position without clear rules and a fair decision.”

Palo Alto High junior Dylan Chen spoke as a representative of Palo Alto High’s Associated Student Body. Chen said that the public backlash around Chiu’s actions represented the greater issue of silencing the voices of a minority group arguing against racism and the resolution sent a “dangerous” message to the Palo Alto community.

“There was a staff member on site that used stereotypes under the model minority myth to dismiss Asian experiences,” Chen said. “If you were truly in support of Asian students and the Asian community, which accounts for forty percent of our student population, how can you in good faith shut down an Asian woman’s voice that defends herself against racism?”

Deborah Goldeen, a member of the Palo Alto High class of 1981, spoke against the resolution, saying it silences “an elected trustee.”

“Targeting [Chiu] for doing her job is an insult to democracy,” Goldeen said. “Passing this resolution sets a dangerous message that differing perspectives will be punished. That is not governance, it is censorship.”

Former Palo Alto mayor and city councilmember Lydia Kou agreed that the board’s resolution attempts to “humiliate, silence, shame and cancel” Chiu.

Following public comment, school board members shared their personal stances on the resolution.

Segal called Chiu’s post a “serious breach” of “governance standards.” Segal sent an email to Chiu on Jan. 28, reminding her of the board bylaw, and requested that Chiu remove her X post. Chiu did not respond until Feb. 10, according to Segal.

On the other hand, PAUSD Board Member Josh Salcman questioned the purpose of the resolution and its impact on the Palo Alto community. Instead of reallocating Chiu, he was in favor of a resolution regulating behavior standards for board members.

“In this situation, board member Chiu made a grave mistake,” Salcman said. “I believe that she has expressed remorse for that mistake. She has made it clear she understands the impact that mistake had. When we talk about trust, one of the things we have to think about is trusting when someone says that they’re sorry.”