The Atascadero school board’s Tuesday meeting was packed, as many residents showed up to speak on the high school’s principal, Nikki Baca. Baca was placed on leave last week, with no given reason as to why, and there has been no further information or explanation from the district. Multiple speakers showed up in Tuesday’s meeting to speak in support of Baca. One of them was her husband, Joseph Baca, firing on all cylinders:
“Look around the room… community members rearranged their lives to stand here for Nikki Baca. You cannot silence her impact… certain people are cowards.”
Baca also alleged that the district’s superintendent, Tom Bennett, made inappropriate comments about his wife’s appearance, also calling to question why principal Baca did not allegedly receive a performance evaluation:
“What did she overhear that day when you guys were supposed to do her eval?” He asked.
“Your comments about my wife’s age, beauty, and Native American features and how much high school boys must love her are completely inappropriate.”
Despite the number of comments, principal Baca’s leave was not on the agenda, and the board did not discuss it, though they thanked the public for voicing their concerns.
The district released a statement on Wednesday denying the allegations made against superintendent Dr. Bennet, calling them “slanderous.”
