Nikki Baca's husband supports wife, criticizes absent superintendent at Tuesday night's school board meeting

ATASCADERO — Atascadero High School Principal Nikki Baca was put on administrative leave by the Atascadero Unified School District, it was announced by the district in a message sent to parents and staff on Thursday, Oct. 15. The reasons for the actions were not disclosed.

Five days later, several people, including AHS students, faculty, and even Baca's husband Joseph, spoke in support of the principal during the public comment segment at the AUSD Board of Trustees' Tuesday, Oct. 20, meeting.

Libby Manning, the principal of Paloma Creek High School and ACE Academy, the district's alternative education sites, was named the interim principal of AHS and took over on Friday.

Parents and community members have been commenting on the administrative leave since it was announced, and one started an online petition titled "Bring Baca Back" in support of the principal.

"We call on the school community to bring back Principal Baca and restore the leadership our school depends on," reads the opening paragraph of the petition, whose author remains anonymous. "Principal Baca has been an important part of the school, and many of us know her as an amazing principal who cares about students, families, and the life of the school." The petition can be found at www.ipetitions.com/p/bring-baca-back/

Supporters of Baca also got their say during Tuesday's board meeting, which incidentally, was held without the presence of Superintendent Dr. Tom Bennett, who was absent because of a previously scheduled medical procedure.

Andrew Weatherly, AHS agriculture teacher and president of the Atascadero District Teachers Association, was the first to speak, using the time allotted for school-related organizations and referenced "several significant incidents" involving the district in the previous three weeks, including a pepper spray attack in an AHS locker room, a "drive-by" at Sylvester's Burgers during AHS lunch hour, and a "gang-related" altercation at Paloma Creek High, all of which preceded the move to put Baca on leave and bring in Madding as the interim principal.

Weatherly said the incidents and subsequent actions elicit concerns over “student safety, staff safety, district leadership, communication, and transparency.”

Weatherly emphasized that the ADTA had not filed a complaint or grievance against Baca, nor requested her removal as principal, and questioned the district's transparency in announcing the move.

"Mrs. Baca was put on leave without explanation, and Dr. Madding was abruptly reassigned to AHS after the altercation at Paloma Creek," he said. "The info was brought to the association at 4:15 last Thursday, and a replacement [principal] wasn’t known until 7:30 p.m."

Weatherly, speaking for the ADTA, asked that the board and district leadership to "recognize the seriousness of these concerns, improve the communication, and provide as much transparency as legally and appropriately possible. Our schools cannot operate effectively without trust. Our teachers cannot succeed without support, and our students deserve stable, safe, and well-led learning environments."

Later during Oral Communication from the Public, six people spoke in support of Baca, who was not at the meeting, including students, teachers, and a classified employee. But none more fiercely than her husband Joseph, who also criticized district leadership and the absent Bennett.

"On Thursday my wife was placed on nondisciplinary administrative leave, ordered to be silent, given no reason," Joseph Baca began. "How can this be nondisciplinary when already people are talking about her being fired and her reputation ruined? How can an investigation be fair when the outcome appears predetermined?"

While the reasons for Nikki Baca's leave has not been disclosed, Joseph made comments to the board and district leaders that hinted at further details, and the absent Bennett's role in the situation.

"You call this a personnel issue, but it seems personal," he said. "Look around the room: graduates, educators, students, union leaders, community members rearranged their lives to stand here for Nikki Baca, yet you couldn’t rearrange your schedule to show up to face the community. Hmm. I wonder who that is."

Joseph Baca said that the AUSD leadership "removed her from strategic planning for asking questions, then reprimanded her for challenging what narrative you would spin to the board, and told her to stop putting things in writing. What else are you hiding? She questioned you on your morals and refused to jeopardize student safety."

In reciting his wife credentials, Joseph Baca noted that the principal has excellent evaluations here first two years, but that she has not yet received her evaluation from last year. He also claimed she had overheard inappropriate comments from district officials in her evaluation meeting.

"What happened at the meeting you’re not telling the board, Tom?" he said, again referencing Bennett. "What did she overhear that day when you guys were supposed to be doing her eval? Your comments about my wife’s age, beauty, and Native American features, and how much high school boys must love her were completely inappropriate."

He continued, "Students love Nikki Baca because she listens and protects them, and she holds people accountable. She’s a principal; not an object for your commentary."

Joseph Baca wrapped up his address by formally requesting an audit of the district's spending of an outside law firm, and implored the board to look at the district's spending.

"Investigate the spending, investigate the decisions, read the emails before they are deleted, investigate the people in power, not the whistleblower asking questions," he said.

A few others supported Baca during public comment, among them students, faculty members, and classified employees.

AHS senior Victoria Soto also praised Baca's attention she's paid to students and compared that to board members and district staff she's seen on campus.

"I met Nikki Baca my freshman year, and she was the only teacher who recognized who I was and who I am. She always says hi to me without embarrassment,” she said. “I recognize a lot of faces I see here, and when you’re on campus, you never attempt to say hi or even acknowledge me. Nikki Baca always said hi to me.”

The Atascadero News will continue to monitor this story.