Katie DeBenedetti is a digital reporter covering daily news for the Express Desk. Prior to joining KQED as a culture reporting intern in January 2024, she covered education and city government for the Napa Valley Register.
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After testimony in the corruption trial involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104960/following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues\">revealed the origins\u003c/a> of the FBI’s city hall probe, a federal agent returned to the witness stand Thursday and shed new light on the evidence the government has in hand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay spent roughly five hours Thursday describing to the jury the evidence her agency seized in its investigation of Thao and three others, including text messages, photos, videos, phone records, and Apple notes, among other items. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her long-time partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. All four have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Barclay told the jury the FBI’s investigation began in February 2023, following a tip from Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission that businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, a long-time ally of the Duongs, had printed campaign mailers against Thao’s opponents. Barclay relayed that Juarez made statements to the shop owner, saying he was “expecting things in return” from the candidate those mailers were intended to support. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098342\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents exit a home associated with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao during a raid in Oakland, California, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the bribery scheme and is expected to serve as the government’s star witness later in the trial.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say Thao agreed that, if elected, she would help extend California Waste Solutions’ recycling contract with the city of Oakland, appoint favorable city hall staffers to director-level positions and commit the city to contracting with the housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, that Andy Duong and Juarez cofounded. In exchange, prosecutors allege, Andy and David Duong agreed to fund a negative mailer campaign against Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents and pay $300,000 to Jones for a no-show job.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, prosecutors showed the jury text messages that the defendants exchanged in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the first few months of Thao’s time in office. Jurors also saw an independent contractor agreement between Evolutionary Homes and Jones, detailing advance payments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s attorneys have questioned whether the negative mailers actually helped Thao’s campaign, with defense attorney Jeff Tsai asking Thao’s former campaign staffer, Noah Finneburgh, during his testimony Monday if the campaign was happy about the ads when they dropped.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said he was unhappy with them, and that “people recognized it was an issue.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1805\" height=\"889\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1805px) 100vw, 1805px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tsai suggested that the ad of Thao’s opponent, Loren Taylor, which was photoshopped to darken his skin, played into racist tropes against Black men and could have alienated voters Thao would have wanted to retain. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ethics commission’s tip related to those mailers, however, led the FBI to obtain a search warrant to access Juarez’s Apple iCloud, Barclay said Monday, which included a document he wrote enumerating the deal he allegedly struck with the Duongs and Thao.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Barclay identified the defendants and Juarez in photos and videos shown to jurors. The prosecution also walked the jury through numerous WhatsApp and text messages from Andy Duong’s phone, which was confiscated from his home during the 2024 raid. The messages appear to reveal how some of the promises played out once Thao took office that prosecutors allege the co-defendants had made.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098343\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Postal police investigate a home tied to David Duong, one of multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences to members of a politically connected family who run the citys contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one photo, from December 2022, jurors on Thursday saw photos illustrating what appeared to be a whiteboard at California Waste Solutions with words that included, “Oak 300 units” and “Mayor” along with different monetary amounts and arrows pointing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In February 2023, a month after Thao’s inauguration, Juarez and Andy Duong set up a meeting at California Waste Solutions between David Duong and Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors allege that Gallegos was one of the candidates who Thao agreed to elevate to a leadership position in Oakland City Hall at Andy Duong’s and Juarez’s request. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one text exchange shown to the jury on Thursday, Juarez tells Andy Duong, “I wanted him because while at the City he make [sic] sure my projects got done and grants were given to me.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez also texted Andy Duong about taking Gallegos out to party. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What dates are good for you to 1. Have Larry Gallegos come to have lunch at CWS with DD and Family if you wish to have him,” Juarez asked, appearing to refer to David Duong in the message. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We invested money,” Juarez wrote to Andy Duong on March 26. “Time. Talent.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later that day, Andy Duong replied to Juarez: “Aint nothing free or [sic] front cuz we did all that to help her ass win.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under Oakland’s governance structure, the administrator oversees city departments and carries out most day-to-day government functions. But they are hired and fired by the mayor, who often gives input on major decisions, including hiring department heads and agreeing to significant contracts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his opening statement, Fine said Johnson will testify that Thao directed him to meet with David Duong multiple times and tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom — allegedly the only homeless housing vendor she asked him to visit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098342\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents exit a home associated with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao during a raid in Oakland, California, on Thursday, June 20, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorneys have questioned whether the negative mailers actually helped Thao’s campaign, with defense attorney Jeff Tsai asking Thao’s former campaign staffer, Noah Finneburgh, during his testimony Monday if the campaign was happy about the ads when they dropped.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorneys have questioned whether the negative mailers actually helped Thao’s campaign, with defense attorney Jeff Tsai asking Thao’s former campaign staffer, Noah Finneburgh, during his testimony Monday if the campaign was happy about the ads when they dropped.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Finneburgh said he was unhappy with them, and that “people recognized it was an issue.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai suggested that the ad of Thao’s opponent, Loren Taylor, which was photoshopped to darken his skin, played into racist tropes against Black men and could have alienated voters Thao would have wanted to retain. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The ethics commission’s tip related to those mailers, however, led the FBI to obtain a search warrant to access Juarez’s Apple iCloud, Barclay said Monday, which included a document he wrote enumerating the deal he allegedly struck with the Duongs and Thao.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Barclay identified the defendants and Juarez in photos and videos shown to jurors. The prosecution also walked the jury through numerous WhatsApp and text messages from Andy Duong’s phone, which was confiscated from his home during the 2024 raid. The messages appear to reveal how some of the promises played out once Thao took office that prosecutors allege the co-defendants had made.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Barclay identified the defendants and Juarez in photos and videos shown to jurors. The prosecution also walked the jury through numerous WhatsApp and text messages from Andy Duong’s phone, which was confiscated from his home during the 2024 raid. The messages appear to reveal how some of the promises played out once Thao took office that prosecutors allege the co-defendants had made.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one photo, from December 2022, jurors on Thursday saw photos illustrating what appeared to be a whiteboard at California Waste Solutions with words that included, “Oak 300 units” and “Mayor” along with different monetary amounts and arrows pointing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In February 2023, a month after Thao’s inauguration, Juarez and Andy Duong set up a meeting at California Waste Solutions between David Duong and Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department at the time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that Gallegos was one of the candidates who Thao agreed to elevate to a leadership position in Oakland City Hall at Andy Duong’s and Juarez’s request. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one text exchange shown to the jury on Thursday, Juarez tells Andy Duong, “I wanted him because while at the City he make [sic] sure my projects got done and grants were given to me.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What dates are good for you to 1. Have Larry Gallegos come to have lunch at CWS with DD and Family if you wish to have him,” Juarez asked, appearing to refer to David Duong in the message. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“What dates are good for you to 1. Have Larry Gallegos come to have lunch at CWS with DD and Family if you wish to have him,” Juarez asked, appearing to refer to David Duong in the message. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We invested money,” Juarez wrote to Andy Duong on March 26. “Time. Talent.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later that day, Andy Duong replied to Juarez: “Aint nothing free or [sic] front cuz we did all that to help her ass win.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under Oakland’s governance structure, the administrator oversees city departments and carries out most day-to-day government functions. But they are hired and fired by the mayor, who often gives input on major decisions, including hiring department heads and agreeing to significant contracts.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under Oakland’s governance structure, the administrator oversees city departments and carries out most day-to-day government functions. But they are hired and fired by the mayor, who often gives input on major decisions, including hiring department heads and agreeing to significant contracts.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In his opening statement, Fine said Johnson will testify that Thao directed him to meet with David Duong multiple times and tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom — allegedly the only homeless housing vendor she asked him to visit.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay described evidence the agency collected in its investigation of alleged public corruption in the criminal trial of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and three others.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After testimony in the corruption trial involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104960/following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues\">revealed the origins\u003c/a> of the FBI’s city hall probe, a federal agent returned to the witness stand Thursday and shed new light on the evidence the government has in hand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay spent roughly five hours Thursday describing to the jury the evidence her agency seized in its investigation of Thao and three others, including text messages, photos, videos, phone records, and Apple notes, among other items. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her long-time partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. All four have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Barclay told the jury the FBI’s investigation began in February 2023, following a tip from Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission that businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, a long-time ally of the Duongs, had printed campaign mailers against Thao’s opponents. Barclay relayed that Juarez made statements to the shop owner, saying he was “expecting things in return” from the candidate those mailers were intended to support. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098342\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents exit a home associated with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao during a raid in Oakland, California, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the bribery scheme and is expected to serve as the government’s star witness later in the trial.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say Thao agreed that, if elected, she would help extend California Waste Solutions’ recycling contract with the city of Oakland, appoint favorable city hall staffers to director-level positions and commit the city to contracting with the housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, that Andy Duong and Juarez cofounded. In exchange, prosecutors allege, Andy and David Duong agreed to fund a negative mailer campaign against Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents and pay $300,000 to Jones for a no-show job.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, prosecutors showed the jury text messages that the defendants exchanged in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the first few months of Thao’s time in office. Jurors also saw an independent contractor agreement between Evolutionary Homes and Jones, detailing advance payments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s attorneys have questioned whether the negative mailers actually helped Thao’s campaign, with defense attorney Jeff Tsai asking Thao’s former campaign staffer, Noah Finneburgh, during his testimony Monday if the campaign was happy about the ads when they dropped.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said he was unhappy with them, and that “people recognized it was an issue.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1805\" height=\"889\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1805px) 100vw, 1805px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tsai suggested that the ad of Thao’s opponent, Loren Taylor, which was photoshopped to darken his skin, played into racist tropes against Black men and could have alienated voters Thao would have wanted to retain. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ethics commission’s tip related to those mailers, however, led the FBI to obtain a search warrant to access Juarez’s Apple iCloud, Barclay said Monday, which included a document he wrote enumerating the deal he allegedly struck with the Duongs and Thao.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Barclay identified the defendants and Juarez in photos and videos shown to jurors. The prosecution also walked the jury through numerous WhatsApp and text messages from Andy Duong’s phone, which was confiscated from his home during the 2024 raid. The messages appear to reveal how some of the promises played out once Thao took office that prosecutors allege the co-defendants had made.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098343\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Postal police investigate a home tied to David Duong, one of multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences to members of a politically connected family who run the citys contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one photo, from December 2022, jurors on Thursday saw photos illustrating what appeared to be a whiteboard at California Waste Solutions with words that included, “Oak 300 units” and “Mayor” along with different monetary amounts and arrows pointing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In February 2023, a month after Thao’s inauguration, Juarez and Andy Duong set up a meeting at California Waste Solutions between David Duong and Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors allege that Gallegos was one of the candidates who Thao agreed to elevate to a leadership position in Oakland City Hall at Andy Duong’s and Juarez’s request. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one text exchange shown to the jury on Thursday, Juarez tells Andy Duong, “I wanted him because while at the City he make [sic] sure my projects got done and grants were given to me.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez also texted Andy Duong about taking Gallegos out to party. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What dates are good for you to 1. Have Larry Gallegos come to have lunch at CWS with DD and Family if you wish to have him,” Juarez asked, appearing to refer to David Duong in the message. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We invested money,” Juarez wrote to Andy Duong on March 26. “Time. Talent.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later that day, Andy Duong replied to Juarez: “Aint nothing free or [sic] front cuz we did all that to help her ass win.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under Oakland’s governance structure, the administrator oversees city departments and carries out most day-to-day government functions. But they are hired and fired by the mayor, who often gives input on major decisions, including hiring department heads and agreeing to significant contracts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his opening statement, Fine said Johnson will testify that Thao directed him to meet with David Duong multiple times and tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom — allegedly the only homeless housing vendor she asked him to visit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "cornell-7-case-puts-spotlight-on-stanfords-move-to-halt-sexual-violence-resistance-training",
"title": "‘Cornell 7’ Case Puts Spotlight on Stanford’s Move to Halt Sexual Violence Resistance Training",
"publishDate": 1792692839,
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"headTitle": "‘Cornell 7’ Case Puts Spotlight on Stanford’s Move to Halt Sexual Violence Resistance Training | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Editor’s note, Oct. 21: Stanford University said last week it would reinstate the Flip the Script sexual violence prevention program, and confirmed that it would be funded for the next three years. For more updates on this story, listen to the audio featured above.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/stanford-university\">Stanford University\u003c/a>’s decision to pause a sexual violence resistance program — one of the very few that research shows significantly decreases the risk of campus sexual assault — has drawn new scrutiny from students after an investigation into an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house at Cornell University. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act Sexual Assault Resistance Education program, also known as “Flip the Script,” teaches young women to identify and respond to risks, dissect relationships and learn the basics of physical defense. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cornell introduced the program last year, a year after the alleged assault inside the school’s Chi Phi fraternity house. Stanford has piloted and run the same training program in different formats since 2018, but officials put it on hold before fall quarter began last month, telling student workers that the decision was due to budget constraints. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It was halfway through the summer that we got an email from our boss basically saying, ‘I’m really sorry, this is what’s happening around budget cuts, and for this reason the program will no longer be offered,’” said senior Kirsten Lees, who worked as a facilitator of the program last year. The university said in a statement that the pause was not primarily a budget decision.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104120\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students and professors who had fought to bring the program to campus were shocked and devastated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then in September, the Cornell accuser, identified as “Jane Doe” in legal documents, sued the New York university and seven men who she alleges coerced her into taking ketamine and raped her in October 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The shocking allegations thrust conversations about campus sexual violence and schools’ responses to it into the national spotlight — and compounded the Stanford students’ concerns.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I think the main question that a lot of people are wondering is … could this happen here? Is our culture and our fraternities any different?” said Pelagia Martin, a 21-year-old Stanford senior.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104117\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stanford senior Pelagia Martin poses for a portrait at the Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Until recently, Martin worked in the school’s Title IX and Title VI Office, known by the acronym SHARE for Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Education. She said her resignation has a lot “to do with Flip the Script being cut.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The program, she said, “changed the way that people thought about sexual violence and taught them actionable skills.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“In a perfect world, it wouldn’t be on the survivor to protect themselves,” she told KQED. “But we don’t live in that kind of world, and it is a shame that we lost a program that allowed people to actually protect themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Flip the Script’s origins\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2015, Chanel Miller’s assault outside a Stanford fraternity party spurred a nationwide reckoning around campus sexual violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That year, the university conducted an independent climate survey asking students about their experiences with prohibited sexual conduct, and found that just 1.9% of participants had experiences meeting Stanford’s definition of sexual assault. It caused \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2016/05/31/students-alumni-faculty-pressure-stanford-to-revisit-campus-climate-survey/\">widespread outrage\u003c/a> from students and faculty who said the results underrepresented students’ experiences because of the language of questions and narrow definition of assault. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2019, Stanford participated in an Association of American Universities climate survey that found \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2019/10/aau-2019-survey-sexual-assault-harassment-stanford\">38.5% of undergraduate women\u003c/a> in their fourth year had experienced some form of sexual violence since entering college. A similar study in 2024 found that figure was only slightly lower, \u003ca href=\"https://irds.stanford.edu/sexual-assault-surveys/2024\">at 32.3%\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104119\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s heartbreaking,” said Stanford professor Michele Dauber, who was instrumental in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11673193/total-recall-judge-aaron-persky-voted-out\">successful recall\u003c/a> of Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky, who presided over the trial of Miller’s attacker, Brock Turner. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dauber began advocating to implement Flip the Script after seeing results from its first randomized control trial in 2015, which found that the 12-hour informational and resistance training course geared toward college women reduced instances of rape by almost 50% and attempted sexual assaults by more than 60% among participants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those outcomes were “unheard of,” according to Dr. Clea Sarnquist, who researches gender-based violence intervention at Stanford Medicine.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There’s really no other programming that has that level of evidence,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2018, Stanford introduced Flip the Script as a research project. During the first year, 81 students completed the training.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Researchers intended to roll out a larger trial the following year, but that effort was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104116\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It’s been offered intermittently since. Sarnquist said the program returned to campus in the fall of 2022 as part of a multi-site trial, but that effort was defunded in late 2023 due to “changing funder priorities.” In the fall of 2025, Stanford’s SHARE Office reinstated Flip the Script as an optional training available to students.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lees said at first, it was difficult to get the reinstated program off the ground. It had just four participants that fall, according to the university.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But after increasing outreach and introducing a for-credit class option, five enrolled in the winter and 14 completed the training in the spring.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We had a motto toward the end of the year of just keeping our foot on the gas,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We had a lot of plans around how to bring Flip the Script to other aspects of campus, whether that be having dorm-led sessions, bringing it to sororities as part of their onboarding training, having the Women’s Community Center host workshops,” she continued. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, while Lees was completing her thesis in Cape Town over the summer, she got the email that the program would no longer be offered. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We pleaded with her’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the years since Miller’s assault on campus, Dauber has remained a leading critic of Stanford’s efforts to prevent sexual violence. In 2024, before retiring, she urged the campus to expand Flip the Script. She and a colleague met with Provost Jenny Martinez to share the details of the program and research showing its efficacy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We pleaded with her,” Dauber said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Martinez didn’t tell the professors that she planned to expand Flip the Script, according to Dauber, she did indicate at that meeting that she would retain it as an optional program. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104122\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Stanford Daily issue published on Oct. 9, 2026, on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dauber said she found out last week, through \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2026/10/01/sexual-assault-awareness-program-cut/\">reporting by the \u003cem>Stanford Daily\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, that it had been cut.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“She never suggested that she would eliminate it, ever,” Dauber said. “Had she suggested that she would eliminate it, I think faculty and students would have reacted very strongly to that, and possibly applied enough pressure to prevent the cancellation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Stanford spokesperson said that the program was paused because of last year’s low enrollment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Given those numbers, we are reassessing how the program fits within Stanford’s broader portfolio of trainings and whether changes would help impact more students,” Angie Davis said via email. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She also said that students have felt that a program geared toward women “places the burden in the wrong place.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We recognize the importance of awareness and self-defense skills and want students to have access to them, but it shouldn’t be the sole focus of our prevention work,” she wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Dauber said that no one has found an evidence-backed way to do that yet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Meanwhile, 32% of women at Stanford are being assaulted, and we have it in our power to prevent half of that,” she said. “Are we supposed to wait and just let all that assault continue year after year until someone invents a way to train men not to assault that has an equally strong success rate validated by research?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Flip the Script does require some investment: Lees had to complete a two-week training over the summer to become a facilitator, student participants are required to make a 12-hour commitment, and according to estimates from the Canada-based Sexual Assault Resistance Education Centre, which facilitates Flip the Script, training 160 women would \u003ca href=\"https://www.blueprintsprograms.org/programs/1032999999/eaaa-enhanced-assess-acknowledge-act-sexual-assault-resistance-education/\">cost about $39,000 in total\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Dauber said it isn’t difficult to scale, especially given the return on investment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Stanford is one of the richest educational institutions on earth, and it absolutely can do this,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Current programs\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to Flip the Script, Stanford canceled a program called “Beyond Sex Ed,” which was a mandatory part of new student orientation, last spring. The programming included Stanford students speaking to freshmen about their experiences with relationships, consent, sex and sexuality throughout college. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This was a really great equalizer for all incoming frosh to get exposure to talking about sex and positive sexuality and consent,” Martin said. “Now that we’ve lost that program, we don’t have a replacement and students continue to lack this sort of education at the very worst times. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Right after orientation, you have your first parties, your first hanging out with people in the dorm, and violence happens quickly,” she continued.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104115\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stanford’s Title IX office inside the Kingscote Gardens office building on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Davis said the Title IX and VI Office is focused on “holistic education,” including mandatory Title IX training for all incoming students. It also introduced a new 90-minute upstander training course to students and student groups by request this fall, and the office has hired an assistant director for culture and connection, who will develop “additional programming” and is holding drop-in hours at residence halls, sororities and fraternities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sarnquist said that the new upstander training “is a great supplement,” but she doesn’t think it is sufficient as comprehensive sexual violence prevention programming.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’re an R1 institution,” she said, referring to the highest tier of research universities in the U.S. “We expect our students and our faculty and our staff to meet these incredibly high levels of scholarship and rigor. And so I think we probably owe it to our community to have health and wellbeing programming that meets similarly highly evidence-based [standards].”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stanford also has a Confidential Support Team for students affected by sexual assault and relationship violence, and offers consent and communication workshops through the Office of Substance Use Programs Education and Resources (SUPER).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104121\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fall of 2025, a year after Jane Doe’s alleged rape occurred, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.actompkins.org/evidence-based-sexual-violence-intervention-program-returns-to-cornell/\">Advocacy Center of Tompkins County\u003c/a> announced that Cornell would pilot Flip the Script for campus sorority members, along with a parallel program for fraternities. Student leaders \u003ca href=\"https://health.cornell.edu/sites/health/files/docs/Matt%20Klein%20award/2026-MKleinerAward-EmilyLui-AnyaGowda.pdf\">completed two training cohorts in the spring\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like Stanford, the school had previously piloted the program before COVID-19, but hadn’t reinstated it after the pandemic until last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What the Cornell case really shows is the economic inefficiency and the moral insufficiency of canceling the one program that actually prevents rape on campus,” Dauber said. “From a fiscal perspective, Cornell and Stanford would be way better off preventing these assaults than trying to address the costs after they occur. From a moral perspective, it’s indefensible.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s note, Oct. 21: Stanford University said last week it would reinstate the Flip the Script sexual violence prevention program, and confirmed that it would be funded for the next three years. For more updates on this story, listen to the audio featured above.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s note, Oct. 21: Stanford University said last week it would reinstate the Flip the Script sexual violence prevention program, and confirmed that it would be funded for the next three years. For more updates on this story, listen to the audio featured above.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/stanford-university\">Stanford University\u003c/a>’s decision to pause a sexual violence resistance program — one of the very few that research shows significantly decreases the risk of campus sexual assault — has drawn new scrutiny from students after an investigation into an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house at Cornell University. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/stanford-university\">Stanford University\u003c/a>’s decision to pause a sexual violence resistance program — one of the very few that research shows significantly decreases the risk of campus sexual assault — has drawn new scrutiny from students after an investigation into an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house at Cornell University. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act Sexual Assault Resistance Education program, also known as “Flip the Script,” teaches young women to identify and respond to risks, dissect relationships and learn the basics of physical defense. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act Sexual Assault Resistance Education program, also known as “Flip the Script,” teaches young women to identify and respond to risks, dissect relationships and learn the basics of physical defense. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cornell introduced the program last year, a year after the alleged assault inside the school’s Chi Phi fraternity house. Stanford has piloted and run the same training program in different formats since 2018, but officials put it on hold before fall quarter began last month, telling student workers that the decision was due to budget constraints. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Cornell introduced the program last year, a year after the alleged assault inside the school’s Chi Phi fraternity house. Stanford has piloted and run the same training program in different formats since 2018, but officials put it on hold before fall quarter began last month, telling student workers that the decision was due to budget constraints. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was halfway through the summer that we got an email from our boss basically saying, ‘I’m really sorry, this is what’s happening around budget cuts, and for this reason the program will no longer be offered,’” said senior Kirsten Lees, who worked as a facilitator of the program last year. The university said in a statement that the pause was not primarily a budget decision.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It was halfway through the summer that we got an email from our boss basically saying, ‘I’m really sorry, this is what’s happening around budget cuts, and for this reason the program will no longer be offered,’” said senior Kirsten Lees, who worked as a facilitator of the program last year. The university said in a statement that the pause was not primarily a budget decision.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104120\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104120\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Students and professors who had fought to bring the program to campus were shocked and devastated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Students and professors who had fought to bring the program to campus were shocked and devastated. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then in September, the Cornell accuser, identified as “Jane Doe” in legal documents, sued the New York university and seven men who she alleges coerced her into taking ketamine and raped her in October 2024.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Then in September, the Cornell accuser, identified as “Jane Doe” in legal documents, sued the New York university and seven men who she alleges coerced her into taking ketamine and raped her in October 2024.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The shocking allegations thrust conversations about campus sexual violence and schools’ responses to it into the national spotlight — and compounded the Stanford students’ concerns.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The shocking allegations thrust conversations about campus sexual violence and schools’ responses to it into the national spotlight — and compounded the Stanford students’ concerns.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think the main question that a lot of people are wondering is … could this happen here? Is our culture and our fraternities any different?” said Pelagia Martin, a 21-year-old Stanford senior.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I think the main question that a lot of people are wondering is … could this happen here? Is our culture and our fraternities any different?” said Pelagia Martin, a 21-year-old Stanford senior.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104117\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stanford senior Pelagia Martin poses for a portrait at the Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104117\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stanford senior Pelagia Martin poses for a portrait at the Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Until recently, Martin worked in the school’s Title IX and Title VI Office, known by the acronym SHARE for Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Education. She said her resignation has a lot “to do with Flip the Script being cut.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Until recently, Martin worked in the school’s Title IX and Title VI Office, known by the acronym SHARE for Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Education. She said her resignation has a lot “to do with Flip the Script being cut.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The program, she said, “changed the way that people thought about sexual violence and taught them actionable skills.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The program, she said, “changed the way that people thought about sexual violence and taught them actionable skills.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In a perfect world, it wouldn’t be on the survivor to protect themselves,” she told KQED. “But we don’t live in that kind of world, and it is a shame that we lost a program that allowed people to actually protect themselves.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“In a perfect world, it wouldn’t be on the survivor to protect themselves,” she told KQED. “But we don’t live in that kind of world, and it is a shame that we lost a program that allowed people to actually protect themselves.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Flip the Script’s origins",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2015, Chanel Miller’s assault outside a Stanford fraternity party spurred a nationwide reckoning around campus sexual violence.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That year, the university conducted an independent climate survey asking students about their experiences with prohibited sexual conduct, and found that just 1.9% of participants had experiences meeting Stanford’s definition of sexual assault. It caused \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2016/05/31/students-alumni-faculty-pressure-stanford-to-revisit-campus-climate-survey/\">widespread outrage\u003c/a> from students and faculty who said the results underrepresented students’ experiences because of the language of questions and narrow definition of assault. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That year, the university conducted an independent climate survey asking students about their experiences with prohibited sexual conduct, and found that just 1.9% of participants had experiences meeting Stanford’s definition of sexual assault. It caused \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2016/05/31/students-alumni-faculty-pressure-stanford-to-revisit-campus-climate-survey/\">widespread outrage\u003c/a> from students and faculty who said the results underrepresented students’ experiences because of the language of questions and narrow definition of assault. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2019, Stanford participated in an Association of American Universities climate survey that found \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2019/10/aau-2019-survey-sexual-assault-harassment-stanford\">38.5% of undergraduate women\u003c/a> in their fourth year had experienced some form of sexual violence since entering college. A similar study in 2024 found that figure was only slightly lower, \u003ca href=\"https://irds.stanford.edu/sexual-assault-surveys/2024\">at 32.3%\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104119\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s heartbreaking,” said Stanford professor Michele Dauber, who was instrumental in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11673193/total-recall-judge-aaron-persky-voted-out\">successful recall\u003c/a> of Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky, who presided over the trial of Miller’s attacker, Brock Turner. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dauber began advocating to implement Flip the Script after seeing results from its first randomized control trial in 2015, which found that the 12-hour informational and resistance training course geared toward college women reduced instances of rape by almost 50% and attempted sexual assaults by more than 60% among participants.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Dauber began advocating to implement Flip the Script after seeing results from its first randomized control trial in 2015, which found that the 12-hour informational and resistance training course geared toward college women reduced instances of rape by almost 50% and attempted sexual assaults by more than 60% among participants.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Those outcomes were “unheard of,” according to Dr. Clea Sarnquist, who researches gender-based violence intervention at Stanford Medicine.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s really no other programming that has that level of evidence,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2018, Stanford introduced Flip the Script as a research project. During the first year, 81 students completed the training.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Researchers intended to roll out a larger trial the following year, but that effort was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104116\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s been offered intermittently since. Sarnquist said the program returned to campus in the fall of 2022 as part of a multi-site trial, but that effort was defunded in late 2023 due to “changing funder priorities.” In the fall of 2025, Stanford’s SHARE Office reinstated Flip the Script as an optional training available to students.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lees said at first, it was difficult to get the reinstated program off the ground. It had just four participants that fall, according to the university.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But after increasing outreach and introducing a for-credit class option, five enrolled in the winter and 14 completed the training in the spring.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We had a motto toward the end of the year of just keeping our foot on the gas,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We had a lot of plans around how to bring Flip the Script to other aspects of campus, whether that be having dorm-led sessions, bringing it to sororities as part of their onboarding training, having the Women’s Community Center host workshops,” she continued. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then, while Lees was completing her thesis in Cape Town over the summer, she got the email that the program would no longer be offered. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the years since Miller’s assault on campus, Dauber has remained a leading critic of Stanford’s efforts to prevent sexual violence. In 2024, before retiring, she urged the campus to expand Flip the Script. She and a colleague met with Provost Jenny Martinez to share the details of the program and research showing its efficacy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While Martinez didn’t tell the professors that she planned to expand Flip the Script, according to Dauber, she did indicate at that meeting that she would retain it as an optional program. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104122\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Stanford Daily issue published on Oct. 9, 2026, on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dauber said she found out last week, through \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2026/10/01/sexual-assault-awareness-program-cut/\">reporting by the \u003cem>Stanford Daily\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, that it had been cut.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“She never suggested that she would eliminate it, ever,” Dauber said. “Had she suggested that she would eliminate it, I think faculty and students would have reacted very strongly to that, and possibly applied enough pressure to prevent the cancellation.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A Stanford spokesperson said that the program was paused because of last year’s low enrollment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Given those numbers, we are reassessing how the program fits within Stanford’s broader portfolio of trainings and whether changes would help impact more students,” Angie Davis said via email. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We recognize the importance of awareness and self-defense skills and want students to have access to them, but it shouldn’t be the sole focus of our prevention work,” she wrote.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Dauber said that no one has found an evidence-backed way to do that yet.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Meanwhile, 32% of women at Stanford are being assaulted, and we have it in our power to prevent half of that,” she said. “Are we supposed to wait and just let all that assault continue year after year until someone invents a way to train men not to assault that has an equally strong success rate validated by research?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Flip the Script does require some investment: Lees had to complete a two-week training over the summer to become a facilitator, student participants are required to make a 12-hour commitment, and according to estimates from the Canada-based Sexual Assault Resistance Education Centre, which facilitates Flip the Script, training 160 women would \u003ca href=\"https://www.blueprintsprograms.org/programs/1032999999/eaaa-enhanced-assess-acknowledge-act-sexual-assault-resistance-education/\">cost about $39,000 in total\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Dauber said it isn’t difficult to scale, especially given the return on investment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Stanford is one of the richest educational institutions on earth, and it absolutely can do this,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In addition to Flip the Script, Stanford canceled a program called “Beyond Sex Ed,” which was a mandatory part of new student orientation, last spring. The programming included Stanford students speaking to freshmen about their experiences with relationships, consent, sex and sexuality throughout college. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In addition to Flip the Script, Stanford canceled a program called “Beyond Sex Ed,” which was a mandatory part of new student orientation, last spring. The programming included Stanford students speaking to freshmen about their experiences with relationships, consent, sex and sexuality throughout college. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This was a really great equalizer for all incoming frosh to get exposure to talking about sex and positive sexuality and consent,” Martin said. “Now that we’ve lost that program, we don’t have a replacement and students continue to lack this sort of education at the very worst times. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This was a really great equalizer for all incoming frosh to get exposure to talking about sex and positive sexuality and consent,” Martin said. “Now that we’ve lost that program, we don’t have a replacement and students continue to lack this sort of education at the very worst times. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Right after orientation, you have your first parties, your first hanging out with people in the dorm, and violence happens quickly,” she continued.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Right after orientation, you have your first parties, your first hanging out with people in the dorm, and violence happens quickly,” she continued.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104115\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stanford’s Title IX office inside the Kingscote Gardens office building on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104115\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stanford’s Title IX office inside the Kingscote Gardens office building on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Davis said the Title IX and VI Office is focused on “holistic education,” including mandatory Title IX training for all incoming students. It also introduced a new 90-minute upstander training course to students and student groups by request this fall, and the office has hired an assistant director for culture and connection, who will develop “additional programming” and is holding drop-in hours at residence halls, sororities and fraternities.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Davis said the Title IX and VI Office is focused on “holistic education,” including mandatory Title IX training for all incoming students. It also introduced a new 90-minute upstander training course to students and student groups by request this fall, and the office has hired an assistant director for culture and connection, who will develop “additional programming” and is holding drop-in hours at residence halls, sororities and fraternities.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sarnquist said that the new upstander training “is a great supplement,” but she doesn’t think it is sufficient as comprehensive sexual violence prevention programming.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sarnquist said that the new upstander training “is a great supplement,” but she doesn’t think it is sufficient as comprehensive sexual violence prevention programming.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re an R1 institution,” she said, referring to the highest tier of research universities in the U.S. “We expect our students and our faculty and our staff to meet these incredibly high levels of scholarship and rigor. And so I think we probably owe it to our community to have health and wellbeing programming that meets similarly highly evidence-based [standards].”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re an R1 institution,” she said, referring to the highest tier of research universities in the U.S. “We expect our students and our faculty and our staff to meet these incredibly high levels of scholarship and rigor. And so I think we probably owe it to our community to have health and wellbeing programming that meets similarly highly evidence-based [standards].”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Stanford also has a Confidential Support Team for students affected by sexual assault and relationship violence, and offers consent and communication workshops through the Office of Substance Use Programs Education and Resources (SUPER).\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In fall of 2025, a year after Jane Doe’s alleged rape occurred, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.actompkins.org/evidence-based-sexual-violence-intervention-program-returns-to-cornell/\">Advocacy Center of Tompkins County\u003c/a> announced that Cornell would pilot Flip the Script for campus sorority members, along with a parallel program for fraternities. Student leaders \u003ca href=\"https://health.cornell.edu/sites/health/files/docs/Matt%20Klein%20award/2026-MKleinerAward-EmilyLui-AnyaGowda.pdf\">completed two training cohorts in the spring\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In fall of 2025, a year after Jane Doe’s alleged rape occurred, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.actompkins.org/evidence-based-sexual-violence-intervention-program-returns-to-cornell/\">Advocacy Center of Tompkins County\u003c/a> announced that Cornell would pilot Flip the Script for campus sorority members, along with a parallel program for fraternities. Student leaders \u003ca href=\"https://health.cornell.edu/sites/health/files/docs/Matt%20Klein%20award/2026-MKleinerAward-EmilyLui-AnyaGowda.pdf\">completed two training cohorts in the spring\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Like Stanford, the school had previously piloted the program before COVID-19, but hadn’t reinstated it after the pandemic until last year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What the Cornell case really shows is the economic inefficiency and the moral insufficiency of canceling the one program that actually prevents rape on campus,” Dauber said. “From a fiscal perspective, Cornell and Stanford would be way better off preventing these assaults than trying to address the costs after they occur. From a moral perspective, it’s indefensible.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The Flip the Script program is one of the few shown to significantly decrease the risk of campus sexual assault among participants. Those who fought to bring it to Stanford were shocked when it was put on hold.",
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"title": "‘Cornell 7’ Case Puts Spotlight on Stanford’s Move to Halt Sexual Violence Resistance Training | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Editor’s note, Oct. 21: Stanford University said last week it would reinstate the Flip the Script sexual violence prevention program, and confirmed that it would be funded for the next three years. For more updates on this story, listen to the audio featured above.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/stanford-university\">Stanford University\u003c/a>’s decision to pause a sexual violence resistance program — one of the very few that research shows significantly decreases the risk of campus sexual assault — has drawn new scrutiny from students after an investigation into an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house at Cornell University. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act Sexual Assault Resistance Education program, also known as “Flip the Script,” teaches young women to identify and respond to risks, dissect relationships and learn the basics of physical defense. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cornell introduced the program last year, a year after the alleged assault inside the school’s Chi Phi fraternity house. Stanford has piloted and run the same training program in different formats since 2018, but officials put it on hold before fall quarter began last month, telling student workers that the decision was due to budget constraints. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It was halfway through the summer that we got an email from our boss basically saying, ‘I’m really sorry, this is what’s happening around budget cuts, and for this reason the program will no longer be offered,’” said senior Kirsten Lees, who worked as a facilitator of the program last year. The university said in a statement that the pause was not primarily a budget decision.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104120\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students and professors who had fought to bring the program to campus were shocked and devastated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then in September, the Cornell accuser, identified as “Jane Doe” in legal documents, sued the New York university and seven men who she alleges coerced her into taking ketamine and raped her in October 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The shocking allegations thrust conversations about campus sexual violence and schools’ responses to it into the national spotlight — and compounded the Stanford students’ concerns.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I think the main question that a lot of people are wondering is … could this happen here? Is our culture and our fraternities any different?” said Pelagia Martin, a 21-year-old Stanford senior.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104117\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stanford senior Pelagia Martin poses for a portrait at the Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Until recently, Martin worked in the school’s Title IX and Title VI Office, known by the acronym SHARE for Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Education. She said her resignation has a lot “to do with Flip the Script being cut.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The program, she said, “changed the way that people thought about sexual violence and taught them actionable skills.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“In a perfect world, it wouldn’t be on the survivor to protect themselves,” she told KQED. “But we don’t live in that kind of world, and it is a shame that we lost a program that allowed people to actually protect themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Flip the Script’s origins\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2015, Chanel Miller’s assault outside a Stanford fraternity party spurred a nationwide reckoning around campus sexual violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That year, the university conducted an independent climate survey asking students about their experiences with prohibited sexual conduct, and found that just 1.9% of participants had experiences meeting Stanford’s definition of sexual assault. It caused \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2016/05/31/students-alumni-faculty-pressure-stanford-to-revisit-campus-climate-survey/\">widespread outrage\u003c/a> from students and faculty who said the results underrepresented students’ experiences because of the language of questions and narrow definition of assault. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2019, Stanford participated in an Association of American Universities climate survey that found \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2019/10/aau-2019-survey-sexual-assault-harassment-stanford\">38.5% of undergraduate women\u003c/a> in their fourth year had experienced some form of sexual violence since entering college. A similar study in 2024 found that figure was only slightly lower, \u003ca href=\"https://irds.stanford.edu/sexual-assault-surveys/2024\">at 32.3%\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104119\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s heartbreaking,” said Stanford professor Michele Dauber, who was instrumental in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11673193/total-recall-judge-aaron-persky-voted-out\">successful recall\u003c/a> of Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky, who presided over the trial of Miller’s attacker, Brock Turner. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dauber began advocating to implement Flip the Script after seeing results from its first randomized control trial in 2015, which found that the 12-hour informational and resistance training course geared toward college women reduced instances of rape by almost 50% and attempted sexual assaults by more than 60% among participants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those outcomes were “unheard of,” according to Dr. Clea Sarnquist, who researches gender-based violence intervention at Stanford Medicine.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There’s really no other programming that has that level of evidence,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2018, Stanford introduced Flip the Script as a research project. During the first year, 81 students completed the training.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Researchers intended to roll out a larger trial the following year, but that effort was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104116\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It’s been offered intermittently since. Sarnquist said the program returned to campus in the fall of 2022 as part of a multi-site trial, but that effort was defunded in late 2023 due to “changing funder priorities.” In the fall of 2025, Stanford’s SHARE Office reinstated Flip the Script as an optional training available to students.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lees said at first, it was difficult to get the reinstated program off the ground. It had just four participants that fall, according to the university.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But after increasing outreach and introducing a for-credit class option, five enrolled in the winter and 14 completed the training in the spring.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We had a motto toward the end of the year of just keeping our foot on the gas,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We had a lot of plans around how to bring Flip the Script to other aspects of campus, whether that be having dorm-led sessions, bringing it to sororities as part of their onboarding training, having the Women’s Community Center host workshops,” she continued. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, while Lees was completing her thesis in Cape Town over the summer, she got the email that the program would no longer be offered. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We pleaded with her’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the years since Miller’s assault on campus, Dauber has remained a leading critic of Stanford’s efforts to prevent sexual violence. In 2024, before retiring, she urged the campus to expand Flip the Script. She and a colleague met with Provost Jenny Martinez to share the details of the program and research showing its efficacy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We pleaded with her,” Dauber said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Martinez didn’t tell the professors that she planned to expand Flip the Script, according to Dauber, she did indicate at that meeting that she would retain it as an optional program. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104122\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Stanford Daily issue published on Oct. 9, 2026, on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dauber said she found out last week, through \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2026/10/01/sexual-assault-awareness-program-cut/\">reporting by the \u003cem>Stanford Daily\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, that it had been cut.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“She never suggested that she would eliminate it, ever,” Dauber said. “Had she suggested that she would eliminate it, I think faculty and students would have reacted very strongly to that, and possibly applied enough pressure to prevent the cancellation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Stanford spokesperson said that the program was paused because of last year’s low enrollment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Given those numbers, we are reassessing how the program fits within Stanford’s broader portfolio of trainings and whether changes would help impact more students,” Angie Davis said via email. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She also said that students have felt that a program geared toward women “places the burden in the wrong place.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We recognize the importance of awareness and self-defense skills and want students to have access to them, but it shouldn’t be the sole focus of our prevention work,” she wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Dauber said that no one has found an evidence-backed way to do that yet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Meanwhile, 32% of women at Stanford are being assaulted, and we have it in our power to prevent half of that,” she said. “Are we supposed to wait and just let all that assault continue year after year until someone invents a way to train men not to assault that has an equally strong success rate validated by research?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Flip the Script does require some investment: Lees had to complete a two-week training over the summer to become a facilitator, student participants are required to make a 12-hour commitment, and according to estimates from the Canada-based Sexual Assault Resistance Education Centre, which facilitates Flip the Script, training 160 women would \u003ca href=\"https://www.blueprintsprograms.org/programs/1032999999/eaaa-enhanced-assess-acknowledge-act-sexual-assault-resistance-education/\">cost about $39,000 in total\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Dauber said it isn’t difficult to scale, especially given the return on investment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Stanford is one of the richest educational institutions on earth, and it absolutely can do this,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Current programs\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to Flip the Script, Stanford canceled a program called “Beyond Sex Ed,” which was a mandatory part of new student orientation, last spring. The programming included Stanford students speaking to freshmen about their experiences with relationships, consent, sex and sexuality throughout college. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This was a really great equalizer for all incoming frosh to get exposure to talking about sex and positive sexuality and consent,” Martin said. “Now that we’ve lost that program, we don’t have a replacement and students continue to lack this sort of education at the very worst times. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Right after orientation, you have your first parties, your first hanging out with people in the dorm, and violence happens quickly,” she continued.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104115\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stanford’s Title IX office inside the Kingscote Gardens office building on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Davis said the Title IX and VI Office is focused on “holistic education,” including mandatory Title IX training for all incoming students. It also introduced a new 90-minute upstander training course to students and student groups by request this fall, and the office has hired an assistant director for culture and connection, who will develop “additional programming” and is holding drop-in hours at residence halls, sororities and fraternities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sarnquist said that the new upstander training “is a great supplement,” but she doesn’t think it is sufficient as comprehensive sexual violence prevention programming.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’re an R1 institution,” she said, referring to the highest tier of research universities in the U.S. “We expect our students and our faculty and our staff to meet these incredibly high levels of scholarship and rigor. And so I think we probably owe it to our community to have health and wellbeing programming that meets similarly highly evidence-based [standards].”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stanford also has a Confidential Support Team for students affected by sexual assault and relationship violence, and offers consent and communication workshops through the Office of Substance Use Programs Education and Resources (SUPER).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104121\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fall of 2025, a year after Jane Doe’s alleged rape occurred, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.actompkins.org/evidence-based-sexual-violence-intervention-program-returns-to-cornell/\">Advocacy Center of Tompkins County\u003c/a> announced that Cornell would pilot Flip the Script for campus sorority members, along with a parallel program for fraternities. Student leaders \u003ca href=\"https://health.cornell.edu/sites/health/files/docs/Matt%20Klein%20award/2026-MKleinerAward-EmilyLui-AnyaGowda.pdf\">completed two training cohorts in the spring\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like Stanford, the school had previously piloted the program before COVID-19, but hadn’t reinstated it after the pandemic until last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What the Cornell case really shows is the economic inefficiency and the moral insufficiency of canceling the one program that actually prevents rape on campus,” Dauber said. “From a fiscal perspective, Cornell and Stanford would be way better off preventing these assaults than trying to address the costs after they occur. From a moral perspective, it’s indefensible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "freeze-ai-now-bay-area-activists-rally-outside-openai-headquarters",
"title": "‘Freeze AI Now’: Bay Area Activists Rally Outside OpenAI Headquarters",
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"headTitle": "‘Freeze AI Now’: Bay Area Activists Rally Outside OpenAI Headquarters | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Bay Area activists joined a nationwide walkout on Tuesday to demand a pause on the development of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/artificial-intelligence\">artificial intelligence\u003c/a>, so that the public — and Congress — can set development and use guardrails for the technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About two dozen protesters held signs that read “We Didn’t Elect Big Tech” and “Water For People, Not Data Centers” outside of OpenAI’s office in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They joined activists across 50 U.S. cities and college campuses, including in Los Angeles, New York and Florida, where rallies had been organized by the nonprofit organization Irreplaceable.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Irreplaceable, founded by several climate activists, leaders of civil rights organizations and national labor unions, launched in August with the goal to “give voice to anxiety and anger about AI” and spur federal legislation regulating the technology.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-02-BL-KQED-31c358f5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105419\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-02-BL-KQED-31c358f5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-02-BL-KQED-31c358f5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-02-BL-KQED-31c358f5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Max Blair, an organizer with Stop the AI Race, speaks during a rally calling for a freeze on artificial intelligence development outside OpenAI’s headquarters in San Francisco during a walkout on Oct. 20, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jeremy Ornstein, an organizer with Irreplaceable, spoke to the protesters outside OpenAI’s office. “The world is about to change,” he said. “AI is being advanced so quickly, [and] the people building it know that catastrophes, critical catastrophes, are going to hit everyday people as soon as next year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But there’s another kind of change that’s coming too,” he continued. “There’s thousands of people who are demanding … a freeze on AI until it can be under public control and benefit us.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Irreplaceable’s \u003ca href=\"https://irreplaceable.org/\">website\u003c/a> makes the case that people are “irreplaceable by AI.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Its executive director, Phil Aroneanu, previously co-founded \u003ca href=\"http://350.org\">350.org\u003c/a>, a grassroots climate movement pushing for the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re building a movement to Freeze AI Now. It’s time for the people to determine the future of AI, not big tech CEOs,” Irreplaceable’s website reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The organization has laid out a \u003ca href=\"https://irreplaceable.org/our-plan\">three-year plan:\u003c/a> To coalesce a base of Americans angry and concerned about AI development in 2026, develop a “shared federal agenda on AI” in 2027 and launch a pressure campaign on politicians in 2028, the year of the next presidential election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But it hasn’t given details about what regulations and legislation it hopes to see those politicians pass. \u003cem>The Atlantic\u003c/em> in August \u003ca href=\"https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/08/irreplaceable-climate-activists-ai-backlash/688404/\">reported\u003c/a> that another climate activist behind the project, Sunrise Movement co-founder William Lawrence, said a concrete agenda would come later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But there doesn’t seem to be consensus yet on what that plan will look like.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even sisters Junia and Gwen Martens, who came to the San Francisco protest from Berkeley High School, have different opinions on how far regulation should go. Gwen, 14, thinks “AI should be stopped,” but Junia, 16, wants to see regulation and education about the technology in schools.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12105421\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-04-BL-KQED-a8c952db.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-04-BL-KQED-a8c952db.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-04-BL-KQED-a8c952db-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-04-BL-KQED-a8c952db-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gwendolyn (center), 14, protests during a walkout and rally calling for a freeze on artificial intelligence development outside OpenAI’s headquarters in San Francisco on Oct. 20, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12105424\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-09-BL-KQED-8416bf38.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-09-BL-KQED-8416bf38.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-09-BL-KQED-8416bf38-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-09-BL-KQED-8416bf38-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Junia, 16, speaks during a rally calling for a freeze on artificial intelligence development outside OpenAI’s headquarters in San Francisco during a walkout on Oct. 20, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I kind of disagree with my sister. I think that AI can be helpful in a lot of different situations,” Junia told KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Junia and a classmate are co-presidents of a club at Berkeley High, called AI Effects and Consequences, which talks to elementary and middle school students about AI and its effects.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That “lets the students form their own opinions,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The sisters are in agreement, though, about cutting back on AI use in schools. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t use generative AI,” Gwen said. “It really stops you from thinking, which is how you learn. That is my worst fear. I would never want to dim down my education.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said “few” of her other classmates agree.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bay Area activists joined a nationwide walkout on Tuesday to demand a pause on the development of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/artificial-intelligence\">artificial intelligence\u003c/a>, so that the public — and Congress — can set development and use guardrails for the technology. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Irreplaceable’s \u003ca href=\"https://irreplaceable.org/\">website\u003c/a> makes the case that people are “irreplaceable by AI.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re building a movement to Freeze AI Now. It’s time for the people to determine the future of AI, not big tech CEOs,” Irreplaceable’s website reads. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The organization has laid out a \u003ca href=\"https://irreplaceable.org/our-plan\">three-year plan:\u003c/a> To coalesce a base of Americans angry and concerned about AI development in 2026, develop a “shared federal agenda on AI” in 2027 and launch a pressure campaign on politicians in 2028, the year of the next presidential election.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But it hasn’t given details about what regulations and legislation it hopes to see those politicians pass. \u003cem>The Atlantic\u003c/em> in August \u003ca href=\"https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/08/irreplaceable-climate-activists-ai-backlash/688404/\">reported\u003c/a> that another climate activist behind the project, Sunrise Movement co-founder William Lawrence, said a concrete agenda would come later. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-04-BL-KQED-a8c952db.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105421\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gwendolyn (center), 14, protests during a walkout and rally calling for a freeze on artificial intelligence development outside OpenAI’s headquarters in San Francisco on Oct. 20, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I kind of disagree with my sister. I think that AI can be helpful in a lot of different situations,” Junia told KQED. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I don’t use generative AI,” Gwen said. “It really stops you from thinking, which is how you learn. That is my worst fear. I would never want to dim down my education.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Bay Area activists joined a nationwide walkout on Tuesday to demand a pause on the development of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/artificial-intelligence\">artificial intelligence\u003c/a>, so that the public — and Congress — can set development and use guardrails for the technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About two dozen protesters held signs that read “We Didn’t Elect Big Tech” and “Water For People, Not Data Centers” outside of OpenAI’s office in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They joined activists across 50 U.S. cities and college campuses, including in Los Angeles, New York and Florida, where rallies had been organized by the nonprofit organization Irreplaceable.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Irreplaceable, founded by several climate activists, leaders of civil rights organizations and national labor unions, launched in August with the goal to “give voice to anxiety and anger about AI” and spur federal legislation regulating the technology.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-02-BL-KQED-31c358f5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105419\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-02-BL-KQED-31c358f5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-02-BL-KQED-31c358f5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-02-BL-KQED-31c358f5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Max Blair, an organizer with Stop the AI Race, speaks during a rally calling for a freeze on artificial intelligence development outside OpenAI’s headquarters in San Francisco during a walkout on Oct. 20, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jeremy Ornstein, an organizer with Irreplaceable, spoke to the protesters outside OpenAI’s office. “The world is about to change,” he said. “AI is being advanced so quickly, [and] the people building it know that catastrophes, critical catastrophes, are going to hit everyday people as soon as next year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But there’s another kind of change that’s coming too,” he continued. “There’s thousands of people who are demanding … a freeze on AI until it can be under public control and benefit us.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Irreplaceable’s \u003ca href=\"https://irreplaceable.org/\">website\u003c/a> makes the case that people are “irreplaceable by AI.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Its executive director, Phil Aroneanu, previously co-founded \u003ca href=\"http://350.org\">350.org\u003c/a>, a grassroots climate movement pushing for the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re building a movement to Freeze AI Now. It’s time for the people to determine the future of AI, not big tech CEOs,” Irreplaceable’s website reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The organization has laid out a \u003ca href=\"https://irreplaceable.org/our-plan\">three-year plan:\u003c/a> To coalesce a base of Americans angry and concerned about AI development in 2026, develop a “shared federal agenda on AI” in 2027 and launch a pressure campaign on politicians in 2028, the year of the next presidential election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But it hasn’t given details about what regulations and legislation it hopes to see those politicians pass. \u003cem>The Atlantic\u003c/em> in August \u003ca href=\"https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/08/irreplaceable-climate-activists-ai-backlash/688404/\">reported\u003c/a> that another climate activist behind the project, Sunrise Movement co-founder William Lawrence, said a concrete agenda would come later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But there doesn’t seem to be consensus yet on what that plan will look like.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even sisters Junia and Gwen Martens, who came to the San Francisco protest from Berkeley High School, have different opinions on how far regulation should go. Gwen, 14, thinks “AI should be stopped,” but Junia, 16, wants to see regulation and education about the technology in schools.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12105421\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-04-BL-KQED-a8c952db.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-04-BL-KQED-a8c952db.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-04-BL-KQED-a8c952db-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-04-BL-KQED-a8c952db-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gwendolyn (center), 14, protests during a walkout and rally calling for a freeze on artificial intelligence development outside OpenAI’s headquarters in San Francisco on Oct. 20, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12105424\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-09-BL-KQED-8416bf38.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-09-BL-KQED-8416bf38.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-09-BL-KQED-8416bf38-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261020-OPENAIPROTEST-09-BL-KQED-8416bf38-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Junia, 16, speaks during a rally calling for a freeze on artificial intelligence development outside OpenAI’s headquarters in San Francisco during a walkout on Oct. 20, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I kind of disagree with my sister. I think that AI can be helpful in a lot of different situations,” Junia told KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Junia and a classmate are co-presidents of a club at Berkeley High, called AI Effects and Consequences, which talks to elementary and middle school students about AI and its effects.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That “lets the students form their own opinions,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The sisters are in agreement, though, about cutting back on AI use in schools. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t use generative AI,” Gwen said. “It really stops you from thinking, which is how you learn. That is my worst fear. I would never want to dim down my education.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said “few” of her other classmates agree.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A vegetation fire broke out in the Oakland-\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a> Hills late Tuesday morning, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> fire officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The blaze started around 11:45 a.m. on the 1000 block of Panoramic Way, above UC Berkeley’s campus. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At least 60 firefighters from across the East Bay, including the Oakland and Berkeley Fire Departments, rushed to the scene, and were able to stall forward progress within a few hours, according to OFD spokesperson Michael Hunt.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fire had burned about one and a half acres of vegetation by 1:50 p.m., and caused “limited damage” to the roof of one home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunt said no injuries or fatalities have been reported, and no evacuations have been ordered. UC Berkeley told students that roads were closed at Stadium Rim Way and Centennial Drive and Prospect Street and Channing Way.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The blaze sparked not far from where almost exactly 35 years ago, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11893199/the-oakland-hills-fire-transformed-firefighting-along-a-citys-edge-in-california\">1991 Tunnel Fire\u003c/a> broke out along the border of the Oakland-Berkeley Hills. That blaze killed 25 people and charred more than 3,000 homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What started as a small grass fire on Oct. 19, 1991, and firefighters presumed was under control by that night, exploded the following day, roaring through the drought-dry wooded hills in strong Diablo winds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The firestorm, which burned 1,500 acres, spurred major changes to the East Bay’s fire preparedness efforts: fire departments added new stations in the hills, cities revised evacuation routes and residents implemented home hardening tactics to increase their own properties’ fire resilience. But wildfires are still a major threat to the area, where the roads are narrow and homes are nestled in often dry and overgrown brush and trees. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a developing story and will be updated.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A vegetation fire broke out in the Oakland-\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a> Hills late Tuesday morning, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> fire officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The blaze started around 11:45 a.m. on the 1000 block of Panoramic Way, above UC Berkeley’s campus. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At least 60 firefighters from across the East Bay, including the Oakland and Berkeley Fire Departments, rushed to the scene, and were able to stall forward progress within a few hours, according to OFD spokesperson Michael Hunt.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fire had burned about one and a half acres of vegetation by 1:50 p.m., and caused “limited damage” to the roof of one home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunt said no injuries or fatalities have been reported, and no evacuations have been ordered. UC Berkeley told students that roads were closed at Stadium Rim Way and Centennial Drive and Prospect Street and Channing Way.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The blaze sparked not far from where almost exactly 35 years ago, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11893199/the-oakland-hills-fire-transformed-firefighting-along-a-citys-edge-in-california\">1991 Tunnel Fire\u003c/a> broke out along the border of the Oakland-Berkeley Hills. That blaze killed 25 people and charred more than 3,000 homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What started as a small grass fire on Oct. 19, 1991, and firefighters presumed was under control by that night, exploded the following day, roaring through the drought-dry wooded hills in strong Diablo winds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The firestorm, which burned 1,500 acres, spurred major changes to the East Bay’s fire preparedness efforts: fire departments added new stations in the hills, cities revised evacuation routes and residents implemented home hardening tactics to increase their own properties’ fire resilience. But wildfires are still a major threat to the area, where the roads are narrow and homes are nestled in often dry and overgrown brush and trees. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a developing story and will be updated.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues",
"title": "Oakland Corruption Trial: FBI Agent Shares Misstep That Tipped Off Investigators",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A tip from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Public Ethics Commission launched the federal investigation into the alleged pay-to-play corruption scheme at the center of former Mayor Sheng Thao’s criminal trial, an FBI agent told the jury in federal court on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The testimony came amid protests outside the courthouse from anti-public corruption activists and after a former Thao staffer shed light on efforts her staff made in the lead-up to the 2022 mayoral election to distance themselves from negative campaign mailers depicting her opponents. Thao’s former chief of staff Leigh Hanson also doubled down on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">testimony last week\u003c/a> that Thao called Andy Duong a “playboy” who was going to “ruin her career” as the second week of the trial got underway. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scott Means, former Director of Oakland’s Health and Human Services Department, speaks at a rally outside of the federal courthouse in Oakland where former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and others are on trial on Oct. 19, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay testified that Johnson said Juarez made statements to him “about expecting things in return for the mailers from the candidate he was supporting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That information led the FBI to obtain a search warrant for Juarez’s Apple iCloud account, where they found a document on the Notes application called “Sheng Thao Deal Points.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay said the FBI first approached Juarez for an interview after that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Former Thao chief concludes testimony\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did not back down when Chan pressed her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did acknowledge that the reporter did not accuse Andy Duong by name. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Taylor mailers hurt or help?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayoral Candidate Loren Taylor at KQED headquarters in San Francisco on April 3, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said Thao’s staff wanted to minimize the ads, not draw attention to them, since they believed they would hurt the campaign by alienating voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They just didn’t seem credible to me. They seemed like something someone would see and think, ‘just another attack ad,’” Finneburgh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The testimony came amid protests outside the courthouse from anti-public corruption activists and after a former Thao staffer shed light on efforts her staff made in the lead-up to the 2022 mayoral election to distance themselves from negative campaign mailers depicting her opponents. Thao’s former chief of staff Leigh Hanson also doubled down on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">testimony last week\u003c/a> that Thao called Andy Duong a “playboy” who was going to “ruin her career” as the second week of the trial got underway. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The testimony came amid protests outside the courthouse from anti-public corruption activists and after a former Thao staffer shed light on efforts her staff made in the lead-up to the 2022 mayoral election to distance themselves from negative campaign mailers depicting her opponents. Thao’s former chief of staff Leigh Hanson also doubled down on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">testimony last week\u003c/a> that Thao called Andy Duong a “playboy” who was going to “ruin her career” as the second week of the trial got underway. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scott Means, former Director of Oakland’s Health and Human Services Department, speaks at a rally outside of the federal courthouse in Oakland where former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and others are on trial on Oct. 19, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay testified that Johnson said Juarez made statements to him “about expecting things in return for the mailers from the candidate he was supporting.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That information led the FBI to obtain a search warrant for Juarez’s Apple iCloud account, where they found a document on the Notes application called “Sheng Thao Deal Points.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay said the FBI first approached Juarez for an interview after that.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson did not back down when Chan pressed her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Finneburgh said Thao’s staff wanted to minimize the ads, not draw attention to them, since they believed they would hurt the campaign by alienating voters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They just didn’t seem credible to me. They seemed like something someone would see and think, ‘just another attack ad,’” Finneburgh said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "According to an FBI investigator, an unpaid bill for negative campaign mailers and a tip from a citizen commission helped launch the federal investigation into former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and her three codefendants over allegations of bribery, corruption and fraud. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A tip from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Public Ethics Commission launched the federal investigation into the alleged pay-to-play corruption scheme at the center of former Mayor Sheng Thao’s criminal trial, an FBI agent told the jury in federal court on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The testimony came amid protests outside the courthouse from anti-public corruption activists and after a former Thao staffer shed light on efforts her staff made in the lead-up to the 2022 mayoral election to distance themselves from negative campaign mailers depicting her opponents. Thao’s former chief of staff Leigh Hanson also doubled down on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">testimony last week\u003c/a> that Thao called Andy Duong a “playboy” who was going to “ruin her career” as the second week of the trial got underway. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scott Means, former Director of Oakland’s Health and Human Services Department, speaks at a rally outside of the federal courthouse in Oakland where former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and others are on trial on Oct. 19, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay testified that Johnson said Juarez made statements to him “about expecting things in return for the mailers from the candidate he was supporting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That information led the FBI to obtain a search warrant for Juarez’s Apple iCloud account, where they found a document on the Notes application called “Sheng Thao Deal Points.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay said the FBI first approached Juarez for an interview after that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Former Thao chief concludes testimony\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did not back down when Chan pressed her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did acknowledge that the reporter did not accuse Andy Duong by name. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Taylor mailers hurt or help?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayoral Candidate Loren Taylor at KQED headquarters in San Francisco on April 3, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said Thao’s staff wanted to minimize the ads, not draw attention to them, since they believed they would hurt the campaign by alienating voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They just didn’t seem credible to me. They seemed like something someone would see and think, ‘just another attack ad,’” Finneburgh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip",
"title": "Former Thao Staffer Says Office Was Asked About Alleged Child Sex Trafficking on Vietnam Trip",
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"headTitle": "Former Thao Staffer Says Office Was Asked About Alleged Child Sex Trafficking on Vietnam Trip | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday in the federal corruption \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao-trial\">trial of Sheng Thao\u003c/a>, the ex-mayor’s chief of staff told the court a journalist reached out to her office to ask about potential sex trafficking of minors during a 2023 trade trip to Vietnam. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The explosive allegations come as Thao faces bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges alongside her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong, and his son, Andy Duong. All attended the trip, which was spearheaded by the Vietnamese American Business Association, a group Duong chaired. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the roughly five hours of testimony, Leigh Hanson, Thao’s friend and former chief of staff, also disclosed concerns she had aired regarding Jones’ unofficial and at times inappropriate role in the mayor’s office, as well as criticisms she voiced about Thao’s staffing picks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that after Thao returned from Vietnam, a journalist reached out to the mayor’s office regarding some of the people on the trip who were stopped by customs in relation to “concern that there was drug paraphernalia” and “potentially involvement with young women.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1372\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-10-scaled-e1792105909155.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098348\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins and former Mayor Sheng Thao’s Chief of Staff Leigh Hanson wait while former Rep. Barbara Lee files paperwork to run for mayor at City Hall in Oakland, California, on Jan. 8, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said the journalist told Francis Zamora, Thao’s former communications director, that “there was potential a story would be written about that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said when she and Zamora relayed the message to Thao, the former mayor became “very upset at Andy Duong,” saying of him, “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong did not respond to a request for comment as he left the courthouse. His attorneys said any response would come “only in court.” They have not cross-examined Hanson yet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao was vocal in her platform about sexual mistreatment of women, Hanson said, adding she was “incredibly upset that potentially some members of the delegation potentially participated.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a co-defendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson also testified she had concerns about Jones’ role in the mayor’s office. He was not a city employee or formal member of Thao’s team, but Hanson said he attended multiple meetings unannounced.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In January 2023, Hanson said Jones attended a meeting between city staffers and the city attorney about the decision to remove Oakland’s police chief at the time, Leonne Armstrong, and place him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974985/former-oakland-police-chief-leronne-armstrong-sues-city-for-wrongful-termination\">on leave\u003c/a> after reports that the department improperly investigated misconduct charges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that the meeting ultimately didn’t occur. She walked out of the room over concerns that having Jones present would jeopardize the confidentiality afforded to city employees meeting about privileged information, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson alleged that in response to her concerns, Jones appeared to threaten her job, saying: “We’ll see which one of us is left at the end of the day.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That same month, Hanson said Jones also joined a virtual interview she was conducting with a potential housing specialist unannounced. She said she told Thao that she was surprised and frustrated with his presence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On cross-examination, defense attorneys pointed out that Thao also had multiple other trusted advisors who didn’t hold official roles in her office, including Zac Unger, now a city councilmember, who at the time was a leader of the Association of Firefighters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorney, Daryl Tarver, asked Hanson if she recalled that “Thao had a number of advisors who were not employees” and felt it was “important to get community perspective” from people like pastors, business leaders and first responders. Hanson said yes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that as part of the quid pro quo Thao and Jones made with the Duongs, she agreed to place their favored candidates in leadership positions, and, according to the federal indictment, that Gallegos was one of those candidates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that Thao suggested Gallegos might be a good fit for the housing department and was interested in elevating him to a leadership role. Hanson said she disagreed and told Thao he wasn’t qualified, but suggested he could be a good leader in his current department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026, for the opening day of her federal corruption trial. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was worried about retaining some of our really high-quality leaders in the housing department, and hiring a really strong director would be important,” she testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said she believed she and Thao had come to an agreement that he would remain in the economic and workforce development department. But on March 10, 2023, Thao told Hanson he’d be appointed deputy housing director. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson texted Thao, confused by the sudden change in course. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She shared that she had spoken to Harold and that he would be appointed to the deputy director housing role,” Hanson testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director that day, just one day after prosecutors said Thao attended a dinner with all the co-defendants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson will continue testifying next week, when the trial resumes Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson said the journalist told Francis Zamora, Thao’s former communications director, that “there was potential a story would be written about that.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson said when she and Zamora relayed the message to Thao, the former mayor became “very upset at Andy Duong,” saying of him, “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Andy Duong did not respond to a request for comment as he left the courthouse. His attorneys said any response would come “only in court.” They have not cross-examined Hanson yet.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao was vocal in her platform about sexual mistreatment of women, Hanson said, adding she was “incredibly upset that potentially some members of the delegation potentially participated.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson also testified she had concerns about Jones’ role in the mayor’s office. He was not a city employee or formal member of Thao’s team, but Hanson said he attended multiple meetings unannounced.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In January 2023, Hanson said Jones attended a meeting between city staffers and the city attorney about the decision to remove Oakland’s police chief at the time, Leonne Armstrong, and place him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974985/former-oakland-police-chief-leronne-armstrong-sues-city-for-wrongful-termination\">on leave\u003c/a> after reports that the department improperly investigated misconduct charges.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson said that the meeting ultimately didn’t occur. She walked out of the room over concerns that having Jones present would jeopardize the confidentiality afforded to city employees meeting about privileged information, she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson alleged that in response to her concerns, Jones appeared to threaten her job, saying: “We’ll see which one of us is left at the end of the day.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That same month, Hanson said Jones also joined a virtual interview she was conducting with a potential housing specialist unannounced. She said she told Thao that she was surprised and frustrated with his presence.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorney, Daryl Tarver, asked Hanson if she recalled that “Thao had a number of advisors who were not employees” and felt it was “important to get community perspective” from people like pastors, business leaders and first responders. Hanson said yes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that as part of the quid pro quo Thao and Jones made with the Duongs, she agreed to place their favored candidates in leadership positions, and, according to the federal indictment, that Gallegos was one of those candidates.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that as part of the quid pro quo Thao and Jones made with the Duongs, she agreed to place their favored candidates in leadership positions, and, according to the federal indictment, that Gallegos was one of those candidates.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that Thao suggested Gallegos might be a good fit for the housing department and was interested in elevating him to a leadership role. Hanson said she disagreed and told Thao he wasn’t qualified, but suggested he could be a good leader in his current department. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that Thao suggested Gallegos might be a good fit for the housing department and was interested in elevating him to a leadership role. Hanson said she disagreed and told Thao he wasn’t qualified, but suggested he could be a good leader in his current department. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026, for the opening day of her federal corruption trial.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I was worried about retaining some of our really high-quality leaders in the housing department, and hiring a really strong director would be important,” she testified. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson said she believed she and Thao had come to an agreement that he would remain in the economic and workforce development department. But on March 10, 2023, Thao told Hanson he’d be appointed deputy housing director. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“She shared that she had spoken to Harold and that he would be appointed to the deputy director housing role,” Hanson testified. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director that day, just one day after prosecutors said Thao attended a dinner with all the co-defendants.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson will continue testifying next week, when the trial resumes Monday.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "During the first day of testimony in the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, her former chief of staff also testified about her concerns over the role Thao’s romantic partner held in her office and criticisms of her staffing picks. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday in the federal corruption \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao-trial\">trial of Sheng Thao\u003c/a>, the ex-mayor’s chief of staff told the court a journalist reached out to her office to ask about potential sex trafficking of minors during a 2023 trade trip to Vietnam. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The explosive allegations come as Thao faces bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges alongside her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong, and his son, Andy Duong. All attended the trip, which was spearheaded by the Vietnamese American Business Association, a group Duong chaired. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the roughly five hours of testimony, Leigh Hanson, Thao’s friend and former chief of staff, also disclosed concerns she had aired regarding Jones’ unofficial and at times inappropriate role in the mayor’s office, as well as criticisms she voiced about Thao’s staffing picks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that after Thao returned from Vietnam, a journalist reached out to the mayor’s office regarding some of the people on the trip who were stopped by customs in relation to “concern that there was drug paraphernalia” and “potentially involvement with young women.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1372\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-10-scaled-e1792105909155.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098348\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins and former Mayor Sheng Thao’s Chief of Staff Leigh Hanson wait while former Rep. Barbara Lee files paperwork to run for mayor at City Hall in Oakland, California, on Jan. 8, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said the journalist told Francis Zamora, Thao’s former communications director, that “there was potential a story would be written about that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said when she and Zamora relayed the message to Thao, the former mayor became “very upset at Andy Duong,” saying of him, “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong did not respond to a request for comment as he left the courthouse. His attorneys said any response would come “only in court.” They have not cross-examined Hanson yet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao was vocal in her platform about sexual mistreatment of women, Hanson said, adding she was “incredibly upset that potentially some members of the delegation potentially participated.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a co-defendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson also testified she had concerns about Jones’ role in the mayor’s office. He was not a city employee or formal member of Thao’s team, but Hanson said he attended multiple meetings unannounced.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In January 2023, Hanson said Jones attended a meeting between city staffers and the city attorney about the decision to remove Oakland’s police chief at the time, Leonne Armstrong, and place him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974985/former-oakland-police-chief-leronne-armstrong-sues-city-for-wrongful-termination\">on leave\u003c/a> after reports that the department improperly investigated misconduct charges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that the meeting ultimately didn’t occur. She walked out of the room over concerns that having Jones present would jeopardize the confidentiality afforded to city employees meeting about privileged information, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson alleged that in response to her concerns, Jones appeared to threaten her job, saying: “We’ll see which one of us is left at the end of the day.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That same month, Hanson said Jones also joined a virtual interview she was conducting with a potential housing specialist unannounced. She said she told Thao that she was surprised and frustrated with his presence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On cross-examination, defense attorneys pointed out that Thao also had multiple other trusted advisors who didn’t hold official roles in her office, including Zac Unger, now a city councilmember, who at the time was a leader of the Association of Firefighters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorney, Daryl Tarver, asked Hanson if she recalled that “Thao had a number of advisors who were not employees” and felt it was “important to get community perspective” from people like pastors, business leaders and first responders. Hanson said yes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that as part of the quid pro quo Thao and Jones made with the Duongs, she agreed to place their favored candidates in leadership positions, and, according to the federal indictment, that Gallegos was one of those candidates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that Thao suggested Gallegos might be a good fit for the housing department and was interested in elevating him to a leadership role. Hanson said she disagreed and told Thao he wasn’t qualified, but suggested he could be a good leader in his current department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026, for the opening day of her federal corruption trial. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was worried about retaining some of our really high-quality leaders in the housing department, and hiring a really strong director would be important,” she testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said she believed she and Thao had come to an agreement that he would remain in the economic and workforce development department. But on March 10, 2023, Thao told Hanson he’d be appointed deputy housing director. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson texted Thao, confused by the sudden change in course. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She shared that she had spoken to Harold and that he would be appointed to the deputy director housing role,” Hanson testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director that day, just one day after prosecutors said Thao attended a dinner with all the co-defendants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson will continue testifying next week, when the trial resumes Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off",
"title": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s Trial Brings Alleged Quid Pro Quo Into Focus",
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"headTitle": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s Trial Brings Alleged Quid Pro Quo Into Focus | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>More than a year after former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> and three codefendants were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022517/fbi-raids-home-san-leandro-council-member-joined-vietnam-trip-sheng-thao\">indicted\u003c/a> in an alleged bribery scheme that roiled the city’s political circles, their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">long-awaited trial\u003c/a> got underway Wednesday with five very different storylines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, and father and son Andy and David Duong engaged in a quid pro quo: In the run-up to the 2022 mayoral election, the Duongs would fund a negative ad campaign against Thao’s opponents and pay Jones $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, Thao would use her power if elected mayor to give favorable treatment to the Duongs’ business, California Waste Solutions, as well as to a housing startup called Evolutionary Homes that sought to turn shipping containers into homes for people exiting homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sheng Thao was a public official on the take, and she and Andre Jones were open for business,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine said during his opening statement to the court. “David and Andy Duong were looking for results and were willing to pay bribes to get them.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104353\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant United States Attorney Abraham Fine gives his opening statement during the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, as codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong sit to the side, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is not politics as usual,” he said, “this is politics as profit.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty, and none spoke to reporters after opening statements on Tuesday. While each of their attorneys painted a different picture of what actually happened between the parties, they all agreed that Mario Juarez — the Duongs’ former business partner and the prosecution’s key witness — should not be believed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The narrator of this story is that person named Mario Juarez, and what you will quickly discover is that the story that has been introduced to you is pure fiction,” Thao’s attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The trial comes more than two years after the FBI executed early morning raids of the home Thao shared with Jones, as well as Andy and David Duong’s homes and California Waste Solutions’ headquarters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The operation added fuel to a campaign already underway to recall Thao. She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012357/sheng-thao-accepts-defeat-in-contentious-oakland-mayoral-recall\">removed from office\u003c/a> in November 2024 and indicted on the bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges shortly after. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sheng Thao was not for sale\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai painted Thao as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11931400/sheng-thao-oaklands-next-mayor\">young, determined politician\u003c/a> who came into office in January 2023 prepared to tackle major challenges facing the city of Oakland — from a homelessness crisis and budget deficit to gun violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao had known Juarez from her years as a staffer in Oakland City Hall, but Tsai said Thao kept him at a comfortable distance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai alleged Juarez repeatedly tried to offer Thao support throughout her 2022 mayoral campaign. When they finally met in October, just weeks before Election Day, Juarez allegedly told Thao that labor unions sent him to help her win, and he planned to produce a political mailer in support of her race.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeffrey Tsai (left), attorney for former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (second from right), gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Thao and codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There was certainly no agreement for any bribe of any kind, no discussion of $300,000 or modular housing units,” Tsai said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai said that after her election, Juarez repeatedly appealed to Thao, advocating for city contracts for companies he was affiliated with, including ABC Security Service Inc. — which provides \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/12/17/oakland-leaders-reluctantly-extend-security-contract-again/\">security services\u003c/a> at city properties — and urging her to appoint his favored candidates to top city positions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai said Thao repeatedly rebuked his requests and had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The evidence will show that the real Sheng Thao is not the profile of someone who would sell her office that she fought so hard to earn in the first place,” Tsai told the jury.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andre Jones had a ‘real job’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jones’ defense attorney, Mark Goldrosen, spent his opening on behalf of Thao’s longtime romantic partner defending the “government relations” role Jones held with the container home startup Juarez and Andy Duong founded that’s at the center of the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a codefendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Goldrosen said Evolutionary Homes aligned with Jones’ interests and qualifications, both in reducing homelessness and working with local governments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He was hired to serve as a consultant and would be paid on commission. But as the company got off the ground, Goldrosen said he was paid advances, totaling $75,000, to “keep him available” to Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">David Duong: A normal businessman\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like Thao, David Duong’s attorney told the court he was oblivious to any scheme. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jeff Schenk described David as a hardworking immigrant from Vietnam and a legitimate businessman. He held the financial power, Schenk said, but had no knowledge of any bribery scheme or deals that his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a codefendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He referred the jury to a series of texts between Andy Duong and Juarez in March 2023, in which Juarez asked Andy if they should “tell David” about updates to their alleged arrangement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If David Duong was a partner in crime … why, five months after the beginning, does Juarez have to ask if they should share?” Schenk said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andy Duong didn’t break any laws\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>None of the other defendants’ stories, however, seemed to vindicate Andy Duong — who prosecutors allege spearheaded negotiations in the scheme with Juarez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His counsel, Winston Chan, acknowledged that some of the text communication he had with Juarez, taken out of context, couldn’t be denied. However, he said the government had crafted a story based on “cherry-picked” messages and notes. He said Duong’s texts cheering Thao’s victory were not unusual for a politically engaged voter, and his response to Juarez saying Thao would buy housing units from Evolutionary Homes reflected a startup founder’s shock and excitement that a city might invest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong, son of California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong and a codefendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Not one bit of these facts equals the bribery scheme the government is alleging,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whether the pieces of evidence the prosecution presents add up to the story of bribery the government has alleged “lives or dies” on Juarez’s testimony, Chan told the jury, and whether, “when he takes the stand, you believe what he says.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mario Juarez: A ‘consummate hustler’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Throughout the day, defense attorneys repeatedly undermined Juarez’s credibility, describing him as a “consummate hustler” and “vengeful” with a tendency to tell “half truths.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When the source of the information is unreliable, you see that the allegations fall apart,” Schenk said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fine got ahead of the criticism in his own opening statement, saying of Juarez: “You’ll hear and see, he is no angel.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, he said, the Evolutionary Homes cofounder would “give you an insider’s view of this bribery scheme.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He’ll talk about the evidence, what was said in the meetings,” Fine told the jury, “tell you some about his history of doing dirty work for the Duong family.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fine pledged that throughout the trial, prosecutors planned to present copious text messages, taped phone calls, video recordings and financial records chronicling the conspiracy and bribery scheme — and corroborating Juarez’s claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When you hear Juarez’s testimony, will see how it lines up with all of that other evidence,” Fine told the court.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday, prosecutors plan to call Leigh Hanson, who served as Thao’s chief of staff. Hanson parted with the city shortly after Kevin Jenkins took office as interim mayor following Thao’s recall and subsequently \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/04/01/leigh-hanson-oakland-mayor-chief-of-staff-whistleblower-lawsuit/\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> against Oakland alleging that she was wrongfully fired.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>More than a year after former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> and three codefendants were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022517/fbi-raids-home-san-leandro-council-member-joined-vietnam-trip-sheng-thao\">indicted\u003c/a> in an alleged bribery scheme that roiled the city’s political circles, their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">long-awaited trial\u003c/a> got underway Wednesday with five very different storylines. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>More than a year after former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> and three codefendants were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022517/fbi-raids-home-san-leandro-council-member-joined-vietnam-trip-sheng-thao\">indicted\u003c/a> in an alleged bribery scheme that roiled the city’s political circles, their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">long-awaited trial\u003c/a> got underway Wednesday with five very different storylines. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, and father and son Andy and David Duong engaged in a quid pro quo: In the run-up to the 2022 mayoral election, the Duongs would fund a negative ad campaign against Thao’s opponents and pay Jones $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, Thao would use her power if elected mayor to give favorable treatment to the Duongs’ business, California Waste Solutions, as well as to a housing startup called Evolutionary Homes that sought to turn shipping containers into homes for people exiting homelessness.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, and father and son Andy and David Duong engaged in a quid pro quo: In the run-up to the 2022 mayoral election, the Duongs would fund a negative ad campaign against Thao’s opponents and pay Jones $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, Thao would use her power if elected mayor to give favorable treatment to the Duongs’ business, California Waste Solutions, as well as to a housing startup called Evolutionary Homes that sought to turn shipping containers into homes for people exiting homelessness.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Sheng Thao was a public official on the take, and she and Andre Jones were open for business,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine said during his opening statement to the court. “David and Andy Duong were looking for results and were willing to pay bribes to get them.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Sheng Thao was a public official on the take, and she and Andre Jones were open for business,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine said during his opening statement to the court. “David and Andy Duong were looking for results and were willing to pay bribes to get them.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104353\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant United States Attorney Abraham Fine gives his opening statement during the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, as codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong sit to the side, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104353\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant United States Attorney Abraham Fine gives his opening statement during the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, as codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong sit to the side, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is not politics as usual,” he said, “this is politics as profit.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty, and none spoke to reporters after opening statements on Tuesday. While each of their attorneys painted a different picture of what actually happened between the parties, they all agreed that Mario Juarez — the Duongs’ former business partner and the prosecution’s key witness — should not be believed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty, and none spoke to reporters after opening statements on Tuesday. While each of their attorneys painted a different picture of what actually happened between the parties, they all agreed that Mario Juarez — the Duongs’ former business partner and the prosecution’s key witness — should not be believed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The narrator of this story is that person named Mario Juarez, and what you will quickly discover is that the story that has been introduced to you is pure fiction,” Thao’s attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The narrator of this story is that person named Mario Juarez, and what you will quickly discover is that the story that has been introduced to you is pure fiction,” Thao’s attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The trial comes more than two years after the FBI executed early morning raids of the home Thao shared with Jones, as well as Andy and David Duong’s homes and California Waste Solutions’ headquarters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The trial comes more than two years after the FBI executed early morning raids of the home Thao shared with Jones, as well as Andy and David Duong’s homes and California Waste Solutions’ headquarters. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The operation added fuel to a campaign already underway to recall Thao. She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012357/sheng-thao-accepts-defeat-in-contentious-oakland-mayoral-recall\">removed from office\u003c/a> in November 2024 and indicted on the bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges shortly after. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The operation added fuel to a campaign already underway to recall Thao. She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012357/sheng-thao-accepts-defeat-in-contentious-oakland-mayoral-recall\">removed from office\u003c/a> in November 2024 and indicted on the bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges shortly after. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai painted Thao as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11931400/sheng-thao-oaklands-next-mayor\">young, determined politician\u003c/a> who came into office in January 2023 prepared to tackle major challenges facing the city of Oakland — from a homelessness crisis and budget deficit to gun violence.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tsai painted Thao as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11931400/sheng-thao-oaklands-next-mayor\">young, determined politician\u003c/a> who came into office in January 2023 prepared to tackle major challenges facing the city of Oakland — from a homelessness crisis and budget deficit to gun violence.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao had known Juarez from her years as a staffer in Oakland City Hall, but Tsai said Thao kept him at a comfortable distance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai alleged Juarez repeatedly tried to offer Thao support throughout her 2022 mayoral campaign. When they finally met in October, just weeks before Election Day, Juarez allegedly told Thao that labor unions sent him to help her win, and he planned to produce a political mailer in support of her race.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tsai alleged Juarez repeatedly tried to offer Thao support throughout her 2022 mayoral campaign. When they finally met in October, just weeks before Election Day, Juarez allegedly told Thao that labor unions sent him to help her win, and he planned to produce a political mailer in support of her race.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeffrey Tsai (left), attorney for former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (second from right), gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Thao and codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104424\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeffrey Tsai (left), attorney for former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (second from right), gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Thao and codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There was certainly no agreement for any bribe of any kind, no discussion of $300,000 or modular housing units,” Tsai said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai said that after her election, Juarez repeatedly appealed to Thao, advocating for city contracts for companies he was affiliated with, including ABC Security Service Inc. — which provides \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/12/17/oakland-leaders-reluctantly-extend-security-contract-again/\">security services\u003c/a> at city properties — and urging her to appoint his favored candidates to top city positions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tsai said that after her election, Juarez repeatedly appealed to Thao, advocating for city contracts for companies he was affiliated with, including ABC Security Service Inc. — which provides \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/12/17/oakland-leaders-reluctantly-extend-security-contract-again/\">security services\u003c/a> at city properties — and urging her to appoint his favored candidates to top city positions. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai said Thao repeatedly rebuked his requests and had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The evidence will show that the real Sheng Thao is not the profile of someone who would sell her office that she fought so hard to earn in the first place,” Tsai told the jury.\u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "Andre Jones had a ‘real job’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andre Jones had a ‘real job’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jones’ defense attorney, Mark Goldrosen, spent his opening on behalf of Thao’s longtime romantic partner defending the “government relations” role Jones held with the container home startup Juarez and Andy Duong founded that’s at the center of the case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jones’ defense attorney, Mark Goldrosen, spent his opening on behalf of Thao’s longtime romantic partner defending the “government relations” role Jones held with the container home startup Juarez and Andy Duong founded that’s at the center of the case. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a codefendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a codefendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Goldrosen said Evolutionary Homes aligned with Jones’ interests and qualifications, both in reducing homelessness and working with local governments. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He was hired to serve as a consultant and would be paid on commission. But as the company got off the ground, Goldrosen said he was paid advances, totaling $75,000, to “keep him available” to Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He was hired to serve as a consultant and would be paid on commission. But as the company got off the ground, Goldrosen said he was paid advances, totaling $75,000, to “keep him available” to Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Like Thao, David Duong’s attorney told the court he was oblivious to any scheme. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jeff Schenk described David as a hardworking immigrant from Vietnam and a legitimate businessman. He held the financial power, Schenk said, but had no knowledge of any bribery scheme or deals that his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jeff Schenk described David as a hardworking immigrant from Vietnam and a legitimate businessman. He held the financial power, Schenk said, but had no knowledge of any bribery scheme or deals that his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a codefendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>None of the other defendants’ stories, however, seemed to vindicate Andy Duong — who prosecutors allege spearheaded negotiations in the scheme with Juarez. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>His counsel, Winston Chan, acknowledged that some of the text communication he had with Juarez, taken out of context, couldn’t be denied. However, he said the government had crafted a story based on “cherry-picked” messages and notes. He said Duong’s texts cheering Thao’s victory were not unusual for a politically engaged voter, and his response to Juarez saying Thao would buy housing units from Evolutionary Homes reflected a startup founder’s shock and excitement that a city might invest. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>His counsel, Winston Chan, acknowledged that some of the text communication he had with Juarez, taken out of context, couldn’t be denied. However, he said the government had crafted a story based on “cherry-picked” messages and notes. He said Duong’s texts cheering Thao’s victory were not unusual for a politically engaged voter, and his response to Juarez saying Thao would buy housing units from Evolutionary Homes reflected a startup founder’s shock and excitement that a city might invest. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Not one bit of these facts equals the bribery scheme the government is alleging,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Whether the pieces of evidence the prosecution presents add up to the story of bribery the government has alleged “lives or dies” on Juarez’s testimony, Chan told the jury, and whether, “when he takes the stand, you believe what he says.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Fine got ahead of the criticism in his own opening statement, saying of Juarez: “You’ll hear and see, he is no angel.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, he said, the Evolutionary Homes cofounder would “give you an insider’s view of this bribery scheme.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He’ll talk about the evidence, what was said in the meetings,” Fine told the jury, “tell you some about his history of doing dirty work for the Duong family.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Fine pledged that throughout the trial, prosecutors planned to present copious text messages, taped phone calls, video recordings and financial records chronicling the conspiracy and bribery scheme — and corroborating Juarez’s claims. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When you hear Juarez’s testimony, will see how it lines up with all of that other evidence,” Fine told the court.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday, prosecutors plan to call Leigh Hanson, who served as Thao’s chief of staff. Hanson parted with the city shortly after Kevin Jenkins took office as interim mayor following Thao’s recall and subsequently \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/04/01/leigh-hanson-oakland-mayor-chief-of-staff-whistleblower-lawsuit/\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> against Oakland alleging that she was wrongfully fired.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday, prosecutors plan to call Leigh Hanson, who served as Thao’s chief of staff. Hanson parted with the city shortly after Kevin Jenkins took office as interim mayor following Thao’s recall and subsequently \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/04/01/leigh-hanson-oakland-mayor-chief-of-staff-whistleblower-lawsuit/\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> against Oakland alleging that she was wrongfully fired.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "In the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, prosecutors claimed Thao put her political power up for sale, while defense attorneys attempted to impeach the government’s star witness. ",
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"title": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s Trial Brings Alleged Quid Pro Quo Into Focus | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>More than a year after former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> and three codefendants were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022517/fbi-raids-home-san-leandro-council-member-joined-vietnam-trip-sheng-thao\">indicted\u003c/a> in an alleged bribery scheme that roiled the city’s political circles, their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">long-awaited trial\u003c/a> got underway Wednesday with five very different storylines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, and father and son Andy and David Duong engaged in a quid pro quo: In the run-up to the 2022 mayoral election, the Duongs would fund a negative ad campaign against Thao’s opponents and pay Jones $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, Thao would use her power if elected mayor to give favorable treatment to the Duongs’ business, California Waste Solutions, as well as to a housing startup called Evolutionary Homes that sought to turn shipping containers into homes for people exiting homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sheng Thao was a public official on the take, and she and Andre Jones were open for business,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine said during his opening statement to the court. “David and Andy Duong were looking for results and were willing to pay bribes to get them.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104353\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant United States Attorney Abraham Fine gives his opening statement during the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, as codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong sit to the side, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is not politics as usual,” he said, “this is politics as profit.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty, and none spoke to reporters after opening statements on Tuesday. While each of their attorneys painted a different picture of what actually happened between the parties, they all agreed that Mario Juarez — the Duongs’ former business partner and the prosecution’s key witness — should not be believed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The narrator of this story is that person named Mario Juarez, and what you will quickly discover is that the story that has been introduced to you is pure fiction,” Thao’s attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The trial comes more than two years after the FBI executed early morning raids of the home Thao shared with Jones, as well as Andy and David Duong’s homes and California Waste Solutions’ headquarters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The operation added fuel to a campaign already underway to recall Thao. She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012357/sheng-thao-accepts-defeat-in-contentious-oakland-mayoral-recall\">removed from office\u003c/a> in November 2024 and indicted on the bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges shortly after. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sheng Thao was not for sale\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai painted Thao as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11931400/sheng-thao-oaklands-next-mayor\">young, determined politician\u003c/a> who came into office in January 2023 prepared to tackle major challenges facing the city of Oakland — from a homelessness crisis and budget deficit to gun violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao had known Juarez from her years as a staffer in Oakland City Hall, but Tsai said Thao kept him at a comfortable distance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai alleged Juarez repeatedly tried to offer Thao support throughout her 2022 mayoral campaign. When they finally met in October, just weeks before Election Day, Juarez allegedly told Thao that labor unions sent him to help her win, and he planned to produce a political mailer in support of her race.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeffrey Tsai (left), attorney for former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (second from right), gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Thao and codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There was certainly no agreement for any bribe of any kind, no discussion of $300,000 or modular housing units,” Tsai said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai said that after her election, Juarez repeatedly appealed to Thao, advocating for city contracts for companies he was affiliated with, including ABC Security Service Inc. — which provides \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/12/17/oakland-leaders-reluctantly-extend-security-contract-again/\">security services\u003c/a> at city properties — and urging her to appoint his favored candidates to top city positions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai said Thao repeatedly rebuked his requests and had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The evidence will show that the real Sheng Thao is not the profile of someone who would sell her office that she fought so hard to earn in the first place,” Tsai told the jury.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andre Jones had a ‘real job’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jones’ defense attorney, Mark Goldrosen, spent his opening on behalf of Thao’s longtime romantic partner defending the “government relations” role Jones held with the container home startup Juarez and Andy Duong founded that’s at the center of the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a codefendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Goldrosen said Evolutionary Homes aligned with Jones’ interests and qualifications, both in reducing homelessness and working with local governments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He was hired to serve as a consultant and would be paid on commission. But as the company got off the ground, Goldrosen said he was paid advances, totaling $75,000, to “keep him available” to Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">David Duong: A normal businessman\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like Thao, David Duong’s attorney told the court he was oblivious to any scheme. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jeff Schenk described David as a hardworking immigrant from Vietnam and a legitimate businessman. He held the financial power, Schenk said, but had no knowledge of any bribery scheme or deals that his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a codefendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He referred the jury to a series of texts between Andy Duong and Juarez in March 2023, in which Juarez asked Andy if they should “tell David” about updates to their alleged arrangement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If David Duong was a partner in crime … why, five months after the beginning, does Juarez have to ask if they should share?” Schenk said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andy Duong didn’t break any laws\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>None of the other defendants’ stories, however, seemed to vindicate Andy Duong — who prosecutors allege spearheaded negotiations in the scheme with Juarez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His counsel, Winston Chan, acknowledged that some of the text communication he had with Juarez, taken out of context, couldn’t be denied. However, he said the government had crafted a story based on “cherry-picked” messages and notes. He said Duong’s texts cheering Thao’s victory were not unusual for a politically engaged voter, and his response to Juarez saying Thao would buy housing units from Evolutionary Homes reflected a startup founder’s shock and excitement that a city might invest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong, son of California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong and a codefendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Not one bit of these facts equals the bribery scheme the government is alleging,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whether the pieces of evidence the prosecution presents add up to the story of bribery the government has alleged “lives or dies” on Juarez’s testimony, Chan told the jury, and whether, “when he takes the stand, you believe what he says.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mario Juarez: A ‘consummate hustler’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Throughout the day, defense attorneys repeatedly undermined Juarez’s credibility, describing him as a “consummate hustler” and “vengeful” with a tendency to tell “half truths.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When the source of the information is unreliable, you see that the allegations fall apart,” Schenk said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fine got ahead of the criticism in his own opening statement, saying of Juarez: “You’ll hear and see, he is no angel.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, he said, the Evolutionary Homes cofounder would “give you an insider’s view of this bribery scheme.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He’ll talk about the evidence, what was said in the meetings,” Fine told the jury, “tell you some about his history of doing dirty work for the Duong family.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fine pledged that throughout the trial, prosecutors planned to present copious text messages, taped phone calls, video recordings and financial records chronicling the conspiracy and bribery scheme — and corroborating Juarez’s claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When you hear Juarez’s testimony, will see how it lines up with all of that other evidence,” Fine told the court.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday, prosecutors plan to call Leigh Hanson, who served as Thao’s chief of staff. Hanson parted with the city shortly after Kevin Jenkins took office as interim mayor following Thao’s recall and subsequently \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/04/01/leigh-hanson-oakland-mayor-chief-of-staff-whistleblower-lawsuit/\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> against Oakland alleging that she was wrongfully fired.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "dont-skip-the-school-board-races-on-your-ballot-heres-why-they-could-be-pivotal",
"title": "Don’t Skip the School Board Races on Your Ballot. Here’s Why They Could Be Pivotal",
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"headTitle": "Don’t Skip the School Board Races on Your Ballot. Here’s Why They Could Be Pivotal | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/educationnews\">school districts\u003c/a> across the Bay Area, years of declining enrollment are forcing major cuts and closures; students’ math and reading scores are in a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">free fall\u003c/a>; and campuses are being confronted with many of our major political fights, from transgender rights to AI regulation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But in many cases, the people elected to navigate these challenges earn that significant power by a margin as small as a couple hundred votes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than half of school board candidates across the U.S. run uncontested in an average election cycle, and voter turnout hovers between 5% and 10%. And school board races tend to be “low information,” meaning voters know little about who the candidates are or where they stand on key issues, many of which are similar across districts throughout the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED asked \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">390 candidates vying for 109 school board seats\u003c/a> across the nine-county Bay Area in November for their stance on some of these topics, from potential school closures to cellphone use — information voters can use at a time that education experts say is pivotal to public schools’ success. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have some unambiguously big problems for schools,” said Jon Valant, who directs the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution. “You can have a big impact, and you can have a big impact at a time when schools are facing a lot of important questions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do school boards actually do?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>School boards oversee large budgets, act as major employers and make policy and curriculum decisions that affect thousands of young people — and have rippling impacts on their wider communities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Public schools] are the primary institutions that we have for preparing people to be contributing members of our society, democracy and economy,” Valant said. “When you’re participating in a school board election, you’re really having a say in the structure of our society more broadly.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bodies have a few main functions: approving a school district’s budget — which for an urban district like San Francisco, tops $1.36 billion — and hiring and evaluating a superintendent, the person “who’s really responsible for running the system,” according to Julie Marsh, a faculty director at Policy Analysis for California Education.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>School boards set priorities, such as student outcome goals and community values, that are supposed to guide decision-making by the superintendent and district staff. They also approve curriculum and labor contracts and can steer high-level policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Culture war battlegrounds\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Less officially, school boards have also become political arenas.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Schools and particularly school boards have really become some of the country’s main battlegrounds for its culture wars,” Valant said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He traces the trend back to the COVID-19 pandemic, when some groups of parents began organizing and rallying against masking and vaccine mandates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1571\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103881\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-160x126.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-1536x1207.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Martha Aguilera, left, with Karen Frost of Moms for Liberty, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand, A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around the same time, groups like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101904708/conservative-mothers-as-a-political-force-in-california\">Moms for Liberty\u003c/a> were on the rise, advocating against curriculum that teaches about LGBTQ rights and race and ethnicity. They began running school board candidates and establishing a sustained presence at school board meetings, sowing fear that public schools are pushing “woke indoctrination.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen far-right leaders who have been quite successful with this approach where they run well-funded groups, organize and run a candidate on an ideological platform,” Marsh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She and other experts said the rise of candidates running for the nonpartisan roles backed by political interest groups became especially prominent in the early 2020s. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While these groups’ influence on school board races seems to be dying down in California, Valant said a recent national Brookings survey found that school board members still feel their governance has become more political and partisan in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Marsh said that conservative groups have also used the tactic to upend trust in school systems more broadly and “mobilize their base.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a whole strategy of creating a bench for potential candidates for higher office,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1372\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086196\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-1536x1054.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sonja Shaw, Chino Valley Unified School District Board President, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand: A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sonja Shaw, who is in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086044/conservative-activist-sonja-shaw-advances-in-state-superintendent-race\">runoff election for California state superintendent\u003c/a> this November, rose to notoriety as Chino Valley’s school board president in 2023, when she pushed for a policy that would require school staff to notify parents of any change in their children’s gender identity. Shaw made headlines after current state Superintendent Tony Thurmond was heckled and removed from her district’s board meeting after he expressed opposition to the policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The policy was permanently halted in 2024, after a lawsuit from Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with similar campaigns to implement “forced outing” in Rocklin and counties in Southern California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump also harnessed fear surrounding schools’ policies around LGBTQ students in the final stretch of his 2024 reelection campaign, telling a crowd of about 20,000 at Madison Square Garden, “we will get … transgender insanity the hell out of our schools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He repeatedly told voters: “your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation,” changing their sex.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Big, big issues’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While “culture war politics” draw attention and tend to spur single-issue candidates to run for school boards, Valant said, “we need really to be focused on some of the core issues in education.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Artificial intelligence] has kind of landed on schools’ laps, and questions about how technology should be embedded into the school day,” he said. “We’ve seen achievement declines across the country and growing gaps between the highest- and lowest-scoring students. We’ve seen chronic absenteeism and enrollment declines.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And, we’ve seen a growing attack on public education across the country,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103883\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nick Melvoin, Member of the Los Angeles Unified School District, speaks during a board meeting at the LAUSD headquarters on April 21, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. The LAUSD met to discuss a resolution calling for development of a Screen Time Policy setting time limits by grade, including elimination of student digital devices for early education through first grade, prohibiting device use by elementary and middle school students during passing periods, lunch and recess. The board unanimously voted to approve Board Member Melvoin’s Resolution to limit student screen time. (Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the boards elected this November will be tasked with deciding how their districts will weather shrinking student bodies, and whether to close schools as part of that process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/school-closures\">closure process\u003c/a> is almost always met with strong opposition from families and teachers, but how districts approach it can significantly change how it affects enrollment and trust.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s former superintendent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010008/sf-schools-crisis-is-spiraling-with-top-official-to-resign-heres-all-thats-happened\">resigned under pressure\u003c/a> in 2024 after a botched closure process that strained relationships with the district’s labor unions and many families. But earlier this year, the school board \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095382/as-sfusd-welcomes-back-students-officials-plan-to-revamp-enrollment-consider-closures\">reopened the question of school consolidations\u003c/a>, giving Superintendent Maria Su a strict deadline of 2030 to decide whether campuses should shutter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board — including the three members who will be elected this fall — will have final approval over her plan.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Campus closures can upend longstanding school communities, and National School Board Association president Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs said they have rippling effects on nearby businesses, property values and neighborhood populations if they spur families to move.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of the 140 Bay Area school board candidates who responded to KQED’s question about school closures, 57% said they would consider supporting a proposal from their district to close schools, while 43% said they would oppose the practice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Boards are also setting the course for the future of technology in classrooms, as parent-led backlash expands across the country, blaming overreliance on screens and artificial intelligence for poor learning outcomes. According to a joint Education Scorecard project from researchers at Stanford, Harvard and Dartmouth universities, falling test scores reflect a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">decadelong “learning recession.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the spring, the Los Angeles Unified School District board passed a slate of historic tech-limiting policies, proposed by board member Nick Melvoin, with advocacy group Schools Beyond Screens. Districts across the country have moved quickly to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096557/a-chromebook-in-the-hand-of-every-child-did-schools-go-too-far\">replicate their model\u003c/a>, including in the Bay Area, from San José to Marin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last week, the Oakland school board approved new technology restrictions, proposed by board member Rachel Latta, that prohibit students from using individual devices during lunch and passing periods, and mandate training for teachers to reduce 1:1 device use by the fall of 2027. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other districts in San Francisco, San Mateo and Palo Alto have formed ad hoc committees or working groups to consider stricter tech policies, which will be presented to their new boards in the spring.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s public school district is relatively behind on limiting tech use — the current board allowed administrators to punt on a stricter cellphone policy last spring, and it uses a controversial AI-assisted reading assessment and tutoring tool with kindergarteners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Combatting federal attacks\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Voters aren’t just choosing who will make major instructional decisions at their local school districts; Valant said voting in school board elections this November will send an important message amid what he calls a “federal attack” on public schools.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Staying engaged with school boards, with education, with your local public school, is just really important in communicating that public schools are institutions that mean a lot to this country,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since taking office last year, Trump has signed an executive order directing the dismantling of the Department of Education and created a federal \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/media/document/education-freedom-tax-credit-fact-sheet-113147.pdf\">Education Freedom Scholarship Program\u003c/a>, which aims to expand parents’ school choice by allowing them to receive tax credits up to $1,700 that can be used to pay for private school tuition, home-schooling costs, and other educational support.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2285787606-scaled-e1791586238561.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091600\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Saul Loeb/Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Those together are the biggest change in school policy since at least the early 1990s,” said professor Doug Harris, the director of the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice at Tulane University. “The idea of open access or universal access to schools is upended. Public education has always involved some public governance, and this eliminates [that].”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Valant called the universal private school choice policies, adopted by more than half of U.S. states, not including California, “intentionally hostile to public schools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the federal government has suggested that school choice increases competition and will improve public schools, Valant and others worry it will siphon funds away from the public system and toward schools that are able to select which students they serve — and often teach religious material.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has also threatened to withhold federal dollars from school districts that teach about diversity, equity and inclusion, or promote policies that protect transgender students. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June, the Department of Education launched compliance reviews into SFUSD and three Monterey County school districts over their policies and materials related to gender identity and sexual orientation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Maria Su testifies during a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on parental rights and school content policies, on June 10, 2026, in Washington. (Kevin Wolf/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Later that month, San Francisco Superintendent Su was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086522/congress-to-grill-san-francisco-schools-chief-maria-su-about-gender-ethnic-studies\">called to testify\u003c/a> before Congress about parental rights and “inappropriate” course curriculum.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All of that adds up to a current moment that Marsh described as an attack on public education and democracy at large, adding that voting is essential to maintain those institutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“A democracy that focuses on the common good … actually requires people to look out for other kids, not just their own families,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“School boards are one of our few local institutions that are both defending democracy and public education,” she said. “The federal government can’t do anything about our boards — the school board system is well established, and I think we need to defend that.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/educationnews\">school districts\u003c/a> across the Bay Area, years of declining enrollment are forcing major cuts and closures; students’ math and reading scores are in a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">free fall\u003c/a>; and campuses are being confronted with many of our major political fights, from transgender rights to AI regulation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But in many cases, the people elected to navigate these challenges earn that significant power by a margin as small as a couple hundred votes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>More than half of school board candidates across the U.S. run uncontested in an average election cycle, and voter turnout hovers between 5% and 10%. And school board races tend to be “low information,” meaning voters know little about who the candidates are or where they stand on key issues, many of which are similar across districts throughout the state.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>More than half of school board candidates across the U.S. run uncontested in an average election cycle, and voter turnout hovers between 5% and 10%. And school board races tend to be “low information,” meaning voters know little about who the candidates are or where they stand on key issues, many of which are similar across districts throughout the state.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED asked \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">390 candidates vying for 109 school board seats\u003c/a> across the nine-county Bay Area in November for their stance on some of these topics, from potential school closures to cellphone use — information voters can use at a time that education experts say is pivotal to public schools’ success. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>KQED asked \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">390 candidates vying for 109 school board seats\u003c/a> across the nine-county Bay Area in November for their stance on some of these topics, from potential school closures to cellphone use — information voters can use at a time that education experts say is pivotal to public schools’ success. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have some unambiguously big problems for schools,” said Jon Valant, who directs the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution. “You can have a big impact, and you can have a big impact at a time when schools are facing a lot of important questions.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have some unambiguously big problems for schools,” said Jon Valant, who directs the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution. “You can have a big impact, and you can have a big impact at a time when schools are facing a lot of important questions.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do school boards actually do?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do school boards actually do?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>School boards oversee large budgets, act as major employers and make policy and curriculum decisions that affect thousands of young people — and have rippling impacts on their wider communities.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>School boards oversee large budgets, act as major employers and make policy and curriculum decisions that affect thousands of young people — and have rippling impacts on their wider communities.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Public schools] are the primary institutions that we have for preparing people to be contributing members of our society, democracy and economy,” Valant said. “When you’re participating in a school board election, you’re really having a say in the structure of our society more broadly.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[Public schools] are the primary institutions that we have for preparing people to be contributing members of our society, democracy and economy,” Valant said. “When you’re participating in a school board election, you’re really having a say in the structure of our society more broadly.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bodies have a few main functions: approving a school district’s budget — which for an urban district like San Francisco, tops $1.36 billion — and hiring and evaluating a superintendent, the person “who’s really responsible for running the system,” according to Julie Marsh, a faculty director at Policy Analysis for California Education.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The bodies have a few main functions: approving a school district’s budget — which for an urban district like San Francisco, tops $1.36 billion — and hiring and evaluating a superintendent, the person “who’s really responsible for running the system,” according to Julie Marsh, a faculty director at Policy Analysis for California Education.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>School boards set priorities, such as student outcome goals and community values, that are supposed to guide decision-making by the superintendent and district staff. They also approve curriculum and labor contracts and can steer high-level policy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>School boards set priorities, such as student outcome goals and community values, that are supposed to guide decision-making by the superintendent and district staff. They also approve curriculum and labor contracts and can steer high-level policy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Culture war battlegrounds\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Less officially, school boards have also become political arenas.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Schools and particularly school boards have really become some of the country’s main battlegrounds for its culture wars,” Valant said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Schools and particularly school boards have really become some of the country’s main battlegrounds for its culture wars,” Valant said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He traces the trend back to the COVID-19 pandemic, when some groups of parents began organizing and rallying against masking and vaccine mandates.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He traces the trend back to the COVID-19 pandemic, when some groups of parents began organizing and rallying against masking and vaccine mandates.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103881\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-160x126.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-1536x1207.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Martha Aguilera, left, with Karen Frost of Moms for Liberty, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand, A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103881\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Martha Aguilera, left, with Karen Frost of Moms for Liberty, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand, A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Around the same time, groups like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101904708/conservative-mothers-as-a-political-force-in-california\">Moms for Liberty\u003c/a> were on the rise, advocating against curriculum that teaches about LGBTQ rights and race and ethnicity. They began running school board candidates and establishing a sustained presence at school board meetings, sowing fear that public schools are pushing “woke indoctrination.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Around the same time, groups like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101904708/conservative-mothers-as-a-political-force-in-california\">Moms for Liberty\u003c/a> were on the rise, advocating against curriculum that teaches about LGBTQ rights and race and ethnicity. They began running school board candidates and establishing a sustained presence at school board meetings, sowing fear that public schools are pushing “woke indoctrination.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen far-right leaders who have been quite successful with this approach where they run well-funded groups, organize and run a candidate on an ideological platform,” Marsh said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen far-right leaders who have been quite successful with this approach where they run well-funded groups, organize and run a candidate on an ideological platform,” Marsh said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She and other experts said the rise of candidates running for the nonpartisan roles backed by political interest groups became especially prominent in the early 2020s. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She and other experts said the rise of candidates running for the nonpartisan roles backed by political interest groups became especially prominent in the early 2020s. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While these groups’ influence on school board races seems to be dying down in California, Valant said a recent national Brookings survey found that school board members still feel their governance has become more political and partisan in recent years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While these groups’ influence on school board races seems to be dying down in California, Valant said a recent national Brookings survey found that school board members still feel their governance has become more political and partisan in recent years. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Marsh said that conservative groups have also used the tactic to upend trust in school systems more broadly and “mobilize their base.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s a whole strategy of creating a bench for potential candidates for higher office,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086196\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-1536x1054.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sonja Shaw, Chino Valley Unified School District Board President, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand: A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086196\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sonja Shaw, Chino Valley Unified School District Board President, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand: A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sonja Shaw, who is in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086044/conservative-activist-sonja-shaw-advances-in-state-superintendent-race\">runoff election for California state superintendent\u003c/a> this November, rose to notoriety as Chino Valley’s school board president in 2023, when she pushed for a policy that would require school staff to notify parents of any change in their children’s gender identity. Shaw made headlines after current state Superintendent Tony Thurmond was heckled and removed from her district’s board meeting after he expressed opposition to the policy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sonja Shaw, who is in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086044/conservative-activist-sonja-shaw-advances-in-state-superintendent-race\">runoff election for California state superintendent\u003c/a> this November, rose to notoriety as Chino Valley’s school board president in 2023, when she pushed for a policy that would require school staff to notify parents of any change in their children’s gender identity. Shaw made headlines after current state Superintendent Tony Thurmond was heckled and removed from her district’s board meeting after he expressed opposition to the policy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The policy was permanently halted in 2024, after a lawsuit from Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with similar campaigns to implement “forced outing” in Rocklin and counties in Southern California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump also harnessed fear surrounding schools’ policies around LGBTQ students in the final stretch of his 2024 reelection campaign, telling a crowd of about 20,000 at Madison Square Garden, “we will get … transgender insanity the hell out of our schools.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump also harnessed fear surrounding schools’ policies around LGBTQ students in the final stretch of his 2024 reelection campaign, telling a crowd of about 20,000 at Madison Square Garden, “we will get … transgender insanity the hell out of our schools.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He repeatedly told voters: “your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation,” changing their sex.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While “culture war politics” draw attention and tend to spur single-issue candidates to run for school boards, Valant said, “we need really to be focused on some of the core issues in education.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While “culture war politics” draw attention and tend to spur single-issue candidates to run for school boards, Valant said, “we need really to be focused on some of the core issues in education.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Artificial intelligence] has kind of landed on schools’ laps, and questions about how technology should be embedded into the school day,” he said. “We’ve seen achievement declines across the country and growing gaps between the highest- and lowest-scoring students. We’ve seen chronic absenteeism and enrollment declines.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[Artificial intelligence] has kind of landed on schools’ laps, and questions about how technology should be embedded into the school day,” he said. “We’ve seen achievement declines across the country and growing gaps between the highest- and lowest-scoring students. We’ve seen chronic absenteeism and enrollment declines.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“And, we’ve seen a growing attack on public education across the country,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103883\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nick Melvoin, Member of the Los Angeles Unified School District, speaks during a board meeting at the LAUSD headquarters on April 21, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. The LAUSD met to discuss a resolution calling for development of a Screen Time Policy setting time limits by grade, including elimination of student digital devices for early education through first grade, prohibiting device use by elementary and middle school students during passing periods, lunch and recess. The board unanimously voted to approve Board Member Melvoin’s Resolution to limit student screen time.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103883\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nick Melvoin, Member of the Los Angeles Unified School District, speaks during a board meeting at the LAUSD headquarters on April 21, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. The LAUSD met to discuss a resolution calling for development of a Screen Time Policy setting time limits by grade, including elimination of student digital devices for early education through first grade, prohibiting device use by elementary and middle school students during passing periods, lunch and recess. The board unanimously voted to approve Board Member Melvoin’s Resolution to limit student screen time.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many of the boards elected this November will be tasked with deciding how their districts will weather shrinking student bodies, and whether to close schools as part of that process.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many of the boards elected this November will be tasked with deciding how their districts will weather shrinking student bodies, and whether to close schools as part of that process.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/school-closures\">closure process\u003c/a> is almost always met with strong opposition from families and teachers, but how districts approach it can significantly change how it affects enrollment and trust.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/school-closures\">closure process\u003c/a> is almost always met with strong opposition from families and teachers, but how districts approach it can significantly change how it affects enrollment and trust.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s former superintendent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010008/sf-schools-crisis-is-spiraling-with-top-official-to-resign-heres-all-thats-happened\">resigned under pressure\u003c/a> in 2024 after a botched closure process that strained relationships with the district’s labor unions and many families. But earlier this year, the school board \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095382/as-sfusd-welcomes-back-students-officials-plan-to-revamp-enrollment-consider-closures\">reopened the question of school consolidations\u003c/a>, giving Superintendent Maria Su a strict deadline of 2030 to decide whether campuses should shutter. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The board — including the three members who will be elected this fall — will have final approval over her plan.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Campus closures can upend longstanding school communities, and National School Board Association president Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs said they have rippling effects on nearby businesses, property values and neighborhood populations if they spur families to move.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Campus closures can upend longstanding school communities, and National School Board Association president Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs said they have rippling effects on nearby businesses, property values and neighborhood populations if they spur families to move.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Of the 140 Bay Area school board candidates who responded to KQED’s question about school closures, 57% said they would consider supporting a proposal from their district to close schools, while 43% said they would oppose the practice.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Of the 140 Bay Area school board candidates who responded to KQED’s question about school closures, 57% said they would consider supporting a proposal from their district to close schools, while 43% said they would oppose the practice.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Boards are also setting the course for the future of technology in classrooms, as parent-led backlash expands across the country, blaming overreliance on screens and artificial intelligence for poor learning outcomes. According to a joint Education Scorecard project from researchers at Stanford, Harvard and Dartmouth universities, falling test scores reflect a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">decadelong “learning recession.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Boards are also setting the course for the future of technology in classrooms, as parent-led backlash expands across the country, blaming overreliance on screens and artificial intelligence for poor learning outcomes. According to a joint Education Scorecard project from researchers at Stanford, Harvard and Dartmouth universities, falling test scores reflect a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">decadelong “learning recession.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the spring, the Los Angeles Unified School District board passed a slate of historic tech-limiting policies, proposed by board member Nick Melvoin, with advocacy group Schools Beyond Screens. Districts across the country have moved quickly to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096557/a-chromebook-in-the-hand-of-every-child-did-schools-go-too-far\">replicate their model\u003c/a>, including in the Bay Area, from San José to Marin.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the spring, the Los Angeles Unified School District board passed a slate of historic tech-limiting policies, proposed by board member Nick Melvoin, with advocacy group Schools Beyond Screens. Districts across the country have moved quickly to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096557/a-chromebook-in-the-hand-of-every-child-did-schools-go-too-far\">replicate their model\u003c/a>, including in the Bay Area, from San José to Marin.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last week, the Oakland school board approved new technology restrictions, proposed by board member Rachel Latta, that prohibit students from using individual devices during lunch and passing periods, and mandate training for teachers to reduce 1:1 device use by the fall of 2027. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Last week, the Oakland school board approved new technology restrictions, proposed by board member Rachel Latta, that prohibit students from using individual devices during lunch and passing periods, and mandate training for teachers to reduce 1:1 device use by the fall of 2027. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other districts in San Francisco, San Mateo and Palo Alto have formed ad hoc committees or working groups to consider stricter tech policies, which will be presented to their new boards in the spring.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Other districts in San Francisco, San Mateo and Palo Alto have formed ad hoc committees or working groups to consider stricter tech policies, which will be presented to their new boards in the spring.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s public school district is relatively behind on limiting tech use — the current board allowed administrators to punt on a stricter cellphone policy last spring, and it uses a controversial AI-assisted reading assessment and tutoring tool with kindergarteners.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s public school district is relatively behind on limiting tech use — the current board allowed administrators to punt on a stricter cellphone policy last spring, and it uses a controversial AI-assisted reading assessment and tutoring tool with kindergarteners.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Combatting federal attacks",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Combatting federal attacks\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Voters aren’t just choosing who will make major instructional decisions at their local school districts; Valant said voting in school board elections this November will send an important message amid what he calls a “federal attack” on public schools.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Voters aren’t just choosing who will make major instructional decisions at their local school districts; Valant said voting in school board elections this November will send an important message amid what he calls a “federal attack” on public schools.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Staying engaged with school boards, with education, with your local public school, is just really important in communicating that public schools are institutions that mean a lot to this country,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Staying engaged with school boards, with education, with your local public school, is just really important in communicating that public schools are institutions that mean a lot to this country,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since taking office last year, Trump has signed an executive order directing the dismantling of the Department of Education and created a federal \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/media/document/education-freedom-tax-credit-fact-sheet-113147.pdf\">Education Freedom Scholarship Program\u003c/a>, which aims to expand parents’ school choice by allowing them to receive tax credits up to $1,700 that can be used to pay for private school tuition, home-schooling costs, and other educational support.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Since taking office last year, Trump has signed an executive order directing the dismantling of the Department of Education and created a federal \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/media/document/education-freedom-tax-credit-fact-sheet-113147.pdf\">Education Freedom Scholarship Program\u003c/a>, which aims to expand parents’ school choice by allowing them to receive tax credits up to $1,700 that can be used to pay for private school tuition, home-schooling costs, and other educational support.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2285787606-scaled-e1791586238561.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091600\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Saul Loeb/Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2285787606-scaled-e1791586238561.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091600\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Saul Loeb/Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Those together are the biggest change in school policy since at least the early 1990s,” said professor Doug Harris, the director of the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice at Tulane University. “The idea of open access or universal access to schools is upended. Public education has always involved some public governance, and this eliminates [that].”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Those together are the biggest change in school policy since at least the early 1990s,” said professor Doug Harris, the director of the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice at Tulane University. “The idea of open access or universal access to schools is upended. Public education has always involved some public governance, and this eliminates [that].”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Valant called the universal private school choice policies, adopted by more than half of U.S. states, not including California, “intentionally hostile to public schools.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While the federal government has suggested that school choice increases competition and will improve public schools, Valant and others worry it will siphon funds away from the public system and toward schools that are able to select which students they serve — and often teach religious material.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While the federal government has suggested that school choice increases competition and will improve public schools, Valant and others worry it will siphon funds away from the public system and toward schools that are able to select which students they serve — and often teach religious material.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has also threatened to withhold federal dollars from school districts that teach about diversity, equity and inclusion, or promote policies that protect transgender students. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later that month, San Francisco Superintendent Su was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086522/congress-to-grill-san-francisco-schools-chief-maria-su-about-gender-ethnic-studies\">called to testify\u003c/a> before Congress about parental rights and “inappropriate” course curriculum.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All of that adds up to a current moment that Marsh described as an attack on public education and democracy at large, adding that voting is essential to maintain those institutions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“A democracy that focuses on the common good … actually requires people to look out for other kids, not just their own families,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“School boards are one of our few local institutions that are both defending democracy and public education,” she said. “The federal government can’t do anything about our boards — the school board system is well established, and I think we need to defend that.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Public schools across the Bay Area are facing “some unambiguously big problems,” education experts say, but the elections for local school boards often fly under the radar.",
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"title": "Don’t Skip the School Board Races on Your Ballot. Here’s Why They Could Be Pivotal | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/educationnews\">school districts\u003c/a> across the Bay Area, years of declining enrollment are forcing major cuts and closures; students’ math and reading scores are in a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">free fall\u003c/a>; and campuses are being confronted with many of our major political fights, from transgender rights to AI regulation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But in many cases, the people elected to navigate these challenges earn that significant power by a margin as small as a couple hundred votes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than half of school board candidates across the U.S. run uncontested in an average election cycle, and voter turnout hovers between 5% and 10%. And school board races tend to be “low information,” meaning voters know little about who the candidates are or where they stand on key issues, many of which are similar across districts throughout the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED asked \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">390 candidates vying for 109 school board seats\u003c/a> across the nine-county Bay Area in November for their stance on some of these topics, from potential school closures to cellphone use — information voters can use at a time that education experts say is pivotal to public schools’ success. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have some unambiguously big problems for schools,” said Jon Valant, who directs the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution. “You can have a big impact, and you can have a big impact at a time when schools are facing a lot of important questions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do school boards actually do?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>School boards oversee large budgets, act as major employers and make policy and curriculum decisions that affect thousands of young people — and have rippling impacts on their wider communities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Public schools] are the primary institutions that we have for preparing people to be contributing members of our society, democracy and economy,” Valant said. “When you’re participating in a school board election, you’re really having a say in the structure of our society more broadly.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bodies have a few main functions: approving a school district’s budget — which for an urban district like San Francisco, tops $1.36 billion — and hiring and evaluating a superintendent, the person “who’s really responsible for running the system,” according to Julie Marsh, a faculty director at Policy Analysis for California Education.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>School boards set priorities, such as student outcome goals and community values, that are supposed to guide decision-making by the superintendent and district staff. They also approve curriculum and labor contracts and can steer high-level policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Culture war battlegrounds\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Less officially, school boards have also become political arenas.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Schools and particularly school boards have really become some of the country’s main battlegrounds for its culture wars,” Valant said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He traces the trend back to the COVID-19 pandemic, when some groups of parents began organizing and rallying against masking and vaccine mandates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1571\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103881\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-160x126.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-1536x1207.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Martha Aguilera, left, with Karen Frost of Moms for Liberty, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand, A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around the same time, groups like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101904708/conservative-mothers-as-a-political-force-in-california\">Moms for Liberty\u003c/a> were on the rise, advocating against curriculum that teaches about LGBTQ rights and race and ethnicity. They began running school board candidates and establishing a sustained presence at school board meetings, sowing fear that public schools are pushing “woke indoctrination.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen far-right leaders who have been quite successful with this approach where they run well-funded groups, organize and run a candidate on an ideological platform,” Marsh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She and other experts said the rise of candidates running for the nonpartisan roles backed by political interest groups became especially prominent in the early 2020s. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While these groups’ influence on school board races seems to be dying down in California, Valant said a recent national Brookings survey found that school board members still feel their governance has become more political and partisan in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Marsh said that conservative groups have also used the tactic to upend trust in school systems more broadly and “mobilize their base.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a whole strategy of creating a bench for potential candidates for higher office,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1372\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086196\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-1536x1054.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sonja Shaw, Chino Valley Unified School District Board President, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand: A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sonja Shaw, who is in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086044/conservative-activist-sonja-shaw-advances-in-state-superintendent-race\">runoff election for California state superintendent\u003c/a> this November, rose to notoriety as Chino Valley’s school board president in 2023, when she pushed for a policy that would require school staff to notify parents of any change in their children’s gender identity. Shaw made headlines after current state Superintendent Tony Thurmond was heckled and removed from her district’s board meeting after he expressed opposition to the policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The policy was permanently halted in 2024, after a lawsuit from Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with similar campaigns to implement “forced outing” in Rocklin and counties in Southern California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump also harnessed fear surrounding schools’ policies around LGBTQ students in the final stretch of his 2024 reelection campaign, telling a crowd of about 20,000 at Madison Square Garden, “we will get … transgender insanity the hell out of our schools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He repeatedly told voters: “your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation,” changing their sex.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Big, big issues’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While “culture war politics” draw attention and tend to spur single-issue candidates to run for school boards, Valant said, “we need really to be focused on some of the core issues in education.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Artificial intelligence] has kind of landed on schools’ laps, and questions about how technology should be embedded into the school day,” he said. “We’ve seen achievement declines across the country and growing gaps between the highest- and lowest-scoring students. We’ve seen chronic absenteeism and enrollment declines.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And, we’ve seen a growing attack on public education across the country,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103883\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nick Melvoin, Member of the Los Angeles Unified School District, speaks during a board meeting at the LAUSD headquarters on April 21, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. The LAUSD met to discuss a resolution calling for development of a Screen Time Policy setting time limits by grade, including elimination of student digital devices for early education through first grade, prohibiting device use by elementary and middle school students during passing periods, lunch and recess. The board unanimously voted to approve Board Member Melvoin’s Resolution to limit student screen time. (Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the boards elected this November will be tasked with deciding how their districts will weather shrinking student bodies, and whether to close schools as part of that process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/school-closures\">closure process\u003c/a> is almost always met with strong opposition from families and teachers, but how districts approach it can significantly change how it affects enrollment and trust.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s former superintendent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010008/sf-schools-crisis-is-spiraling-with-top-official-to-resign-heres-all-thats-happened\">resigned under pressure\u003c/a> in 2024 after a botched closure process that strained relationships with the district’s labor unions and many families. But earlier this year, the school board \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095382/as-sfusd-welcomes-back-students-officials-plan-to-revamp-enrollment-consider-closures\">reopened the question of school consolidations\u003c/a>, giving Superintendent Maria Su a strict deadline of 2030 to decide whether campuses should shutter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board — including the three members who will be elected this fall — will have final approval over her plan.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Campus closures can upend longstanding school communities, and National School Board Association president Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs said they have rippling effects on nearby businesses, property values and neighborhood populations if they spur families to move.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of the 140 Bay Area school board candidates who responded to KQED’s question about school closures, 57% said they would consider supporting a proposal from their district to close schools, while 43% said they would oppose the practice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Boards are also setting the course for the future of technology in classrooms, as parent-led backlash expands across the country, blaming overreliance on screens and artificial intelligence for poor learning outcomes. According to a joint Education Scorecard project from researchers at Stanford, Harvard and Dartmouth universities, falling test scores reflect a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">decadelong “learning recession.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the spring, the Los Angeles Unified School District board passed a slate of historic tech-limiting policies, proposed by board member Nick Melvoin, with advocacy group Schools Beyond Screens. Districts across the country have moved quickly to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096557/a-chromebook-in-the-hand-of-every-child-did-schools-go-too-far\">replicate their model\u003c/a>, including in the Bay Area, from San José to Marin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last week, the Oakland school board approved new technology restrictions, proposed by board member Rachel Latta, that prohibit students from using individual devices during lunch and passing periods, and mandate training for teachers to reduce 1:1 device use by the fall of 2027. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other districts in San Francisco, San Mateo and Palo Alto have formed ad hoc committees or working groups to consider stricter tech policies, which will be presented to their new boards in the spring.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s public school district is relatively behind on limiting tech use — the current board allowed administrators to punt on a stricter cellphone policy last spring, and it uses a controversial AI-assisted reading assessment and tutoring tool with kindergarteners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Combatting federal attacks\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Voters aren’t just choosing who will make major instructional decisions at their local school districts; Valant said voting in school board elections this November will send an important message amid what he calls a “federal attack” on public schools.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Staying engaged with school boards, with education, with your local public school, is just really important in communicating that public schools are institutions that mean a lot to this country,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since taking office last year, Trump has signed an executive order directing the dismantling of the Department of Education and created a federal \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/media/document/education-freedom-tax-credit-fact-sheet-113147.pdf\">Education Freedom Scholarship Program\u003c/a>, which aims to expand parents’ school choice by allowing them to receive tax credits up to $1,700 that can be used to pay for private school tuition, home-schooling costs, and other educational support.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2285787606-scaled-e1791586238561.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091600\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Saul Loeb/Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Those together are the biggest change in school policy since at least the early 1990s,” said professor Doug Harris, the director of the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice at Tulane University. “The idea of open access or universal access to schools is upended. Public education has always involved some public governance, and this eliminates [that].”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Valant called the universal private school choice policies, adopted by more than half of U.S. states, not including California, “intentionally hostile to public schools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the federal government has suggested that school choice increases competition and will improve public schools, Valant and others worry it will siphon funds away from the public system and toward schools that are able to select which students they serve — and often teach religious material.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has also threatened to withhold federal dollars from school districts that teach about diversity, equity and inclusion, or promote policies that protect transgender students. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June, the Department of Education launched compliance reviews into SFUSD and three Monterey County school districts over their policies and materials related to gender identity and sexual orientation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Maria Su testifies during a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on parental rights and school content policies, on June 10, 2026, in Washington. (Kevin Wolf/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Later that month, San Francisco Superintendent Su was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086522/congress-to-grill-san-francisco-schools-chief-maria-su-about-gender-ethnic-studies\">called to testify\u003c/a> before Congress about parental rights and “inappropriate” course curriculum.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All of that adds up to a current moment that Marsh described as an attack on public education and democracy at large, adding that voting is essential to maintain those institutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“A democracy that focuses on the common good … actually requires people to look out for other kids, not just their own families,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“School boards are one of our few local institutions that are both defending democracy and public education,” she said. “The federal government can’t do anything about our boards — the school board system is well established, and I think we need to defend that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "sfusd-moves-closer-to-neighborhood-based-enrollment-in-historic-vote",
"title": "SFUSD Moves Closer to Neighborhood-Based Enrollment in Historic Vote",
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"headTitle": "SFUSD Moves Closer to Neighborhood-Based Enrollment in Historic Vote | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sfusd\">public schools\u003c/a> will officially move toward neighborhood-based enrollment after decades of giving families the choice over where they send their children.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The school board directed staff on Tuesday to propose an enrollment policy to take effect in fall 2028 that would ensure San Francisco Unified School District applicants a seat in a school by their home — but drastically reduce the number of campuses they can attend based on where they live.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The school board’s decision, which passed in a 5-2 vote, went against broad parent support to retain the option to apply to any San Francisco public school. But Superintendent Maria Su said she believes the pivot to neighborhood schools is necessary to improve educational quality across the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Families should not have to roll the dice and try their luck in our system,” Su said. “Families should not have to leave where they live to secure their child’s future. The school down the street should be a good option and a certain one.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095609\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students arrive at Jose Ortega Elementary School for the first day of their school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For years, San Francisco families and school district staff have lamented over the “lottery” enrollment system. Introduced in 2011, it aimed to give applicants a broad choice over where they attended school and reduce socio-economic segregation across campuses.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each fall, prospective SFUSD applicants submit ranked lists of schools and programs in order of preference, and then wait for an assignment in the spring — determined by an algorithm that considers their home addresses, siblings’ schools and other factors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s long been criticized as unpredictable, confusing, and frustrating enough to turn some families away from the city’s public school system entirely. But it’s also been seen as an “escape hatch” for others who don’t feel that the schools in their neighborhoods have the resources their kids need. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2018, the school board vowed to scrap the lottery, but putting a new policy in place has proven to be a Herculean task.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s now expected to change in fall of 2028. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Students entering SFUSD elementary schools that year will automatically be assigned to a school near their home — their neighborhood school — first. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If they choose to accept that placement, their enrollment process will end there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, if they would like to apply to a citywide program that the district offers, like its language pathways or kindergarten through eighth grade campuses, they’ll have the option to do so. Like the lottery, there’s no guarantee they’ll nab a seat in one of those coveted schools. It’s unclear what factors will determine who is most likely to get their choice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Su acknowledged that the selected proposal, known as “Option C,” wasn’t most parents’ top preference, but she called it the “bold” choice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The alternative considered Tuesday, which was dubbed “Option B,” would also have first assigned students to a neighborhood school, but it would have then allowed them to apply to any other school in the district with open seats.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12053561\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Mission Education Center, a bilingual elementary school in the San Francisco Unified School District, in San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood on Aug. 25, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While that system would have maintained more choice for applicants, Su said it would “keep the status quo.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Families who do not trust their neighborhood schools will continue to leave those schools,” she said. “Those schools will remain under-enrolled, and that pattern impacts our southeast neighborhoods the hardest.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the parents who spoke at Tuesday’s packed board meeting voiced concerns about losing the choice that the lottery affords, especially for lower-income families and those who live in the southeast region of the city. And in an engagement survey conducted prior to the meeting, 72% of the nearly 3,000 respondents said Option B would meet their needs, while 48% approved of Option C.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are big equity issues in the district, and when you create a system that favors neighborhood schools with very limited choice, it forces families who are living nearest to those struggling schools to not have options,” said Rebecca Kee, the executive director of the SF Parent Coalition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Option B was also supported by board members Alida Fisher and Supriya Ray, who voted against Option C. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board previously considered multiple options that would have created enrollment zones, similar to a 2020 policy passed but never adopted, but those were abandoned in earlier discussions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095558\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students arrive at Jose Ortega Elementary School for the first day of their school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For decades, SFUSD has struggled to ensure that schools in lower-income neighborhoods and where students have had lower academic performance rates receive equitable resources, staff and programs — creating a loop of underenrollment, and thus, a lack of funding, for schools with the most acute needs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the current system, one of the tiebreakers that determines who gets a seat at their requested school when it has more requests than seats available is called “CTIP1,” or test score area. Students who live in the census tracts in the city with the lowest average test scores get priority access to a seat, after students with a sibling already in the school, and Pre-K or transitional kindergarten students who live in the school’s attendance area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the board members acknowledged that the lottery provides some students the opportunity to move into better resourced schools. However, Commissioner Matt Alexander said, not all get to do so. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The choice system creates an escape valve for the families that have the most … understand, the most ability to navigate the system,” he said. “But we’re still operating those schools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Choice is not a solution, because it doesn’t offer a solution for all of the families,” Alexander continued.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tuesday’s vote only sets up a broad framework for the new policy. Staff will now begin to work with demographers to draw maps with attendance area boundaries, determine tiebreaker criteria for citywide school seats and draft a strategic investment plan for next year to begin redistributing district resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the biggest challenges they’ll face is ensuring that each attendance zone has enough seats in neighborhood schools for the students who live there. Modeling with the district’s current attendance boundaries, 19 of the 58 zones, or about 32%, will be short of kindergarten general education seats based on projected residents in 2033.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Staff said that by moving attendance boundaries with new maps, they will be able to eliminate some, but not all, of that shortfall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other levers they might use to increase the number of seats in neighborhoods that fall short are: transitioning a citywide school to a neighborhood school, moving language pathways to schools with seat surpluses, or assigning students to a neighborhood school outside of their attendance zone.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board will meet again in November to hash out other details, and is expected to vote on the final policy in April.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s long been criticized as unpredictable, confusing, and frustrating enough to turn some families away from the city’s public school system entirely. But it’s also been seen as an “escape hatch” for others who don’t feel that the schools in their neighborhoods have the resources their kids need. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2018, the school board vowed to scrap the lottery, but putting a new policy in place has proven to be a Herculean task.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s now expected to change in fall of 2028. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Students entering SFUSD elementary schools that year will automatically be assigned to a school near their home — their neighborhood school — first. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If they choose to accept that placement, their enrollment process will end there.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, if they would like to apply to a citywide program that the district offers, like its language pathways or kindergarten through eighth grade campuses, they’ll have the option to do so. Like the lottery, there’s no guarantee they’ll nab a seat in one of those coveted schools. It’s unclear what factors will determine who is most likely to get their choice.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Su acknowledged that the selected proposal, known as “Option C,” wasn’t most parents’ top preference, but she called it the “bold” choice. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The alternative considered Tuesday, which was dubbed “Option B,” would also have first assigned students to a neighborhood school, but it would have then allowed them to apply to any other school in the district with open seats.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12053561\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Mission Education Center, a bilingual elementary school in the San Francisco Unified School District, in San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood on Aug. 25, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12053561\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Mission Education Center, a bilingual elementary school in the San Francisco Unified School District, in San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood on Aug. 25, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While that system would have maintained more choice for applicants, Su said it would “keep the status quo.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While that system would have maintained more choice for applicants, Su said it would “keep the status quo.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Families who do not trust their neighborhood schools will continue to leave those schools,” she said. “Those schools will remain under-enrolled, and that pattern impacts our southeast neighborhoods the hardest.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Families who do not trust their neighborhood schools will continue to leave those schools,” she said. “Those schools will remain under-enrolled, and that pattern impacts our southeast neighborhoods the hardest.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many of the parents who spoke at Tuesday’s packed board meeting voiced concerns about losing the choice that the lottery affords, especially for lower-income families and those who live in the southeast region of the city. And in an engagement survey conducted prior to the meeting, 72% of the nearly 3,000 respondents said Option B would meet their needs, while 48% approved of Option C.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many of the parents who spoke at Tuesday’s packed board meeting voiced concerns about losing the choice that the lottery affords, especially for lower-income families and those who live in the southeast region of the city. And in an engagement survey conducted prior to the meeting, 72% of the nearly 3,000 respondents said Option B would meet their needs, while 48% approved of Option C.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There are big equity issues in the district, and when you create a system that favors neighborhood schools with very limited choice, it forces families who are living nearest to those struggling schools to not have options,” said Rebecca Kee, the executive director of the SF Parent Coalition. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There are big equity issues in the district, and when you create a system that favors neighborhood schools with very limited choice, it forces families who are living nearest to those struggling schools to not have options,” said Rebecca Kee, the executive director of the SF Parent Coalition. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Option B was also supported by board members Alida Fisher and Supriya Ray, who voted against Option C. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Option B was also supported by board members Alida Fisher and Supriya Ray, who voted against Option C. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The board previously considered multiple options that would have created enrollment zones, similar to a 2020 policy passed but never adopted, but those were abandoned in earlier discussions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The board previously considered multiple options that would have created enrollment zones, similar to a 2020 policy passed but never adopted, but those were abandoned in earlier discussions. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095558\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students arrive at Jose Ortega Elementary School for the first day of their school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095558\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students arrive at Jose Ortega Elementary School for the first day of their school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For decades, SFUSD has struggled to ensure that schools in lower-income neighborhoods and where students have had lower academic performance rates receive equitable resources, staff and programs — creating a loop of underenrollment, and thus, a lack of funding, for schools with the most acute needs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For decades, SFUSD has struggled to ensure that schools in lower-income neighborhoods and where students have had lower academic performance rates receive equitable resources, staff and programs — creating a loop of underenrollment, and thus, a lack of funding, for schools with the most acute needs.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under the current system, one of the tiebreakers that determines who gets a seat at their requested school when it has more requests than seats available is called “CTIP1,” or test score area. Students who live in the census tracts in the city with the lowest average test scores get priority access to a seat, after students with a sibling already in the school, and Pre-K or transitional kindergarten students who live in the school’s attendance area.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under the current system, one of the tiebreakers that determines who gets a seat at their requested school when it has more requests than seats available is called “CTIP1,” or test score area. Students who live in the census tracts in the city with the lowest average test scores get priority access to a seat, after students with a sibling already in the school, and Pre-K or transitional kindergarten students who live in the school’s attendance area.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many of the board members acknowledged that the lottery provides some students the opportunity to move into better resourced schools. However, Commissioner Matt Alexander said, not all get to do so. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many of the board members acknowledged that the lottery provides some students the opportunity to move into better resourced schools. However, Commissioner Matt Alexander said, not all get to do so. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The choice system creates an escape valve for the families that have the most … understand, the most ability to navigate the system,” he said. “But we’re still operating those schools.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The choice system creates an escape valve for the families that have the most … understand, the most ability to navigate the system,” he said. “But we’re still operating those schools.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Choice is not a solution, because it doesn’t offer a solution for all of the families,” Alexander continued.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Choice is not a solution, because it doesn’t offer a solution for all of the families,” Alexander continued.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tuesday’s vote only sets up a broad framework for the new policy. Staff will now begin to work with demographers to draw maps with attendance area boundaries, determine tiebreaker criteria for citywide school seats and draft a strategic investment plan for next year to begin redistributing district resources. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tuesday’s vote only sets up a broad framework for the new policy. Staff will now begin to work with demographers to draw maps with attendance area boundaries, determine tiebreaker criteria for citywide school seats and draft a strategic investment plan for next year to begin redistributing district resources. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of the biggest challenges they’ll face is ensuring that each attendance zone has enough seats in neighborhood schools for the students who live there. Modeling with the district’s current attendance boundaries, 19 of the 58 zones, or about 32%, will be short of kindergarten general education seats based on projected residents in 2033.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One of the biggest challenges they’ll face is ensuring that each attendance zone has enough seats in neighborhood schools for the students who live there. Modeling with the district’s current attendance boundaries, 19 of the 58 zones, or about 32%, will be short of kindergarten general education seats based on projected residents in 2033.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Staff said that by moving attendance boundaries with new maps, they will be able to eliminate some, but not all, of that shortfall.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other levers they might use to increase the number of seats in neighborhoods that fall short are: transitioning a citywide school to a neighborhood school, moving language pathways to schools with seat surpluses, or assigning students to a neighborhood school outside of their attendance zone.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Other levers they might use to increase the number of seats in neighborhoods that fall short are: transitioning a citywide school to a neighborhood school, moving language pathways to schools with seat surpluses, or assigning students to a neighborhood school outside of their attendance zone.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The board will meet again in November to hash out other details, and is expected to vote on the final policy in April.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "In a 5-2 vote, the board moved to develop a neighborhood-based enrollment system for public school students — despite considerable opposition by parents districtwide.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sfusd\">public schools\u003c/a> will officially move toward neighborhood-based enrollment after decades of giving families the choice over where they send their children.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The school board directed staff on Tuesday to propose an enrollment policy to take effect in fall 2028 that would ensure San Francisco Unified School District applicants a seat in a school by their home — but drastically reduce the number of campuses they can attend based on where they live.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The school board’s decision, which passed in a 5-2 vote, went against broad parent support to retain the option to apply to any San Francisco public school. But Superintendent Maria Su said she believes the pivot to neighborhood schools is necessary to improve educational quality across the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Families should not have to roll the dice and try their luck in our system,” Su said. “Families should not have to leave where they live to secure their child’s future. The school down the street should be a good option and a certain one.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095609\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students arrive at Jose Ortega Elementary School for the first day of their school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For years, San Francisco families and school district staff have lamented over the “lottery” enrollment system. Introduced in 2011, it aimed to give applicants a broad choice over where they attended school and reduce socio-economic segregation across campuses.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each fall, prospective SFUSD applicants submit ranked lists of schools and programs in order of preference, and then wait for an assignment in the spring — determined by an algorithm that considers their home addresses, siblings’ schools and other factors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s long been criticized as unpredictable, confusing, and frustrating enough to turn some families away from the city’s public school system entirely. But it’s also been seen as an “escape hatch” for others who don’t feel that the schools in their neighborhoods have the resources their kids need. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2018, the school board vowed to scrap the lottery, but putting a new policy in place has proven to be a Herculean task.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s now expected to change in fall of 2028. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Students entering SFUSD elementary schools that year will automatically be assigned to a school near their home — their neighborhood school — first. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If they choose to accept that placement, their enrollment process will end there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, if they would like to apply to a citywide program that the district offers, like its language pathways or kindergarten through eighth grade campuses, they’ll have the option to do so. Like the lottery, there’s no guarantee they’ll nab a seat in one of those coveted schools. It’s unclear what factors will determine who is most likely to get their choice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Su acknowledged that the selected proposal, known as “Option C,” wasn’t most parents’ top preference, but she called it the “bold” choice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The alternative considered Tuesday, which was dubbed “Option B,” would also have first assigned students to a neighborhood school, but it would have then allowed them to apply to any other school in the district with open seats.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12053561\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Mission Education Center, a bilingual elementary school in the San Francisco Unified School District, in San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood on Aug. 25, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While that system would have maintained more choice for applicants, Su said it would “keep the status quo.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Families who do not trust their neighborhood schools will continue to leave those schools,” she said. “Those schools will remain under-enrolled, and that pattern impacts our southeast neighborhoods the hardest.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the parents who spoke at Tuesday’s packed board meeting voiced concerns about losing the choice that the lottery affords, especially for lower-income families and those who live in the southeast region of the city. And in an engagement survey conducted prior to the meeting, 72% of the nearly 3,000 respondents said Option B would meet their needs, while 48% approved of Option C.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are big equity issues in the district, and when you create a system that favors neighborhood schools with very limited choice, it forces families who are living nearest to those struggling schools to not have options,” said Rebecca Kee, the executive director of the SF Parent Coalition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Option B was also supported by board members Alida Fisher and Supriya Ray, who voted against Option C. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board previously considered multiple options that would have created enrollment zones, similar to a 2020 policy passed but never adopted, but those were abandoned in earlier discussions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095558\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students arrive at Jose Ortega Elementary School for the first day of their school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For decades, SFUSD has struggled to ensure that schools in lower-income neighborhoods and where students have had lower academic performance rates receive equitable resources, staff and programs — creating a loop of underenrollment, and thus, a lack of funding, for schools with the most acute needs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the current system, one of the tiebreakers that determines who gets a seat at their requested school when it has more requests than seats available is called “CTIP1,” or test score area. Students who live in the census tracts in the city with the lowest average test scores get priority access to a seat, after students with a sibling already in the school, and Pre-K or transitional kindergarten students who live in the school’s attendance area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the board members acknowledged that the lottery provides some students the opportunity to move into better resourced schools. However, Commissioner Matt Alexander said, not all get to do so. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The choice system creates an escape valve for the families that have the most … understand, the most ability to navigate the system,” he said. “But we’re still operating those schools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Choice is not a solution, because it doesn’t offer a solution for all of the families,” Alexander continued.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tuesday’s vote only sets up a broad framework for the new policy. Staff will now begin to work with demographers to draw maps with attendance area boundaries, determine tiebreaker criteria for citywide school seats and draft a strategic investment plan for next year to begin redistributing district resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the biggest challenges they’ll face is ensuring that each attendance zone has enough seats in neighborhood schools for the students who live there. Modeling with the district’s current attendance boundaries, 19 of the 58 zones, or about 32%, will be short of kindergarten general education seats based on projected residents in 2033.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Staff said that by moving attendance boundaries with new maps, they will be able to eliminate some, but not all, of that shortfall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other levers they might use to increase the number of seats in neighborhoods that fall short are: transitioning a citywide school to a neighborhood school, moving language pathways to schools with seat surpluses, or assigning students to a neighborhood school outside of their attendance zone.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board will meet again in November to hash out other details, and is expected to vote on the final policy in April.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-francisco-prepares-to-end-its-public-school-lottery-system",
"title": "San Francisco Prepares to End Its Public School Lottery System",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>’s schools could soon pivot to neighborhood-based enrollment, 15 years after the controversial “lottery” system aimed to give families a sweeping choice of schools anywhere in the city, but offered little certainty of where their child would be placed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The school board is expected to approve one of two plans that would overhaul the San Francisco Unified School District’s student assignment system in favor of a policy staff said will be more predictable and keep more students closer to home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>SFUSD’s current enrollment system allows families to apply to any of its elementary school campuses across the city, but does not guarantee students’ acceptance in any specific one.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Critics have called the system stressful, confusing, and frustrating enough to turn some families away from the city’s public school system entirely. But others are wary of losing the element of choice, especially for families who live in neighborhoods where schools have weathered decades of underinvestment and underenrollment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In recent weeks, SFUSD’s board and staff have spent late nights discussing possible enrollment options, narrowing down their choices to two last week. Both of the plans on the table on Tuesday night would guarantee students who apply by the enrollment deadline a seat in an assigned elementary school based on their address — and eliminate the requirement that families rank school choices in order to enroll in SFUSD.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095610\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Leo Pham leads the way to his classroom after Jose Ortega Elementary School’s first morning circle of the school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board is expected to direct staff to hammer out the details for one of those policies, called “Option B” and “Option C,” for approval by April.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under Option B, students would be given the option to accept a seat at their neighborhood school. They would have the option of applying to other SFUSD schools and could be assigned if there are empty seats. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Option C would similarly give applicants the choice to accept their neighborhood school. They could also apply to other campuses, but only those that offer special programs like language pathways, newcomer services or a kindergarten through eighth grade model. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last week, the board eliminated a third option, Option A, which would have created enrollment zones. Under that policy, students would have been guaranteed a seat in one of three to five elementary schools near their home, but not necessarily their first choice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Option A was most similar to a policy the district approved in 2020, but never implemented after the COVID-19 pandemic and significant community pushback. That policy would have had applicants rank schools in their attendance zone and assign them based on that list, as well as diversity and tiebreaker considerations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Board members expressed concerns that Option A would be difficult to implement before enrollment for fall of 2028 begins, and poses equity concerns between neighborhoods. It also wouldn’t eliminate some of the perils of the current system — applicants would need to rank multiple schools, likely tour multiple campuses and manage the stress of uncertainty while awaiting an assignment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Option A rivaled Option B in popularity among families who responded to a district engagement survey this fall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of more than 2,700 respondents, 73% said Option A would meet their needs, while 71% said Option B would. Option C received much lower approval, at just 48%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Within those percentages, families’ preferences were starkly divided along neighborhood lines: west side and central neighborhoods favored Option A, while the Southeast leaned toward Option B.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Historically, students in the Sunset and Richmond have been more likely to favor neighborhood schools, while some in the Bayview, Mission Bay and Excelsior have preferred schools outside of their neighborhoods, worried that the schools closest to them don’t have the resources their kids need. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mirna Vasquez, a Bayview resident whose three children have attended SFUSD schools, said choice remains a priority for her.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My priority looking at schools [was] they provided a bilingual program,” she said. “I realized that schools near to my house, they don’t have it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She also said she wanted to send her children to a campus that was “really funded” and had a full staff.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094205\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Overwhelmingly, families who responded to the district’s survey said that for them to enroll a child in a school by their home, they would need an environment that felt safe, has strong math and reading instruction and a stable teaching staff. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Until they guarantee me as a parent, ‘we’re going to fund it,’ maybe I can enroll my children in my neighborhood schools. But if they don’t promise that … I don’t mind driving far away to make sure my kids have better access to, I don’t want to say better education, because I don’t know if that’s true, but more support,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Families who preferred Option A reported much higher levels of satisfaction with the schools near their homes: just 37% in favor of A responded that there was “no acceptable school nearby,” compared to 60% of those who preferred Option B.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For decades, the school district has struggled to ensure that schools in lower-income neighborhoods and where students have had lower academic performance rates receive equitable resources, staff and programs — creating a loop of underenrollment, and so, a lack of funding, for schools with the most acute needs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At their final study session before Tuesday’s vote, some board members expressed concerns that either policy could perpetuate the same issues: “I’m very concerned that we would expect similar patterns to repeat, of students from the southeast preferencing schools other than their neighborhood schools [and] going to open spots,” said Vice President Jaime Huling. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052662\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students at Sanchez Elementary School in San Francisco arrive for their first day of the school year on Aug. 18, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Then, having their schools be underenrolled even though that’s where the most students are, and being faced in April with making decisions about closing schools in the southeast,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Looming in the background is a mandate from the board for Superintendent Maria Su to propose possible school closures and mergers by 2030.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The district’s last attempt to close schools in 2024 was abandoned after parents, union representatives and city officials pushed back, in part because they said the campuses set to close or merge would disproportionately impact historically marginalized communities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After Tuesday night’s decision, staff will move forward with redrawing attendance areas for neighborhood schools and making sure there are enough seats for all students. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board will meet again in November to discuss more specifics, like tiebreaker metrics for assigning students to non-neighborhood schools. The current lottery gives priority to siblings of students enrolled at the school, and those who live in areas of the city with the lowest test scores, among other factors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They’ve also directed staff to implement the enrollment change in a way that creates strong, well-resourced schools in every neighborhood. Whether that’s possible under either proposed model, though, remains to be seen.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under Option B, students would be given the option to accept a seat at their neighborhood school. They would have the option of applying to other SFUSD schools and could be assigned if there are empty seats. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Option C would similarly give applicants the choice to accept their neighborhood school. They could also apply to other campuses, but only those that offer special programs like language pathways, newcomer services or a kindergarten through eighth grade model. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last week, the board eliminated a third option, Option A, which would have created enrollment zones. Under that policy, students would have been guaranteed a seat in one of three to five elementary schools near their home, but not necessarily their first choice. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Option A was most similar to a policy the district approved in 2020, but never implemented after the COVID-19 pandemic and significant community pushback. That policy would have had applicants rank schools in their attendance zone and assign them based on that list, as well as diversity and tiebreaker considerations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Board members expressed concerns that Option A would be difficult to implement before enrollment for fall of 2028 begins, and poses equity concerns between neighborhoods. It also wouldn’t eliminate some of the perils of the current system — applicants would need to rank multiple schools, likely tour multiple campuses and manage the stress of uncertainty while awaiting an assignment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Option A rivaled Option B in popularity among families who responded to a district engagement survey this fall.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Of more than 2,700 respondents, 73% said Option A would meet their needs, while 71% said Option B would. Option C received much lower approval, at just 48%. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Within those percentages, families’ preferences were starkly divided along neighborhood lines: west side and central neighborhoods favored Option A, while the Southeast leaned toward Option B.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Within those percentages, families’ preferences were starkly divided along neighborhood lines: west side and central neighborhoods favored Option A, while the Southeast leaned toward Option B.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Historically, students in the Sunset and Richmond have been more likely to favor neighborhood schools, while some in the Bayview, Mission Bay and Excelsior have preferred schools outside of their neighborhoods, worried that the schools closest to them don’t have the resources their kids need. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Historically, students in the Sunset and Richmond have been more likely to favor neighborhood schools, while some in the Bayview, Mission Bay and Excelsior have preferred schools outside of their neighborhoods, worried that the schools closest to them don’t have the resources their kids need. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mirna Vasquez, a Bayview resident whose three children have attended SFUSD schools, said choice remains a priority for her.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“My priority looking at schools [was] they provided a bilingual program,” she said. “I realized that schools near to my house, they don’t have it.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She also said she wanted to send her children to a campus that was “really funded” and had a full staff.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094205\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Overwhelmingly, families who responded to the district’s survey said that for them to enroll a child in a school by their home, they would need an environment that felt safe, has strong math and reading instruction and a stable teaching staff. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Until they guarantee me as a parent, ‘we’re going to fund it,’ maybe I can enroll my children in my neighborhood schools. But if they don’t promise that … I don’t mind driving far away to make sure my kids have better access to, I don’t want to say better education, because I don’t know if that’s true, but more support,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Families who preferred Option A reported much higher levels of satisfaction with the schools near their homes: just 37% in favor of A responded that there was “no acceptable school nearby,” compared to 60% of those who preferred Option B.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Families who preferred Option A reported much higher levels of satisfaction with the schools near their homes: just 37% in favor of A responded that there was “no acceptable school nearby,” compared to 60% of those who preferred Option B.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For decades, the school district has struggled to ensure that schools in lower-income neighborhoods and where students have had lower academic performance rates receive equitable resources, staff and programs — creating a loop of underenrollment, and so, a lack of funding, for schools with the most acute needs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For decades, the school district has struggled to ensure that schools in lower-income neighborhoods and where students have had lower academic performance rates receive equitable resources, staff and programs — creating a loop of underenrollment, and so, a lack of funding, for schools with the most acute needs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At their final study session before Tuesday’s vote, some board members expressed concerns that either policy could perpetuate the same issues: “I’m very concerned that we would expect similar patterns to repeat, of students from the southeast preferencing schools other than their neighborhood schools [and] going to open spots,” said Vice President Jaime Huling. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At their final study session before Tuesday’s vote, some board members expressed concerns that either policy could perpetuate the same issues: “I’m very concerned that we would expect similar patterns to repeat, of students from the southeast preferencing schools other than their neighborhood schools [and] going to open spots,” said Vice President Jaime Huling. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052662\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students at Sanchez Elementary School in San Francisco arrive for their first day of the school year on Aug. 18, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052662\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students at Sanchez Elementary School in San Francisco arrive for their first day of the school year on Aug. 18, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Then, having their schools be underenrolled even though that’s where the most students are, and being faced in April with making decisions about closing schools in the southeast,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Looming in the background is a mandate from the board for Superintendent Maria Su to propose possible school closures and mergers by 2030.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The district’s last attempt to close schools in 2024 was abandoned after parents, union representatives and city officials pushed back, in part because they said the campuses set to close or merge would disproportionately impact historically marginalized communities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The district’s last attempt to close schools in 2024 was abandoned after parents, union representatives and city officials pushed back, in part because they said the campuses set to close or merge would disproportionately impact historically marginalized communities. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Tuesday night’s decision, staff will move forward with redrawing attendance areas for neighborhood schools and making sure there are enough seats for all students. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The board will meet again in November to discuss more specifics, like tiebreaker metrics for assigning students to non-neighborhood schools. The current lottery gives priority to siblings of students enrolled at the school, and those who live in areas of the city with the lowest test scores, among other factors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The board will meet again in November to discuss more specifics, like tiebreaker metrics for assigning students to non-neighborhood schools. The current lottery gives priority to siblings of students enrolled at the school, and those who live in areas of the city with the lowest test scores, among other factors.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They’ve also directed staff to implement the enrollment change in a way that creates strong, well-resourced schools in every neighborhood. Whether that’s possible under either proposed model, though, remains to be seen.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>They’ve also directed staff to implement the enrollment change in a way that creates strong, well-resourced schools in every neighborhood. Whether that’s possible under either proposed model, though, remains to be seen.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "As SFUSD moves to replace its lottery with neighborhood schools, parents in underfunded areas worry the new policy could leave their local campuses behind. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>’s schools could soon pivot to neighborhood-based enrollment, 15 years after the controversial “lottery” system aimed to give families a sweeping choice of schools anywhere in the city, but offered little certainty of where their child would be placed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The school board is expected to approve one of two plans that would overhaul the San Francisco Unified School District’s student assignment system in favor of a policy staff said will be more predictable and keep more students closer to home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>SFUSD’s current enrollment system allows families to apply to any of its elementary school campuses across the city, but does not guarantee students’ acceptance in any specific one.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Critics have called the system stressful, confusing, and frustrating enough to turn some families away from the city’s public school system entirely. But others are wary of losing the element of choice, especially for families who live in neighborhoods where schools have weathered decades of underinvestment and underenrollment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In recent weeks, SFUSD’s board and staff have spent late nights discussing possible enrollment options, narrowing down their choices to two last week. Both of the plans on the table on Tuesday night would guarantee students who apply by the enrollment deadline a seat in an assigned elementary school based on their address — and eliminate the requirement that families rank school choices in order to enroll in SFUSD.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095610\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Leo Pham leads the way to his classroom after Jose Ortega Elementary School’s first morning circle of the school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board is expected to direct staff to hammer out the details for one of those policies, called “Option B” and “Option C,” for approval by April.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under Option B, students would be given the option to accept a seat at their neighborhood school. They would have the option of applying to other SFUSD schools and could be assigned if there are empty seats. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Option C would similarly give applicants the choice to accept their neighborhood school. They could also apply to other campuses, but only those that offer special programs like language pathways, newcomer services or a kindergarten through eighth grade model. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last week, the board eliminated a third option, Option A, which would have created enrollment zones. Under that policy, students would have been guaranteed a seat in one of three to five elementary schools near their home, but not necessarily their first choice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Option A was most similar to a policy the district approved in 2020, but never implemented after the COVID-19 pandemic and significant community pushback. That policy would have had applicants rank schools in their attendance zone and assign them based on that list, as well as diversity and tiebreaker considerations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Board members expressed concerns that Option A would be difficult to implement before enrollment for fall of 2028 begins, and poses equity concerns between neighborhoods. It also wouldn’t eliminate some of the perils of the current system — applicants would need to rank multiple schools, likely tour multiple campuses and manage the stress of uncertainty while awaiting an assignment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Option A rivaled Option B in popularity among families who responded to a district engagement survey this fall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of more than 2,700 respondents, 73% said Option A would meet their needs, while 71% said Option B would. Option C received much lower approval, at just 48%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Within those percentages, families’ preferences were starkly divided along neighborhood lines: west side and central neighborhoods favored Option A, while the Southeast leaned toward Option B.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Historically, students in the Sunset and Richmond have been more likely to favor neighborhood schools, while some in the Bayview, Mission Bay and Excelsior have preferred schools outside of their neighborhoods, worried that the schools closest to them don’t have the resources their kids need. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mirna Vasquez, a Bayview resident whose three children have attended SFUSD schools, said choice remains a priority for her.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My priority looking at schools [was] they provided a bilingual program,” she said. “I realized that schools near to my house, they don’t have it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She also said she wanted to send her children to a campus that was “really funded” and had a full staff.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094205\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Overwhelmingly, families who responded to the district’s survey said that for them to enroll a child in a school by their home, they would need an environment that felt safe, has strong math and reading instruction and a stable teaching staff. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Until they guarantee me as a parent, ‘we’re going to fund it,’ maybe I can enroll my children in my neighborhood schools. But if they don’t promise that … I don’t mind driving far away to make sure my kids have better access to, I don’t want to say better education, because I don’t know if that’s true, but more support,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Families who preferred Option A reported much higher levels of satisfaction with the schools near their homes: just 37% in favor of A responded that there was “no acceptable school nearby,” compared to 60% of those who preferred Option B.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For decades, the school district has struggled to ensure that schools in lower-income neighborhoods and where students have had lower academic performance rates receive equitable resources, staff and programs — creating a loop of underenrollment, and so, a lack of funding, for schools with the most acute needs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At their final study session before Tuesday’s vote, some board members expressed concerns that either policy could perpetuate the same issues: “I’m very concerned that we would expect similar patterns to repeat, of students from the southeast preferencing schools other than their neighborhood schools [and] going to open spots,” said Vice President Jaime Huling. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052662\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students at Sanchez Elementary School in San Francisco arrive for their first day of the school year on Aug. 18, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Then, having their schools be underenrolled even though that’s where the most students are, and being faced in April with making decisions about closing schools in the southeast,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Looming in the background is a mandate from the board for Superintendent Maria Su to propose possible school closures and mergers by 2030.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The district’s last attempt to close schools in 2024 was abandoned after parents, union representatives and city officials pushed back, in part because they said the campuses set to close or merge would disproportionately impact historically marginalized communities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After Tuesday night’s decision, staff will move forward with redrawing attendance areas for neighborhood schools and making sure there are enough seats for all students. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board will meet again in November to discuss more specifics, like tiebreaker metrics for assigning students to non-neighborhood schools. The current lottery gives priority to siblings of students enrolled at the school, and those who live in areas of the city with the lowest test scores, among other factors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They’ve also directed staff to implement the enrollment change in a way that creates strong, well-resourced schools in every neighborhood. Whether that’s possible under either proposed model, though, remains to be seen.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "bay-area-officials-immigration-advocates-brace-for-ice-surge-after-central-valley-arrests",
"title": "Bay Area Officials, Immigration Advocates Brace for ICE Surge After Central Valley Arrests",
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"headTitle": "Bay Area Officials, Immigration Advocates Brace for ICE Surge After Central Valley Arrests | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Bay Area \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/immigration\">immigration advocates\u003c/a> are bracing for a possible increase in ICE activity after more than 100 farmworkers and others were arrested in the Central Valley in recent days. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since Monday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have arrested farmworkers heading to work in the morning and people out running errands in the San Joaquin Valley. Local officials said ICE does not appear to have warrants or be targeting individuals with criminal backgrounds or final deportation orders.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Although local rapid response agencies said Friday that they hadn’t yet seen increased ICE activity, there have been rumors and fears that the preelection surge could extend to Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are definitely on the alert and preparing in case of increased ICE activity or large-scale raids in our region,” said Lourdes Martinez, co-director of the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership, the county’s rapid response network. “We have not been able to verify any specifics, so we are monitoring the situation.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250718-RidealongRapidResponse-02-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052237\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250718-RidealongRapidResponse-02-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250718-RidealongRapidResponse-02-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250718-RidealongRapidResponse-02-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A dispatcher for the Rapid Response Network gathers supplies at the group’s office in San José on July 21, 2025. The Rapid Response Network operates a hotline to mobilize volunteers and support immigrant families during ICE actions. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that “for operational security and the safety of our officers, ICE will not disclose or discuss law enforcement operations.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country including in California,” a spokesperson wrote via email.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Martinez said lawyers are preparing in case of large-scale raids in the Bay Area, and outreach workers are sharing an \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ACILEP-Safety-Planning-Checklist-for-Families-2026-9a7f4962.pdf\">“Emergency Planning Checklist for Families” \u003c/a>to help immigrants prepare in case a family member is arrested. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Milli Atkinson, director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Program at the San Francisco Bar Association, said the city is similarly monitoring ICE activity in the Central Valley but hasn’t seen any uptick in arrests so far.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Just anxiety from the community,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The United Farmworkers Foundation said Wednesday that it believes the raids “intensified” on Tuesday and continued later in the week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Some arrests occurred near commercial centers that include Walmart, Vallarta Market and Home Depot,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State Sen. Anna Caballero, who represents parts of Fresno and Merced, said she had heard of an estimated 60 arrests this week within the communities she represents.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are over 60 detainees, and the facility in downtown Fresno is having trouble processing,” Caballero’s spokesperson Elisa Rivera wrote to KQED. “Legal observers are having little success gaining access.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We also had a young person call our office after both of his parents were picked up,” Caballero said. “He did not know where to turn or what he was supposed to do.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Fresno County’s city of Kerman alone, Mayor Maria Pacheco said eight residents were detained between Wednesday and Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These are people with families, jobs and lives here in Kerman,” she said. “As Mayor, I refuse to accept that residents should be afraid to carry out the most ordinary parts of their day.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pacheco said she has been aiding affected families to locate their detained relatives and get legal assistance. She added that Kerman police do not work with ICE on immigration enforcement operations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our local police officers have a different responsibility. They serve our residents, protect our community and work to keep Kerman safe,” she said. “What we are witnessing from ICE does the opposite.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1760\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/immigrants-central-valley-6751c0512ec92.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12016800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/immigrants-central-valley-6751c0512ec92.jpg 1760w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/immigrants-central-valley-6751c0512ec92-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/immigrants-central-valley-6751c0512ec92-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/immigrants-central-valley-6751c0512ec92-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/immigrants-central-valley-6751c0512ec92-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1760px) 100vw, 1760px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Maria Pacheco, mayor of Kerman, California, speaks at a press conference in Fresno calling for the protection of undocumented immigrants following President-elect Donald Trump’s win. (Esther Quintanilla/KVPR)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Four men were detained while getting pan dulce and coffee on their way to work,” Pacheco continued. “How does that make Kerman safer? …. Fear is not public safety.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>East Bay Rep. Lateefah Simon said in a statement that local elected leaders and community organizations will “stand by our communities and continue to be fully opposed to the Trump administration’s unwanted, unwarranted, and illegal immigration enforcement actions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said she believes Trump is trying to “intimidate, terrorize and tear apart immigrant families” before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, Trump claimed without proof that the DHS had identified more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/07/31/nx-s1-5906708/trump-claim-noncitizens-midterms-election-interference-voter-rolls\">250,000 non-U.S. citizens\u003c/a> on voter rolls between four states, including California, reigniting fears about whether the administration will interfere with vote-counting.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My office has resources for immigrant communities to ensure everyone knows their rights and can assist in immigration casework,” she said in a statement. “We know what Republicans are trying to do — intimidate Latino citizens so they stay at home and don’t exercise their right to vote, and we will not stand for it.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are definitely on the alert and preparing in case of increased ICE activity or large-scale raids in our region,” said Lourdes Martinez, co-director of the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership, the county’s rapid response network. “We have not been able to verify any specifics, so we are monitoring the situation.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250718-RidealongRapidResponse-02-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052237\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250718-RidealongRapidResponse-02-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250718-RidealongRapidResponse-02-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250718-RidealongRapidResponse-02-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A dispatcher for the Rapid Response Network gathers supplies at the group’s office in San José on July 21, 2025. The Rapid Response Network operates a hotline to mobilize volunteers and support immigrant families during ICE actions.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that “for operational security and the safety of our officers, ICE will not disclose or discuss law enforcement operations.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country including in California,” a spokesperson wrote via email.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Martinez said lawyers are preparing in case of large-scale raids in the Bay Area, and outreach workers are sharing an \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ACILEP-Safety-Planning-Checklist-for-Families-2026-9a7f4962.pdf\">“Emergency Planning Checklist for Families” \u003c/a>to help immigrants prepare in case a family member is arrested. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Milli Atkinson, director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Program at the San Francisco Bar Association, said the city is similarly monitoring ICE activity in the Central Valley but hasn’t seen any uptick in arrests so far.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The United Farmworkers Foundation said Wednesday that it believes the raids “intensified” on Tuesday and continued later in the week. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Some arrests occurred near commercial centers that include Walmart, Vallarta Market and Home Depot,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State Sen. Anna Caballero, who represents parts of Fresno and Merced, said she had heard of an estimated 60 arrests this week within the communities she represents.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There are over 60 detainees, and the facility in downtown Fresno is having trouble processing,” Caballero’s spokesperson Elisa Rivera wrote to KQED. “Legal observers are having little success gaining access.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There are over 60 detainees, and the facility in downtown Fresno is having trouble processing,” Caballero’s spokesperson Elisa Rivera wrote to KQED. “Legal observers are having little success gaining access.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We also had a young person call our office after both of his parents were picked up,” Caballero said. “He did not know where to turn or what he was supposed to do.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We also had a young person call our office after both of his parents were picked up,” Caballero said. “He did not know where to turn or what he was supposed to do.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Fresno County’s city of Kerman alone, Mayor Maria Pacheco said eight residents were detained between Wednesday and Thursday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In Fresno County’s city of Kerman alone, Mayor Maria Pacheco said eight residents were detained between Wednesday and Thursday. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These are people with families, jobs and lives here in Kerman,” she said. “As Mayor, I refuse to accept that residents should be afraid to carry out the most ordinary parts of their day.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“These are people with families, jobs and lives here in Kerman,” she said. “As Mayor, I refuse to accept that residents should be afraid to carry out the most ordinary parts of their day.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Pacheco said she has been aiding affected families to locate their detained relatives and get legal assistance. She added that Kerman police do not work with ICE on immigration enforcement operations. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Pacheco said she has been aiding affected families to locate their detained relatives and get legal assistance. She added that Kerman police do not work with ICE on immigration enforcement operations. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Our local police officers have a different responsibility. They serve our residents, protect our community and work to keep Kerman safe,” she said. “What we are witnessing from ICE does the opposite.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Our local police officers have a different responsibility. They serve our residents, protect our community and work to keep Kerman safe,” she said. “What we are witnessing from ICE does the opposite.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/immigrants-central-valley-6751c0512ec92.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12016800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/immigrants-central-valley-6751c0512ec92.jpg 1760w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/immigrants-central-valley-6751c0512ec92-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/immigrants-central-valley-6751c0512ec92-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/immigrants-central-valley-6751c0512ec92-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/immigrants-central-valley-6751c0512ec92-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Maria Pacheco, mayor of Kerman, California, speaks at a press conference in Fresno calling for the protection of undocumented immigrants following President-elect Donald Trump’s win.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Esther Quintanilla/KVPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/immigrants-central-valley-6751c0512ec92.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12016800\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Maria Pacheco, mayor of Kerman, California, speaks at a press conference in Fresno calling for the protection of undocumented immigrants following President-elect Donald Trump’s win.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Esther Quintanilla/KVPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Four men were detained while getting pan dulce and coffee on their way to work,” Pacheco continued. “How does that make Kerman safer? …. Fear is not public safety.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Four men were detained while getting pan dulce and coffee on their way to work,” Pacheco continued. “How does that make Kerman safer? …. Fear is not public safety.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>East Bay Rep. Lateefah Simon said in a statement that local elected leaders and community organizations will “stand by our communities and continue to be fully opposed to the Trump administration’s unwanted, unwarranted, and illegal immigration enforcement actions.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>East Bay Rep. Lateefah Simon said in a statement that local elected leaders and community organizations will “stand by our communities and continue to be fully opposed to the Trump administration’s unwanted, unwarranted, and illegal immigration enforcement actions.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said she believes Trump is trying to “intimidate, terrorize and tear apart immigrant families” before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, Trump claimed without proof that the DHS had identified more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/07/31/nx-s1-5906708/trump-claim-noncitizens-midterms-election-interference-voter-rolls\">250,000 non-U.S. citizens\u003c/a> on voter rolls between four states, including California, reigniting fears about whether the administration will interfere with vote-counting.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, Trump claimed without proof that the DHS had identified more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/07/31/nx-s1-5906708/trump-claim-noncitizens-midterms-election-interference-voter-rolls\">250,000 non-U.S. citizens\u003c/a> on voter rolls between four states, including California, reigniting fears about whether the administration will interfere with vote-counting.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“My office has resources for immigrant communities to ensure everyone knows their rights and can assist in immigration casework,” she said in a statement. “We know what Republicans are trying to do — intimidate Latino citizens so they stay at home and don’t exercise their right to vote, and we will not stand for it.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“My office has resources for immigrant communities to ensure everyone knows their rights and can assist in immigration casework,” she said in a statement. “We know what Republicans are trying to do — intimidate Latino citizens so they stay at home and don’t exercise their right to vote, and we will not stand for it.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "After a recent wave of ICE arrests in the Central Valley, Bay Area rapid response networks and lawmakers are closely monitoring the federal agency’s activity across counties.",
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"title": "Bay Area Officials, Immigration Advocates Brace for ICE Surge After Central Valley Arrests | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Bay Area \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/immigration\">immigration advocates\u003c/a> are bracing for a possible increase in ICE activity after more than 100 farmworkers and others were arrested in the Central Valley in recent days. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since Monday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have arrested farmworkers heading to work in the morning and people out running errands in the San Joaquin Valley. Local officials said ICE does not appear to have warrants or be targeting individuals with criminal backgrounds or final deportation orders.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Although local rapid response agencies said Friday that they hadn’t yet seen increased ICE activity, there have been rumors and fears that the preelection surge could extend to Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are definitely on the alert and preparing in case of increased ICE activity or large-scale raids in our region,” said Lourdes Martinez, co-director of the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership, the county’s rapid response network. “We have not been able to verify any specifics, so we are monitoring the situation.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250718-RidealongRapidResponse-02-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052237\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250718-RidealongRapidResponse-02-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250718-RidealongRapidResponse-02-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250718-RidealongRapidResponse-02-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A dispatcher for the Rapid Response Network gathers supplies at the group’s office in San José on July 21, 2025. The Rapid Response Network operates a hotline to mobilize volunteers and support immigrant families during ICE actions. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that “for operational security and the safety of our officers, ICE will not disclose or discuss law enforcement operations.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country including in California,” a spokesperson wrote via email.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Martinez said lawyers are preparing in case of large-scale raids in the Bay Area, and outreach workers are sharing an \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ACILEP-Safety-Planning-Checklist-for-Families-2026-9a7f4962.pdf\">“Emergency Planning Checklist for Families” \u003c/a>to help immigrants prepare in case a family member is arrested. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Milli Atkinson, director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Program at the San Francisco Bar Association, said the city is similarly monitoring ICE activity in the Central Valley but hasn’t seen any uptick in arrests so far.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Just anxiety from the community,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The United Farmworkers Foundation said Wednesday that it believes the raids “intensified” on Tuesday and continued later in the week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Some arrests occurred near commercial centers that include Walmart, Vallarta Market and Home Depot,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State Sen. Anna Caballero, who represents parts of Fresno and Merced, said she had heard of an estimated 60 arrests this week within the communities she represents.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are over 60 detainees, and the facility in downtown Fresno is having trouble processing,” Caballero’s spokesperson Elisa Rivera wrote to KQED. “Legal observers are having little success gaining access.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We also had a young person call our office after both of his parents were picked up,” Caballero said. “He did not know where to turn or what he was supposed to do.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Fresno County’s city of Kerman alone, Mayor Maria Pacheco said eight residents were detained between Wednesday and Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These are people with families, jobs and lives here in Kerman,” she said. “As Mayor, I refuse to accept that residents should be afraid to carry out the most ordinary parts of their day.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pacheco said she has been aiding affected families to locate their detained relatives and get legal assistance. She added that Kerman police do not work with ICE on immigration enforcement operations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our local police officers have a different responsibility. They serve our residents, protect our community and work to keep Kerman safe,” she said. “What we are witnessing from ICE does the opposite.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1760\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/immigrants-central-valley-6751c0512ec92.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12016800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/immigrants-central-valley-6751c0512ec92.jpg 1760w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/immigrants-central-valley-6751c0512ec92-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/immigrants-central-valley-6751c0512ec92-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/immigrants-central-valley-6751c0512ec92-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/immigrants-central-valley-6751c0512ec92-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1760px) 100vw, 1760px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Maria Pacheco, mayor of Kerman, California, speaks at a press conference in Fresno calling for the protection of undocumented immigrants following President-elect Donald Trump’s win. (Esther Quintanilla/KVPR)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Four men were detained while getting pan dulce and coffee on their way to work,” Pacheco continued. “How does that make Kerman safer? …. Fear is not public safety.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>East Bay Rep. Lateefah Simon said in a statement that local elected leaders and community organizations will “stand by our communities and continue to be fully opposed to the Trump administration’s unwanted, unwarranted, and illegal immigration enforcement actions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said she believes Trump is trying to “intimidate, terrorize and tear apart immigrant families” before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, Trump claimed without proof that the DHS had identified more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/07/31/nx-s1-5906708/trump-claim-noncitizens-midterms-election-interference-voter-rolls\">250,000 non-U.S. citizens\u003c/a> on voter rolls between four states, including California, reigniting fears about whether the administration will interfere with vote-counting.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My office has resources for immigrant communities to ensure everyone knows their rights and can assist in immigration casework,” she said in a statement. “We know what Republicans are trying to do — intimidate Latino citizens so they stay at home and don’t exercise their right to vote, and we will not stand for it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "golden-gate-fields-on-track-to-become-waterfront-park",
"title": "Golden Gate Fields on Track to Become Waterfront Park",
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"headTitle": "Golden Gate Fields on Track to Become Waterfront Park | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>East Bay officials took a goodbye tour on Monday of the shuttered Golden Gate Fields racetrack, which is slated to take the first step toward becoming a vast public open space for residents later this year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In July, California agreed to foot the bulk of the $175 million bill for the nonprofit Trust for Public Land to purchase the 160-acre parcel at the border of Albany and Berkeley, with hopes to transform the Bay Area’s final horseracing track into a waterfront park. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The officials picture walking trails, sports fields and cafes replacing the iconic red and green grandstands and milelong oval track that drew horseracing fans — and college students looking for a cheap beer — for more than 80 years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This place is so intertwined with so many people’s memories, and it’s super exciting to be… protecting this place for generations to come to continue to play,” said Guillermo Rodriguez, the Trust for Public Land’s state director. “But play something different — bet on kids running and not necessarily horses going around a racetrack.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103025\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-16_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103139\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103139\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103148\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-63-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103148\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-63-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-63-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-63-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June of 2024, Golden Gate Fields held its final race, bringing an 83-year run and horse racing in the Bay Area, to an end. Rodriguez recalled that as a UC Berkeley student in the 1990s, attending the track’s Sunday “Dollar Days,” featuring $1 entry tickets, hot dogs and beers, was a “rite of passage.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s where we filled up with all our carbs,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Across the bay, the racetrack at Tanforan in San Bruno shuttered more than 60 years ago. Bay Meadows in San Mateo closed in 2008 as interest in the sport waned and concerns grew about the safety of the horses at the tracks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Animal rights activists estimated that \u003ca href=\"https://localnewsmatters.org/2024/06/07/golden-gate-fields-bows-out-storied-horse-track-goes-dark-after-final-race-this-sunday/\">thousands of horses died\u003c/a> at Golden Gate Fields during its operation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both other tracks have been replaced with massive developments — a sprawling shopping center where Tanforan once stood and mixed-use housing and commercial space at Bay Meadows.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez said that while those uses make sense for their locations, when Golden Gate Fields shuttered, it was the public’s turn to get a new open space. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trust for Public Land announced earlier this year that it would purchase the property from the Canadian-owned Stronach Group, which still operates Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia, and transfer it to the East Bay Regional Park District.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While restoration and recreation will be at the forefront, what exactly will become of the parcel that once housed more than 1,000 horses and hundreds of workers in its “backstretch” hasn’t yet been decided. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez said there will be a robust community engagement process with nearby cities, which already began in Albany last week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Peggy McQuaid said between the 100 people who packed into the Albany Community Center in person and even more who joined the meeting virtually, there were “a lot of different ideas from the community” — from public access to revenue-generating development.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Everyone is excited about what’s really possible and exploring all the options,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The elected officials who toured the site on Monday expressed similar hopes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m really excited to have it go back to nature, to have this open shoreline, to have beautiful fields. There are a lot of folks interested in having sports fields,” Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii said. “I have three dogs, so I’m very excited to be able to bring them here and walk.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California State Senator Jesse Arreguín said he would love to see some sort of museum or educational site focused on the natural habitat and role of the waterfront, which was wetlands before the racetrack was built. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103029\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103141\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103141\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103147\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-51-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103147\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-51-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-51-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-51-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mayor of Albany Peggy McQuaid takes photos at Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also expressed support for some commercial use, especially since Golden Gate Fields generated more than $1 million in special revenue for the city of Albany, and about $700,000 for its school district.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I would see some level of development in terms of restaurants or cafes … that also I think add to the attractiveness of open space,” East Bay Assemblymember Buffy Wicks said. “That also gives more revenue-generating opportunities.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot that can be done with this, and I think the mayor of Albany said it best — It’s such an enormous space that we can have all of these things,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103143\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assemblymember Buffy Wicks speaks at Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Wicks said that when she first learned the track would close and land use would transition, she immediately asked whether it could be used for housing. While residential development isn’t entirely off the table, she said, it would come with “unique challenges.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because of the land’s zoning, Albany voters would have to approve any residential development, according to Wicks. Adding the infrastructure needed to support housing on the land would also come with a significant cost.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These are not insurmountable things, but they also just present a different kind of reality,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-54_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103031\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-54_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-54_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-54_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>There are also parameters to the funding that the Trust for Public Land will use to purchase the $175 million parcel. Nearly three-fourths will come from statewide funds for Proposition 4, a voter-approved bond for climate projects, including land conservation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The park district has pledged $20 million for the project, and the nonprofit is raising the remaining $30 million through private donors and additional public funding.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The East Bay Regional Park District is expected to formally accept that it will take ownership of the property at a meeting on Oct. 20. The California Wildlife Conservation Board and California State Coastal Conservancy, two of the entities responsible for the state funds, will both hold votes on whether to approve the appropriations in November and December, respectively. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After all three votes, Rodriguez said the Trust for Public Land has until Dec. 15 to exercise its option agreement to purchase the property.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re ending the preamble, and now the work begins,” McQuaid, the Albany mayor, said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In July, California agreed to foot the bulk of the $175 million bill for the nonprofit Trust for Public Land to purchase the 160-acre parcel at the border of Albany and Berkeley, with hopes to transform the Bay Area’s final horseracing track into a waterfront park. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The officials picture walking trails, sports fields and cafes replacing the iconic red and green grandstands and milelong oval track that drew horseracing fans — and college students looking for a cheap beer — for more than 80 years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This place is so intertwined with so many people’s memories, and it’s super exciting to be… protecting this place for generations to come to continue to play,” said Guillermo Rodriguez, the Trust for Public Land’s state director. “But play something different — bet on kids running and not necessarily horses going around a racetrack.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This place is so intertwined with so many people’s memories, and it’s super exciting to be… protecting this place for generations to come to continue to play,” said Guillermo Rodriguez, the Trust for Public Land’s state director. “But play something different — bet on kids running and not necessarily horses going around a racetrack.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In June of 2024, Golden Gate Fields held its final race, bringing an 83-year run and horse racing in the Bay Area, to an end. Rodriguez recalled that as a UC Berkeley student in the 1990s, attending the track’s Sunday “Dollar Days,” featuring $1 entry tickets, hot dogs and beers, was a “rite of passage.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Across the bay, the racetrack at Tanforan in San Bruno shuttered more than 60 years ago. Bay Meadows in San Mateo closed in 2008 as interest in the sport waned and concerns grew about the safety of the horses at the tracks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Animal rights activists estimated that \u003ca href=\"https://localnewsmatters.org/2024/06/07/golden-gate-fields-bows-out-storied-horse-track-goes-dark-after-final-race-this-sunday/\">thousands of horses died\u003c/a> at Golden Gate Fields during its operation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Both other tracks have been replaced with massive developments — a sprawling shopping center where Tanforan once stood and mixed-use housing and commercial space at Bay Meadows.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rodriguez said that while those uses make sense for their locations, when Golden Gate Fields shuttered, it was the public’s turn to get a new open space. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Trust for Public Land announced earlier this year that it would purchase the property from the Canadian-owned Stronach Group, which still operates Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia, and transfer it to the East Bay Regional Park District.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While restoration and recreation will be at the forefront, what exactly will become of the parcel that once housed more than 1,000 horses and hundreds of workers in its “backstretch” hasn’t yet been decided. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rodriguez said there will be a robust community engagement process with nearby cities, which already began in Albany last week. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mayor Peggy McQuaid said between the 100 people who packed into the Albany Community Center in person and even more who joined the meeting virtually, there were “a lot of different ideas from the community” — from public access to revenue-generating development.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Everyone is excited about what’s really possible and exploring all the options,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The elected officials who toured the site on Monday expressed similar hopes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m really excited to have it go back to nature, to have this open shoreline, to have beautiful fields. There are a lot of folks interested in having sports fields,” Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii said. “I have three dogs, so I’m very excited to be able to bring them here and walk.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California State Senator Jesse Arreguín said he would love to see some sort of museum or educational site focused on the natural habitat and role of the waterfront, which was wetlands before the racetrack was built. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He also expressed support for some commercial use, especially since Golden Gate Fields generated more than $1 million in special revenue for the city of Albany, and about $700,000 for its school district.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I would see some level of development in terms of restaurants or cafes … that also I think add to the attractiveness of open space,” East Bay Assemblymember Buffy Wicks said. “That also gives more revenue-generating opportunities.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot that can be done with this, and I think the mayor of Albany said it best — It’s such an enormous space that we can have all of these things,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103143\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assemblymember Buffy Wicks speaks at Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wicks said that when she first learned the track would close and land use would transition, she immediately asked whether it could be used for housing. While residential development isn’t entirely off the table, she said, it would come with “unique challenges.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Wicks said that when she first learned the track would close and land use would transition, she immediately asked whether it could be used for housing. While residential development isn’t entirely off the table, she said, it would come with “unique challenges.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Because of the land’s zoning, Albany voters would have to approve any residential development, according to Wicks. Adding the infrastructure needed to support housing on the land would also come with a significant cost.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These are not insurmountable things, but they also just present a different kind of reality,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There are also parameters to the funding that the Trust for Public Land will use to purchase the $175 million parcel. Nearly three-fourths will come from statewide funds for Proposition 4, a voter-approved bond for climate projects, including land conservation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The park district has pledged $20 million for the project, and the nonprofit is raising the remaining $30 million through private donors and additional public funding.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The East Bay Regional Park District is expected to formally accept that it will take ownership of the property at a meeting on Oct. 20. The California Wildlife Conservation Board and California State Coastal Conservancy, two of the entities responsible for the state funds, will both hold votes on whether to approve the appropriations in November and December, respectively. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After all three votes, Rodriguez said the Trust for Public Land has until Dec. 15 to exercise its option agreement to purchase the property.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re ending the preamble, and now the work begins,” McQuaid, the Albany mayor, said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>East Bay officials took a goodbye tour on Monday of the shuttered Golden Gate Fields racetrack, which is slated to take the first step toward becoming a vast public open space for residents later this year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In July, California agreed to foot the bulk of the $175 million bill for the nonprofit Trust for Public Land to purchase the 160-acre parcel at the border of Albany and Berkeley, with hopes to transform the Bay Area’s final horseracing track into a waterfront park. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The officials picture walking trails, sports fields and cafes replacing the iconic red and green grandstands and milelong oval track that drew horseracing fans — and college students looking for a cheap beer — for more than 80 years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This place is so intertwined with so many people’s memories, and it’s super exciting to be… protecting this place for generations to come to continue to play,” said Guillermo Rodriguez, the Trust for Public Land’s state director. “But play something different — bet on kids running and not necessarily horses going around a racetrack.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103025\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-16_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103139\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103139\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103148\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-63-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103148\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-63-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-63-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-63-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June of 2024, Golden Gate Fields held its final race, bringing an 83-year run and horse racing in the Bay Area, to an end. Rodriguez recalled that as a UC Berkeley student in the 1990s, attending the track’s Sunday “Dollar Days,” featuring $1 entry tickets, hot dogs and beers, was a “rite of passage.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s where we filled up with all our carbs,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Across the bay, the racetrack at Tanforan in San Bruno shuttered more than 60 years ago. Bay Meadows in San Mateo closed in 2008 as interest in the sport waned and concerns grew about the safety of the horses at the tracks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Animal rights activists estimated that \u003ca href=\"https://localnewsmatters.org/2024/06/07/golden-gate-fields-bows-out-storied-horse-track-goes-dark-after-final-race-this-sunday/\">thousands of horses died\u003c/a> at Golden Gate Fields during its operation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both other tracks have been replaced with massive developments — a sprawling shopping center where Tanforan once stood and mixed-use housing and commercial space at Bay Meadows.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez said that while those uses make sense for their locations, when Golden Gate Fields shuttered, it was the public’s turn to get a new open space. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trust for Public Land announced earlier this year that it would purchase the property from the Canadian-owned Stronach Group, which still operates Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia, and transfer it to the East Bay Regional Park District.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While restoration and recreation will be at the forefront, what exactly will become of the parcel that once housed more than 1,000 horses and hundreds of workers in its “backstretch” hasn’t yet been decided. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez said there will be a robust community engagement process with nearby cities, which already began in Albany last week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Peggy McQuaid said between the 100 people who packed into the Albany Community Center in person and even more who joined the meeting virtually, there were “a lot of different ideas from the community” — from public access to revenue-generating development.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Everyone is excited about what’s really possible and exploring all the options,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The elected officials who toured the site on Monday expressed similar hopes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m really excited to have it go back to nature, to have this open shoreline, to have beautiful fields. There are a lot of folks interested in having sports fields,” Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii said. “I have three dogs, so I’m very excited to be able to bring them here and walk.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California State Senator Jesse Arreguín said he would love to see some sort of museum or educational site focused on the natural habitat and role of the waterfront, which was wetlands before the racetrack was built. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103029\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-30_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103141\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103141\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103147\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-51-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103147\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-51-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-51-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-51-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mayor of Albany Peggy McQuaid takes photos at Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also expressed support for some commercial use, especially since Golden Gate Fields generated more than $1 million in special revenue for the city of Albany, and about $700,000 for its school district.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I would see some level of development in terms of restaurants or cafes … that also I think add to the attractiveness of open space,” East Bay Assemblymember Buffy Wicks said. “That also gives more revenue-generating opportunities.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot that can be done with this, and I think the mayor of Albany said it best — It’s such an enormous space that we can have all of these things,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103143\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GOLDENGATEFIELDS-NG-35-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assemblymember Buffy Wicks speaks at Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Wicks said that when she first learned the track would close and land use would transition, she immediately asked whether it could be used for housing. While residential development isn’t entirely off the table, she said, it would come with “unique challenges.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because of the land’s zoning, Albany voters would have to approve any residential development, according to Wicks. Adding the infrastructure needed to support housing on the land would also come with a significant cost.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These are not insurmountable things, but they also just present a different kind of reality,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-54_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103031\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-54_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-54_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-GoldenGateFields-NG-54_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track, on the border of Albany and Berkeley on Oct. 5, 2026. The Trust for Public Land plans to buy the $175 million property by the end of the year. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>There are also parameters to the funding that the Trust for Public Land will use to purchase the $175 million parcel. Nearly three-fourths will come from statewide funds for Proposition 4, a voter-approved bond for climate projects, including land conservation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The park district has pledged $20 million for the project, and the nonprofit is raising the remaining $30 million through private donors and additional public funding.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The East Bay Regional Park District is expected to formally accept that it will take ownership of the property at a meeting on Oct. 20. The California Wildlife Conservation Board and California State Coastal Conservancy, two of the entities responsible for the state funds, will both hold votes on whether to approve the appropriations in November and December, respectively. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After all three votes, Rodriguez said the Trust for Public Land has until Dec. 15 to exercise its option agreement to purchase the property.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re ending the preamble, and now the work begins,” McQuaid, the Albany mayor, said.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
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"id": "fresh-air",
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"hidden-brain": {
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"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
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"hyphenacion": {
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"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"jerrybrown": {
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"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"order": 18
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},
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"title": "Latino USA",
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"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
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},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "American Public Media"
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"masters-of-scale": {
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"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
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},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
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"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
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"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
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},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
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},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
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"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
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},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
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"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
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"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
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"meta": {
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},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
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},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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