Families expressed concerns regarding PE and homeroom teacher Peter Colombo’s reinstatement to Fletcher Middle School at the Palo Alto Unified School District school board meeting today.

According to a Palo Alto Online article, Colombo was arrested in 2022 for reportedly[[allegedly]] sexually assaulting a 6th grader 20 years prior. In July 2024, due to insufficient evidence, Colombo had all charges dropped and was returned to a non-teaching position. This school year, PAUSD reassigned Colombo to Fletcher Middle School, causing controversy among students and parents.  

Student Kayla Barile said concerns about Colombo’s reinstatement became so prevalent [[that]] it negatively impacted her learning.

“Last year, when I was at Fletcher, he [Colombo] wasn’t even hired yet,” Barile said. “It was a huge topic of conversation, it took away from my class time, it took away from my friends’ class time, it took away from my learning experiences. While I myself am not the biggest fan of school, I still value my learning.”

According to Barile, there is a lot of fear from students at Fletcher and their families, adding to a negative classroom environment. 

“My brother is at Fletcher and from what I’ve heard, he is not happy about it,” Barile said. “He has him as a teacher next semester and I know he is scared,[[semicolon or full stop]] I know his friends are scared. I’m scared for him and I don’t think it’s a good situation. A lot of kids are scared and that doesn’t foster a good learning community and that is what school is for. [[run on sentence 3 independent clauses]]”

Fletcher parent Rich Lee said he had not felt the district[[maybe say ‘school board’ or ‘council’ or ‘committee’ here instead, more specific]] has[[had]] been responsive to unease amongst families. 

“Parents asked for clarification and transparency from the district office,” Lee said. “Students and parents voiced their concerns in the school board and were met with silence.”

Addressing the school board, Lee said [[that they]]the school board[[delete school board here]] should take more care in student’s[[students’]] well-being.

“Do you [school board] even care about what our concerns are?” Lee said. “Tell the students that their safety and emotional well-being matters. Stop intimidating the students who come to you for comfort.”

Fletcher parent Casey Walker said she is concerned about the covertness surrounding the decision that brought Colombo back.

“I am a parent of three Fletcher graduates,” Walker said. “The decision to bring Mr. Colombo back was made with no justification, through an unknown process behind closed doors and under legal duress. That decision is not one that any reasonable person can trust. It needs to be unmade immediately.” [[preach!]]

According to Fletcher 7th grader Emily Ceresnak, the unease Colombo’s presence has caused her to avoid PE.

“All three days I’ve gone to school, in PE, I have actually gone to the office because I felt uncomfortable being with Peter Colombo,” Emily Ceresnak said. “While he [Colombo] is not my actual teacher, my concerns are so real and there. Every time I have gone to the office, I was either dismissed or met with consequences.”

Emily Ceresnak said her concerns were met with anger from her PE teacher.

“Yesterday, I went to class only to find that our classes were combined with Mr. Colombo’s,” Ceresnack[[Ceresnak]] said. “I asked my teacher to go to the counselor, but I was yelled at and verbally abused by her[[comma i’m pretty sure]] and it made me want to cry.”

Gunn High School junior Ellison Lik said the district must address concerns by offering mental health support, providing opt-out options for students in Colombo’s class and upholding Title IX protections to ensure a safe learning environment.

“I expect that changes are made to accommodate any and all concerns that they [students] may have, including mental health support and an opt[[-]] out right for all children assigned to Mr. Colombo’s class who feel uncomfortable,” Lik said. “Moreover, under Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972, students have the right to learn in an environment free from hostility, intimidation and retaliation. It is your responsibility to safeguard the mental health of all the students, and we’ll hold you to that.”

Student Julia Ceresnak said worry about Colombo influenced her and her family’s summer break.

“Our vacations were filled with anxiety and fear from my sister,” Julia Ceresnak said. “My parents tried reassuring her, but they were never reassured themselves.”

According to Julia Ceresnak, feeling safe is something all students should experience at school, yet many currently don’t feel that way.

“Everyone knows the saying ‘put yourself in their shoes,’” Julia Ceresnak said. “You need to put yourself in a 12 year old girl’s perspective. Just think about how she’s distressed after reading about him and then getting no reassurance from the district level. My sister and every girl at Fletcher needs to feel safe and protected at school.”