April 1, 2026 - SACRAMENTO – Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena) calls on El Monte Union High School 
District (EMUHSD) Superintendent, Dr. Edward Zuniga, to resign and for the district’s Board of Trustees to bring in outside leadership following sexual abuse settlement with the California Department of Justice:
“The scope and gravity of the sexual abuse history inside the El Monte Union High School District (EMUHSD) is chilling and appalling. The Attorney General’s investigation and subsequent stipulated judgment is a major step toward accountability, however, it only looked back at a relatively small window of time that abuses and cover-ups had been occurring. In reality, there has been a caustic culture inside the district that has allowed pervasive sexual misconduct resulting in numerous students being permanently harmed by predators on the district’s payroll.
“I want to believe that the measures outlined in the Attorney General’s stipulated judgment and the ongoing oversight will be sufficient to protect students, but I cannot put my faith in that belief.
“Cultural change is needed at El Monte Union High School District and Rosemead High School immediately. It is time for new, outside leadership at this pivotal moment. For that reason, I am calling for the resignation of El Monte Union High School District Superintendent, Dr. Edward Zuniga. Students, parents and the survivors who bravely came forward deserve new leadership who will implement the measures outlined in the Attorney General’s stipulated judgment and faithfully deliver ongoing oversight to protect all students.
“I further call on the Board of Trustees to identify a new leader who comes from outside of the district. Fresh leadership will accelerate a new culture of student-centered protections and give the district the greatest chance to chart a new course and put this terrible era of abuse behind it.
“As Chair of the Senate Education Committee, I am committed to speaking out for institutional changes that protect students. It is why I authored SB 848, the Safe Learning Environments Act, which took effect on January 1 and will play a major role in protecting current and future students from sexual misconduct in all California schools.”
Senator Sasha Renée Pérez is Chair of the Senate Education Committee and represents the 25th Senate District that includes the communities of Glendale, Pasadena, Alhambra, Altadena, Arcadia, Claremont, Glendora, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta-Montrose, Monrovia, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Temple City, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, and San Antonio Heights.
Source: Senator Sasha Renée Pérez
