The president of a California school board resigned after he was accused of inviting high school choir students to perform at a “private adult party” that included alcohol, shirtless male entertainers and a “dirty Santa.”
The school board official, Steven Llanusa, resigned on Saturday from the Claremont Unified School District Board of Education, according to the New York Post. He served on the board for 17 years and was re-elected in November.
Reportedly, Llanusa’s resignation occurred one day after a special school district meeting where parents came forward with concerns about the fact that high school students were in attendance at the party at his home. Photos of the scandalous party had emerged on social media and local news, some of which showed the students.
“[The students] were encouraged to take part in food and festivities. The students didn’t begin their scheduled performance until over an hour later and were offered alcohol by party guests among inappropriately dressed adult entertainers,” Sabrina Ho, one of the teen’s parents, reportedly said at the special meeting.
Another parent claimed that his daughter was in attendance at the party and was later interviewed by police. Both the Claremont Police Department and the school district launched investigations into allegations of misconduct surrounding the party.
“They were offered an open bar and to socialize with half-naked men, the dirty Santa who made disgusting comments to our children,” the parent, Gabriel Lozano, said to CBS Los Angeles. He added that there was no school official at the party to watch over the children.
The school board’s vice president, Kathy Archer, said at the meeting that “there were no other current or past board members present at that party.”
In a statement, members of the school board said they were “appalled” by the allegations and said they were encouraging Llanusa to resign. He resigned shortly after.
“The board will be discussing next steps to fill this vacancy during this Thursday’s regularly scheduled board meeting,” Claremont Unified Supt. Jim Elsasser confirmed in an email to the Los Angeles Times.
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