The school board at Claremont Unified School District in Los Angeles County will replace its president, Steven Llanusa, who resigned earlier this month after parents claimed he exposed high school choir members to alcohol, shirtless adult male performers, and a “dirty Santa” at his private Christmas party.
At a Dec. 15 board meeting, the education board unanimously approved a timeline to replace Llanusa, a teacher and Area 4 trustee who had recently won re-election in November.
Llanusa resigned from his position on Dec. 10, just a day after several parents called on the board to take action during a special meeting.
Parents said their children were exposed to alcohol and inappropriate activities while they performed at Llanusa’s home as part of the Claremont High School choir.
Parent Sabrina Ho said she was “heartbroken“ for her son and ”his beloved choir group” and “devastated as a parent.”
Ho said the students were “encouraged to partake in food and festivities” upon arrival and didn’t begin their scheduled performance until more than an hour later.
At the Dec. 9 board meeting, Vice President Kathy Archer stressed there were no other board members at the party.
In a statement, Claremont Unified Superintendent Jim Elsasser said the district is partnering with the Claremont Police Department to investigate the situation.
“I assure our school community that we are taking these allegations extremely seriously, which prompted us to immediately engage the Claremont Police Department,” Elsasser said. “Our paramount priority is to provide a safe and stable environment for all our students to learn and participate in extracurricular activities ... and to this point, I want the Claremont school community to be assured that we will not condone any inappropriate behavior by adults toward our students.”
The board will appoint by February Llanusa’s successor, who will serve a two-year term before the seat is up for reelection in November 2024, according to board members.
Candidates who live in Claremont within the boundaries of Area 4 can apply for the position on the district’s website by Jan. 13. The board will interview candidates and select a replacement through a simple majority vote during a special meeting Jan. 18.
Llanusa didn’t respond to a request for comment by press time.
