To: The Board of Trustees, Carmel Unified School District (CUSD)

We, the undersigned—parents, educators, staff, and concerned community members—demand that Superintendent Sharon Ofek be placed on immediate administrative leave, pending an independent third-party investigation.

We believe this urgent action is warranted  due to a pattern that seems to show serious leadership failures, ongoing lawsuits, and fiscal mismanagement under her tenure.

 
🚨 MULTIPLE LAWSUITS & FEDERAL VIOLATIONS
Ramirez Lawsuit (2025): Alleges retaliation, racial discrimination, sexual harassment, and creation of a hostile work environment by Superintendent Ofek. Seeks $1,000,000 in damages.
Jane Doe Lawsuit (2025): Claims of racial discrimination, retaliation, and a hostile work environment within CUSD.
Federal Civil Rights Violation (2024): The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights found CUSD in violation of Title VI for failing to respond to antisemitic harassment at Carmel High School. A binding resolution agreement was issued, citing systemic leadership failures.
Three Jane Doe Lawsuits (2023): Accuse CUSD of enabling sexual harassment, retaliating against whistleblowers, and failing to act on multiple HR complaints—even when the misconduct occurred on school grounds.
These are not isolated incidents. They paint a troubling picture of a district in crisis, where student and staff safety have been repeatedly compromised under Superintendent Ofek’s leadership.

 
💸 FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT
Nearly $3 million in legal fees and settlements paid between January 2023 and April 2025 alone.
Despite a 41% budget increase (an additional $24 million over 5 years), CUSD (Under Ofek’s leadership) has paid out millions in legal fees and settlements—money we believe could have gone to students. CUSD pushed through a 673% hike in residential developer fees—burdening new families while over 2,000 classroom seats sit empty. 
 
⚠️ LOST TRUST, SILENCED VOICES
Enrollment is dropping, yet leadership continues to ignore the root causes.
It seems superintendent Ofek was appointed without a transparent search or prior experience as a superintendent.
We believe under her leadership, staff complaints have been silenced, safety concerns dismissed, and community input marginalized.
 
📢 OUR CALL TO ACTION
We respectfully urge the CUSD Board of Trustees to:

Immediately place Superintendent Sharon Ofek on administrative leave while investigations are conducted.
Commission an independent, third-party investigation into allegations of harassment, retaliation, financial mismanagement, and failure to protect students and staff.
 
CUSD needs ethical, competent, and transparent leadership. Our children deserve better.

Enough is enough. It’s time to act.

https://www.montereycountynow.com/news/local_news/federal-investigation-finds-repeated-acts-of-antisemitism-created-a-hostile-environment-in-carmel-unified/article_33d45744-4f62-11ef-8ba1-3fc3f203caf4.html

https://www.ksbw.com/article/carmel-unified-school-district-faces-crucial-decision-in-superintendent-selection/46529715

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-07-27/antisemitic-harassment-created-hostile-environment-in-carmel-school-probe-finds

https://www.montereycountynow.com/opinion/mcnow_intro/what-is-going-on-at-carmel-unified-school-district-and-where-do-they-go-from/article_db8254fc-ee1c-11ee-81c2-af8f2ba95ba7.html

https://www.montereycountynow.com/news/cover/after-years-of-failures-to-address-sexual-misconduct-carmel-unified-school-district-tries-to-reset/article_d2c08b70-ec6b-11ee-8b3a-2368ef1b4f43.html