PUSD Student Safety, Transparency & Accountability Petition
PUSD Student Safety, Transparency & Accountability Petition
The Issue
We, PUSD students, former students, parents, and members of the community, are asking the Poway Unified School District to take meaningful action to strengthen student safety, improve transparency, provide accessible ways for students to report concerns, and ensure accountability when responsibilities are not met.
Recent news reports, court documents, and legal proceedings involving former PUSD educator Kaitlyn Barron have raised questions about student safety, district oversight, communication with families, reporting responsibilities, and how concerns involving students are handled. The allegations described in these legal proceedings have not been proven in court, and this petition does not attempt to determine the outcome of any legal case. Instead, these circumstances have raised serious questions that deserve clear answers, careful review, and meaningful action.
Students and families should be able to feel confident that when a concern is reported, there is an accessible way to make that report, that it will be taken seriously, and that they will understand what happens next.
We are asking PUSD to take the following actions:
1. Create an easy-to-use and reliable way for students to report concerns
PUSD should provide an accessible way for students and families to report non-emergency concerns when a situation does not require an immediate emergency response.
This system should include an online reporting form that students and families can easily find on the PUSD website and on individual school websites. It should clearly explain what types of concerns can be reported through the system and when someone should instead call 911, contact law enforcement, or use another resource for immediate assistance.
We are also calling for this reporting system to be easy to access on school campuses. This could include QR codes placed in appropriate areas around schools that take students directly to the reporting form, along with clear information explaining what the system is for and what happens after a report is submitted.
Most importantly, making a report should not feel like sending a message that disappears. PUSD should have a system to ensure that non-emergency reports are reviewed regularly, such as each school day, and that appropriate action is taken based on the nature and seriousness of the concern.
Students should know what to expect after submitting a report, including whether the report was received, who is responsible for reviewing it, and what the next steps are, while respecting the privacy of everyone involved and recognizing that certain information may not legally be disclosed.
The goal is not to replace emergency services or existing reporting requirements. Our goal is to make sure students have another clear and accessible way to raise concerns, especially when they do not know where to go, do not feel comfortable going to an office, or are dealing with a situation that does not require immediate emergency assistance.
2. Improve transparency and communication
We are asking PUSD to clearly explain what information the district can legally share with students, parents, staff, and the broader community when serious student-safety concerns arise. When information cannot be shared because of privacy laws, an ongoing investigation, or legal proceedings, the district should clearly explain those limitations rather than leaving families without an understanding of what PUSD can and cannot address publicly.
PUSD should also establish clear guidelines for when and how families and the school community are informed about serious student-safety concerns when communication is legally permitted. When appropriate, this should include information about the steps the district is taking to address concerns, strengthen safety, or prevent similar situations in the future.
Students and families should not have to rely on social media, news reports, or court documents as their primary way of learning about serious concerns involving their own school district. Even when certain details cannot be disclosed, the district should communicate as openly as legally possible about what it can share, what actions it can discuss, and where students and families can go for additional information or support.
3. Strengthen staff training and accountability
We are calling for appropriate and regular training for employees who work with students on student safety, professional boundaries, recognizing and responding to concerns, mandated reporting responsibilities, and the appropriate steps to take when a concern arises.
Training should not simply be something employees complete and move on from. PUSD should make sure employees understand what they are being trained on, why it matters, what their responsibilities are, and what they are expected to do when they recognize a potential concern.
We also believe there should be follow-up after training to make sure it is understood and put into practice. This could include requiring employees to confirm that they completed and understood the training, providing opportunities to ask questions, reviewing responsibilities regularly, and providing additional guidance when needed rather than treating training as a one-time requirement.
The district should maintain records of required training and have clear procedures for addressing situations in which employees do not complete required training or do not follow applicable policies and responsibilities.
PUSD should also evaluate whether its training is effective in practice. This could include reviewing reporting procedures, identifying areas where employees need additional support or clarification, and updating training when necessary.
Students should be able to trust that the adults responsible for their safety have not only received the appropriate training, but understand it and know how to act when concerns arise.
4. Strengthen safeguards and oversight outside the classroom
We are asking PUSD to review and strengthen the rules and protections surrounding interactions between students and staff outside normal classroom settings, including tutoring, transportation, private meetings, and activities occurring outside regular school hours.
These guidelines should clearly explain what is permitted, what is expected of staff, and what safeguards should be in place in these situations. PUSD should also review whether its current protections are sufficient and determine whether additional safeguards are needed.
When appropriate, the district should establish clear procedures regarding when these interactions are permitted, who is responsible for oversight, what documentation is required, and what protections should be in place when students and staff are in settings where normal school supervision is limited.
The goal is to protect students while also giving staff clear expectations about appropriate professional conduct when interacting with students outside the traditional classroom environment.
5. Demonstrate that meaningful action is being taken
Our request does not end with policies being written or promises being made. We are asking PUSD to communicate what steps it is taking to strengthen student safety, who is responsible for implementing those changes, how progress will be monitored, and how students, families, and the broader community will be informed about that progress.
Students and families should know where to go when something is wrong, have more than one accessible way to raise concerns, and understand what happens after a concern is reported.
We are not asking PUSD to determine the outcome of ongoing or past legal proceedings. We are asking the district to review its policies and practices, answer questions about student safety and communication, make changes where appropriate, and demonstrate that those changes are actually being implemented.
We are asking PUSD to listen to its students, former students, parents, and community members and take meaningful steps toward a school environment where students are safer, concerns can be reported, information is communicated responsibly, and accountability is taken seriously.
Sources & Further Information
The information referenced in this petition is based on publicly available PUSD materials, public Board meeting footage, published reporting, California state resources, and publicly available legal documents.
Sources
ABC 10News San Diego: “Former Poway Unified Educator Faces Criminal Charges and Civil Lawsuit Over Alleged Misconduct With Students”
Adina Flores, Substack: “Why Were Parents Not Told About Kaitlyn Barron?”
Hoodline San Diego: “Kaitlyn Barron’s Teaching Credential Revoked Amid Criminal and Civil Cases”
Poway Unified School District: “Student Safety Resources”
Poway Unified School District Board of Education: September 10, 2026 Board Meeting
Relevant public comments: 28:30–30:32 and 36:40–42:14
California Commission on Teacher Credentialing: “Credential Lookup”
California Commission on Teacher Credentialing: “Rules of Conduct & Responsibilities”
Full Sources & References
For links to the sources above, relevant documents, screenshots, and additional source information, please see the full Sources & References document:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PMA3ImWX665LA3tZI8oFCMrIULwm1jwIdEJlDqHFnGg/edit?usp=drivesdk
57
The Issue
We, PUSD students, former students, parents, and members of the community, are asking the Poway Unified School District to take meaningful action to strengthen student safety, improve transparency, provide accessible ways for students to report concerns, and ensure accountability when responsibilities are not met.
Recent news reports, court documents, and legal proceedings involving former PUSD educator Kaitlyn Barron have raised questions about student safety, district oversight, communication with families, reporting responsibilities, and how concerns involving students are handled. The allegations described in these legal proceedings have not been proven in court, and this petition does not attempt to determine the outcome of any legal case. Instead, these circumstances have raised serious questions that deserve clear answers, careful review, and meaningful action.
Students and families should be able to feel confident that when a concern is reported, there is an accessible way to make that report, that it will be taken seriously, and that they will understand what happens next.
We are asking PUSD to take the following actions:
1. Create an easy-to-use and reliable way for students to report concerns
PUSD should provide an accessible way for students and families to report non-emergency concerns when a situation does not require an immediate emergency response.
This system should include an online reporting form that students and families can easily find on the PUSD website and on individual school websites. It should clearly explain what types of concerns can be reported through the system and when someone should instead call 911, contact law enforcement, or use another resource for immediate assistance.
We are also calling for this reporting system to be easy to access on school campuses. This could include QR codes placed in appropriate areas around schools that take students directly to the reporting form, along with clear information explaining what the system is for and what happens after a report is submitted.
Most importantly, making a report should not feel like sending a message that disappears. PUSD should have a system to ensure that non-emergency reports are reviewed regularly, such as each school day, and that appropriate action is taken based on the nature and seriousness of the concern.
Students should know what to expect after submitting a report, including whether the report was received, who is responsible for reviewing it, and what the next steps are, while respecting the privacy of everyone involved and recognizing that certain information may not legally be disclosed.
The goal is not to replace emergency services or existing reporting requirements. Our goal is to make sure students have another clear and accessible way to raise concerns, especially when they do not know where to go, do not feel comfortable going to an office, or are dealing with a situation that does not require immediate emergency assistance.
2. Improve transparency and communication
We are asking PUSD to clearly explain what information the district can legally share with students, parents, staff, and the broader community when serious student-safety concerns arise. When information cannot be shared because of privacy laws, an ongoing investigation, or legal proceedings, the district should clearly explain those limitations rather than leaving families without an understanding of what PUSD can and cannot address publicly.
PUSD should also establish clear guidelines for when and how families and the school community are informed about serious student-safety concerns when communication is legally permitted. When appropriate, this should include information about the steps the district is taking to address concerns, strengthen safety, or prevent similar situations in the future.
Students and families should not have to rely on social media, news reports, or court documents as their primary way of learning about serious concerns involving their own school district. Even when certain details cannot be disclosed, the district should communicate as openly as legally possible about what it can share, what actions it can discuss, and where students and families can go for additional information or support.
3. Strengthen staff training and accountability
We are calling for appropriate and regular training for employees who work with students on student safety, professional boundaries, recognizing and responding to concerns, mandated reporting responsibilities, and the appropriate steps to take when a concern arises.
Training should not simply be something employees complete and move on from. PUSD should make sure employees understand what they are being trained on, why it matters, what their responsibilities are, and what they are expected to do when they recognize a potential concern.
We also believe there should be follow-up after training to make sure it is understood and put into practice. This could include requiring employees to confirm that they completed and understood the training, providing opportunities to ask questions, reviewing responsibilities regularly, and providing additional guidance when needed rather than treating training as a one-time requirement.
The district should maintain records of required training and have clear procedures for addressing situations in which employees do not complete required training or do not follow applicable policies and responsibilities.
PUSD should also evaluate whether its training is effective in practice. This could include reviewing reporting procedures, identifying areas where employees need additional support or clarification, and updating training when necessary.
Students should be able to trust that the adults responsible for their safety have not only received the appropriate training, but understand it and know how to act when concerns arise.
4. Strengthen safeguards and oversight outside the classroom
We are asking PUSD to review and strengthen the rules and protections surrounding interactions between students and staff outside normal classroom settings, including tutoring, transportation, private meetings, and activities occurring outside regular school hours.
These guidelines should clearly explain what is permitted, what is expected of staff, and what safeguards should be in place in these situations. PUSD should also review whether its current protections are sufficient and determine whether additional safeguards are needed.
When appropriate, the district should establish clear procedures regarding when these interactions are permitted, who is responsible for oversight, what documentation is required, and what protections should be in place when students and staff are in settings where normal school supervision is limited.
The goal is to protect students while also giving staff clear expectations about appropriate professional conduct when interacting with students outside the traditional classroom environment.
5. Demonstrate that meaningful action is being taken
Our request does not end with policies being written or promises being made. We are asking PUSD to communicate what steps it is taking to strengthen student safety, who is responsible for implementing those changes, how progress will be monitored, and how students, families, and the broader community will be informed about that progress.
Students and families should know where to go when something is wrong, have more than one accessible way to raise concerns, and understand what happens after a concern is reported.
We are not asking PUSD to determine the outcome of ongoing or past legal proceedings. We are asking the district to review its policies and practices, answer questions about student safety and communication, make changes where appropriate, and demonstrate that those changes are actually being implemented.
We are asking PUSD to listen to its students, former students, parents, and community members and take meaningful steps toward a school environment where students are safer, concerns can be reported, information is communicated responsibly, and accountability is taken seriously.
Sources & Further Information
The information referenced in this petition is based on publicly available PUSD materials, public Board meeting footage, published reporting, California state resources, and publicly available legal documents.
Sources
ABC 10News San Diego: “Former Poway Unified Educator Faces Criminal Charges and Civil Lawsuit Over Alleged Misconduct With Students”
Adina Flores, Substack: “Why Were Parents Not Told About Kaitlyn Barron?”
Hoodline San Diego: “Kaitlyn Barron’s Teaching Credential Revoked Amid Criminal and Civil Cases”
Poway Unified School District: “Student Safety Resources”
Poway Unified School District Board of Education: September 10, 2026 Board Meeting
Relevant public comments: 28:30–30:32 and 36:40–42:14
California Commission on Teacher Credentialing: “Credential Lookup”
California Commission on Teacher Credentialing: “Rules of Conduct & Responsibilities”
Full Sources & References
For links to the sources above, relevant documents, screenshots, and additional source information, please see the full Sources & References document:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PMA3ImWX665LA3tZI8oFCMrIULwm1jwIdEJlDqHFnGg/edit?usp=drivesdk
The Decision Makers
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on September 18, 2026