In a governing board meeting at the Tolleson Union High School District Tuesday night, board members announced a settlement with Superintendent Jeremy Calles in two of his U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claims; one of which alleged sexual harassment from a board member.
In the fall of 2024, Calles filed a sexual harassment complaint against then-board president Dr. Elda Luna-Najera.
An outside investigation took place and in September, the then-governing board said there was “a sexual relationship” between Calles and Luna-Najera. Luna-Najera, who is also state lawmaker, is still on the school board but it reorganized after the investigation. In this week’s meeting, the board said the previous board withheld information from the investigation.
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“The current board also reviewed the findings of a sexual harassment investigation, which concluded that Dr. Elda Luna Najera, a current board member, was responsible for pursuing a physical relationship. These findings, improperly withheld by the previous board, demonstrate conduct unbecoming of a public official,” the statement read.
Calles’ contract was up for discussion months ago, the board said. However, it was tabled as Luna-Najera “exercised her authority as the swing vote to table the renewal of Superintendent Calles’s contract—despite having enough votes to approve it.”
The board also said power dynamics were involved and “exploited and outlined the retaliatory measures taken against Superintendent Calles when he resisted these advances.”
Calles had put in a second EEOC complaint when the board voted for him to work from home after the investigation was released, alleging retaliation, the board said.
The board reached a settlement with Calles of $450,000 along with the renewal of his contract.
“This resolution reflects the board’s commitment to resolving these matters responsibly and moving forward in a constructive manner,” a statement read.
ABC15 reached out to both the House Republican and Democratic communications managers about any possible ethics complaints or investigations into Rep. Luna-Najera. The House Republican communications spokesperson told ABC15 that a complaint has not been filed against the representative. A spokesperson with the House Democrats told ABC15 that they are unaware of an ethics investigation involving Rep. Luna-Najera.
