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I am writing to express serious concern regarding conduct that occurred during the Cabrillo College board meeting on Feb. 9, involving Trustee Steve Trujillo.

During the meeting, Trustee Trujillo referenced comments President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social and stated that he was “appalled.” He then referenced the widely circulated racist “monkey” image of Michelle and Barack Obama. In that context, he stated that when he saw the image, he immediately thought of Travaris Harris, who is currently the only Black male leader on the Cabrillo campus. Two other Black women were also present in the audience at the time. Trustee Trujillo then directly asked Travaris, in front of everyone, how he felt about it.

This placed a Black campus leader in the position of being singled out publicly in connection with racist imagery. Whether intentional or not, this action was inappropriate, racially charged, and deeply harmful. No employee should be publicly put on the spot to respond to racist content because of their race.

This is not an isolated incident. In a prior meeting, Trustee Trujillo similarly called out administrator Calvin Yu in what appeared to be a racially driven exchange during a public board meeting. These patterns of singling out individuals in public settings based on identity raise serious concerns.

Equally troubling is that the remainder of the board did not intervene or address the situation when it happened. It is also my understanding that the board president was aware in advance of the topic and allowed the interaction to proceed in this manner. Silence in these situations communicates tolerance.

Cabrillo College cannot claim to value equity and inclusion while allowing Black leaders to be publicly singled out in this way. Many individuals are fearful of speaking up, which makes accountability even more important. While I cannot speak from the lived experience of African Americans, I can say that incidents like this create a harmful and unwelcoming environment. We cannot continue to push Black professionals out while failing to build a culture where they can thrive.

I am requesting:

  • a formal public acknowledgment of the harm caused. 
  • a public apology delivered in the same format in which the incident occurred. 
  • a statement board outlining steps the board will take to prevent racially targeted conduct in the future. 
  • a review of trustee conduct standards and accountability measures.

Cabrillo College must take action to ensure that all leaders and staff are treated with dignity and respect. Failure to address this matter transparently will only deepen the harm and erode trust.

Susan Cutshaw

Aptos