Quick Take
A majority of teachers at Pajaro Middle School have voted that they have no confidence in Principal Nicole Killian, alleging she failed to follow safety and disciplinary protocols and calling for her resignation or removal. Pajaro Valley Unified School District said it takes all safety reports seriously and reviews concerns through established processes.
A majority of Pajaro Middle School teachers say they have no confidence in Principal Nicole Killian, alleging she failed to keep the school safe by not following safety and disciplinary protocols. And they’re requesting her removal.
“Pajaro Middle School is flooding once again,” reads a letter from staff. “But this time, instead of water, the campus is drowning in incompetence from the principal causing a lack of safety.”
Of the 17 full-time Pajaro Middle teachers, 14 supported the vote of no confidence. They submitted the vote of no confidence resolution to Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Heather Contreras on May 8.
PVUSD spokesperson Alejandro Chavez declined to provide Lookout with someone to interview for this story and to answer specific questions, such as whether the allegations were true and if Killian violated any policies. Chavez instead provided a statement, which said the district’s focus remains on “student success, safety and celebrating” student accomplishments.
“The District takes all reports related to safety and school operations seriously,” they wrote. “Student and staff safety remain our highest priority, and concerns brought forward are reviewed through established processes to ensure they are addressed appropriately.”
Killian could not be reached for comment, and Contreras didn’t respond to Lookout’s emails seeking comment.
Teachers union president Brandon Diniz told Lookout that he first started hearing teachers’ concerns during the 2025 spring semester.
“Staff had grown increasingly concerned with a lack of a safe learning environment for students where there weren’t appropriate consequences for things like fights on campus,” he said. “Instead just solely relying on things like community circles or restorative practices without following through on actual discipline.”
In their resolution of no confidence, staff list concerns including allegations that Killian failed to complete investigations into physical altercations between students or after a student made a threat against a teacher. The resolution says a student told a teacher, “You better change my grade, or I’m gonna shoot.”
They also claim that during a March 6 emergency when police were on campus that Killian failed to respond to several radio calls and later denied that officers were present at the school. Lookout wasn’t able to independently confirm these allegations.
Diniz said staff provided the district with 71 pages of documentation supporting their claims, but he said that many of the documents, such as grievances, are confidential.
At the end of their resolution, the teachers “demand the immediate resignation or removal of Nicole Killian from the position as Principal to protect the integrity and future of Pajaro Middle School.”
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