Wiersma Goes Rogue (Again): Violates board policy by traveling to Sacramento to endorse assembly bills

TVUSD school board member Jen Wiersma, seen here in a screenshot of her speaking to the California State Assembly’s Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism Committee, identified herself as a member of the TVUSD school board and stated that the board supported AB 844. The TVUSD school board never discussed or supported the assembly bill.

1TVPAC Team

Temecula Valley Unified School District (TVUSD) board member Jen Wiersma recently traveled to Sacramento to speak before the California Assembly’s Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism Committee in support of two controversial bills — Assembly Bill 89 and Assembly Bill 844. 

While the TVUSD board did vote to support AB 89 in a recent resolution, it did not take a position on AB 844, nor did it authorize or task Wiersma to represent the district in Sacramento on either issue.

In March 2025, the TVUSD board unanimously adopted a resolution backing AB 89, introduced by Assemblymember Kate Sanchez. Although not authorized by the board, Wiersma attended the April 1 hearing of the Assembly’s Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism Committee to speak in support.

In addition, Wiersma took it upon herself to publicly support AB 844 — legislation authored by Assemblymember Bill Essayli. The TVUSD board has never voted to support AB 844, making Wiersma’s endorsement a personal political position, not an official stance of the district, and extremely troubling. 

Both bills failed to get votes needed to move them for a vote on the floor.

More troubling to some community members is Wiersma's repeated pattern of misrepresentation, identifying herself as a TVUSD trustee during her advocacy, implying TVUSD support when the views are her own personal opinions. 

Critics argue that this is both unethical and misleading, as it implies district support that simply does not exist. 

Wiersma identifies herself as “Jen Wiersma. I'm a School Board Trustee for Temecula Valley Unified School District” when she speaks in Sacramento in support of bills, thereby giving the appearance of official school board support for these bills. 

According to TVUSD Bylaw 9010: Public Statements, Wiersma should have refrained from speaking for the board as “All public statements authorized to be made on behalf of the Board shall be made by the Board president.” 

The policy also clearly states that in situations such as these, “Board members have a responsibility to identify personal viewpoints as such and not as the viewpoint of the Board.”

Her presence in Sacramento, conducted without board approval, raises questions about accountability, transparency, and the proper use of public office.

“Jen Wiersma did not speak for the TVUSD board or its constituents when she supported AB 844,” said one concerned parent. “Taxpayers should not be footing the bill for political grandstanding.”

It remains unclear whether Wiersma’s travel expenses were publicly funded, however, the last time she violated board policy by speaking on behalf of the board in Sacramento, she treated it as official business and submitted her travel expenses for reimbursement. Only after public outrage did she withdraw the reimbursement agenda item at the start of the meeting. 

If she submits for travel expense reimbursement again, despite the board voting in support of AB 89, it would still represent a misuse of district resources. The board did not authorize or fund the trip, nor did it vote to send a representative to Sacramento on these issues. And if it had, it would have been board President Melinda Anderson, not Mrs. Wiersma, who would have appeared.

One Temecula Valley PAC has been vocal in their disapproval of the board’s support of AB 89, calling it “performative” and “political grandstanding.” The group issued a statement saying, “This resolution does absolutely nothing for Temecula students. There is no local problem it addresses. It's political grandstanding, not policy.”

During the board meeting where AB 89 was discussed, members of the public and board members alike spoke about the broader implications of inserting state-level culture war issues into local education policy.

Wiersma’s decision to use her position as a trustee to amplify partisan state legislation without the board’s support has added to growing tensions within the district. Many parents and educators worry that these actions are distracting from the real work of educating students and maintaining a safe, inclusive environment for all.

As the controversy unfolds, residents are calling for greater oversight of board members’ public actions, especially when they blur the line between personal politics and official duties. 

For now, the spotlight remains on Wiersma — raising questions about her ethics, false representation, and whether she should be speaking on behalf of the students and families of TVUSD.

The Last Word

It appears Wiersma has a general lack of respect for her fellow TVUSD board members and a clear objective to attempt to boost her political cache by misusing her elected position and misrepresenting the board and its policies for personal gain. 

It is our position that Wiersma should be censured for breaking board policy, violating her oath of office, spreading misinformation (again), and lying to the public.