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Sequoia Union High School District Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Todd Beal is resigning from his position effective June 30. Beal has been with the district since 2022 and says he is resigning due to the impacts his long daily commute is having on his health and time with family.
“This was not an easy decision, as I have deeply valued my time working for the Sequoia Union High School District and the collegial relationships I enjoy with the Sequoia team,” said Beal in a statement to this news organization.
Beal is currently involved in two lawsuits filed against SUHSD and its administrators. These include those filed by families suing over what they claim to be antisemitic lessons and behaviors in schools and an alleged wrongful termination of a former Woodside High School counselor.
Throughout 2024, negative public comments toward Beal have increased during school board meetings, calling out what they claim to be retaliatory behavior against staff. In August, the district sent a “stay away order” to public commenter and investigator Dan Molieri for making what some construed to be threatening statements directed to Beal during the meeting.
In the next four months, Beal said he will be working closely with his team in HR to ensure a smooth transition and to complete any outstanding projects. He will also be assisting with the recruitment and onboarding of the next assistant superintendent of human resources.
In my long career of management and leadership, Todd Beal is by far one of the worst HR managers I have ever encountered. There are patterns to how he has treated multiple people which has led to honest, hardworking and dedicated staff being pushed out of the district for attempting to stand up for themselves or call out corruption.
I’m glad to see him go, but after my time working in the district, this sudden resignation has the appearance of district politics to get ahead of being forced to fire him for behavior and conduct that is extremely immoral and dishonest. There is a pattern to how they do things in SUHSD. The other day, I saw an extensive public records request that was put out by investigatingSUHSD regarding Todd Beal’s retaliatory practices, and harms he caused to multiple employees over the last few years. He is now suddenly resigning after that public records request was put forth. It makes one wonder.
Todd Beal should immediately be placed on Involuntary Administrative Leave pending the results of ongoing investigations. His resignation does not erase the harm he has caused, and the district should not allow him to quietly walk away while serious allegations remain unresolved.
As someone who spent 16 years as a school counselor at Woodside High School, I dedicated my career to supporting students and advocating for fairness. But under Beal’s leadership, qualified employees were wrongfully terminated, discrimination and retaliation complaints were ignored, and confidential employee records—including my own medical information—were mishandled.
It is now public record that over $2,000,000 in education funds—money meant to support students and classrooms—has been spent on legal expenses defending the district’s actions rather than holding them accountable ensuring compliance.
Beal violated multiple SUHSD Board Policies, which should have resulted in an immediate investigation and corrective action:
📌 Policy 4030 – Nondiscrimination in Employment → Prohibits discrimination and retaliation, including wrongful termination. Yet, Beal forced me out without legal justification or due process.
📌 Policy 1312.1 – Complaints Concerning District Employees → Requires investigations into complaints. Yet, mine—along with many others—have been ignored.
📌 Policy 4219.23 – Unauthorized Release of Confidential Information → Prohibits the sharing of private employee records. Yet, my medical information was allegedly shared with Shaw HR Consulting, a third-party consultant, without my consent.
If any teacher or classified staff member faced similar allegations, they would have been placed on leave pending an investigation. Yet, Beal is being allowed to resign quietly in June while the public remains in the dark.
The Hypocrisy—Beal’s Double Standard
In April 2022, Beal misinterpreted my doctor’s note requesting a 6-week leave for therapy as a statement that I was ‘too sick to work.’ That misinterpretation led to my removal from my position and placement on the Certificated 39-Month Reemployment List—effectively terminating my career.
Now, Beal claims his own commute is affecting his health and is resigning on his own terms.
For the past 1,000+ days (34 months), I have been fighting to correct my wrongful termination. My cases remain ongoing:
✔ Filed a Civil Lawsuit Against SUHSD for Wrongful Termination (May 2024) → With mounting evidence against Todd Beal, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources.
✔ Filed Civil Rights Complaints against the District (April 2022 & August 2023) → Both resulted in Right-to-Sue notices.
✔ Filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the Public Employee Relations Board(PERB) against SUHSD – Board of Trustees (December 2024) → For failure to provide oversight, which allowed Beal’s actions to continue unchecked.
✔ Filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge with PERB against SDTA (November 2024) → For failing in their duty to provide fair union representation following my wrongful termination, and removal of employee rights, despite my rightful status as an employee under PERB rulings.
Even if my placement on the 39-Month Reemployment List is left undisputed, PERB rulings(2309E & 2008E) confirm that individuals on the Certificated 39 month reemployment list are still considered SUHSD employees and retain employee rights. Yet, Beal publicly declared my termination without cause, due process, Board approval or legal justification.
This fight isn’t just about me—it’s about the culture of fear, retaliation, lack of accountability, and ongoing systemic failure in SUHSD.
Todd Beal, Assistant Superintendent of HR in the Sequoia Union High School District’s, June 30th resignation is not justice—it is an escape from accountability.
As a school counselor, I taught my students the importance of standing up for what is right—even when it’s difficult. That lesson applies here. SUHSD cannot continue to sweep these issues under the rug.
The community deserves transparency. The employees who dedicate their lives to students deserve fairness.
And for those who came before me in the fight for equal rights in this district—I will not stay silent.
Happy Black History Month, Todd Beal. May you receive every consequence your actions deserve.
📌 Ms. Downing, Woodside Counselor 2006-2022
Ms. Downing, thank you for taking the time to write this out and I am sorry for all the things you had to go through during your time in SUHSD. I knew Todd Beal would be the first person they threw under the bus, with more to follow as the walls start to cave in around SUHSD’s corruption. I sincerely hope Todd Beal faces the consequences he deserves, and I hope those who enabled him while knowing he was engaging in his role unprofessionally and causing harms to multiple people over the years face consequences too.