The Napa Valley Unified School District board is set to weigh a tough public rebuke of one of its own, with a special 7 PM meeting to consider a censure resolution that would strip Trustee Julianna Villegas Hart of committee assignments, bar her from district campuses and headquarters, and sharply limit her direct contact with staff. The proposed action follows a series of complaints from district leaders who say Hart’s interactions with employees show a pattern of unprofessional conduct and have raised alarms about workplace safety and potential legal exposure for the district.
As reported by the Napa Valley Register, the draft resolution asserts that Hart had at least four unprofessional exchanges with NVUSD employees on March 26, March 30, April 3 and April 6. The document, included in the district's public notice, also references a screen capture of text messages the district says Hart sent, demanding pay and threatening legal action. The resolution would revoke her current committee appointments and prohibit direct contact with district staff except through the superintendent.
What the Resolution Would Do
Trustee Julianna Villegas Hart was elected to the NVUSD board in 2022 and is listed as the clerk representing Area 7, according to the Napa Valley Unified School District website. Committee assignments are made at the discretion of the board, so rescinding those appointments would remove Hart from formal committee duties along with the official communication channels that come with those roles.
District Leaders Outline Concerns
In letters attached to the public notice, Superintendent Rosanna Mucetti and Board President Lisa Chu contend that Hart has dismissed board norms and breached confidentiality, and they argue that her conduct jeopardizes workplace safety and could expose NVUSD to legal liability, according to the Napa Valley Register. Mucetti’s March 31 letter, as reported by the Register, further alleges that Hart complained about receiving $1,000 in pay for March after attending a single board meeting and asks Hart to explain reported plans to move outside Area 7; board policy requires trustees to resign if they change their residence outside the area they represent.
Hart's Response and Next Steps
Hart wrote in an email that she had offered to speak further with a reporter, but she stated that she does not plan to attend the special meeting. The board is set to take up the censure at tonight’s session, and if the resolution is approved, it would formally remove Hart from her committee roles and limit her direct contact with staff, although it would not, on its own, vacate her elected seat on the board.
