In the wake of the arrest of Medeiros Elementary School campus supervisor John Snoke on charges related to child pornography, several community members are calling for the resignation of Turlock Unified School District Superintendent Dana Trevethan and Medeiros Principal Anna Ellerson.

The demands, made during the public comment period at Tuesday night’s school board meeting, stem from allegations that Trevethan was negligent in overseeing school safety.

Snoke, 42, was arrested Jan. 3 and faces two felony charges related to child pornography: one for the possession of child pornography, the other for the transmission or sale of obscene material depicting a minor.

Snoke was apprehended based on a cyber tip related to the distribution of child pornography, which indicated that images had been uploaded through an internet-based application.

During his arrest, investigators did not have reason to believe any students were victims of the alleged offenses. However, they were in the process of examining electronic devices seized from his residence under a search warrant.

According to the district, Snoke began employment at TUSD in 2002 and has held various positions, including para-educator, crossing guard and campus supervisor. He has worked at Turlock High School and Earl and Medeiros elementary schools.

Several parents and students at the meeting expressed their safety concerns. Attendees held up signs urging Trevethan’s resignation, and chanted for her dismissal.

During her public comment, parent Kelli Torres Almatran called for an investigation into the decision to retain Snoke on the payroll despite ongoing complaints from both staff and parents over the years. (The Bee has not yet learned the nature of the complaints.) She emphasized her concern for the safety of special education children, who are unable to advocate for themselves if abuse were to occur.

“You all allowed a child predator to feel safe inside of a school campus with innocent children,” Almatran said.

Giana Almatran, a student at Medeiros Elementary, said she would be taking a leave of absence until she feels safe and until the school takes full responsibility.

“Do not expect our parents to fill your school’s pockets if you’re going to fill our school with predators,” Almatran said.

Ivory Hamilton, a sixth-grader at Medeiros, recounted persistent complaints against Snoke and criticized the district for relocating him, exposing vulnerable children to potential harm.

Before speaking during public comment, community activist and We “R” La Raza Parents Union founder Debbie Martinez gave to each board member a press release calling for Trevethan’s dismissal.

“When we have to have our children come to the podium and say that they’re afraid to go to school, there’s a problem,” Martinez said. “An administration problem.”

The board remained silent before leaving to privately convene. In accordance with California’s Brown Act, the board of trustees are prohibited from deliberating on matters raised during public comments that were not included on the agenda.

This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available. The Bee has requested comment from Trevethan.