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Parents rally outside district board meeting as school officials investigate alleged misconduct at Righetti HS

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About a dozen parents showed up outside the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, as district officials continue a misconduct investigation involving two Righetti High School employees.

Parents held signs reading "Parents deserve full disclosure when school staff goes full frontal," "Public sex is not a private matter," and "Our kids deserve better."

The investigation was announced last week. The school district said the two staff members had been placed on leave.

Candace Robertson says her daughter witnessed the alleged misconduct while at cheerleading practice last week. She says parents showed up at the board meeting to bring attention to the issue.

"The purpose is to bring awareness to it, to make sure that the district addresses it, to make sure that the school addresses it," Robertson said.

On Tuesday, district officials released a statement saying the investigation was nearly complete:

"This internal investigation began immediately when the District received notice of these allegations and has included extensive interviews and consultation with legal counsel and law enforcement. The District has ensured that counseling resources are available to any student that needs support and these resources can be accessed by contacting site administration at any of the District sites. While we are unable to share additional information related to this confidential personnel investigation, be assured that our priority is the safety, security and well-being of our students."

The district has released very little information regarding the allegations, calling it a "confidential personnel matter."

A spokesperson from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said there is no criminal investigation underway into the incident.