Two members of a California school board are facing increasing criticism after likening shirtless teenage water polo players in school-issue Speedos to exotic dancers and creators of adult content. This has prompted a concerned parent to call for their resignation, accusing them of “sexualizing” minors.
Joseph Komrosky, the President of the Temecula Valley Unified School District Board, and trustee Jennifer Wiersma, have come under scrutiny following their comments on a photo featuring six Temecula Valley High School water polo athletes. The players, with “B-E-A-R-S-!” painted on their chests, were captured cheering for the baseball team.
In the image, the athletes wore their official brown-and-yellow swim briefs. This picture was shared on the high school baseball team’s Instagram with the caption, “Our fans > better than yours. GO BEARS.”
The post, intended to showcase school spirit, quickly sparked controversy when Wiersma shared the photo on her Instagram story, questioning the dress code and suggesting, “are our teams now an ‘OnlyFans’ crew? Hats off to the kids that kept their pants on.”
Komrosky also voiced his opinion, sharing the district’s vision statement and criticizing the photo in the comments section.
“If they want to support the baseball team or any other team, they can do it by simply stating their support and maintaining a professional appearance,” Komrosky stated. “My concern is that I do not want them to appear as if they are engaged in a sexually suggestive strip tease, resembling they’re a step away from the Chippendales. We don’t need that in our school district or community.”
The remarks sparked outrage among parents, including Sharon Sardina, whose 17-year-old son was one of the players pictured.
âThey do not have the best interest of our kids right now,â Sardina told the LA Times. âTheyâre putting our minors through a lot by sexualizing them. I want them to see the real issue is not about dress code. Itâs about these two adults who have taken it to a next level and itâs sexual harassment at this point.â
Sardina said the players had simply stopped by a baseball game between swim meets on April 28 and revealed their team uniforms while cheering from the stands â something she said is common for water polo athletes.
âThe fans loved it, the team loved it, the baseball coach loved it,â Sardina previously said. âEverybody loved the support and thought that was pretty cool because that’s typically what water polo players do as far as cheering on their teams.â
Other parents and community members also blasted the trustees online.
âIf this is the jump, you shouldnât be around kids,â Instagram user Stephanie Berry wrote in response to Komroskyâs comments. âAs a parent, it looks like swim boys being silly and supporting their friends. Iâll pray for your deviant minds.â
On Tuesday night, Sardina formally addressed the school board and called on both trustees to resign.
âTonight, I am asking this Board to finally recognize the seriousness of what has happened, hold the individuals involved accountable, and understand why so many of us no longer feel we can trust the leadership that was supposed to protect our children,â Sardina said in a written public comment.
âI am asking for accountability. I am asking for integrity. And yes, I am asking for resignation, because leadership without responsibility is not leadership at all.â
Sardina also claimed she was prevented from speaking directly during the meeting because board members wanted to consult attorneys first.
According to Sardina, Wiersma later posted an apology to her Instagram story â though she argued the disappearing 24-hour post was not enough.
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Komrosky defended his remarks in a statement to the Times, saying he believed the image violated district standards.
âIâm sure these are amazing kids and that they didnât intend to cause harm with this post,â Komrosky said. âIn the end, I would encourage them to âdress for success,â as they will be our future leaders when they leave TVUSD.â
Sardina said the controversy has already impacted her son, who was allegedly pulled from class to speak with the school principal about the image.
âHe doesnât feel like he can trust his school board members any longer,â Sardina said. âTrust has been broken but he knows he has a lot of good people behind him and backing him up. If somethingâs not done as far as reprimanding, what will that do to him as a student? This could be very detrimental to someoneâs mental status.â
Komrosky and Wiersma were part of a conservative majority elected to the Temecula school board in 2022.
They previously backed a ban on critical race theory, a flag ban and a parent notification policy. The latter two policies were rescinded in late 2024 after a public Employment Relations Board ruling.
