Two members of a California school board are facing backlash for likening shirtless teen water polo players in school-issued Speedos to exotic dancers and adult-content creators.
Joseph Komrosky, President of the Temecula Valley Unified School District Board, along with trustee Jen Wiersma, sparked controversy after commenting on a photo showing six Temecula Valley High School water polo players enthusiastically supporting the baseball team. The players had B-E-A-R-S-! painted across their bare chests.
In the image, the athletes donned their brown-and-yellow swim briefs, and the photo was shared on the high school baseball team’s Instagram account with the caption: “Our fans > better than yours. GO BEARS,” as reported by The Press-Enterprise.
The post, intended to showcase school spirit, ignited a political uproar when Komrosky allegedly remarked that the boys appeared “one step closer to Chippendales,” while Wiersma described them as resembling an “Only Fans crew.”
Sharon Sardina, a parent of one of the water polo players, explained to the outlet that the teens had attended a baseball game on April 28, between swim meets, and lowered their pants to reveal their team uniforms while cheering from the stands.
“The fans loved it, the team loved it, the baseball coach loved it,” Sardina remarked. “Everyone appreciated the support and thought it was pretty cool, as this is typical behavior for water polo players when cheering on their teams.”
The photo has since been removed from the baseball team’s account, though it was not clear when or why.
Sardina said Wiersma later reposted the photo to her Instagram story with black boxes covering the students swim briefs and wrote: “speaking of dress code … are our teams now an ‘Only Fans’ crew? Hats off to the kids that kept their pants on.
The story post later disappeared, and Wiersma also posted an apology to her Instagram story, Sardina said.
Komrosky and Wiersma both declined to comment to the Press-Enterprise, and it was not clear whether Komrosky had apologized.
Screenshots provided to the newspaper by Jeff Pack, co-founder of the One Temecula Valley PAC, showed Komrosky and Wiersma discussing the photo in the comments section of a separate post about a community survey on the district’s dress code.
“Case in point Jen. Go take a look at the TVHS baseball page on FB. Just five hours ago they posted a picture where most of the boys had their pants down in underwear,” Komrosky wrote, according to the screenshots. “You tell me if that’s appropiate for a baseball team?”
Komrosky praised two students who kept their pants up, saying they had “character,” and argued the district needed a stronger dress policy and discipline for students who refused to follow it.
Wiersma allegedly replied that the team appeared to be posting “Only Fans type” photos and headlines of athletes, according to the screenshots.
“Standards matter,” she wrote. “And this may well generate a whole new level of conversation about dress code.”
The remarks sparked dozens of comments, with some parents accusing the trustees of sexualizing students.
“If this is the jump, you shouldn’t be around kids,” one Instagram user wrote. “As a parent, it looks like swim boys being silly and supporting their friends.”
Others defended the trustees, arguing the original photo should not have been posted online because it could attract predators.
Komrosky later doubled down on his concerns in the comments, writing that the boys could support the baseball team “professionally.”
“My concern is that I do not want them to look like they’re in a sexually provocative strip tease looking like they’re one step closer to the Chippensales,” Komrosky wrote. “We don’t need that in our school district in our community.”
Sardina said she and her husband have since met with the superintendent, a compliance officer and the principal â and are demanding more than a temporary social media apology.
“I would love a written and verbal apology, not just to myself, but to the kids involved in our team,” she said. “I honestly, I would love a formal resignation.”
She accused the trustees of objectifying the students to bolster their push for a new dress code.
“It wasn’t about the intent, it was about the impact and responsibility that they hold as a public figure, as a board member of our school,” Sardina said. “They … are now sexualizing minors, which creates a reputational risk for not just my boy, but our family and the team.”
Komrosky and Wiersma were part of a conservative majority elected to the Temecula school board in 2022.
The 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.
