On Monday, a San Diego State University-affiliated research laboratory sent out multiple emails with a link to a new study it had conducted on hunger and homelessness among community college students across the nation.
The apparent response from one state Department of Education employee: “Go f--- yourself.”
“Obviously, it was pretty shocking,” said J. Luke Wood, a San Diego State University professor and one of the study’s co-authors.
Wood, in fact, thought it was “some sort of horrible auto correct,” so he picked up the phone and called Thomas Pacheco, who works in the state education department’s Charter Schools Division and whose name was in a signature line at the bottom of the email response that included the expletive.
I’ve never in my life experienced anything like that … from a professional person.
San Diego State University professor J. Luke Wood
Pacheco’s response, Wood said, was to accuse him of sending spam. Wood said he then explained the report. As Wood did, he said Pacheco responded by saying “blah blah blah blah blah blah” and then hanging up on him.
“I’ve never in my life experienced anything like that … from a professional person,” Wood said.
A call to Pacheco went straight to his voice mail.
Bill Ainsworth, the California Department of Education’s communications director, said in an email that “the California Department of Education has been made aware that a CDE employee has been allegedly sending out inappropriate emails. We are investigating and taking immediate action. These emails in no way reflect the views of the California Department of Education. We expect CDE employees to conduct themselves using the highest professional standards.”
The state Department of Education also addressed the issue on Twitter: