The Coronado Unified School District voted 3-2 on Wednesday, April 9 to continue litigation against Veolia, the operators of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant. The mass tort lawsuit–spearheaded by Frantz Law Group–alleges that Veolia, the company that’s been running the sewage treatment plant since 2011, is both negligent and reckless for repeatedly exposing Coronado community members to harmful, cancer-causing chemicals.
The decision to remain in the lawsuit was welcome news for members of the Stop the Sewage Club at Coronado High School.
“It’s absolutely crucial that CUSD remains in the lawsuit against Veolia because this crisis directly impacts students every day,” said Sean Wilbur, who serves as executive director for the CHS Stop the Sewage Club. “Students don’t have the luxury of waiting for slow bureaucratic fixes. We need real solutions now, and legal action is one of the strongest ways to push for change.”
The vote came at a special meeting of the board with trustees Renee Cavanaugh, Alexia Palacios-Peters, and Mal Sandie voting to continue the litigation, while trustees Scot Youngblood and Fitzhugh Lee voted in opposition. Board President Palacios-Peters sent out a statement from the board right after the meeting, outlining board concerns and action taken.
The board had voted unanimously at the February 20th meeting to approve the contract with the Frantz Law Group, as part of the consent calendar. According to Palacios-Peters, the lawsuit was entered into with no financial obligation to the district.
“CUSD is is not responsible for paying attorneys any money other than a portion of what is recovered from the defendants,” she wrote in the April 9 letter from the board. “CUSD would pay thirty percent of any monetary settlement or recovery.”
According to Frantz Law Group, the firm representing the district, more than 700 individual plaintiffs have joined the case since it was launched in November of 2024.
For students like Wilbur, the sewage crisis not only threatens access to clean beaches, surf teams and PE classes, but also poses a significant risk to students’ health and well-being. He said the closest classroom to the ocean was only 900 feet away from a “sickening sea mist” which blows into every classroom in the district.
“The health risks from exposure to contaminated water and air are unacceptable,” he said. “We need to see CUSD continue to take a stance against the rampant environmental crisis affecting everyone in our town, including the students which trustees have chosen to serve.”
But not everyone is excited about the litigation.
Some community members have raised concerns about whether or not the district was transparent when it decided to join the lawsuit in the first place.
And Trustee Lee–who voted against continuing the litigation–said he’s worried that the lawsuit has the potential to create more problems than solutions.
“First, I’d like to emphasize the areas where we were in full agreement,” said Lee. “We all strongly support efforts to end the sewage crisis that has plagued our local waters for far too long, and we recognize there were serious process missteps that must never be repeated. Early public comments from our counsel did not serve the issue well, and that’s been acknowledged.”
Lee says board members differed in their assessment of whether the lawsuit was the best path forward.
“I have concerns that it could ultimately be counterproductive—potentially delaying a solution, rather than accelerating it,” said Lee. “Many who have studied this issue longer than we have–and I’ve spent a great deal of time on it myself–share my concerns.”
Lee says that he’s spent time discussing the issue with local officials, environmental researchers, and cross-border policy experts.
“They’ve consistently emphasized that while legal action has its place, real progress depends on cooperation, funding, and binational coordination,” said Lee.
Lee says the fragile nature of the situation warrants concern, as Veolia operates the South Bay plant under contract with the IBWC under already tight conditions, often without the timely funding needed to make major repairs or upgrades. He worries if Veolia is pulled into litigation, it could delay the repairs everyone is hoping to see.
Some board members had concerns about the public statements made by Frantz Law Group CEO James Frantz. In the letter from the board, Palacios-Peters said that Frantz spoke to the media without the consent of the board or district staff.
“We have instructed attorneys representing CUSD to refrain from commenting publicly on behalf of the district and our staff and students,” said Palacios-Peters.
In addition, the board acknowledged that the initial process to enter into the lawsuit–while in compliance with both the law and current board policy–could have been more transparent.
“While all board members were aware of the items included in the February 2025 consent calendar, it would have been better agendized as a stand-alone action item,” said Palacios-Peters. “As such, the board has directed Superintendent Mueller to draft a new policy regarding potential litigation that will be presented for board approval at a future meeting.”
The CUSD school board isn’t the only local governing body taking action when it comes to the Tijuana sewage crisis. Just last month, the Coronado City Council voted 4-1 to declare a state of emergency.
For Wilbur, actions like these show solidarity in the community.
“It’s empowering to see our community standing up and taking action, but we know this is just the beginning,” he said. “Students want to be involved, and we’ll keep speaking up until this crisis is resolved.”
Stop the Sewage President Danny Vinegrad echoed Wilbur’s statements.
“I am grateful for the district for taking measures to protect us,” said Vinegrad. “As long the board keeps students at the forefront of their decision and makes progress, I am supportive of their efforts.”
Lee hopes the litigation will result in the intended consequences: cleaner beaches, oceans and air for everyone.
“Bottom line…I believe we had a healthy, principled debate,” said Lee. “I respect my fellow trustees, but we didn’t agree on the best path forward. Now that we are moving forward with this course of action, my hope is that it helps the cause, not hinders it.”
The Stop the Sewage Club is hosting a Community Health Forum addressing the sewage crisis on April 23 in at the Coronado Library in the Winn Room from 6 to 8pm. Elected officials, environmental researchers and policy experts will share up-to-date information with the community.
