More than a thousand teachers and parents rallied at the Twin Rivers Unified School District office Thursday morning as the teacher strike reached its 11th consecutive day.
Educators and parents in attendance said the rally was peaceful — though loud — but a district spokesperson said the crowd’s actions went too far.
“We respect the right of educators to advocate for their needs, but the actions taking place at the district office today cross a line that does not serve our students, families, or the broader community,” district spokesperson Zenobia Gerald wrote in a news release. “Disruptive behavior — including banging on windows and doors — created an unsafe environment that undermines the spirit of constructive dialogue that is essential to reaching a resolution.”
The standoff ended without police intervention, but a parent and employee claimed she was pushed by a private security guard and separated from her 7-year-old daughter.
Erika Hernandez, a paraeducator and mother of a child at the district, said that while she was inside the atrium in front of the district offices she asked a coworker to watch her daughter while she retrieved some belongings from outside. She said she had not yet left the building when she asked a security guard if she would be able to come back in to retrieve her daughter if she left.
“And he said, ‘no,’ and he pushed me out,” Hernandez said. “My leg is already bad, so I can barely walk correctly. And he almost threw me on the floor.”
“I said that I just needed to go back in to get my daughter — she’s 7 years old and she’s by herself, and he said, ‘Well, what kind of mother are you to leave your daughter?’”
Hernandez was separated from her daughter for about 15 minutes before she got to her daughter through another door.
Gerald said that Twin Rivers Police Department was not involved.
Hernandez, a classified employee, has been working with special education students during the strike. She said she and her coworkers are exhausted from the extra work they are responsible for since teachers have been on the picket lines.
Erika Hernandez holds her daughter Natalia, 7, after they were separated as they participated in the Twin Rivers Unified School District strike rally at McClellan Park on Thursday. Hernandez said she was pushed by a guard as she tried to re-enter a hallway. HECTOR AMEZCUA hamezcua@sacbee.com Tensions flare on strike Day 11
The rally was in response to flaring tensions between the district and the teachers union during ongoing negotiations, which have not yet resulted in an agreement.
Twin Rivers United Educators leaders filed a complaint with the Public Employee Relations Board on Thursday alleging that the district has barred parent members of its bargaining team from participating in negotiations and denied access to restroom facilities.
Twin Rivers Unified School District workers and students leave a hallway as they march at the district head quarters at McClellan Park on Thursday. HECTOR AMEZCUA hamezcua@sacbee.com
“While we were debriefing with our team the district directed the Twin Rivers Police department to disrupt our debrief and caucus, even going so far to deny two pregnant women access to a bathroom,” TRUE President Brittoni Ward said.
Gerald said in a statement that the bargaining members were allowed to use the lobby restrooms, but the union alleges that its members were not allowed back into bargaining should they go to the lobby.
Gerald also said in a statement that the district is committed to negotiating in good faith.
“We have put forward a comprehensive offer that reflects meaningful progress on key issues. We are ready to return to the table at any time,” she wrote. “Unfortunately, TRUE has not responded to our most recent proposal.”
This story was originally published March 19, 2026 at 3:43 PM.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly characterized the location of the demonstration. A school district spokesperson on Thursday evening said demonstrators were in the McClellan Park building’s atrium and not on district property.
Corrected Mar 19, 2026
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Jennah Pendleton is an education reporter for The Sacramento Bee. She previously covered schools and culture in the San Francisco Bay Area. She grew up in Orange County and is a graduate of the University of Oregon.