After a meme of Bonnie Blue, a prominent figure in the porn industry, appeared in the video bulletin for Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, all three Chiefs of Publicity have been suspended from their role and are currently awaiting a decision on whether they can keep their Associated Student Body (ASB) leadership positions. John Villavicencio, Director of Student Activities, delivered an official apology in the following bulletin.
“I would like to acknowledge that some of the recent bulletin videos that I edit have done more harm than good,” Villavicencio said in his video statement, “(Students, staff, and families) need to trust that when you watch this video in a classroom, it’s appropriate for an academic setting. Staff shouldn’t have to debrief anything that was harmful that was said or seen.”
The Sept. 18 bulletin featured Calvin Lee, Urban King, and Kenny Swensen, the three acting Chiefs of Publicity. In the bulletin, to showcase the Berkeley High School club list, Lee asked Swensen and King what they should do for lunch, and a meme of Bonnie Blue making a shocked expression popped up, followed by Swensen telling students to check out the club list to see what clubs meet at lunch. According to Lee, Swensen edited the video and inserted the meme. “When that picture was put into the bulletin, Kenny did not know who that woman was … It was not a group effort to include (that picture),” Lee said.
According to Lee, he, Swensen, and King were called into the office during fifth period on Sept. 18 and were told they were all suspended. Lee noted that all three of their names and emails were removed from the bulletin as well. “There’s an understanding of frustration from both us and the administration because what was shown (on Sept. 18) was inappropriate,” Lee said.
Kabir Hermon, one of the 2025-26 Chiefs of Publicity, said that many of his bulletins with his twin brother, Arjun Hermon, and other chiefs, Ezmond Pioscobar and Reuben Maimon, were censored multiple times last school year. “We had to have some meetings with ASB and Mr. V. to discuss guidelines and what is appropriate to show on the bulletin,” Hermon said.
Last spring, a survey was sent out to students and staff to express their thoughts on the bulletin, and what they thought could be improved. “(Chiefs of publicity) have, I think, felt a pressure to kind of engage through camera in a more sensationalized way, more kind of edgy way, and I think we probably just let that go on for too long … these things, they just kind of like snowballed into people thinking that the bulletin is their audition reel for Saturday Night Live,” Villavicencio said.
According to Lee, the content in the bulletin has been vetoed by administration a couple of other times this year due to being violent and unsuited for the bulletin. “The accumulation of incidents within the bulletin, the majority of them have been unfortunately led by Chiefs of Publicity,” Villavicencio said.
Regarding the current suspension of the Chiefs of Publicity, Hermon said that it was a very difficult situation, and very severe action taken by the administration. “Obviously, the picture wasn’t appropriate in a school setting, but at the same time, it’s a reaction image from the internet and from Instagram comments, and it might have been put in without knowledge of the content in it,” Hermon said.
Villavicencio noted that the bulletin without the Chief of Publicity segment has been running smoothly. “It seems like student clubs and student groups are more than capable of filming their own things,” Villavicencio said, “Most of the time, Chiefs of Publicity are looking at their phones … they didn’t take the time to memorize it … If you take it very cynically, like (the Chiefs of Publicity) don’t care about what they’re reading about. It’s more about like the show they’re putting on.”
Teachers at BHS have also expressed their concerns about the bulletin and Chiefs of Publicity. “I strongly support establishing clear academic, attendance, and conduct requirements for student leadership roles” Samantha Borg, a BHS Spanish teacher wrote in an email to BHS administration. “Student leaders represent our school, and baseline eligibility criteria ensure these positions reflect our core values. A formal vetting process would not only uphold these standards but could also strongly incentivize struggling students to improve their academic and behavioral standing.”
Stephanie Schaudel, a BHS history teacher, also disapproved of the content shown on the bulletin. “Young people need to learn and understand that what you do within your friend group is one thing, then what we do at school. School is a very particular setting, and it’s like in the same way that I have certain jokes and get to be way more relaxed with my own friends, I act differently with my colleagues. I mean it’s code switching, right?” Schaudel said, “There’s just so much out there that doesn’t belong on a video announcement in a school.”
Both King and Swensen declined to comment until the decision is made on whether or not they will continue serving as Chiefs of Publicity.
Villavicencio shared concerns that the possibility of taking away the Chief of Publicity position would strip leadership of an already scarce diversity, as elections for the position “tended to attract the most diverse group of students.”
Hermon shared a similar sentiment, naming that “the chief of publicity position is such an original and unique position that it allows more artsy people who are interested in different things.”
Villavicencio noted that with Homecoming and Spirit Week coming up, those will take precedence for administration over figuring out if the Chiefs of Publicity will return or if the role will be cut completely. “Right now I’m leaning more towards like I wouldn’t advise the position to come back because the majority of bulletins are already submitted as a video … the position in general has caused harm in the past, and is for some reason causing major harm this year, and we might need to move on,” Villavicencio said.
