Natoshia Bartley says she reported safety issues and violations to district officials. Instead of addressing the issues, she said she was fired.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — A former principal at Dehesa School announced Friday plans to file a lawsuit against the Dehesa School District, alleging she was terminated in retaliation for reporting safety violations and fraudulent attendance practices connected to state funding.

According to a complaint, Natoshia Bartley served as assistant principal at Dehesa School beginning in 2024, before being promoted to principal. The district operates only this one school, which educates approximately 220 students.

Bartley identified safety concerns shortly after assuming the principal role.

"Every decision I made was about the integrity of our school," said Bartley.

According to her complaint, Bartley discovered multiple safety deficiencies throughout the campus. She claims students were not being properly logged into the health office, and staff administered medication without documenting it. Athletic programs lacked safety plans. Additionally, she alleges the campus suffered from poor sanitation conditions, including rat droppings, and operated without a cleaning schedule.

Bartley said she reported these issues to district leadership but contends the administration retaliated rather than remedied the problems.

The claim states a state audit found the district falsified or altered attendance records for independent study students, which...

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