Lakewood High Counselor Says He Was Targeted for Supporting Black Co-Worker
Lakewood, CA—A former counselor at Lakewood High School is speaking out, alleging retaliation and racial bias within the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) after he refused to support an investigation targeting the only Black woman working in his office. Naazir Anyabwile, who began working for LBUSD in 2022 and transferred to Lakewood High in the 2023–24 school year, says he went from being praised by administrators to being pushed out of his job after declining to back accusations against a Black female counselor.
“This time last year, I was a counselor at Lakewood High School,” Anyabwile said in a statement shared with The Voice of Black Los Angeles. “During my first semester, Principal Mona Merlo referred to me and another counselor as ‘the dream team.’ I have the emails to prove it.”
But according to Anyabwile, that positive relationship quickly soured after he was called into a meeting regarding an investigation into one of his colleagues—an investigation he believes was racially motivated and led by Head Counselor Candice Calderon-Lem.
Anyabwile recalled being taken back by the accusations.
“My colleague was described as hostile, angry, and causing tension in the office, but I had never seen any of that. I said so during the investigation, and my part was concluded.”
Shortly afterward, Anyabwile says he took personal leave to support his daughter, a Navy service member who had just given birth in San Diego. When he returned, he was unexpectedly summoned to another investigation meeting—this time, about his own conduct.
“I was shocked,” he said. “The same principal who had praised me all semester now had a list of things she said I needed to correct. It was like overnight, I went from being celebrated to being torn apart.”
Anyabwile, who has worked as a school counselor since 2001 with no history of poor evaluations, said his next meeting with administrators felt like an ambush.
“It was like I had no redeeming qualities as a counselor,” he said. “Mind you, I was the one who organized birthday celebrations out of my own pocket, bought pizza for the office four times, and did home visits using my own gas. I even set up an all-paid trip to Chico State for our students.”
He filed a formal complaint in June against Principal Mona Merlo and Head Counselor Candice Calderon-Lem, but says that months later, there have been no findings or updates from the district.
His contract was not renewed for the 2025–2026 school year, despite what he describes as a strong record and years of experience. He adds that his final evaluation was never completed, allegedly because the school year had ended—despite union representatives telling the principal that her evaluation was out of compliance.
The situation mirrors other reports that the Voice of Black Los Angeles has investigated in recent months, where Black faculty and staff within LBUSD—particularly at Lakewood-area schools—say they’ve faced retaliation, isolation, and targeted investigations after speaking up about inequities or refusing to participate in them.
District officials have not responded to multiple requests for comment regarding the allegations of racial discrimination, workplace retaliation, or the handling of staff complaints. Anyabwile says he came forward in hopes that speaking publicly might finally spark accountability within a district that has repeatedly pledged to advance “excellence and equity.”
“Lakewood has some serious problems,” he said. “I just hope someone finally listens—not just for me, but for the people still there who are afraid to speak.”
