Beverly Hills School Board Race Turns on Culture and Conduct

Five residents are contesting two Beverly Hills school board seats in the Nov. 3 election.

By Career Ahead AI · United States — AI-assisted, fact-verified against cited sources. Readers should verify key facts.

Five candidates compete for two seats

School board president and lawyer Judy Manouchehri is defending her seat against community advocate and stay-at-home mother Kim Lifschitz, lawyers Jackie Kruger and personal injury attorney David Cienfuegos, and math teacher Jared Gonzales. Voters can select up to two candidates. Kruger and Lifschitz, both Democrats, are campaigning together to try to dislodge what they believe is a conservative majority on the board.^¹²³⁴

Board president Judy Manouchehri and personal injury attorney David Cienfuegos describe themselves as nonpartisan, but conservatives, including influencer Elizabeth Barcohana, have endorsed them. Lifschitz said she entered the race to counter what she saw as an extreme rightward shift in the district. The candidates’ alliances and stated aims put control of the board at the centre of the contest.^¹²³⁴

A political shift preceded the board divide

Beverly Hills has about 30,000 residents. From 1964 through 2020, the city voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in every election except 1980. In 2024, its presidential vote shifted from that pattern. That same year, two new school board members were elected, creating a narrow conservative majority.^¹²³⁴

Separately, a lawsuit filed by a teacher who said she was fired over a social media post criticizing a rally said minority students were bullied and that pro-Trump students yelled, “Deport all Mexicans.”¹²³⁴

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The board’s divide showed up in a vote on cultural heritage months, including Black History Month. Manouchehri, the board president, voted against the resolution, which passed by a three-to-two vote. Separately, a lawsuit filed by a teacher who said she was fired over a social media post criticizing a rally said minority students were bullied and that pro-Trump students yelled, “Deport all Mexicans.”^¹²³⁴

Votes on flags and a book drew scrutiny

In 2025, board members voted to display Israeli flags in schools for a month each year as part of an antisemitism resolution. The superintendent later scrapped the plan, citing safety concerns. The board then adopted a policy limiting which flags could fly on school grounds, effectively ending the display of rainbow flags during Pride Month.^¹²³⁴

Personal injury attorney David Cienfuegos objected to a temporary display of the memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which recounts its author’s childhood sexual abuse. The book was removed. The dispute added a book-display decision to the list of school issues contested during the board race.^¹²³⁴

Campaign clashes extend beyond policy votes

Black students, parents and employees have repeatedly raised allegations of anti-Black racism in BHUSD. Those concerns have led to multiple lawsuits and a California Department of Education finding that the district violated Title VI by failing to adequately respond to a race-based bullying incident and a racially hostile environment.^⁴

In February 2026, the student-led Israeli Club at Beverly Hills High School invited social-media influencer Ben Azoulay to speak on campus. Azoulay had a prior criminal conviction related to the rape of a minor. Jackie Kruger, a lawyer and mother, was escorted out by security when she tried to question the board about the invitation.^¹²³⁴

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Influencer Elizabeth Barcohana’s social media posts labeled Kim Lifschitz “antifa” and described lawyer and mother Jackie Kruger as a pink-wigged “pole dancer.” Kruger obtained a temporary restraining order against personal injury attorney David Cienfuegos, accusing him of videotaping her home, posting her address online and accusing her son of stealing campaign signs. Cienfuegos said the order was largely lifted. Police also received reports of stolen yard signs bearing the names of board president Judy Manouchehri and Cienfuegos.^¹²³⁴

Campaign clashes extend beyond policy votes Black students, parents and employees have repeatedly raised allegations of anti-Black racism in BHUSD.

Local Board Votes Shape Classroom Work

If you teach or work in a district where school boards set curriculum policy, watch how board members vote on cultural heritage months and flag displays. A three-to-two vote on heritage months and a later policy ending rainbow flags during Pride Month show that a small majority can change what is visible and taught in classrooms. Before accepting a teaching role, ask the board or administration how it handles sensitive topics and whether teachers face investigation for lessons on Black history, as one teacher did before being cleared.^¹²³⁴

For parents or community advocates, this race shows that school board elections can turn on conduct and safety issues, not just policy. A candidate was escorted out for questioning a board decision, and another obtained a restraining order over alleged harassment. If you plan to speak at board meetings or run for office, prepare for personal attacks and legal disputes. Also note that a district found to violate Title VI over race-based bullying carries legal risk, so ask about past findings before enrolling a child or taking a job there.^¹²³⁴