Cell Towers On Temecula Valley USD Campuses Ignite Heated Debate

Schools Cell Towers On Temecula Valley USD Campuses Ignite Heated Debate TVUSD board president Dr. Joseph Komrosky says he is “an expert” on the matter and he argues the towers damage human and animal health. Reply
According to TVUSD staff, the district has three cell towers on two campuses — one at Temecula Middle School and the others at Chaparral High School. The 15-year ground-lease contracts are valued at over $500,000. (Shutterstock)
TEMECULA, CA — Heated public hearings took place at Tuesday night’s Temecula Valley Unified School District meeting. One in particular delved into cell towers on TVUSD campuses.
TVUSD board president Dr. Joseph Komrosky wants to see the equipment banned at all school sites because he said the towers harm student health. The meeting agenda included a resolution from him that, if approved, would force the ban. Despite a long and impassioned plea, however, Komrosky couldn’t persuade a majority of the board to get behind him, though the issue could return.
Komrosky holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Claremont Graduate University and is a tenured college professor teaching logic full-time at Mount San Antonio College. He also teaches critical thinking part-time at California State University San Marcos, according to his bio on the TVUSD website. Prior to his teaching career, he worked in the field of nuclear medicine — primarily PET/CT — helping cancer patients, and he retired as a radiology supervisor, the website states.
Citing his nuclear medicine expertise, as well as his 2021 doctoral dissertation, “The Corporate Character of Eudaimonist Virtue Ethics Cautioning the Invisible Environment of Harmful EMFs Resulting from 5G Technology,” Komrosky argued Tuesday that electromagnetic frequencies from cell towers cause harm to humans and animals. “This is my area of expertise,” he said emphatically.
Board Trustees Allison Barclay and Steven Schwartz challenged Komrosky, citing national organizations like the American Cancer Society and international groups such as the World Health Organization that contradict his stance. One member of the public criticized Komrosky for touting himself as an expert even though his Ph.D. is in philosophy. Another public commenter read aloud alleged email responses from industry experts and scientists who called Komrosky’s proposed ban “ill-advised” and not grounded in solid science.
In defending his position, Komrosky cited a U.S. Court of Appeals case, Environmental Health Trust v. Federal Communications Commission. In the 2021 case, the court did not weigh whether electromagnetic frequencies from cell towers harm human health. Instead, the court found that the FCC failed to provide a good explanation for why it has not updated its radiofrequency radiation exposure guidelines since 1996. Cell towers must be in compliance with the guidelines, which were developed to protect public health. “I land on ‘the FCC got sued,'” Komrosky said. Barclay challenged Komrosky, saying the case did not prove the towers cause harm. “It’s comparing apples and oranges,” Barclay said, and she criticized Komrosky for his “scare tactics.”
He shot back, “We live in an electromagnetic sea of radiation.” Barclay pleaded with Komrosky to “slow roll” the issue in order to give district staff and the board time to gather additional expert opinions on the matter. She also said the TVUSD should be working with the city on cell tower placement. Komrosky’s resolution calls for restrictions on the proximity of cell towers to campuses, even if they aren’t on school grounds. While student health is paramount, Barclay said campus safety during emergencies relies on good WiFi service. A TVUSD dad told the board Tuesday that he works in the Hemet USD as a network technician specializing in wireless. He said he’s witnessed the digital divide firsthand. The students who would be hurt most by lack of WiFi on TVUSD campuses would be those without internet at home. For those kids, a ban on towers would create “a significant barrier to academic success,” he said. Before implementing any ban, Trustee Danny Gonzalez said he wants to first hear from the handful of California school districts that have banned cell towers on campuses, the largest being Los Angeles Unified.