California Superintendent Candidate Accused of Being 'Real Threat' in Leaked Audio

Conservative California superintendent candidate Sonja Shaw stated that she will not back down from confronting the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) union after a leaked video allegedly captured a union leader calling her a "real threat." Shaw, who also serves as president of the Chino Valley Unified School District board, pointed to Los Angeles student achievement scores in her criticism of the union, accusing it of protecting the education establishment rather than focusing on academic outcomes.

"I’m not surprised the Los Angeles teachers union sees me as a threat," Shaw said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "More than half of their students still can’t read at grade level, and nearly two-thirds can’t do math. Instead of working to help those kids, UTLA has fought to keep parents in the dark, excused failure, and protected the system that produced these results."

According to California's latest official assessment results, 46.46% of Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) students met or exceeded the state standard in English language arts in 2025, and 36.76% met or exceeded the standard in mathematics. This means approximately 53.5% did not meet the ELA standard and 63.2% did not meet the math standard.

Shaw asserted that the criticism described in the video would not alter her approach to the statewide race. "If putting children and families first is a ‘huge problem’ for their agenda, that tells you everything you need to know. I won’t back down," she said. "They just admitted it. I’m a ‘real threat’ to their socialist agenda. Parents over politics. Kids over ideology. Girls over boys in their sports and locker rooms. Keep calling me a threat. I’ll keep being one."

The leaked audio clip, shared by Corey DeAngelis, a research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, features a woman identifying Shaw as a "real threat" and discussing efforts to prevent a "MAGA lady" from influencing public education. The speaker, identified by The California Post as Julie Van Winkle, UTLA AFT vice president, warned that Shaw's election would "cause a huge problem for us."

DeAngelis told Fox News Digital that he views the leaked remarks as evidence that Shaw is challenging the political influence of teachers unions. "This leaked audio is the best endorsement Sonja Shaw could’ve ever received. When a power-hungry teachers union that fights to protect itself at the expense of kids calls you an existential threat to their socialist agenda, you’re officially over the target," he stated.

UTLA has publicly endorsed Shaw's opponent, San Diego Unified School District Board President Richard Barrera, for California superintendent of public instruction. The union has stated Barrera has a "proven commitment" to working with educators and families and called for a superintendent who would collaborate with unions on education funding. Data compiled by CalMatters shows the California Teachers Association Independent Expenditure Committee had spent over $5 million supporting Barrera as of September 15, with only $10,000 in reported outside spending supporting Shaw.

Roxanne Hoge, chair of the Los Angeles County Republican Party, connected the controversy to Governor Gavin Newsom's recent changes to the superintendent's authority, noting that the office Shaw is running for had most of its power stripped away. Fox News Digital reached out to UTLA and Newsom's office for comment.