The San Francisco Unified School District confirmed today that Apolinar Quesada, the district’s labor relations director, was in July indicted on charges of criminal sexual activity with a minor in New Mexico.
Quesada, 50, is also a former principal and assistant principal at San Francisco middle schools.
He was indicted on July 20 by the state of New Mexico on first-degree charges of criminal sexual penetration of a minor under 13, which allegedly occurred between January and February 1995, according to documents obtained from the court clerk of the Grant County District Attorney. Quesada, who was born in 1976, would have been 18 at the time of the alleged incident.
From Quesada’s one-page July 20 indictment:
Criminal Sexual Penetration in the First Degree (Child Under 13), (7786), between January 1, 1995 and February 28, 1995, in Grant County, the above-named defendant did unlawfully and intentionally cause a child under thirteen (13) years of age to engage in sexual intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio or anal intercourse or cause penetration, to any extent and with any object, of the genital or anal openings of another, a first degree felony, contrary to NMSA 1978, Section 30-09-11(C)(1) (1993).
The state of New Mexico this year removed any statutes of limitations on alleged sex crimes against children.
Mission Local called a phone number for Quesada provided by an associate. It was disconnected. Mission Local left emails and voice messages for Quesada’s lawyer, Alexandra Wilson Jones, but has not received a response.
SFUSD Head of Staff Hong Mei Pang said Thursday that the district immediately placed Quesada on leave upon learning of the indictment earlier this month, and has started an investigation.
“The alleged acts did not take place in San Francisco or involve any SFUSD students,” she said. “Student safety is always our top priority and we take these matters very seriously.”
According to his LinkedIn page, Quesada in 2011 moved to San Francisco to take over the role of assistant principal at Marina Middle School. He subsequently became the principal of James Lick Middle School before moving up to the district office.
Quesada, as director of labor relations, is involved in negotiations with its unionized workforce. He played a role in talks with the principals union in December last year and the teachers union this year prior to and during the four-day strike.
While the district could not comment on the background checks specifically undertaken on Quesada, Pang noted that “all SFUSD employees” must submit proof of identity, fingerprints, and the “the relevant credentialing and documentation related to their work experience.”
“Our process is aligned with local, state, and federal laws,” she said.
Records, however, show that on Jan. 21, 2004, Quesada voluntarily relinquished his badge as an officer with the Tempe Police Department in Arizona, following undisclosed “miscellaneous” misconduct. At around that time, he began his career as a paraeducator and clerk in the Phoenix area, according to his bio on SFUSD’s website.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Apolinar Quesada has served as the district’s director of labor relations since February 2025. In addition to his time at SFUSD, he was a school principal at two California schools between the years of 2019 and 2025 before returning to SFUSD to take over his current role.
