Change.
That could be the keyword for the campaign of Sergei Vinkov, a Mt. San Jacinto College graduate who is running for the Area 3 seat on the MSJC Board of Trustees. But when you look closer, a more accurate keyword might be this:
Challenge.
Vinkov, a Russian immigrant who came to the U.S. in 2016 and became an American citizen in 2021, has a very different strategy from his opponents in the upcoming election — incumbent Vicki Carpenter and Robert Douglas. Citing a “litigation experience” that includes political science classes he took at MSJC and his current position as a legal document assistant, Vinkov has become sort of a self-proclaimed advocate for the rights of residents in school board meetings.
Citing multiple alleged Brown Act violations, Vinkov has in the last month filed lawsuits against the Hemet Unified School District – where he lives – and against the new president of Mt. San Jacinto College – the same institution for which he is now running for a trustee seat.
Vinkov, 39, previously submitted arguments against school bond measures in the Perris Union High School District and Beaumont Unified School District for the November ballot, but the Registrar declined to publish them in the ballot because Vinkov doesn’t live in those districts.
“As a result, the ballots for Beaumont and Perris officially went to the printer without opposition arguments included,” Vinkov said. “With county lawyers, we decided to litigate it at the next election cycle if I don’t lose my passion to public laws.”
One of Vinkov’s arguments against the PUHSD bond measure is the same as the argument he is making in a lawsuit against board clerk Chrtisti Barrett and members of the Hemet Unified School District board. He argued that the ballot language describing the bonds as a “no tax rate increase measure” was misleading. In his case against Hemet USD, Vinkov argued that the $225 million bond Measure I would add to the debt service payment still owed by Measure X, a $150 million bond measure approved in 2018.
District officials argued that the combined tax rate for projected old and new bonds together would not exceed the current tax rate. Vinkov sued, and on appeal of the original ruling against him, county elections officials were ordered by the court to revise the wording of the ballot title.
Vinkov also submitted a public records request recently to the Murrieta Valley Unified School District, seeking copies of the training records for board members he says violated the Brown Act and his right to free speech by interrupting him during his three-minute comment at the Sept. 8 meeting. This complaint is one of several allegations of Brown Act violations Vinkov has made against local school district boards.
But of all Vinkov’s legal actions against local school districts, the one with the greatest impact in Menifee is his lawsuit against MSJC President Tawny Dotson – because he is running for the right to sit on a Board of Trustees alongside the very administrator he is suing.
In his lawsuit, Vinkov alleges that Dotson failed to perform her “ministerial duty to agendize timely submitted agenda items” for the Aug. 13 and Sept. 10 board meetings – a right Vinkov says that he, as a taxpayer, is granted by the state community college education code.
In essence, Vinkov’s legal actions against various school boards indicates his belief that his voice is being silenced. That is why, he says, he is running for the opportunity for change.
“What they are doing is not aligned with the college’s values,” Vinkov said in reference to his lawsuit, which a spokesperson for MSJC attorneys described as unfounded. “I’m fighting some big obstacles and facing pressure from the trustees and (board president) Tom Ashley. They say they support diversity, but when I try to set an item for the agenda, they don’t allow it for an immigrant like me.”
In his campaign statement, Vinkov says the following:
“My experience in the district revealed critical issues: Retaliation, free speech restrictions, and barriers to immigrant access in local government. Working in the courts taught me how to amplify underserved voices and preserve the public record to drive real change. I am prepared to bring reforms – from addressing unequal pay for part-time faculty to increasing transparency and accountability in the district’s finances.”
Vinkov says he is committed to:
— Responsible budgeting that protects taxpayers.
— Updating outdated policies and increasing genuine public engagement.
— Guaranteeing inclusion and learning fundamentals.
“This election is about renewal,” he said. “Empower me to rebalance leadership with fresh energy, accountability, and a clear vision for our community’s future.”
