Murrieta School Stripped Of Namesake Due To Allegations of Improprieties

The recent change came following an audit into alleged corruption and illegal activity between the Val Verde Unified School District in Perris and a private school in China, Pegasus California School in Qingdao.

The audit, conducted by Los Angeles law firm Larson LLP and completed Feb. 19, found that Long and other top officials — including former State Superintendent of Instruction Tom Torlakson and former Val Verde USD Superintendent Michael McCormick — used their positions of power to promote Pegasus. Long is a former California Secretary of Education and Riverside County Superintendent of Schools.

Additionally, the audit alleged that Val Verde USD's relationship with Pegasus may have involved fraud and misappropriation of funds, among other concerns.

Long released a statement that was published by The Press-Enterprise. In a June 6 article, the news outlet reported that Long called the audit "deeply flawed" and "replete with false and defamatory statements."

Pegasus founder Steven Ma posted a lengthy, scathing April 22 statement to LinkedIn, which called news reports about the audit "politically driven, unfounded, and dramatically exaggerated."

Ma said the Pegasus/Val Verde USD relationship was a three-year pilot program that encouraged cross-Pacific educational opportunities.

"The program promoted exchanges in academics, language, culture, athletics, and visual performing arts," he said.

Ma said the "flawed" news stories have been "weaponized by MAGA acolytes on right-wing media to stoke fears of Chinese students infiltrating the American education system. That narrative is false, it is dangerous, and it does a disservice to the hundreds of students whose lives were genuinely enriched by this program."

Ma also claimed there was no material use of public funds in connection with the pilot program.

There have been no arrests by law enforcement in connection with the allegations.

The Murrieta Regional Learning Center is an alternative education school offering a variety of programs and activities. Programs include Community School serving middle and high school students who have been expelled; an Independent Study Program targeting students in grades 7 through 12; CBK Charter School for students ages 13 and up; Audiology and Deaf and Hard of Hearing serving students from preschool to 22 years of age; and the Murrieta Medical Therapy Unit, which provides physical and occupational therapy to children and adults ages 0 through 21 years.