The president of a San Francisco college’s union was heard calling a Jewish college computer instructor a ‘colonizer’ and mocking her name.
Maria Salazar-Colon, the president of the campus chapter of the Service Employees International Union Local 1021, was heard referring to Abigail Bornstein as a ‘colonizer’ twice during a public board meeting.
Salazar-Colon also mocked Bornstein, a computer science instructor at City College of San Francisco, and referred to her as ‘Abigail Dumbstein,’ footage from the meeting revealed.
Now, Bornstein, who reported the incident to the college, told the San Francisco Chronicle that she doesn’t feel safe on campus.
The meeting of the board of trustees took place on May 29, 2025, as Salazar-Colon was heard lashing out at around 11pm.
Bornstein had discussed the college’s budget during her two-minute slot to speak and opposed the SEIU’s call for the college to reopen contract negotiations to increase pay by 14 percent – matching that seen by the faculty union in the past three years.
The college instructor argued that basing salaries on the notion of, ‘if they get that, I get this,’ was not an efficient way to budget correctly. Instead, Bornstein had suggested adjusting pay to match the job market.
Salazar-Colon, however, began to address the board by building up to her bitter comments on ‘that big mouth that’s always here.’
Abigail Bornstein was dubbed a ‘colonizer’ during a public board meeting in May of last year by the president of the campus chapter of the Service Employees International Union Local 1021
Maria Salazar-Colon said that the budget was none of Bornstein’s business and said she should ‘shut the f*** up… I’m sick of her s***… Shut the f*** up’
The panel discussed the college’s budget as Bornstein opposed the SEIU’s call for the college to reopen contract negotiations to increase pay by 14 percent
‘I really wish that that colonizer, Abigail Dumbstein, would shut her damn mouth and not speak on SEIU items,’ Salazar-Colon was heard saying before adding that Bornstein was ‘dumber than a bag of rocks.’
Salazar-Colon said that the budget was none of Bornstein’s business and said she should ‘shut the f*** up… I’m sick of her s***… Shut the f*** up.’
The incident did not see any motions to end the meeting or reprimand Salazar-Colon for the comments, despite other members of the board speaking up.
‘President [Anita] Martinez, we need to make sure that we’re mindful of the comments that are being made,’ Aliya Chisti, a trustee, said.
But the union president carried on, adding that she would ‘make whatever comment I want because I’m tired of it’ and urged other members to put Bornstein ‘in her place.’
Bornstein told the Chronicle that the incident was ‘vile’ and that President Martinez ‘should have hit her gavel within the first five seconds.’
‘She did nothing,’ Bornstein said.
The college instructor reported a follow up email from Salazar-Colon, not only to the college but also to the police and the board of trustees.
‘I really wish that that colonizer, Abigail Dumbstein, would should her damn mouth and not speak on SEIU items,’ Salazar-Colon was heard saying before adding that Bornstein was ‘dumbed than a bag of rocks’
Salazar-Colon also mocked Bornstein, a computer science instructor at City College of San Francisco, and referred to her as ‘Abigail Dumbstein’
The board, including its president Anita Martinez and VP Luis Zamora, was condemned for its lack of initiative in shutting down the attack on Bornstein
Salazar-Colon said in the email, shared with the Chronicle, that Bornstein should ‘stop with your deranged, racist, elitist, horrible, filthy lies that come out of your spiteful mouth!’
‘It seems like you might be feeling a bit envious,’ the email added.
Bornstein reported the email as ‘threatening,’ according to the outlet.
In capital letters, Salazar-Colon continued: ‘YOU LACK THE POWER TO STOP OR CONTROL SEIU, AND YOU NEVER WILL! ACCEPT THAT, COLONIZER!’
Bornstein said in an email to the board that she found the incident and the email ‘antisemitic’ and a ‘vile attack.’
The board was also condemned for its lack of initiative in shutting down the attack on Bornstein.
Darlene Alioto, the chair of the college’s Department Chairpersons Council, said in an email to the trustees, obtained by the outlet, that ‘this behavior would not be allowed in my classroom; this behavior would not be allowed in my home. Why is it allowed at board meetings?’
Alioto said the acceptance of the attack was ‘disgusting’ and also branded Salazar-Colon’s follow-up email ‘antisemitic,’ the Chronicle reported.
Martinez and the board’s vice president Luis Zamora apologized and said that the trustees ‘did not do enough to uphold the standards of respect that our community deserves’
College officials told accreditors in February that they were addressing the concerns and violations. This included the attempt to hire a permanent chancellor to replace the interim chancellor – who has been in the position for a year already
A shared statement from Martinez and Zamora, seen by the San Francisco Chronicle, said they apologized ‘to those who experienced such incivility’
Martinez and the board’s vice president Luis Zamora apologized and said that the trustees ‘did not do enough to uphold the standards of respect that our community deserves,’ according to the outlet.
They added that in the future, the board ‘will no longer tolerate such behavior’ and insisted that they would be ‘committed to reinforcing the expectation that all voices can be heard without fear of intimidation or harm.’
A shared statement from Martinez and Zamora, seen by the outlet, said they apologized ‘to those who experienced such incivility.’
The incident landed the college in hot water, and now it is under a warning sanction for three accreditation violations by its trustees, the outlet reported.
This included the board not following its own policies, such as recommending trustees refrain from ‘profanity, obscenity and other offensive language.’
College officials told accreditors in February that they were addressing the concerns and violations. This included the attempt to hire a permanent chancellor to replace the interim chancellor – who has been in the position for a year already.
The Daily Mail reached out to the Board of Trustees, Salazar-Colon and Bornstein for comment.
