Nemzer holds wide margin in Marin Board of Education’s Area 5

Tiburon resident Marilyn Nemzer led early returns in her bid for another four years on the Marin County Board of Education, ahead of a challenger backed by one of her board colleagues.

Nemzer had 71.6% of the vote, or 4,825 votes, to 28.4%, or 1,918 votes, for challenger and fellow Tiburon resident Avery Lieberman as of the county’s 8:25 p.m. Nov. 3 results report, when 59,846 ballots had been counted countywide, about 34% of Marin’s 173,804 registered voters.

The Trustee Area 5 seat covers all of Tiburon, Belvedere and Strawberry as well as Corte Madera and Larkspur. The Reed Union School District lies entirely within its boundaries. The winner will serve a four-year term ending in November 2030.

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The results are unofficial. Mailed ballots postmarked by Election Day could arrive as late as Nov. 10 and still be counted. Marin County has until Dec. 3 to certify the results.

Nemzer said she was relieved and happy with the early results and that being elected is a special feeling.

“I just love being involved in what we do on the board, and I’m just really, really happy that it looks like I will have a chance to continue,” Nemzer said in a phone interview.

The Marin County Board of Education provides citizen oversight of educational programs and services run by the Marin County Office of Education. It works with the voter-elected county superintendent of schools to set county-office priorities.

Its duties include adopting or rejecting, but not modifying, the elected superintendent’s proposed budget; setting the superintendent’s salary; hearing appeals of student expulsions or denied interdistrict transfer requests; and maintaining positive relationships with the county’s 17 school districts.

Nemzer’s race became a proxy for existing tensions on the school board between her and board member Nancy McCarthy, who encouraged Lieberman to run and who has clashed repeatedly with her colleagues on the board.

McCarthy — who has drawn criticism from her colleagues in recorded meetings, including claims that she has created a toxic environment during her tenure — financially supported a committee, Educate Our Children, that spent against Nemzer and fellow incumbent Curtis Robinson, who is also seeking reelection.

McCarthy has criticized Nemzer for accepting county-paid health benefits, which Lieberman said he would not accept if elected. Nemzer has defended the benefit, saying the option to receive health coverage allows people from lower-income backgrounds to seek the office.

Lieberman’s social media posts have also drawn accusations of bigotry. He sued the University of California in November 2020, alleging he was laid off from his job as an assistant clinical professor at its San Francisco dental school and publicly branded a racist over posts on his personal Facebook page. The parties settled the suit in October 2024, with no admission of wrongdoing and no allegations tested at trial.

In one post, Lieberman wrote that saying “all lives matter” was “now considered to be the ‘go-to response from a racist.’” He also commented “So true!” on another user’s post invoking slavery, Jim Crow and reparations. Lieberman deleted the “all lives matter” post and apologized publicly after a colleague told him students had been hurt by it, according to his complaint. In a deposition, Lieberman acknowledged a reader could construe his agreement with the latter post as racist.

The dispute began in June 2020, days after George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis. A student complained that Lieberman’s posts were offensive, according to court filings. A faculty member relayed the student’s words in an email quoted in the case: “Apparently this is how he feels about people of my skin color.” The student said Lieberman had since deleted “a lot of the racial posts.”

More recently, in April, Lieberman wrote Facebook posts directed at Muslims as a group.

In an April 19 post, Lieberman shared a Breitbart story headlined “North London Synagogue ‘Firebombed’ in Latest Anti-Jewish Attack.” Above the link he wrote: “For those of you who favor open borders and unelected judges (Obama appointees) who block efforts to deport violent hate filled Muslims.”

In an April 17 post, Lieberman shared a message from conservative commentator David J. Harris Jr. paraphrasing Catholic Bishop Athanasius Schneider: “They are not refugees, they are invaders who want to Islamize Europe. They want to destroy historical culture in Europe.” Harris asked, “Thoughts?” Lieberman answered, “And they’ve succeeded.”

In September, Lieberman defended the posts and said he was not referring to all Muslims.

“Most are peaceful and tolerant but a small percentage aren’t,” he wrote. Lieberman, who is Jewish, added that he was concerned about rising antisemitism worldwide and feels an obligation to speak up against attacks on Jews.

Lieberman said those who “try to label me as racist or hateful” over the posts should recognize that he has been a victim of hate himself. He said he would stand up for people of all races and religions.

“I support diversity, equity and inclusion, but only when applied to everyone, not just certain groups,” he wrote.

Nemzer’s key priorities include maintaining the county Office of Education’s long-term programs, including outdoor education at Walker Creek Ranch and Career Technical Education and expanding collaboration among districts to share services and cut costs.

Reach Tiburon reporter Francisco Martinez at 415-944-4634.