Jeffery M. Freitas

Jeffery M. Freitas was elected CFT President in March 2019 after serving as CFT Secretary-Treasurer for eight years. He is the first openly LGBTQ+ member to become President of the CFT. Freitas has been a dedicated advocate for members for over two decades. Before moving into statewide CFT leadership, he served as president of the Carpinteria Association of United School Employees, AFT Local 2216, and as a vice president of the CFT EC/TK-12 Council.

As a secondary math teacher and CFT member in the Carpinteria Unified School District, Freitas created the district’s first English Language Learner Algebra class and the school’s first Multicultural Studies class. During his tenure as local president, he organized classified employees into the local union, ensuring unity for fair and equitable contracts. 

His advocacy for public education, workers, and social justice continues through his roles as a vice president of the AFT Executive Council, as the Secretary-Treasurer of the California Federation of Labor Unions, the Vice President of the Equality California Institute, and as a board member of the California Governor's Council for Career Education.  

Freitas attended West Point from 1988 to 1990, then finished his education at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he earned a B.A. in Mathematics, an M.Ed., and a teaching credential. He lives in the Sacramento area with his husband, Doug MacLeod, a retired elementary school teacher.