This is a direct outcome of lawsuits against County BoE trustee Tim Shaw who resigned, was re-appointed and then won re-election; Our county has now lost a solid blue voice against charter schools and things that are solid for public education. Shame on those who forced this resignation on this body — and I’m looking at you Lee Fink and Michael Sean Wright for your douchebaggery on Tim Shaw that made Republicans retaliate.
(correcting some typos; fat fingered this post from my iPhone while waiting for my deli order at Claro’s yesterday afternoon and hit post before I gave it an edit; apologies readers)
Resignation Statement June 15, 2022
In recent weeks, a Santa Ana resident who had business before this Board filed a lawsuit to remove me from my seat on the Orange County Board of Education. The claim was due to the perception of incompatible offices since I also serve as a city council member. After being recruited to run in 2016, I received more than one legal opinion which did not indicate an incompatibility. Several years ago, there was an agenda item that involved a park next to an adjacent school. I sought counsel from the City Attorney and the Department’s attorney and both agreed that there was no conflict and that I could participate in the discussion. However, with an abundance of caution and to deter any inference of impropriety, I recused myself and appropriately left the room when it was discussed. I do not believe that there is an incompatibility between the Board of Education and City Council offices. On that point, former Trustee Shaw and I agree.
Over the past four years, I have opposed the board majority’s initiation of several lawsuits and the hiring of outside counsel which I believe removes funds from our classrooms and wastes taxpayer dollars. It is my hope that this Board and attorneys will honor the Pro bono commitment in the lawsuit against the Governor. Although I asked for a clarification months ago, I did not get it. However, Trustee Williams indicated on June 1, 2022 that this suit was in fact pro bono. This should include all attorney fees related to the lawsuit against the governor. Any paid fees related to this suit, should be refunded to the Department of Education.
The Board should work collaborative with the Department and Superintendent to address concerns and questions. Lawsuits should be the last resort to resolve a difference of opinion between the Board and the department. Although this lawsuit seeking to remove me from office was directed to me personally and does not impact public dollars, this litigation does affect the focus of the Board of Education. I do not want this latest lawsuit to be a further distraction from the mission of the Board to educate our students.
After careful consideration and with deep regret, I will be resigning as the Board of Education Trustee for Area 1, effective July 1, 2022.
It is my hope that the Trustees elected in June will appoint a reasonable, judicious colleague who is willing to do the work to represent the students, teachers an families of Orange County, to fill my seat. It is my hope that the future Board can focus on the business of educating our children and supporting our teachers. Our Charter schools should be a choice for our families, but all Charter schools should provide a quality education so we do not jeopardize the future of these students. Approving Charter Schools that do not have strong curriculum, qualified teachers and administrators, and adequate facilities will not serve our County well. The Department’s Charter School unit has been diligent in addressing the gaps when charter schools are proposed and our Board should heed their guidance. The expected excellence is also incumbent upon the Charter School Association to ensure that that charter schools in our county provide a quality choice.
During the past six years, I have diligently worked to ensure that the students of Orange County have numerous opportunities to succeed in college and career choices. As a representative of the Board to local and state School Board Associations, I have worked with Trustees throughout our state to identify best practices. Thank you to the many people who have contacted me over the past few years regarding my role on the Board. Your words of encouragement and support are truly appreciated.
I would like to thank the superintendent and staff of the Orange County Department of Education who have continuously demonstrated the highest level of integrity, professionalism, and compassion to achieve an excellent education for our children. Thank you for your guidance and support for my concerns and questions over my term of office.
It has been one of the highest honors of my career to represent the First District on the Orange County Board of Education. Although I won’t be an elected official for this seat, I will continue to support public education so that the children of Orange County can achieve their highest goals.
I will take the next two weeks to wrap up my commitments to the OC School Board Association and the County Board of Education. Thank you for your support in my tenure as a Trustee for the Board of Education over the past six years.
Expect failed Supervisor candidate Ceci Iglesias to be appointed.
You realize Paulette Chaffee put Sean Wright up to this… she sacrificed Beckie for a chance to win that board seat and then ducked it up. The Chaffees and OC Dems should be ashamed on their endorsement and support.
I’d like to thank the fine editors @rimlikker on Twitter for catching every typo of late. Posting the Beckie Gomez news from my iPhone while at a deli, I failed to give my post a good read because the text is small. And a grammatical error on a Lorri Galloway post filed yesterday morning on my second cup of joe was something I should have caught. But let us ponder the term “rimlikker” or “Rim Licker” for a bit. I guess I didn’t realize the depth of Vern’s “assholery.” So when Vern writes about “STR’s” when he means “STRs,” is that drunk blogging or just a bad grammar check?
This is not true. Michael Sean Wright’s lawsuit, in which I represented him, had nothing to do with the lawsuit against Beckie Gomez. The lawsuit against Beckie Gomez stems from an action filed with the Attorney General sometime in 2021 by someone named Melissa Louden, alleging that there is a conflict between serving on a City Council and the County Board of Education. The Attorney General issued an opinion authorizing that lawsuit October 30, 2021. https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/opinions/pdfs/21-103.pdf.
The lawsuit against Beckie Gomez stems directly from that case. Indeed, in allowing the matter to go forward, the Attorney General notes: “In Opinion No. 21-103, we found numerous instances where the duties and loyalties of an individual holding seats on both the Orange County Board of Education and a city council (for a city located within that county) could significantly clash. . . . We stand by the analysis in Opinion No. 21-103 and conclude that it applies to Gomez’s situation as well.” https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/opinions/pdfs/22-302.pdf.
The OC Register even notes that the case against Beckie Gomez stems from the case filed by Tim Louden–not the one by Wright. https://www.ocregister.com/2022/06/14/oc-board-of-ed-trustee-beckie-gomez-faces-lawsuit-over-concurrent-elected-positions/
And of course, the case against Gomez cannot be based on the Wright lawsuit, since cause and effect have to be linear. What Dan does not report on–because he did not talk to the people involved–is that Gomez was contacted by Tardiff’s lawyer and asked to resign BEFORE Wright’s lawsuit was ever filed. The effect cannot come a week before the cause.
The problem we faced from the outset was the Attorney General’s ruling in October was that the County BOE conflicted with city councils. That was always going to ensnare Beckie. But voters sent three crazy people back to the Board of Education rather than electing people that would make it worthwhile to fight the litigation over. Asking her to bear the burden of litigating this case, and risk having to pay Tardiff’s lawyers, all for the pleasure of being the 1 vote in a 4-1 minority, all while she is running for Mayor of Tustin, is too much to ask of anyone.
If Democrats didn’t go after Shaw, Republicans would never have gone after Becky. We talk to different Republicans. Voters decided on Primary day on Shaw, didn’t they?
Apparently, you talk to time-traveling Republicans, because Republicans started going after Beckie before we (i.e. Michael Sean Wright and I) were going after Shaw.
As for the Louden decision that went after Shaw for the conflict of office (the case that Tardiff did base his challenge to Beckie on), I have no idea who she is or why she went after Shaw. (I’ve heard Shaw claim that it was his political opponents, which I took to mean Paulette Chaffee. I have no idea if that’s true.) Obviously, if the AG had not decided on that case that Shaw was conflicted, then no one would have brought the identical challenge against Beckie. Feel free to blame her for that.
What is Dr. and Mrs. Moreno position on Vern and Donna’s repeated vile posts.
SUCK MY C@CK
RIMLIKKER
RICKEY RETARDO
What about Asliegh Aitken, Denise Barns or Cynthia Ward? How about Fred Sigala, who defended his wife and daughters honor on these very pages.
DOES THE HAVE THE MORAL FORTITUDE TO REJECT THIS VILE HATETRED???
Anybody watch the train wreck that is Dr
Moreno’s effort to be named acting mayor of Anaheim??
In all seriousness (Iknow there is a history of taking shots at the easy targets at his Orange Juice Blog) but, does an educated man like Dr. Jose Moreno REALLY believe that having Vern Nelson, Mark Daniel’s, The Robbins and Wes Jones (not to mention the scary Brian Kaye) pitch your appointment is smart?
Either the man is really desperate, really dumb or just a phony. How can anyone with FOUR daughters associate withe likes of these creatures. I throw Al Jabbar, the family man in there too.
Watching Mirevette Juddah stand with these people is like taking the Pope to a strip joint: COMPLETELY HYPOCRISY.