PVUSD Board of Trustees votes to deny legal fees
The fallout of the five-day saga that saw Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez fired then reinstated has descended on the district and its Board of Trustees.
The introduction of an unfamiliar lawyer from Dannis Woliver Kelly, a law firm in San Francisco, racked up a bill of $16,000. The unfamiliar attorney was brought in by then-board president Georgia Acosta.
Wednesday evening, the board voted 6-0 to not pay the invoice from Dannis Woliver Kelly. Acosta was not present at the meeting.
Other board members pushed back against Acosta and stated that Matt Juhl-Darlington, the attorney Acosta brought to the Jan. 29 special meeting, did not represent the school board. Lou Lozano has been the attorney for the board and was reaffirmed as such during a Jan. 31 special meeting.
The board of trustees is well within its rights to retain an attorney during its meetings, board president Jennifer Holm said. However, it must be a decision made by all board members, not just one.
“The superintendent within our bylaws may confer with the district’s legal counsel at their discretion and shall provide the board with desired legal information when directed by a majority of the board. The board may also authorize a specific member to confer with legal counsel on behalf of the board,” she said. “It’s is not the discretion of individual board members.”
That returns the ball to the law firm’s court. There are a few courses of action it can take as the bill is rejected by the school district, according to Rodriguez. Dannis Woliver Kelly could come to the district with a settlement, it could ask Acosta to foot the bill, or it could drop the charges altogether.
“Meaning, recognize that they too probably should have read our bylaws with the work that they did and realize that they did not have approval to do so,” Rodriguez said of the possibility of DWK choosing to remove the bill.
Many of the public comments were in support of the board rejecting the bill. One commenter likened Acosta’s decision to bring Dannis Woliver Kelly as legal counsel to the blunders of a “Parks & Rec” character Ben Wyatt, played by actor Adam Scott who is a Harbor High School alumnus. The comment reference a recurring joke in the series in which Scott’s character bankrupted a city through poor legislative decisions.
The commenter went on to point out how teachers have a hard time getting reimbursed for purchases as simple as a box of pencils. Therefore, reimbursement of the legal fees on Acosta’s behalf should not happen either.
“I’m just thinking about the lack of trust now in our community because of the actions that were taken and the way the situation was handled,” Trustee Maria Orozco said of the events of
“The superintendent within our bylaws may confer with the district’s legal counsel at their discretion and shall provide the board with desired legal information when directed by a majority oftheboard.” — Jennifer Holm, PVUSD Board of Trustees president
late January. “It’s costing the district more money.”
However, the same sentiment was not the same amongst all those who commented. One commenter said the district should cover the bill and stated that $16,000 is just pocket change compared to the nearly $200 million budget the district boasts.
President Holm disagreed.
“There’s so many things we could do with $16,000. I know in the grand scheme of things it’s small, but it’s not,” she said. “I spent 17 years as a parent at Rio Del Mar Elementary. There’s sidewalks that are having issues. It’s like, ‘Hey, we could fix those.’ There’s books we could buy for kids.”
Others agreed with the idea that the money was better spent elsewhere.
“Every dollar must be prioritized to ensure the safety for adults and students as we return to inperson instruction,” they said. “Expenditures for unauthorized services cannot be condoned.”