Former AVUHSD counsel sues District
Cook contends she was unlawfully fired in 2019
LANCASTER — Bridget Cook, the longtime former general counsel for Antelope Valley Union High District School, sued her former employer, contending she was unlawfully fired in 2019 in retaliation for blowing the whistle on allegedly improper and illegal contracts that would have provided financial windfalls to former Board member Robert “Bob” Davis and current members Victoria Ruffin and Amanda Parrell, or to their close associates.
Cook, who is Black, also alleged that she was discriminated against on the basis of her race and gender. The Los Angeles County Superior Court lawsuit, filed Wednesday, alleged Cook experienced serious psychological and emotional distress, and lost millions of dollars in past and future earnings, among other injuries.
The suit seeks unspecified damages. In addition to the District it names Davis, Ruffin, Parrell, Superintendent David Vierra and Brett Neal, assistant superintendent of Personnel Services.
“The District is not able to comment on pending litigation,” a District representative said Friday.
Cook started working for the District in 1994 as a substitute teacher. She became a full-time teacher in 1995, and general counsel in 1998. Cook continued to serve in that role until she was terminated without warning and without cause on May 9. 2019. Cook regularly attended Board meetings and served as Sergeant of Arms.
“At almost midnight, after a nearly six-hour meeting of AVUHSD’s Board of Trustees during which Cook was un
fairly attacked, Cook was abruptly told that she was being placed on immediate administrative leave and would be escorted from the premises by a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy,” the complaint said.
Cook was not permitted to address the Board before the Board took action to terminate her, nor was she permitted to respond to any allegations regarding her job performance, the complaint said.
Cook had more than a year remaining on her employment contract. Cook was the highest paid African-American and the highest paid woman at the District prior to her termination. Throughout her more than two decades as the District’s general counsel, Cook received positive reviews and numerous accolades. Cook received an AVUHSD Special Service Award in 2008 and a coveted AVUHSD Distinguished Service Award in 2017.
Cook even negotiated an agreement with one of the district’s insurance carriers whereby a substantial amount of her salary was reimbursed to district for Cook’s work on special education matters. As a result, the district made a profit on much of Cook’s work, the complaint said.
Ruffin and Parrell joined the Board in December 2018, and soon formed a Board majority with Davis. According to the complaint, beginning that same month, Davis, Ruffin and Parrell engaged in allegedly improper governmental activities, including awarding and attempting to award lucrative contracts to friends and associates.
Cook raised concerns about alleged waste, improper use of government funds and unlawful conduct to the Board and to her supervisor, Superintendent Vierra. As Cook’s direct supervisor, Vierra had the authority to fire and discipline her.
Davis, Ruffin and Parrell disregarded Cook’s protected disclosures, and unlawfully retaliated against her by terminating her employment without cause, the complaint said.
Cook reported alleged waste, misuse of government funds, and unlawful conduct with respect to contracts with D’Vacor Entertainment Group, K12 Secure LLC, and Harris & Associates law firm.
The Board majority approved a contract with the northern California-based D’Vacor to create personal websites for themselves. The proposed contract set no limit on how much could be charged.
D’Vacor managing partner Rose Lyles, a close associate of Ruffin, was to bill her time at $195 per hour with no limit to the number of hours she could bill.
When pressed by Board Clerk Jill McGrady during the meeting as to how much the websites would cost, Lyles estimated $5,000 per site plus an additional $1,000 a month for maintenance.
The contract would have resulted in an impermissible gift of public funds to defendants Davis, Ruffin and Parrell, the complaint said.
Davis, Ruffin, and Parrell approved the D’Vacor contract despite multiple concerns raised by Cook.
The three approved the Harris & Associates contract on Jan. 24, 2019, the same day they approved the D’Vacor contract.
The firm’s principal attorney is John W. Harris. Harris had a troubled past, including allegations of overbilling, according to the suit.
“At the January 24 Board meeting, Cook informed the Board and Vierra about the lack of terms related to billing in the contract, and the firm’s failure to provide a firm resume,” the complaint said.
Cook also suggested that the Board wait to vote on the contract with Harris until Harris was available to answer Board member McGrady’s questions regarding Harris’ alleged overbilling of local-government clients.
The Board did not wait, and instead approved a three-year contract with no cap on fees by a 3-2 vote, with McGrady and trustee John Rush dissenting.
Davis, Ruffin and Parrell approved an approximately $48,000 contract with K12 Secure LLC on Feb. 14, 2019.
The company was founded by Lt. Bruce Frank, a former co-worker of Davis, at Davis’ suggestion in December 2018. The LLC did not register with the state until April 19, 2019. The address listed for the business appears to be a UPS Store in Tehachapi, the suit said.
On or around March 2019, Frank asked if the District could pay K12 Secure half of its contract upfront before services had been rendered. Cook informed Frank that K12 Secure could not be paid until it had performed on at least a portion of the contract, according to the complaint.
Frank later submitted an invoice for more than $10,000 on or around May 8, 2019, after he presented a survey that was not within the scope of work to be performed pursuant to the District’s contract with K12 Secure, according to the suit.
“Cook informed Frank that AVUHSD could not pay for work outside the scope of K12 Secure’s contract,” the complaint said. “Frank immediately submitted a new invoice for approximately $2,500. On information and belief, Frank told at least one of Defendants Davis, Ruffin or Parrell that Cook had rejected Frank’s invoice and refused to advance funds for work not performed.”
In addition to its alleged retaliation against Cook, the complaint maintains the District unlawfully discriminated against Cook on the basis of her race and gender.
“For example, Defendant Davis made various comments suggesting Cook’s race or gender were problematic,” the complaint said. “He stated that Cook was ‘useless,’ that she was ‘not black enough,’ and that she needed to read Snakes in Suits, a book that discusses the danger of psychopaths in the workplace, to see where she ‘fit in.’ Members of the Board majority also made defamatory statements regarding Cook at meetings, including suggesting without any basis that she was not competent or was overpaid.”
On Feb. 27, 2019, approximately two weeks after Cook reported concerns regarding the D’Vacor contract, Ruffin directed Vierra to “evaluate Cook” by April 10, 2019. Ruffin also requested that Vierra provide Cook’s performance evaluations for the “past ten years” by March 6, 2019.
According to the complaint, on Feb. 28, 2019, Ruffin angrily told Cook: “I can’t stand you. I can’t stand being in the same room as you; that is why we are looking at your contract.”
The suit says that Davis, Harris and Vierra were present when Ruffin made these statements.
The former Board majority placed an item on the March 24, 2019, agenda seeking to review Cook’s job performance.
The former Board majority placed an item on the April 11, 2019, agenda for the evaluation of Cook’s contract. The agenda for the meeting also provided an action item to authorize Harris & Associates to “review and analyze” Cook’s employment contract. The former Board majority voted to approve the expenditure, and authorized Harris to review Cook’s employment contract.
The Board majority, for a third time, placed an item on the April 25, 2019, agenda for the evaluation of Cook’s contract.
At the May 9, 2019, Board meeting — the day after Cook declined to pay the K12 Secure invoice for work outside the scope of its contract — the former Board majority again placed an item on the agenda for the evaluation of Cook’s contract.
The day Cook was fired, Davis allegedly harassed Cook, demanding that she work on a non-legal matter involving male genitalia, which was outside the scope of Cook’s work responsibilities, the complaint said.
“AVUHSD’s treatment of Cook is part of a pattern and practice in which white men receive reasonable notice if they are being considered for termination, and are given the opportunity to remain employed, maintain their salaries, and ultimately receive promotions,’’ according to the complaint. “In contrast, women and African-Americans in management positions are demoted, lose pay or are fired.’’