SAN DIEGO COUNTY GRAND JURY

The year long quest by District Deeds to expose the inappropriate removal of Principal Lizarraga and others at SCPA and potentially other San Diego Unified School Sites in conflict to Board Bylaws by Board Member Marne Foster and Superintendent Cindy Marten has finally been vindicated!

In a report filed today, May 21, 2015, the San Diego County Grand Jury found multiple inappropriate interventions and created a culture of “fear of retribution” at SCPA and potentially at other schools by Board Member Foster with the operational assistance of Superintendent Cindy Marten.

District Deeds wants to commend and thank those brave Principals, Teachers and Staff that stood up to the intimidation of Foster and Marten at the risk of losing their own jobs to show this School Site abuse to the Grand Jury and to ALL the SDUSD Stakeholders.

Here is the full San Diego County Grand Jury Report:

San Diego Unified School District Trustee’s Overreach Abuse of Power Report

The report shows six findings that clearly show that both Foster and Marten created a school site culture of “fear of retribution” among SDUSD Principals, Teachers, Staff and other employees and, in District Deeds view, destroyed the confidence and trust by ALL SDUSD Stakeholders in both Foster and Marten. 

Here are the San Diego County Grand Jury findings:

Finding 1: The removal of two staff members from the school attended by a trustee’s child was perceived by other staff to have been improperly influenced by a trustee.

Finding 2: Several school staff members testified that they made decisions regarding a trustee’s child out of fear of retribution.

Finding 3: A trustee may have failed to follow the Code of Conduct and Governance Culture GC-7, section 2.a, by attempting to interfere with operational issues at a school attended by their child.

Finding 4: These actions conflict with Governance Culture Policy GC-7 section 1.c. “conflicts based upon the personal interest of any board member who is also a parent of a student in the district.”

Finding 5: District and school personnel have difficulty maintaining appropriate boundaries with a trustee parent as distinguished from a trustee without a personal interest in school operations.

Finding 6: There is no perceived confidential procedure for employees to utilize when faced with conflicts regarding a trustee.

The Grand Jury FACTS of these violations are devastating to the professional reputations of both Foster AND Marten and we DEMAND as SDUSD Stakeholders that SERIOUS DISCIPLINARY ACTION BE TAKEN by the SDUSD Board of Education with both individuals.

More to follow….