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By Eduardo Rueda, Investigative Reporter
The Sweetwater Union High School District has settled a lawsuit and agreed to turn over documents requested more than 2 years ago.
The lawsuit, filed by Chula Vista taxpayer Kevin O’Neill back in 2013, claimed the District and its lawyers refused to disclose invoices, reports, and other documents related to a company called ESI International. The company, headed by former FBI agent Robert Price, was paid by the District to conduct investigative services, including background checks.
Critics of the District have claimed ESI International had been used to investigate and dig up dirt on anyone that voiced concerns or criticisms of the District or its board. Between 2012 and 2014, the District approved $215,000 in payments to ESI International.
Board President Rosaleah Pallasigue,
Board Member Irene Lopez, and former Superintendent Julio Fonseca. Photo – Mario A. Cortez
San Ysidro School District Superintendent Julio Fonseca resigned abruptly on Friday night after a four-hour closed-door Board meeting.
The District’s Board of Trustees had called a special meeting for September 1, to review complaints against Fonseca, including one raised by a district employee.
The Board conducted a closed-door meeting among the board members, Fonseca, and his lawyer for over four hours, before emerging to announce its action.
“The Board, by a vote of five to zero, accepted the resignation of the Superintendent effective immediately, in exchange for 18 months of compensation and release of all claims,” reported Board President Rosaleah Pallasigue. “Dr. Fonseca’s departure is based on a personal situation,” Pallasigue added.
Luciana Corrales
A San Ysidro School Board member amended an economic interest form to report her income after a La Prensa San Diego article last week reported she had failed to claim any income for the past two years.
School Board Member Luciana Corrales filed an amended disclosure form on October 27th in response to an October 23rd article highlighting her failure to report her income on forms filed in July 2014 and again in December 2014.
On the amended form, Ms. Corrales now claims income received from Circulate San Diego, a non-profit organization. Her income range is stated between $10,001 and $100,000 during the period of 2013/2014 when she was a candidate for the school board. Ms. Corrales also disclosed that her husband, David Corrales, works as a Building Inspector for the City of San Diego. Filers are not required to disclose income from governmental entities, so it is not clear why Ms. Corrales included her husband’s employer unless he conducts inspections within the
Board member Antonio Martinez and Board President Rosaleah Pallasigue
Two school board members were served with recall notices at Thursday’s meeting of the San Ysidro School District after weeks of complaints being leveled against the District board.
“(W)e intend to seek your recall and removal from the office of San Ysidro School Board, in the City of San Diego, California, and to demand election of a successor in that office,” state the notices, each signed by ten registered voters in the District.
The two members, Board President Rosaleah Pallasigue and Antonio Martinez, were each handed a notice of intent to circulate a recall petition, the first step outlined in state law to remove an elected official from office.