Bryan Smith and Steven Otero recall, Los Lunas Public Schools, New Mexico (2020)
| Los Lunas Public Schools recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Steven Otero |
| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2020 Recalls in New Mexico New Mexico recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
Efforts to recall Bryan Smith and Steven Otero from their positions as members of the Los Lunas Public Schools school board in New Mexico did not go to a vote in 2020. 13th Judicial District Court Judge George Eichwald ruled on June 3, 2020, that the petition against Smith could not be circulated. Eichwald said the petition needed to have specific allegations. Recall supporters withdrew the petition to recall Otero on June 2, 2020.[1]
Recall supporters
Barbara Duncan and Martha Abeyta filed the recall petitions against Smith and Otero. Both were members of the Los Lunas School Board Member Recall Committee.[1]
According to the Valencia County News-Bulletin, the petitions against Smith and Otero included the following reasons for recall: interfering with the day-to-day operations of the district, violating citizens' civil rights, violating New Mexico's Open Meetings Act, abusing the power of the office for retaliation, violating school board policy, creating an undue financial burden on the school district, being deliberately indifferent to employee complaints, and violating the superintendent’s 14th Amendment rights.[1]
Otero's petition also included "unethical behavior related to procurement contracts with vendors."[1]
Recall opponents
In reaction to the recall petition, Otero said he was trying to do right by the district. Smith said he was sad it had gotten to the point of a recall effort. "I’m going to continue to do what I think is best for this district and these kids, and continue to move on," said Smith.[1]
At the hearing on the petition, Smith's attorney said the recall effort was the result of an ongoing personnel dispute between the school board and Superintendent Dana Sanders, who was put on paid leave on April 17, 2020.[1] Smith's attorney also said:
| “ | These are conclusory allegations without when or what or how it happened. If you put this in front of a voter, would they know what transpired to support a recall? There is supposed to be a supplemental page with details and facts to support the face sheet. If the court allows the petition to go forward as it is, the implication is these matters have been adjudicated, that the board president did these things and they are contrary to law.[1][2] | ” |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in New Mexico
The recall petitions were filed on May 21, 2020. The petition against Smith was rejected in a hearing on June 3, 2020, and the petitions against Otero was withdrawn on June 2, 2020.[1]
2020 recall efforts
- See also: School board recalls
Ballotpedia tracked 29 school board recall efforts against 64 board members in 2020. Four recall elections were held in 2020. The school board recall success rate was 7.8%.
The chart below details the status of 2020 recall efforts by individual school board member.
See also
- Los Lunas Public Schools, New Mexico
- Recall campaigns in New Mexico
- Political recall efforts, 2020
- School board recalls
External links
Footnotes
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