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Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District recall, California (2021)
| Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Maria Leon-Vasquez Jon Kean |
| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2021 Recalls in California California recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
Efforts to recall three of the seven members of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education in California did not go to a vote in 2021. Laurie Lieberman, Maria Leon-Vasquez, and Jon Kean were named in the recall petitions.[1][2] Recall supporters did not submit petitions by the deadline on December 23, 2021.[3]
A recall effort against the same three board members as well as member Richard Tahvildaran-Jesswein started in March 2021, but it did not go to a vote. The notices of intent to recall did not meet Election Code requirements, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.[4][5]
Leon-Vasquez won a sixth four-year term on the board on November 3, 2020. In the same election, Kean won a second four-year term. Tahvildaran-Jesswein was first elected to the board in 2014 and won re-election to a four-year term in 2018. Lieberman was first elected to the board in 2010 and won re-election in 2014 and 2018.[5]
Recall supporters
Second effort against three members
According to the Santa Monica Lookout, the second round of recall petitions said that the board members:[1]
- Failed "to oversee finances, allowing ever-increasing structural deficits and misuse of taxpayer funds, pushing SMMUSD to a bond ratings downgrade and the brink of bankruptcy;"
- Created "a culture of retaliation to stifle the dissent of parents;"
- Violated California's Open Meetings Act; and
- "Voted to end Head Start -- a successful preschool program for our most vulnerable children paid for by federal funds -- thus increasing district costs by $1.2 million annually."
First effort against four members
Recall supporters said, "Rather than focus on educating students, the board has focused on real estate purchases, construction projects and fighting parents’ lawsuits while failing to give parents, teachers, and school staff a meaningful seat at the table."[6]
The first notice of intent to recall Lieberman said she diverted "SMMUSD’s funds to her lawyer friends." It also said she directed school administrators "to focus on grandiose real estate transactions and construction projects to the benefit of her husband’s law firm."[5]
The notice of intent to recall Leon-Vazquez said she violated California's anti-corruption law by voting for contracts with consulting firms that had hired her husband.[5]
The notice of intent to recall Kean said he violated the Political Reform Act "by voting to cause SMMUSD to deplete its general fund to pay for his expenses, incurred without the permission of SMMUSD." It also said that he violated the Brown Act, belittled parents during board meetings, failed to oversee district finances, and created a culture of political retaliation.[5]
The notice of intent to recall Tahvildaran-Jesswein said he violated the Political Reform Act "by voting on financial matters pertaining to his employer, SMC (Santa Monica College)." It also said he was complicit in his board members' corruption and helped create a culture of retaliation against parents.[5]
Recall opponents
Second effort against three members
The three board members filed identical defense statements against the recall, saying the reasons listed on the petitions were "based on malicious lies and misinformation."[1]
The board members also said, "We have excellent public schools in Santa Monica-Malibu. Don’t be fooled by those who choose to engage in petty politics during a pandemic at the expense of our students."[1]
Lieberman also responded directly to the recall effort against her, saying:[7]
| “ | The recall proponents are legitimizing and creating a toxic local culture by employing mean-spirited and dishonest tactics that gained ground nationally during the Trump presidency [...] Leaders of the recall are driven by the desire to punish existing Board members with whom they have personal, policy or political disagreements and to squeeze the School Board into changing decisions that have been made thoughtfully but with which certain people disagree.[8] | ” |
First effort against four members
Lieberman said the first notice of intent to recall her was "based on malicious lies against me and my family."[5] She also said:
| “ | And it appears that people who are promoting this recall are hiding behind others who have signed the Notice of Intention.
Those who are behind this are also lying about our schools, the school district and my colleagues. I am gratified that since rumors of the recall began circulating, my colleagues and I have received overwhelming support from those who have our students’ best interests at heart.[5][8] |
” |
In response to the recall effort, Kean said, "Do not be fooled by this fraudulent recall campaign. The people truly behind the effort have purposely kept their names off of the petition and deliberately put misinformed parents out front as proxies to hide their own nefarious motives."[9]
Tahvildaran-Jesswein called the notice of intent to recall him "categorically false, mean-spirited, and harmful to our exemplary school district." In an email to the Santa Monica Lookout, he said:
| “ | The recall is baseless and does not serve our students or the voters of Santa Monica and Malibu.
Again, the recall drive against my colleagues and me is based on lies and personal innuendo. It is meant to confuse the voters and undermine our democratic process.[5][8] |
” |
Leon-Vasquez had not responded to a request for comment from the Santa Monica Lookout as of March 31, 2021.[5]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in California
The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk approved the recall petitions for circulation on August 3, 2021. Recall supporters had 160 days to collect approximately 12,500 signatures per board member.[1]
Recall supporters filed the notice of intent to recall Lieberman in May 2021.[7] The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk approved the recall petitions for circulation on July 16, 2021. To get the recall against Lieberman on the ballot, supporters had to submit petition signatures by December 23, 2021.[10]
Recall supporters filed the first notices of intent to recall on March 31, 2021. The county did not approve the recall petitions for circulation as they did not meet Election Code requirements. If the petitions had been approved, recall supporters would have had 160 days to collect approximately 12,500 signatures (15% of the registered voters in the school district).[4][5]
2021 recall efforts
- See also: School board recalls
Ballotpedia tracked 92 school board recall efforts against 237 board members in 2021. Recall elections against 17 board members were held in 2021. The school board recall success rate was 0.42%.
The chart below details the status of 2021 recall efforts by individual school board member.
See also
- Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, California
- Recall campaigns in California
- Political recall efforts, 2021
- School board recalls
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District
- Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Santa Monica Lookout, "School Board Recall Campaign Kicks Off," August 11, 2021
- ↑ Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, "Board of Education Members," accessed April 2, 2021
- ↑ Santa Monica Daily Press, "Effort to recall SMMUSD board members fails," December 31, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Abbey Smith, “Email communication with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk," April 16, 2021
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 Santa Monica Lookout, "Recall Drive Targets Four Santa Monica School Board Members," March 31, 2021
- ↑ Malibu Surfside News, "Recall started against four SMMUSD board members," March 31, 2021
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Santa Monica Daily Press, "Single SMMUSD trustee targeted by new recall notice," May 20, 2021
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Santa Monica Daily Press, "Board responds to possible recall petition," April 2, 2021
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Mike Sanchez, Media and Communications, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk," July 19, 2021
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