Gabrielle Leko agrees to leave La Cañada school district

La Cañada High School math teacher Gabrielle Leko has agreed to retire at the end of the school year, closing the final chapter in a difficult episode for the district.

In a complaint filed in June 2011 and made public in October, then-school board member Cindy Wilcox accused Leko of habitually using abusive language in her classroom and of addressing a ninth-grade geometry student as “Jew boy.”

La Cañada Unified school board President Scott Tracy announced Tuesday night that the board had unanimously approved a settlement agreement that requires Leko’s departure on June 15. The district did not disclose the deal’s financial terms.

District officials said in a statement that the agreement protects students and the financial interests of the district.

“The board appreciates that any payment amount in a settlement is not immaterial,” the statement reads. “However, the cost incurred as a result of this settlement would be exceeded by costs and resources that would be devoted to a long-term, adversarial hearing process without guarantee of ultimate success.”

The accusations against Leko ignited an uproar, with community members questioning all aspects of the case. Wilcox, for example, made the complaint public despite not having been a witness to the alleged misconduct. She said parents complained to her but did not want to come forward because they feared reprisals.

Others questioned the timing of the complaint, as it became public a month before a school board election. Some argued that the math teacher was the victim of a witch hunt, and others derided school officials for not moving quickly enough to discipline her.

Leko has worked for La Cañada Unified for more than two decades, Tracy said, making her one of the district’s most senior teachers. She was among those offered an early-retirement incentive package at the end of the 2010-11 school year, he said.

During a boisterous Dec. 21 school board meeting, several dozen students and teachers defended Leko, describing her as a dedicated teacher sensitive to the needs of her students, but other speakers characterized her as a bully.

A district investigation concluded Leko had made “inappropriate comments containing gender and ethnic bias during exchanges of banter with students in an attempt to develop a rapport with students during class time.” A third-party investigation deemed her use of offensive language “unlawful and inappropriate.”

In February, following four closed-session meetings on the issue, the district announced it would start dismissal proceedings against Leko while promising to continue settlement negotiations.

La Cañada Teachers Assn. President Mandy Redfern declined to comment following Tuesday’s announcement.

Wilcox described the result as “a good outcome for kids.”

“I’m pleased the board pursued a settlement agreement and that an agreement was reached,” Wilcox said.

Tracy praised Supt. Wendy Sinnette for making it clear that the district takes such allegations seriously, and for overseeing a fair and thorough investigation.

“I think she showed incredible professionalism and leadership and oversight in managing this process,” Tracy said.