Jury Charges Four Members of School Board With Misconduct

The Orange County Grand Jury announced Tuesday that it has charged four of the seven Orange Unified School District trustees with willful misconduct in connection with alleged bid rigging by a former district employee.

The charges allege that school board members Robert James Elliott, Ruth C. Evans, Joe C. Cherry and Eleanore C. Pleines were so inattentive to bid and construction procedures required by state law that it constituted “willful misconduct in office.”

The four board members had no part in the alleged bid rigging nor did they benefit personally, Deputy Dist. Atty. Martin G. Engquist said.

The grand jury action is not an indictment but is based on “a little-used law,” Engquist said. Because of the charge, the four must face trial in Orange County Superior Court. If they are found guilty, the judge will dismiss them from office, Engquist said.

Elliott would not comment on the matter Tuesday and the other three did not return phone calls.

The charge stems from alleged bid rigging by former school district maintenance supervisor Steven L. Presson between 1981 and 1984. The grand jury on April 1 indicted Presson, his wife, and two Orange contractors who formerly did business with Orange Unified School District. The contractors are William A. Gustafson and Ronald Brock.

According to the indictments, Presson rigged contracts to go to certain contractors. The contractors, in turn, gave Presson and his wife gifts of money, property or services.

Presson resigned from his school district position in December, 1984.