7 File for Laguna Recall Election

Seven people, including a UC Irvine administrator, filed for the Laguna Beach Unified school board recall election by Thursday afternoon’s deadline, the Orange County registrar of voters reported.

The candidates are seeking board seats that will be open only if a majority votes in the special election Sept. 22 to recall three incumbents: Janet Vickers, Carl Schwarz and board President Charlene Ragatz.

Those board members came under criticism last September when they and a fourth incumbent, Susan Mas, voted 4 to 1 to allow then-football coach Cedrick Hardman to resume coaching despite Hardman’s arrest on a charge of cocaine possession.

Recall petitions were filed against the four board members. After Mas publicly said she regretted her vote, the recall against her failed. But enough signatures were obtained to force the special election against Ragatz, Vickers and Schwarz.

State law provides that if a majority of voters say an incumbent should be removed, the office can be filled by any candidates running in the same election for that seat. If more than one candidate files for one seat in a recall, the candidate getting the most votes wins the position vacated by a recall.

Three candidates filed to run for the seat held by Ragatz. These are Kathleen Jones, assistant vice chancellor for communications at UC Irvine; Clayton J. Vernon, a small-business adviser, and James G. Kreder, a business owner who was a leader in the recall organization, Citizens United for Responsible Education.

Two candidates filed for the seat held by Schwarz. They are Philip J. Kams, a factory representative, and Thomas R. Davis, a business owner.

The two candidates who filed to seek the seat now held by Vickers are Dr. Harvey S. Triebwasser, a pediatrician specializing in adolescent medicine, and John E. Bachman, a teacher.