Local News in Brief : Orange : School Board to Sue Over Alleged Contract Losses
The Orange Unified School District school board has decided to file a civil lawsuit against contractors to recover $689,000 lost in alleged contract swindles between 1979 and 1984.
The action is aimed at contracts in an alleged bid-rigging scheme.
The Orange County Grand Jury in 1987 indicted former Orange Unified maintenance supervisor Steven Lynn Presson, his wife, Diane, and former Orange contractors Ronald Brock and William Gustafson. The grand jury said the four were involved in a scheme of rigging contracts in exchange for kickbacks.
Trial of the four is scheduled to begin in the fall.
After the Grand Jury action, the school board retained Judy Seaman as a special counsel to recover money allegedly spent improperly. Supt. John Ikerd said the investigation has determined that about $689,000 was lost due to improper contracts. “We’ve reviewed about 100 projects and determined that we need to be reimbursed,” he said.
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