Local News in Brief : Tustin : Engineer Seeks Trustee Position as a Write-In

Douglas Chapman, an engineer for an aerospace firm, said Monday that he is running as a write-in candidate for the Tustin Unified School District board.

Three of the school board’s five seats are to be filled in the election next Tuesday. Chapman, 47, said he is running as an independent. Five candidates, not including Chapman, will be on the printed ballot.

“I’m running as a write-in to give the voters a choice between trustees pledged to the voters of the district and union control of the school board,” Chapman said. The teachers’ union, the Tustin Educators Assn., has said it hopes to oust the two incumbents seeking reelection, Joyce Hanson and Barbara Benson. Incumbent Chris Layton is not seeking reelection.

The Tustin teachers union last week withdrew its endorsement of one candidate, Dr. Harvey E. Kershnar, after its was disclosed that Kershnar was arrested in 1979 and 1986 in men’s rooms on suspicion of exposing himself. Kerhsnar, who remains in the race, has denied the allegations and noted the 1979 charges were dropped. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in the 1986 case.

In addition to entering the Tustin school board race, Chapman is seeking reelection next Tuesday to the East Orange County Water District. He said he can serve in both the school board and water district positions, since the panels meet on separate nights.

School board candidates run at large in Tustin Unified and are elected for 4-year terms.