Burbank Schools Accused of Prolonging Hearing on Candidate’s Residency

Burbank Board of Education members said Thursday that a hearing to establish whether a school board candidate actually lives in the city could last for several days.

David Romley, an attorney for candidate S. Michael Stavropoulos, said the board is deliberately prolonging the hearing to jeopardize his chances in the Feb. 28 election. Stavropoulos, 50, a neurosurgeon, is running for one of two open seats on the five-member board.

Only seven of 22 witnesses expected to appear on Stavropoulos’ behalf testified before the board Wednesday night during a heated and confusing four-hour session. The witnesses were summoned by Romley to verify that Stavropoulos lives on East Walnut Avenue in Burbank.

School district officials have alleged that Stavropoulos maintains several residences in Los Angeles and that a private investigator has seen his family at a house on Live Oak Drive in Hollywood.

L.A. Address on Documents

Officials said Stavropoulos listed a Los Angeles address on tax documents he recently filed with the county.

Wednesday night’s proceedings were marked by continual arguments, mostly between Romley and John Wagner, an attorney representing the Burbank Unified School District.

The disputes ranged from disagreements about legal procedures to the initial refusal by the witnesses to obey the board’s order to leave the hearing until they were individually called to testify. After Romley protested the order, he asked the witnesses to obey the board, which they did.

Burbank Superior Court Judge Thomas C. Murphy in January ordered the board to hear Stavropoulos’ appeal of its October ruling that he was maintaining a phony residence in Burbank. The board concluded that his son was ineligible to attend John Muir Junior High School.

Stavropoulos filed a lawsuit charging the board with capricious and arbitrary action. He later filed his intention to run for the board.

When Wednesday’s session concluded, Romley said he still had 15 witnesses to call. He cited Murphy’s order stipulating that the hearing continue “night to night and day to day” until the issue is resolved. Romley said the board should resume the hearing Thursday night.

But board President Audrey Hanson said the board’s regularly scheduled meeting Thursday would prevent resumption of the hearing before today.

“We think they’re just keeping it up in the air to damage Dr. Stavropoulos’ campaign,” Romley said. “That’s plain. The school board meeting should be preempted by the court order.”

Hanson said the board meeting was already set and could not be postponed. She added that the board would probably have to meet over the weekend to hear the rest of the witnesses.

Campaign Forums

“We have to get this resolved soon because we have to start campaign forums next week,” Hanson said.

Both Hanson and board Vice President Vivian Kaufman are running for reelection.

Wagner said that he would not be available over the weekend and that he had to call several witnesses to testify on the school district’s behalf.

Alan Ashby, a spokesman for the state attorney general’s office, said Stavropoulos would not have legal recourse if he claims that the lengthy proceedings had cost him the election.

“He has the opportunity and the freedom to use his constitutional rights to campaign as hard as he wants to,” Ashby said.