Cerritos : Union Sues ABC District Over Closed-Door Meeting
An employees union has filed suit accusing the ABC Unified School District of violating state open-meeting laws when board members extended the contract of Supt. Larry L. Lucas and other top administrators. District officials denied any wrongdoing.
The lawsuit alleges that the board and administrators illegally met behind closed doors June 23 to discuss the contracts in violation of the Brown Act. The suit was filed last week in Los Angeles Superior Court by the local chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The union represents about 270 district employees, including bus drivers and custodians.
Discussion of administrators’ contracts “needs to be done in public view where the public has a chance to have input and hear the results of deliberations,” said Pete Schnaufer, a union field representative.
On June 23, board members met in closed session from 7:21 p.m. until after midnight. The board reconvened in public at 12:13 a.m. and approved contracts for Lucas, Deputy Supt. Ira Toibin, and assistant superintendents Patricia Koch and Andrea Natker. The meeting was adjourned at 12:18 a.m., according to the minutes.
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