Southern Section’s Thomas Is Forced to Resign

Stan Thomas, commissioner of the California Interscholastic Federation’s Southern Section since 1986, resigned Wednesday after an investigation that showed he abused his expense account.

The resignation is effective immediately, and Thomas must pay $5,000 restitution to the Southern Section by June 30, 1994.

Thomas, 62, gave his resignation late Wednesday after it became apparent he was going to be fired.

His decision was read to the section’s Executive Committee, which met for 10 hours in the section’s Cerritos office to decide his fate.

Thomas was not present for the hearing.

“It was not an easy decision for him,” said Daniel Grigsby, Thomas’ attorney. “But I think it became apparent to him that he had lost his ability to govern effectively in the past couple of weeks. He realized it was a lost cause.”

Thomas had been put on paid administrative leave last Thursday by the Executive Committee while an investigation into his expenses for the last two years was conducted.

The investigation was prompted after a year-end audit of the office was completed last month by an independent accounting firm. After reviewing the audit, which showed a deficit of nearly $100,000, the Executive Committee retained the law firm of Parker, Covert and Chidester to look into Thomas’ expense spending.

“A review showed questionable spending in the areas of meals and travel,” said Spencer Covert, representing the Executive Committee. “Previously we gave Mr. Thomas a chance to explain his spending, and then we examined all of the material.”

The Southern Section, the largest of 10 sections in the CIF, has a proposed budget of $1.3 million for the 1993-94 calendar year. That is down 2% from last year.

Grigsby said the reduced budget and deficit has made the Executive Committee question spending it never bothered to look at before.

“Stan had been given freedom to use his expense account at his own discretion,” Grigsby said. “Suddenly spending habits that he’s had for the last seven years were being scrutinized.”

Dean Crowley, the section’s associate commissioner since 1988, is the acting commissioner.

Gary Smidderks, president of the Executive Committee, said he had no idea when a permanent replacement will be named.

Thomas became commissioner in 1986 after 29 years as a high school football coach and administrator in Southern California.