Backers Rally to Get Principal Rehired

Supporters of a principal who was fired after challenging his boss for the county schools’ top job urged county education officials Monday to reconsider the dismissal.

About 20 backers of former Principal Dan Flynn showed up at a county Board of Education meeting in Camarillo, with five of them publicly addressing the board.

In sharp contrast to a raucous board meeting last Tuesday, the speakers kept their voices low and refrained from personal attacks on county schools Supt. Charles Weis.

Weis has come under fire since abruptly dismissing Flynn, who challenged the superintendent for his job in the June election.

On Monday, Thousand Oaks businessman Marty Bates told the board he is concerned about how Flynn’s contract was terminated on June 22. “My objection is the way in which it was handled,” Bates said. “I don’t believe it was handled professionally.”

County school board members thanked Flynn’s backers for their comments, but took no action Monday night. Previously, they have said the board has no authority over the superintendent’s personnel decisions.

Flynn, who worked under Weis for three years, garnered 48% of the vote compared to Weis’ 51% in the June 7 election.

Less than three weeks after Weis’ victory, the superintendent told Flynn he was not renewing his contract, effective July 1.

Flynn has since taken a job with the Los Angeles County Office of Education, where he worked before getting the position in Ventura County.

Weis has defended the firing, saying it was based solely on Flynn’s poor job performance. But Flynn said he had years of good performance evaluations until the last one issued after the June election.