ORANGE : School Employees Will Seek Recall of District Trustee

The union of non-teaching employees of Orange Unified School District voted Wednesday night to launch a recall effort against trustee Max Reissmueller.

“He is a detriment to the public school system,” said Becky Mayers, president of the 1,160-member Chapter 67 of the California School Employees Assn.

Mayers started working on the recall effort last month, when Reissmueller pulled his 6-year-old daughter out of the district’s schools and started teaching her at home under a program he called Orange Christian Academy.

“Taking his child out of public schools is just a slap in the face to the teachers, the classified employees and the community,” Mayers said.

Reissmueller further angered teachers and classified workers by staunchly promoting privatization of district schools at school board meetings.

Reissmueller said he was “indifferent” to the union vote because the unions do not represent the community.

“I have more faith in our community to see past the political BS,” he said. “If I was truly doing something that the community at large thought was wrong, then I wouldn’t fight that at all.”

David Reger, president of the teachers’ union, is also concerned about community support for a recall. Union officials are discussing the issue and will speak with their attorney about it Monday, he said.

“If it’s going to happen, it has to happen with both the teachers and classified unions united as well as with community support; all three of those things must be there,” he said, adding that Reissmueller is “an embarrassment” to the district. “We would be happy to see Max Reissmueller off the board no matter which way it occurs,” he said.