COMPTON : State Schools Chief Rejects Felon as Board Member
The state schools superintendent has rejected the Compton school board’s appointment of a convicted felon to fill a vacant board seat. Supt. Delaine Eastin said the school board’s choice, Saul E. Lankster, is not fit to serve because of a 1985 conviction for selling falsified traffic school diplomas to an undercover officer.
Eastin also noted that Lankster’s teaching credential had been revoked, and that he had ignored state officials’ requests for an explanation.
The school board also received a stern admonition from Eastin for appointing Lankster in a secret ballot. The board voted 4 to 2 in November to appoint Lankster, but the state administrator overseeing the beleaguered district challenged the appointment and asked the state superintendent for a ruling.
On Tuesday, some board members defended their selection of Lankster, saying Eastin’s decision is another example of the state’s heavy-handed treatment of the Compton school system since taking control 18 months ago. The state appointed Jerome Harris to oversee the district and reduced the school board to an advisory body.
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