County Schools Chief Addresses Group Seeking to Recall Trustee

Although he has said he wants to distance himself from a fledgling effort to recall Ventura County Board of Education Trustee Angela Miller, county schools chief Charles Weis nevertheless spoke Tuesday night to a gathering of residents organizing a recall effort against Miller.

“I am here to pledge my support to getting you any information you need,” Weis said as he opened his remarks to about 50 people at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Ventura for a 7 p.m. meeting.

“My belief is that if (the perspectives of the three trustees who received backing during their election campaigns from Christian groups) become public, it won’t match the mainstream,” Weis said.

Miller, reached at home Tuesday night, said in reaction to Weis’ appearance that she believed all the publicity her nascent recall effort has generated is more helpful than harmful.

“Through the publicity of it, the public has learned that Planned Parenthood and the gay activists are behind . . . Doctor Weis, and they all have the same sexual agenda for our kids,” she said. “So I think the publicity is really good in that the parents are going to start asking more questions of their kids.”

The recall effort stems largely from the school board’s 3-2 vote last month to temporarily ban the use of speakers from Planned Parenthood and AIDS Care at sex education workshops for teachers.

During the good-natured meeting Tuesday, Weis fielded questions that ranged from the legality of teachers being politically active to the role of the county superintendent and the county Board of Education.

In comments after he spoke, Weis said he came and spoke only after being asked.

“I think this should all stand on the merits of the board’s actions,” he said of the recall effort. “This is not my agenda. . . . This is not my battle. This is not my war.”

Organizers said the meeting was to clarify and organize the group’s efforts so that it can begin the recall effort against Miller. They said they plan to meet May 10 to expand the recall effort to include Trustee Wendy Larner.