Board Told It May Reverse Action in Gun Case

The Los Angeles Unified school board was told Tuesday it may still be able to overturn an earlier decision and dismiss a top manager for carrying a gun, rather than allowing him to retire with substantial sick pay.

A confidential staff memo sent to the board on Friday had outlined negotiations with an attorney representing Maintenance Director Jim Samples. The memo said district lawyers had agreed to replace the March dismissal of Samples with a Nov. 1 retirement, pending ratification by the board.

Samples has been on leave since he was shot in a district parking garage last October. He continues to maintain that he was attacked by a masked gunman, although Los Angeles police determined that Samples had accidentally shot himself. He has admitted he was armed, saying he was concerned for his safety after death threats.

Some board members pulled the ratification of Samples’ resignation from Monday night’s school board meeting. They were concerned it would send a hypocritical message to schools, where students are routinely expelled for bringing weapons on campus. Board members said they were not briefed on their lawyers’ decision in closed session earlier in the day.

District attorneys believe letting Samples resign and collect $60,800 in accrued sick leave makes more sense than fighting his appeal of his dismissal.