Teachers Give Trustee Vote of No Confidence

Expressing long-standing frustrations over the leadership of the Oxnard School District, the teachers’ union Wednesday delivered a vote of no confidence to trustee Mary Barreto, citing her role in a criminal case involving the illegal tape-recording of another trustee’s telephone calls.

Against the backdrop of a picket line protesting stalled labor negotiations, the Oxnard Educators Assn. released the results of a poll showing that most teachers had lost confidence in Barreto’s ability to guide the elementary school district.

Of the 348 teachers who participated in the survey--more than half of the district’s educators--312 turned in no-confidence ballots.

The vote has no practical effect in that it cannot remove Barreto from office, said Ann McCarthy, president of the teachers’ union. Rather, it was intended as a public censure, McCarthy said, a statement of discontent that could prove pivotal if Barreto seeks reelection in November.

“It sends a message to the board and to the community that we are not happy with the way things are going,” McCarthy said before addressing the board. “We want everyone to know we don’t approve of what has been going on.”

About 200 teachers and supporters picketed outside the meeting before it began and moved inside to listen to union members speak to the board about the vote and their unhappiness with the district’s pay offer for this school year.

Barreto had no immediate response to the no-confidence vote. But she has maintained that she had no role in the political corruption case other than discovering two cassette tapes, containing the illegally recorded phone conversations, on her doorstep last year.

Last week, a Ventura County jury convicted Oxnard administrator Pedro R. Placencia of six felony counts of illegally eavesdropping, intercepting and recording the telephone calls, made by board member James Suter.

Placencia, former head of the district’s migrant education program, was indicted by the grand jury in September and later arrested at his school district office.

A search warrant served on Placencia’s home turned up a tape recorder and radio scanner like the one used to record Suter’s conversations. A related search warrant, served at Barreto’s home, turned up two 90-minute cassette tapes containing 18 of Suter’s private telephone conversations.

Barreto told authorities that the tapes were anonymously left on her doorstep. After discovering them, she reportedly played one for fellow trustee Arthur Joe Lopez. Lopez alerted school district officials, who informed police.

Barreto was initially a target of the investigation into the matter, but the Ventura County Grand Jury found insufficient evidence to support an indictment.

Called to testify at Placencia’s trial, Barreto also admitted that she initially denied having the tapes, saying she was nervous and scared when approached by investigators.

But McCarthy said Wednesday that Barreto’s behavior was suspect and should not be tolerated.

“The public holds teachers to an extremely high standard,” McCarthy told the trustees. “We have high standards and we hope the rest of you do too.”

McCarthy used the no-confidence vote as a springboard to urge board members to address a looming impasse over contract negotiations.

Since the start of the school year, the teachers’ union has been seeking a 10% pay raise. The district has countered with a 3% increase.

McCarthy and others told trustees Wednesday night that other districts have given their teachers higher pay raises, including an 8% raise recently handed out in Ventura and 7% to teachers in Simi Valley.

“This is starting to feel like a lack of respect,” McCarthy said. “We are exceptional teachers and we do deserve an exceptional salary. Make us an offer we can be proud of. Show us the respect we deserve.”