Center’s Director Under Investigation

A school district trustee who runs a CalWORKS center has been placed on paid leave from the center while Ventura County officials investigate complaints about his job performance.

Ray Gonzales has been on paid leave from the La Colonia center for about two weeks pending the completion of an investigation, said Barbara Journet, the county’s human resources director.

Journet would not discuss the nature of the allegations against Gonzales, but said the investigation is expected to be completed by the end of the week.

“It doesn’t make any sense to me,” Gonzales said in a brief telephone interview, declining to elaborate on the allegations made against him.

One employee who works for Gonzales said she knew of two women employees who had registered complaints against him. She described Gonzales’ behavior in the office, staffed mostly by women, as “intimidating.”