Felony Charges Can’t Be Used to Unseat 2 Trustees

Despite felony charges of grand theft and misappropriation of funds, a former Hollywood school principal and her husband cannot legally be removed from their seats on respective Santa Clarita school boards unless convicted, authorities said Tuesday.

Gloria E. Mercado, former principal at Le Conte Middle School, and her husband, business consultant Bruce D. Fortine, were each charged Friday by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office with one count of misappropriation of public funds by a public official and one count of grand theft embezzlement.

Mercado, 46, is a board member for the William S. Hart Union High School District, and Fortine, 61, is a trustee for the Santa Clarita Community College District.

“We will continue conducting business,” said Sue Bozman, a spokeswoman for the college district. “Our whole system of justice is ‘innocent until proven guilty.’ ” The case, Bozman said, involves the Los Angeles Unified School District, and “does not involve us in any way.”

Ron Gillis, president of the five-member college district, concurred.

“Mr. Fortine has been an exceptionally good board member,” he said. “I do not see that changing.”

Fortine said Tuesday he and his wife have received “overwhelming support” from friends and colleagues.

“Nobody’s resigning,” Fortine said, declining to discuss the case further. “We’ve had this hanging over our heads for a while, and it’s been very wearing. But it will not affect our work [on the boards], which is the greatest work to do.”

In July, the L.A. Unified’s auditor office forwarded the results of an investigation alleging a scheme in which Fortine was a “ghost employee” at Le Conte Middle School, receiving more than $10,000 for work never performed.

Fortine and Mercado, whose pay was cut when she was recently reassigned to a district desk job downtown, have denied any wrongdoing. They said the accusations were part of a teachers’ union effort to ruin Mercado’s 23-year career, a claim union officials have denied.

Mercado and Fortine are scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 6 in Los Angeles Municipal Court. They face four years in state prison if convicted.

In the Hart school district, Supt. Robert Lee said the board sought legal counsel regarding the allegations against Mercado.

“Obviously, when we first heard, we were surprised and shocked,” Lee said. “But we will sit tight and wait and see.”

Mercado was named as the board’s vice president Tuesday night during an induction ceremony. The charges against her were not discussed at the meeting. “I would like to talk with Gloria,” new board President Dennis King said earlier Tuesday. “The concept of misappropriation of public funds is serious and it concerns me. But she has said [the allegations] are a result of enemies getting back at her. I really don’t know.”

Former Hart school board President John Hassel said the charges have hurt Mercado, who once served as a board member for the Castaic Union School District.

“All elements of credibility are gone,” Hassel said. “All elements of public trust are gone.”