School Chief’s Raises at Ex-District Contested

The New Mexico attorney general Thursday charged current and former school board members in Las Cruces with illegally granting raises and benefits to Compton Supt. Jesse Gonzales when he headed the schools there.

Gonzales, who was not charged with anything, was superintendent in Las Cruces for nearly 12 years before leaving late last year to assume the top job in Compton. Through a spokesman, he declined to comment.

In a previous interview and in documents submitted to The Times, a lawyer for Gonzales said the board was responsible for approving raises and that Gonzales had accepted them “in good faith” as gestures recognizing his “excellent work.”

Gonzales’ accomplishments in Las Cruces were cited by California education officials when they decided to return full local authority to Compton’s schools last year after eight years of state management.

The criminal complaints involve misdemeanor violations of New Mexico’s Open Meetings Act. They charge two current board members and three former members with approving hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra benefits for Gonzales without making the votes public.