School Chief’s Former District Faces Charges

The New Mexico attorney general Thursday charged current and former school board members in Las Cruces with illegally granting raises and benefits to Compton Superintendent 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. He declined to comment.

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