Thornton Named Inspector General

The Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday appointed Jerry Thornton as district inspector general, an often unpopular position but one intended to hold the district accountable.

Thornton, who has been acting inspector general since May, said he would continue to investigate potential “waste, fraud and abuse of public funding.”

The terms of his contract -- including the length of his position -- are yet to be determined by board President Marlene Canter.

Thornton previously served as the No. 2 inspector under Don Mullinax, who resigned after six years in the position.

Mullinax often clashed with school officials, criticizing them for an elaborate Belmont Learning Complex project and the downtown high-rise they bought to house district headquarters.

Thornton said he understands being the bearer of bad news for the nation’s second-largest school district may not be a popular task. But he said he plans to be professional, not political, in his approach.

“The nature of what we do means that I can’t make everybody happy,” Thornton said, adding that he plans to stay “professional and correct,” to maintain a healthy relationship with school officials.

Thornton’s appointment comes as Los Angeles City Controller Laura Chick has called for an audit of the district. Such an audit wouldn’t affect the inspector general’s work, Thornton said.