“Former” SMMUSD School Board Member Considers Himself “Current” Board Member, Accuses Others Of Racism
Written by 991KBU on December 22, 2020
When the Santa Monica-Malibu school board sat down at their computers to meet last week … a most unusual thing happened.
Former board member Oscar de la Torre tried to retake his seat.
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“Yeah .. I’m I’m I’m here as a member of the school board too, Jon Kean.”
De la Torre was addressing board president Jon Kean …
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“It’s disheartening to hear that John is going to be selected again to be the president of this board … because I believe that Jon is a tyrant.
“Jon has disrespected parents continuously … parents who have disagreed with him.
“He will work to silence them.”
De la Torre says he has unlawfully been ousted from the local school board.
He says his recent election to the city of Santa Monica city council does not mean he has to resign from the school board.
This … despite a state law that clearly prohibits one person from serving in two elected offices … if the two agencies have any business with each other.
And .. state court rulings that clearly prohibit such double office holding.
At last Thursday’s board meeting … de la Torre tried to chime in as a board member.
And De la Torre cast the whole issue as racist.
He accused the Santa Monica board majority of being racist … of belittling parents from the city’s latin-x south side.
Malibu board member Craig Foster agreed with that part of de la Torre’s angry diatribe.
Foster said it was time for the Santa Monicans on the school board to talk about racial justice.
The rest of the board refused to allow him to join the meeting.
And the Santa Monica Malibu school board is advertising for a new board member … to be appointed to replace de la Torre.
The board called an emergency meeting … for nine o’clock this morning … apparently to discuss de la Torre’s legal threats.
But that meeting was canceled … after a Malibu reporter asked where the public could see it on the Internet.
The school board had neglected to follow California law … and schedule an open meeting with public comment allowed … prior to going into secret session to discuss legal strategy.
Although emergency COVID proclamations from the governor allow government agencies to meet over Zoom … they still require agencies like the school board to follow open meeting laws.
But the school board announced it would have a closed door meeting … today … without any way for the public to speak about the agenda … or observe the vote to go into secret sessions.
Also … the school board is required to emerge from a secret session and give a public report on what was decided … if anything.
No such Zoom public meeting was scheduled … a KBUU reporter questioned that … and the meeting was canceled.
