The Daily Breeze
reports:Centinela Valley school board member Maritza Molina abruptly resigns
Centinela
Valley school board member Maritza Molina, who resisted public demands that she
resign over her support for ousted Superintendent Jose Fernandez, abruptly
stepped down from her post this week, citing “personal reasons.”
Personal reasons? Yes, like she personally does not want to spend time in jail, perhaps?
Molina, who announced her decision over the holiday break, faced hostile
constituents nearly two years ago whennews emergedthat
Fernandez, whom she long supported, had enriched himself on the district’s
dime, taking inmore than $750,000 in compensationin one year.
Did Molina get rich, too? An immigrant community, taken advantage by another well-connected politician. Where I have read this before? Hmm. . . But she, like other board members, dismissed demands
for her resignation.
Molina did not return calls for comment about why she decided to step down now.
Her colleagues offered no other explanation either.
They should plan on resigning, as well.
“I was surprised, but I respect her decision,” said new board member Daniel
Urrutia, who was elected in November. “I see this as an opportunity for a new
member of the community to join the board and help move the district forward.”
So far, Urrutia is the only trustworthy member of the board. If Gloria Ramos gets her act together and starts voting against the status quo, then the board would be in better financial footing and moral standing.
The vacancy, by some measures, creates an even 2-2 split on the board. In
recent years, board President Hugo Rojas had the support of members Molina,
Rocio Pizano and Lorena Gonzalez. Board member Gloria Ramos was the lone
dissenting voice. But Gonzalez lost her seat in November to Daniel Urrutia and
now Molina is gone. Still, Rojas was quick to say the split isn’t so defined.
“I am trying to bring peace and togetherness to the board,” he said.
And Rojas and Ramos already agree on one thing: holding an election to replace
Molina would be expensive. They both suggested they would more likely support
appointing someone to the seat.
Rojas said he hopes the Centinela Valley Union High School District will
conduct significant outreach to the community to find a board member “who is
from the community, knows our schools, has a background in giving back to the
community … perhaps an alumni or parent.”
That is exactly what should happen. Outreach! Maritza Molina
“I think we could have a very open, transparent selection
process,” Ramos said. “I really just want the best for the district, and I want
someone who is truly committed.”
The board will decide the process for filling the seat at its meeting Tuesday.
An appointment would have to be made within 60 days. A special election could
be held during the June primary, Superintendent Gregory O’Brien said. The new
member would have to live in the district’s Region 1, which Molina represented.
Molina faced particularly strong criticism during the Fernandez scandal because,
as board president, she initially defended his high compensation. She sure did. She defended just about everything about Fernandez. In aguest commentarypublished days after the news of
Fernandez’s contract broke, Molina wrote that the focus on his compensation
“fails to do justice to the great work accomplished during his tenure.” She
said his contract was vetted and approved in a transparent process.
Molina later backtracked on that support and instead voted with the board to
fire Fernandez.
Molina was so cowardly. Shameful. Molina has run away, hoping to avoid further scrutiny.
I submit that residents and activists in Huntington Park and Cudahy should demand the same ouster for the corrupt city council members in their cities, too!