PVUSD Not Liable For Legal Fees In Rodriguez Dismissal: Report

WATSONVILLE, CA — The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees decided last week that the district shouldn't have to pay for $16,000 in legal fees racked up by the former board president after the dismissal of Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez, KSBW reported.

Former president Georgia Acosta was not present for the vote, which passed 6-1, the station reported. Acosta did not respond to KSBW's request for comment.

Acosta authorized the transactions without getting approval from her colleagues on the board, Lookout Santa Cruz reported.

That means Acosta could be on the hook for the $16,000 bill from Berkeley law firm Dannis Woliver Kelley, which began its work after the board voted 4-3 to oust Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez, with trustees Georgia Acosta, Daniel Dodge Jr., Jennifer Schacher and Oscar Soto voting in favor of her removal.

The PVUSD community erupted with an outpouring of support for Rodriguez, who told The Pajaronian that she was not allowed to attend the closed-door session where the board decided on a 4-3 vote to terminate her in January. She was not given a reason for her dismissal and the board did not address its reasons after the public portion of the meeting began, the paper reported.

More than 2,200 people signed a petition to bring Rodriguez back and demand transparency regarding the reasons why she was terminated in the first place. If not, petitioners supported a future recall effort for the four board members who sought Rodriguez's removal.

As PVUSD superintendent, Rodriguez is responsible for the education of some 20,000 students.

Read more about the vote from KSBW and Lookout Santa Cruz.

More from Patch:

• Ousted PVUSD Superintendent Gets Job Back After Public Outcry