CALEXICO — Calexico Unified School so-called de facto board Trustee Joong Kim read a written statement Tuesday evening, formally responding to his third censure by his board peers and referencing the vote which occurred Jan. 22.
Kim maintains that the board is “on a political witch hunt against me,” and that “censuring is only self-destructive for the current board members.”
Tension has been extra high between Kim and other board trustees following his successful election to Calexico City Council which district officials and other board trustees believe is a conflict of interest.
A State Attorney General’s opinion is being sought on the matter. Kim was not present at the Jan. 22 meeting since he was at the Calexico meeting held at the same time.
The board voted 3-0 for the third censure, with trustee Ruth Duarte absent, and the majority of the reasoning was tied to allegations of harassment by newly elected trustee Letty Zuno-Vizcarra.
However, there was also reference to an allegation that Kim told Vizcarra that both Heffernan Memorial Healthcare District Board public officials and a newly re-elected Calexico city councilman “‘owed him,’ and that he would use his influence to fund the joint city/district pool,” according to the agenda item backup information.
“Again this is simply a list of allegations with no evidence or back up. Your only true fact is that you are spreading false and misleading information about the Heffernan Hospital District without even checking with them. I have no influence with Heffernan Hospital board,” he said.
He noted that all three times he was censured, the resolutions were written by the district’s former law firm, GCR, LLP.
The written statement ends with an allegation that the board violated the Brown Act though doesn’t specify how, that the board should concentrate more on children’s education, and questioning of a GCR, LLP bill of $347,737.48 that was approved for payment Tuesday night.
The bill was for legal services dating back to January 2012 with some months totaling as high as $59,061.44 and $64,534.64 each.
District officials said Tuesday that GCR deferred billing last year due to its cash deficiency resulting from state cash deferrals.
Kim requested an audit of all GCR, LLP bills, and said, “If you approve this without requesting an audit first, I know something is fishy with the board members.”
The first censure occurred in January 2012 and asked Kim “to cease his unprofessional conduct and uncivil treatment of other board trustees” while the second one in May read that he “has a history of engaging in unethical and unprofessional conduct during and outside of board meetings, threatening other district board trustees, and making unprofessional, false, vulgar, misleading, and inaccurate comments using social networking media.”
View Kim’s written response online at www.ivpressonline.com
Staff Writer Chelcey Adami can be reached at 760-337-3452 or cadami@ivpressonline.com
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