The Norwalk La Mirada Unified School District had to backpedal after trying to sanction one of its own board members for an alleged Brown Act violation.
For weeks Dr. Robert (Rob) Cancio continued his duties and responsibilities, while in a fog of allegations, hearsay and innuendos that he had shared information with a school Principal about items discussed in a closed session meeting.
This all began March 15, when a Code of Conduct meeting was called. The Olive Grove received an edited copy of this meeting. In this copy, a sub-committee was created by President Chris Staples, who appointed two additional board members. At this hearing a motion was passed to sanction Cancio. It has been disclosed that the other two board members did not know what charges were going to be brought against Cancio. On March 27, the NLMUSD Board held a closed door session in which five of the seven board members voted to sanction Cancio despite having no factual evidence. It is interesting to note that the document sanctioning him was not signed by either the board president or any board members. “Yet within nine minutes the General Council Committee concluded that sanctions where in order!” exclaimed Cancio in his defense statement.
The matter came to a head on March 29, at a Special Board of Education Meeting, where the Board convened to consider whether to adopt a censure resolution against Cancio. The Boards’ main witnesses of the alleged violation came when Staples called on their two main witnesses, Mike Garcia and Dr. Michael Gatto to share their observations. Both alleged that Dr. David Olea had expressed to them, on different occasions in January and February of this year, a concern that Cancio had reveled sensitive information regarding some personal matters that came from a closed session meeting of the board. Neither witness was sworn in before their statements were read into the record.
Cancio’s opportunity to defend himself came next. He pointed out that much of what he wanted to say had already been said in an Op-Ed piece submitted to The Olive Grove. He did however add that the statements from Garcia and Gatto were observations and a “… bold-faced lie, absolute lie.” Cancio then called Olea to the podium to make a statement. Olea refuted the statements made by Garcia and Gatto, saying “I am very frustrated with this process. A lot of what I said was taken out of context…and I never shared that a sitting Board Member shared any information from closed session.” At which point the packed board room erupted in applause and shouts of affirmation. Cancio continued and reminded the board and audience that these allegations were hearsay and observations by individuals that were not present when the supposed Brown Act violation occurred. Cancio also said, “This is a symptom of the internal corruption within the district, where dedicated teachers and staff are railroaded into silence so that the backdoor, lawyer-driven, closed-session deals can continue.”
Board Member Narcis Brasov began dismantling and challenging the interpretation of the law regarding the Brown Act violation saying “There was no willful disclosure as required by law.
There may have been an inadvertent comment but not a willful one.” Note that Brasov is a graduate of Trinity International University J.D. (2017); Biola University M.A. (2002) and University of Southern California B.A. (1999).
Despite Olea’s testimony that Cancio never revealed any closed session information, a motion was made to approve a “Censure Resolution” by Board member Karen Morrison with a second from Norma Amezcua.
Board members justified themselves as to how they would vote based on the material presented at the meeting. In the end the vote was 6-0, six votes not to censure, with Cancio abstaining.
In an after-interview with Cancio he remarked, that four Board members voted ‘no’ because of the conflicting information between Cancio’s witness and statements from administrators witnesses who had no direct knowledge of the conversation between Cancio and Olea.
Overall, residents, parents, and voters of both the city of La Mirada and Norwalk stepped up to the plate and participated in favor of Cancio, though uncomfortable as it may have been, they did their civic duty in serving the community to make sure that we work together for our students, teachers, and staff.
