Once again, it appears as if the District’s administration is attempting to influence the outcome of an election. Unlike the infamous 2011 election, in which Sunnyside officials used kids to pass an override to avoid teacher layoffs, this time around they are trying to save their own jobs.
The two board members in the recall election Bobby Garcia and Louie Gonzales both support Superintendent Manuel Isquierdo. Without either of these board members Isquierdo will be removed as superintendent. Daniel Hernandez and Buck Crouch two members of the board do not support him.
The Star reported back in December about Isquierdo’s legal and financial problems.
When those problems came out and Isquierdo had to cancel his plan to take a different superintendent job in San Antonio, Louie Gonzales, Bobby Garcia, and Eva Carrillo Dong all supported an extension to his contract in lieu of finding a new superintendent.
Mike Polak, currently running for Bobby Garcia’s seat on the board believes there has been misconduct possibly all the way up to Isquierdo’s office.
On Friday, a meeting was held at the Pima County School Superintendent office where Mike Polak, Riccardo Hernandez, CFO of the Pima County School Superintendent office, and John Brakey discussed the situation.
Emails show that the Pima County School Superintendent’s office was contacted by the Sunnyside District Office to let Hernandez’s office know that someone from the Arizona Daily Star allegedly called asking if Mr. Polak had withdrawn. Margie told them they would need to contact Hernandez’s office to confirm that information. (View emails below)
When Polak was contacted regarding the matter, he was completely taken aback calling it “fraudulent activity.”
In Friday’s meeting, Hernandez told Polak a call and email coming from an administrative assistant at Isquierdo’s office contacted their office regarding Polak withdrawing from the race.
Polak told the ADI, “(In) this meeting Ricky Hernandez confirmed that Margie from Isquierdo’s office made the call to here and sent an email here asking if I had withdrawn from the race.”
When confronted with why Isquierdo’s office asked the Pima County Superintendent’s office if Polak had withdrawn they reportedly claimed they had heard it from a reporter at the ADS, but Polak says, “Tim (Stellar) told me it wasn’t anybody from our office.”
After Polak confirmed with Stellar no one from his office called Isquierdo’s office he told the ADI, “No proof anybody ever called.”
In an election with around 26 thousand registered voters and an expected turnout of 30% even an outlandish rumor can make the difference.
Other concerns regarding this recall election involve the location of the drop spot.
The drop spot is at Apollo middle school where Louie Gonzales only lives a few houses away and his son is an administrator. Only adding to the questions around the legitimacy of this election.
Eric Giffin, Gonzales opponent told the ADI, “I think they did it as an intimidation thing.”
Although he acknowledges they have used it as an election spot before along with many other nearby schools.
Giffin was also concerned because 4 days after the ballots had been sent out he still had not received one.
He tells the ADI he had to call the Pima County Recorder’s Office only to find out he had been put on the inactive list.
When Giffin requested the reason, he said the recorder’s office would give him none. He then verified a few questions and received his ballot on Friday.
Giffin and his wife both voted last election. He is concerned that this may have happened to others.
These could be an entire string of unfortunate coincidences, but not likely.
Polak believes a line has been crossed, “This call came from his office assistant. That is not a good sign to me. It is completely unethical and should have never been done.”
(The email from April 30th, 2014 shows the communication between Mr. Hernandez and Mr. Polak)
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