CVUSD Superintendent Dismissed

Ricardo Medina is no longer superintendent of the Coachella Valley Unified School District.

In January, without reason, he was placed on paid administrative leave by the Board of Trustees.

Last month, the board voted to begin termination proceedings against Medina, and on Monday he was officially dismissed from the district as superintendent by a board vote of 6-1 — Juanita Duarte was the lone dissenting vote.

Medina failed to properly carry out his duties as superintendent, according to Maria Machuca, president of the board.

The board met with Medina and his lawyer in a closed session meeting, which lasted several hours, before announcing the termination.

Medina defended himself and said the allegations against him are false.

But he was already prepared for the decision.

For the first time since being placed on paid administrative leave, Medina spoke publicly about the school district’s investigation into his alleged misconduct.

“They didn’t find I misappropriated a single penny,” said Medina. “I didn’t steal anything. I didn’t embezzle anything. I didn’t hire any family. I didn’t hire any relatives.”

Medina and his lawyer, Henry Kraft, said the district hired a private investigator to run the operation.

In the end, Kraft said that the investigation leveled nine separate allegations against Medina.

That document is confidential, but said at least three of those allegations are related to activities that took place in 2002, which is almost seven years before Medina came to the district.

“It’s our opinion that beginning prior to November 2010, the candidates for the school board decided that they did not want Ricardo Medina to remain as the superintendent,” said Kraft.

“I was placed on leave at the very first duly constituted meeting of this school board,” said Medina. “They have never had a chance to work with me, have never had a chance to evaluate my performance.”

Coachella Valley Teachers Association president Alexis Lanza said she supports the actions taken by the board.

“(They) handled a difficult situation with integrity, confidentiality and respect,” said Lanza.

But some former district staff members are disappointed by how this situation has played out.

“You don’t need a college degree to have common sense,” said Gloria Maldonado, a former board member. “You told him to jump and he didn’t say how high.”

“I have not done anything to merit termination of employment from the district — categorically,” said Medina.

Medina said he was never given a reason for the suspension.

He has filed a pending lawsuit against the board for possibly violating the Brown Act.

Medina’s lawyer said he also plans to file an additional lawsuit against the school district and board for wrongful termination.