The facts are no longer in dispute. School Board Member Maria Leon-Vazquez voted on at least nine occasions to have SMMUSD enter into consulting contracts with two separate firms represented by her husband, Santa Monica City Council Member Tony Vazquez. The district attorney is now looking at the case for criminal conduct. A different view, as described by Board Member Laurie Lieberman on behalf of Leon-Vazquez, is equally, if not more, disconcerting. In Lieberman’s estimation, Leon-Vazquez simply overlooked the conflicts of interest as part of routine actions taken on the consent calendar. Wow. Spending our kids’ $100,000,000+ school budget is simply an annoying list of “routine actions?” One would hope that after more than 18 years on the school board, Leon-Vazquez would understand her primary role as citizen oversight for the school district. Delivering an uninformed “Yay” in unison when agenda items are up for a vote is unconscionable.
Mrs. Leon-Vazquez should resign immediately. The children of Santa Monica and Malibu deserve better.
Carl Randall
Samohi class of 1985