Richard Vladovic

After a tense, four-hour closed meeting with his LA Unified Board colleagues, President Richard Vladovic opened a brief public session admitting that he had violated the district’s code of conduct and apologizing to employees he may have harmed.

“I did get upset at people,” he said. “I did tell them things I shouldn’t have told them.” He said he has a “passion for the district, and I believe in my passion I crossed the line, and I intend to never do it again.” He also conceded he has sought “professional help.”

Vladovic suggested that some on the board were reluctant to accept his mea culpa: “I’m saying it publicly, so that this issue doesn’t cloud other issues affecting the board. And I know all of my colleagues don’t agree with that. But I must accept responsibility.”

The sudden admission came two weeks after an outside firm concluded an investigation into allegations of verbal and sexual harassment against Vladovic, some of them from years ago. Details were kept out of public view until Monday night, when district officials released documents involving two accusers. One case described events that could be interpreted as sexual harassment; the other, verbal.

In his apology, Vladovic made no specific reference to the charges although his admission of improper behavior seemed directed only at accusations of berating and intimidating employees, rather than any allegations with sexual or homophobic overtones.

Vladovic and his spokesman, Mike Trujillo, had “categorically denied” all of the charges but one – “occasionally using his outdoor voice.”

After the meeting, Trujillo said that Vladovic’s apology was only meant in reference to complaints about his temper.

“The apology is regarding raising his voice, which is like a drill sergeant raising his voice in boot camp,” Trujillo said, adding that Vladovic still maintains his innocence for all other charges. “The apology you heard today was acknowledging something he did in the past. He’s still board president and plans on continuing to serve the children and parents of our districts.”

The board spent considerable time in the closed session debating whether to take any punitive action against Vladovic, who was elected president earlier this year. The board has the power to censure him and even remove him as president. But people who were briefed after the meeting said members were unable to reach consensus on what, if anything, to do. It was their understanding that the question lingers and could arise at the board’s next public meeting, on Oct. 29.

Vladovic promised he’s a changed man from the one described in the complaints.

“You will see, and have seen, a more civil attitude form me, as I’ve reflected over it,” he said, adding, “There’s a better way to do things. I found that way, and we’re going to move forward.”

Before the meeting began, according to the LA Daily News reporter, Barbara Jones, a CBS news crew asked Vladovic about the charges. He said he was “innocent.”  Board member Marguerite LaMotte asked him to repeat that louder, then walked over and gave him a comforting kiss on the cheek. Vladovic looked pale and shaken.

The Board voted unanimously to approve Mayor Eric Garcetti staffer Abigail Marquez to the bond oversight committee. They then listened to public comments, the last of which was given by LaMotte herself, who told Vladovic that she admired him for his patience, and said, “I commend you and ask you to continue this fight.”

Previous posts: Complaints Against Vladovic Are Available for Viewing; Board to Review Vladovic Charges in Closed Session; Vladovic Denies Sexual Harassment, Other Claims;  Vladovic Investigation Concluded; Board Members are Briefed*

Board President Richard Vladovic

The LA Unified board is expected to review findings of an investigation into harassment charges against Board President Richard Vladovic when it meets today in closed session, according to people familiar with the meeting agenda.

The agenda makes no explicit mention of the investigation, which was concluded two weeks ago. While board members were individually briefed on the case after the report was completed, details emerged last night when the district released partial accounts through a public records request. The accounts appear here and here.

Vladovic has denied all charges against him. His spokesman, Mike Trujillo, told the L.A. Daily News that both of the cases made public were “unactionable.”

He told LA School Report: “We categorically deny the allegations in these complaints. What we have admitted to is Dr. V using his outdoor voice indoors, which makes him as guilty as every football coach in the district.”

It is unclear what action, if any, the board might take if members believe there is sufficient cause to respond. By a majority vote, the board can strip Vladovic of his presidency and censure him; it cannot remove him from office. Whatever it does would most likely be done publicly, and the day’s open agenda includes “Report on any actions taken” in the closed session.

Censure of a school board member by colleagues happens in rare instances. The most recent LA-area school board member to be censured is Joseph Chang of the Hacienda La Puente school board, whose colleagues took the action last month over allegations that he accepted trips from a private company and urged administrators to accept unqualified international students.

Previous posts: Vladovic Investigation Concluded; Board Members are Briefed*; Cleared On One of Two Investigations; Board President Hires Reform-Affiliated Consultant; Rules Allow Board Members to Censure Colleagues

Dr. Richard Vladovic

LA Unified’s chief lawyer said today the investigation into harassment charges against School Board President Richard Vladovic was complete, and board members were briefed on its findings.

“We have concluded the investigation, which was conducted by an outside firm. We are in the process of providing individual board members with the findings of that investigation,” LAUSD General Counsel Dave Holmquist said in a statement.

For now, the “document is privileged due to the potential threat of litigation,” according to Sean Rossall, a spokesman Holmquist, meaning that it’s at School Board’s discretion when and if the results of the investigation are released.

A spokesman for Vladovic, Mike Trujillo, said Vladovic would not comment on the investigation.

The LA Daily News first reported the harassment investigation in June. The specific charges were never made public, but sources have said they included bullying, intimidation, and one instance of sexual harassment. Vladovic denied the charges, and a source close to him had told LA School Report that the charges were “politically motivated,” intended to derail his bid for the board presidency.

Board members contacted for this story declined to comment.

If the investigation found truth in the charges, the school board has the option to remove him from his role as president or censure him. It does not have the power to force him off the school board.

*An earlier version said the findings could be released tomorrow; the board decides when or if to make the results public.

Previous posts: Update: Vladovic Cleared On One of Two Investigations; Board President Hires Reform-Affiliated Consultant; Rules Allow Board Members to Censure Colleagues; How Vladovic Won (& Zimmer Went Un-Nominated); Harassment Allegations Could Hurt Vladovic’s Chances

However, most of those contacted by LA School Report either didn’t know or weren’t willing to provide any details about the allegations or their possible impact on Vladovic’s chances of becoming the next School Board President.

Superintendent John Deasy declined to comment; Dr. Vladovic (and indeed any Board member we tried to reach) never got back to us.

A source close to Dr. Vladovic claimed that one of the two accusations Jones’ article cites refers to an incident that occurred roughly 12 years ago when Vladovic was a local superintendent.

The source acknowledged that all accusations of harassment should be taken seriously, but said that the timing of the Daily News story was extremely suspicious.

“I just find it very interesting that this would come out five days before a School Board President vote,” the source said. “This is a political hit-and-run if I ever saw one.”

Intentionally timed or not, the allegations against Vladovic could hurt his chances of becoming President, creating an opening for other Board members to take the role.

While news of the investigation into the accusations against Vladovic has only become public now, Board members were informed over a week ago, according to the Daily News.

District staffers informed them during a closed-door session before the June 18 Board meeting, while Vladovic sat alone in the Board meeting room waiting for the public session to begin.

On Tuesday, the Board is set to elect a new President to replace Monica Garcia, who is term-limited. Dr. Vladovic, who is known to covet the job, was until recently considered the front-runner.

It is unknown how these recent revelations will affect the Board members’ decision — they have been largely tight-lipped about their political calculations.

The news could persuade “Dr. V.” to stay in the background, at least for the time being. Or it could make some of the other Board members reluctant to put him under the spotlight.

That could tip the balance in favor of Board member Steve Zimmer, who has reportedly told people that he would accept the position, but only if the vote were unanimous — not a very likely scenario. But he may decide that four or five is enough.

Board member Tamar Galatzan has an outside shot as well — she would, at least, run a fast meeting.

There are roughly 15,000 local school boards nationally, and over the years there have been numerous cases regarding allegations of abuse, misbehavior, drug use and other offenses:

In 1997, Dallas, Texas Schools Superintendent Yvonne Gonzalez was investigated for her treatment of Board employees. Gonzalez resigned after the school district’s chief financial officer accused her of sexual harassment though she vehemently denied the accusations.

Former New York City Mayor Edward Koch launched wide-scale investigations into several members of the 32 community school boards regarding drug use, sexual harassment and job-selling accusations. Eight members of a Bronx school board were suspended and the investigation resulted in legislation to tighten control over local boards, according to the New York Times.

Most recently, New Mexico public Education Secretary Hanna Skandera suspended the entire Questia Independent School Board. One member reportedly harassed and micromanaged staff to such a point that the district had banned him from any campus, according to New Mexico State Capital reports.

Of course, the Board could also choose to ignore the accusations, the severity of which are entirely unknown and will likely remain so next week.

Additional reporting by Brianna Sacks

Previous posts: Board Presidency Up for Grabs Tuesday; Vladovic the Frontrunner for President; Zimmer Reversal Likely Ends Garcia Presidency*