Entire Los Lunas School Board In New Mexico Was Suspended

The entire Los Lunas school board in New Mexico was suspended for law violations.

KRQE reported that the board was suspended due to evidence that "certain members have violated procurement and public access laws, the state Public School Code, and professional ethical standards," according to a release from the New Mexico Public Education Department.

The school board, including President Eloy G. Giron, Vice President P. David Vickers, Secretary Frank A. Otero and members Bryan C. Smith and Steven R. Otero are now no longer able to contact school staff or use school equipment.

According to the release, the board was notified of the violations back in November.

Here is the long list of the violations that the Public Education Department says the school board committed:

• Knowingly misrepresenting information in public meetings
• Violating the Open Meetings Act by using rolling quorums
• Acting on matters not described with reasonable specificity on board meeting agendas
• Violating the Inspection of Public Records Act by refusing to produce records as required
• Interfering with district contracts and not following the Procurement Code
• Directly asking or demanding a vendor to redo a part of a contract
• Attempting to extort vendors by suggesting they would receive a district contract if they agreed to personally enrich a board member
• Soliciting bids
• Providing confidential bid information to potential vendors
• Demanding contracts for goods and services be awarded to certain vendors, bypassing appropriate procurement procedures
• Soliciting services and contracts without working with the district’s chief procurement officer and central procurement office
• Addressing a district employee in an inappropriate and threatening manner in a public meeting
• Inducing an employee to lie about a supervisor
• Falsifying allegations about financial misconduct of school administrative personnel
• Attempting to extort school administrative, support and maintenance personnel through intimidation and threats
• Interfering with personnel matters, including demanding the demotion, suspension and/or termination of school personnel, decisions and responsibilities properly assigned by law to the superintendent
• Interfering with overall district operations
• Demanding family members be hired, in violation of prohibitions on nepotism;
• Interfering with the superintendent and administrative staff roles.

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