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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A erstwhile Fresno Unified worker who discontinue "voluntarily and irrevocably" volition inactive person a $162,000 payout, a determination that is generating contention for the schoolhouse district.
Former Chief Communications Officer for the Fresno Unified School District, Nikki Henry, officially near that presumption connected June 26. The determination came aft she admitted to utilizing artificial intelligence, oregon AI, to make a papers with fabricated quotes that allegedly negatively portrayed the Fresno Teachers Association.
But 1 subordinate of the schoolhouse committee says she volition not stay soundless connected the issue.
"These are the kinds of antics that support our children failing due to the fact that they distract and interfere with the existent enactment of the schoolhouse district," said Fresno Unified Trustee Susan Wittrup, who represents the Bullard High School region.
Wittrup says she's not blessed with however the remainder of the committee and members of the territory enactment are handling the effect to Henry's colony agreement.
A screenshot showing the resignation missive signed by Nikki Henry.Fresno Unified School Board Trustee Susan Wittrup says it was past week erstwhile she received an email saying the committee is not going to ballot connected this contented due to the fact that the committee already gave unanimous authorization to the Chief of Human Resources to negociate the deal. She says that acquisition took spot during a closed league gathering connected June 18th.
Wittrup says she expected committee members would beryllium briefed and updated connected the negotiations, but says that ne'er happened. Wittrup says it means the $162,000 colony is last without a vote.
"That makes maine consciousness similar there's thing shady going on. That is not our practice," Wittrup said.
Wittrup alleges that this could adjacent beryllium a usurpation of California's Brown Act, which requires definite nationalist oversight of legislative bodies. She describes it arsenic "sloppy governance" and the concern could person been improved with a ballot connected the substance during the upcoming August 13th meeting.
"The hardworking taxpayers person a close to cognize however their money's being spent."
Wittrup is adjacent wondering if this is an effort to screen thing up - and support an outgoing enforcement quiet.
Meanwhile, the teachers' national says the magnitude of wealth Nikki Henry is getting is ridiculous.
"For that magnitude of money, you could get 2 teachers successful the classroom, impacting the lives of galore of our students instead. Somebody that did thing wrong, admittedly, is going to get rewarded $162,000," said Fresno Teachers Association president Manuel Bonilla.
YourCentralValley.com reached retired to the territory for remark connected this matter, and they referred america to an email sent from the district's quality resources to employees clarifying what happened.
Clarifying Personnel Matters and Due Process
In effect to questions astir however the District handles unit actions, I wanted to supply immoderate further accusation to adhd discourse to District determination making. In the State of California, nationalist employees mostly person a protected spot involvement successful their employment. This means that nationalist employees cannot person their jobs oregon wage taken distant without owed process. In cases of termination oregon demotion of nationalist employees, mostly owed process includes a bid of procedural protections outlined successful the Education Code, Board Policy, and if the worker is represented successful a corporate bargaining agreement. Those owed process protections tin see a bid of hearings, written documentation, and, successful immoderate instances, tin extremity up looking akin to a tribunal case. To debar the important costs of those procedures and the uncertain outcomes of those hearings, sometimes nationalist employers with the Board’s authorization participate into resignation agreements with employees. After the worker accepts the presumption of the colony agreement, the statement is last pursuant to Government Code conception 54956.9.
The District is looking guardant to the caller schoolhouse twelvemonth and the further implementation of the Board’s Goals and Guardrails to execute affirmative pupil outcomes. We are besides committed to having honorable conversations with employees, parents, and assemblage members connected however we tin support them champion informed astir what is going connected astatine Fresno Unified. We convey you for your continued partnership.
Sincerely,
David Chavez
Chief of Human Resources
YourCentralValley.com besides reached retired to the different Fresno Unified Trustees for their remark connected the matter. The different trustees either did not reply our requests for remark oregon said they could not talk to america connected this matter.
The afloat statement betwixt the Fresno Unified School District and Nikki Henry can beryllium viewed by clicking here.
