Schools
School Board Recall Effort Sparked by Coach O'Brien's Firing
The campaign seeks to recall three members of the Arcadia Unified School District Board of Education.
Current and former Arcadia High School students have organized a recall campaign that seeks to unseat three school board members involved in the dismissal of the school's former cross-country coach.
Jim O'Brien was fired from his post as the cross-country coach at AHS in June, a move that has rankled parents and students. The Arcadia Unified School District's Board of Education examined O'Brien's firing last week but decided to take no action, effectively upholding his termination.
The organizers of "Recall Arcadia" sent out copies of petitions to Patch and other news outlets Tuesday that call for the ouster of Board President Cung Nguyen, Vice-President Lori Phillipi and boardmember Kay Kinsler. They must collect more than 5,000 signatures to get the initiative on the ballot, according to the Pasadena Star-News.
The Star-News also reported Tuesday that administrators at AHS informed the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section of undisclosed rules violations by the cross-country program before firing O'Brien. School officials declined to comment on the matter, and O'Brien told the paper that administrators are trying to "ruin" him.
Read the full story here.
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