Of lawsuits, trustees, and starting with a clean slate

I was once named as a witness in a racial discrimination lawsuit. From my vantage point, the lawsuit had absolutely no merit at all: yes, the person who filed it was receiving a miserably salary, but it had nothing to do with skin color. It had to do with seniority, budgeting, and a series of other unfortunate events that make corporate America the fun place it is.

I've never seen lawsuits the same way since then. Add to that the fact that I've done my fair share of courts coverage, and the end result is my belief that hardly ever what lands in court is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

This bring us to Alain Guevara, the man who was picked as the new superintendent of MPUSD in spite of being named in a sexual harassment lawsuit. I can see why trustees would believe in his arguments. He hasn't been convicted, he's only been accused. And why destroy an entire, 20-plus-year career with a few lapses of judgement?

Here's what I don't get. Why, in the name of Jolly, would the trustees put themselves in this position?

After the bruising battles they had to fight to defend former Superintendent Marilyn Shepherd -- with salaries, with her departure, with the closure of Bay View, etc -- why would they put themselves in that position again? With someone who's not even in the district yet? Was there nobody more palatable and suit-free than Guevara? Is he that AWE-SOME (using my teenager voice here) that there can't possibly be anyone like him? Are the trustees that courageous that they're willing to defy the outcry that was sure to follow?

Or are they just naive?

Or do they just know that, no matter who they pick, the community is never going to be happy?

Board President Curt Parker told me he wants to bring in Guevara because he's the type of man who would bring in people who have not been felt a part of MPUSD. I get that too. The district's already more than 50 percent Latino, but you wouldn't know it by looking at the people who attend board meetings. Maybe if you have a Latino in charge, the common folk would feel more welcome? Who knows?

And there's another thing that I don't get. The lawsuit talks about not just one incident, but what appeared to be a pattern of behavior. Can the sense of humor that apparently so many people found acceptable at Lake Elsinore -- a place where Guevara worked for about 20 years -- be replicated here?

Like teacher April McMillan wrote to Parker " if you have to be defending Mr. Guevara's decision to wear a clown hat with two noses dangling from it at an administrators retreat, you should not be offering him a job."

Scuttlebutt tells me plenty of people will be showing up to tonight's board meeting to express their dissatisfaction. Given past history, it's unlikely that will change anything.

But it will make for good theater. See you tonight.