By Peter Day
Senior Reporter
LUCERNE VALLEY — An Oct. 6 letter from an attorney representing controversial Lucerne Valley Unified School District board member Dawn Turnbull claimed an email sent by board president Jim Harvey to Turnbull was "harassment."
The attorney, Robert D. Conaway, also said his client "has not talked to the press recently as your letter suggests" in reference to comments by Harvey that questions allegations by Turnbull. Her allegations appeared in an Oct. 3 article in the Sun Newspaper.
"This seems to be not only personal harassment," Conaway wrote, "but to the extent it feigns ignorance of the waste she has brought up in meetings when she was able to attend, the implication that she has never related the facts, is personally libelous and outside the course of any District business due to the email's publication to the press."
Turnbull made the allegations during a Sept. 30 interview, according to the Sun story. The article quoted Turnbull as saying, "I believe there's hundreds of thousands in missing money," and, "The school district has spent more than $60,000 getting me off (the board)."
During Thursday's special school board meeting, Harvey said that in light of the Sun article, Conaway's statement that Turnbull hadn't spoken to the news media was "very peculiar."
School board member Jodi Collingham said that it would be a challenge getting information to Turnbull if her attorney was suggesting Harvey shouldn't communicate with her.
"If we don't know if we can communicate with her, and you can't, how will she know about the meetings?" Collingham asked.
Conaway also questioned Harvey's use of his personal email account rather than using the LVUSD's email server and account. As part of his harassment allegation, he also cited the board's Sept. 3 declaration that Turnbull's seat was vacant.
Conaway, a resident of Barstow, was admitted to the California State Bar Association in 1985. His law office is located in Victorville. He has been active in county Democratic party politics for many years, and in 2010 ran for the county district attorney position eventually won by Mike Ramos.
Conflict between Turnbull, the board and school district administration began in late 2014 when Turnbull read a list of complaints during a board meeting. In early 2015, Turnbull posted several Facebook comments that were critical of current and former school board members and several other Lucerne Valley residents. Later, she refused to stop communicating with members of a local charitable foundation that provides education funds to schools after she was removed as a board member of that organization.
Turnbull has been formally censured twice by the school board for not adhering to board policies.
The board considered formally removing Turnbull from office for failure to perform official board member duties after she was absent for more than three months. However, the board voted 4-0 to hold a recall election on Feb. 2, 2016 after a recall petition was approved by the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters.
"I think we should just let the election take its course," said longtime school board member Tom Courtney.
Lucerne Valley resident Tom Hagen noted during Thursday's meeting that Turnbull has not attended the last nine consecutive school board meetings. Hagen has expressed his intention to run for Turnbull's seat on Feb. 2.
According to Harvey, Turnbull also informed the district through an email that she has extended her medical leave to Nov. 2.
"I plan to ask Trustee Turnbull a lot of questions (when she returns)," Harvey said.