Above: Suzette Davis
By Peter Day
Senior Reporter
LUCERNE VALLEY — Suzette Davis, Lucerne Valley Unified School District’s superintendent, will receive $3,006 from the district to pay legal fees she has incurred dealing with issues regarding board trustee Dawn Turnbull.
The LVUSD’s board of trustees unanimously voted in favor of the move during last Tuesday's special board meeting. Turnbull, the fifth member of the board, has been absent from board meetings since early summer, citing unspecified health issues. She has indicated she may return next month before facing a special recall election on Feb. 2.
The district funds approved by the board will reimburse a portion of services performed by Davis’ attorney, Timothy M. Cary & Associates. A larger, unspecified amount is being paid by the district’s legal services insurance policy. The payment due is for “Dawn Turnbull defamation issues in the period from March 1, 2015 to Sept. 30, 2015,” according to an invoice by the Cameron Park-based Cary & Associates.
Turnbull has made several comments on social media and in at least one newspaper article that appeared to cast the school district and Davis in a negative light.
“Trustee Turnbull’s comments were unjustified,” said board president Jim Harvey. “They were uncalled for.” Moreover, according to Harvey, “Our superintendent was just doing her job.”
Including in the board meeting agenda packet is a section of California Government Code entitled "Duty of public entity to pay judgment, compromise, or settlement." The code excerpt is an indication that the district should pay the portion of Davis's legal fees, according to board president Jim Harvey.
Tom Hagen, a school board candidate whose name will appear on next February’s special election ballot, agreed with the consensus of the board.
“This board has supported you 100 percent,” Hagen said to Davis. “This community supports you 100 percent, and it does till this day.”
Harvey said that only one person is responsible for the district’s legal fees in this situation — Turnbull.
“These (fees) were totally avoidable,” Harvey said. “She (Turnbull) is responsible for that $3,006.”
Earlier this year, Turnbull leveled numerous claims of impropriety against the Lucerne Valley Unified School District, Davis and several other district volunteers and officials. In July the district fired back with a detailed list of responses to support a 22-page resolution.
Davis said comments made by Turnbull have sullied her reputation.
“There’s been a defamation of (my) character,” Davis said Tuesday.