COMMERCE, Calif – The District filed a lawsuit against Director Vasquez for two videos she made and some letters she sent to our purveyors/cities.
The District received phone calls and in one case a cease and desist letter advising that the District could face litigation for the false claims that Director Vasquez was making in her communication.
We filed a lawsuit to determine one of two things:
(1) That Director Vasquez in her videos/letters gave the impression that she was speaking on behalf of the District and therefore was in violation of the administrative code;
OR
(2) That Director Vasquez was not speaking on behalf of the District and that her comments/communications belonged to her as an individual.
The judge did not believe that the communications rose to the level of District representation, and it was the judge’s opinion that Director Vasquez was speaking as an individual not a representative of the District.
As a result, should there be any litigation, or liability, associated with Director Vasquez making videos, sending letters or other communications it is her responsibility to defend against those claims and not the District’s.
The judge dismissed the case without prejudice which means that should Director Vaquez engage in similar behavior in the future the District can bring the issue back to court for judicial intervention.
The District is committed to holding itself accountable for its actions; however, it will no longer assume responsibility, or provide legal services, for the rouge behavior of any individual board member. We have worked hard to implement board protocols and governance procedures that have resulted in a complete turnaround of the District earning the respect of our customers and elected officials in Sacramento. We remain committed to sustaining that progress.
Alex Rojas
General Manager
