Ref Rodriguez
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Ref Rodriguez | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Rogriguez in 2017 | |
| Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education, District 5 | |
| In office May 19, 2015 – July 23, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Bennett Kayser |
| Succeeded by | Jackie Goldberg |
| President, Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education | |
| In office July 7, 2017 – September 19, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Steve Zimmer |
| Succeeded by | Monica Garcia |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1972 (age 51–52) Cypress Park, Los Angeles |
| Alma mater | Fielding Graduate University (PhD) Loyola Marymount University (B.A.) |
| Criminal charge | One felony count each of conspiracy[1] 25 misdemeanor counts of assumed name contribution[2] |
| Penalty | Three years’ probation, 60 days of community service |
Refugio Rodriguez (born 1972) is an American educator and politician, who served as President of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education in 2017. He served as a member of the Board from 2015 until his resignation in 2018, and currently serves as an adjunct professor at Santa Ana College.[3]
Early life and career
[edit]Rodriguez grew up in Cypress Park, Los Angeles and was the first of five children of Mexican immigrants to graduate from college, earning a bachelor's degree from Loyola Marymount University and a PhD from Fielding Graduate University.[4]
He returned to his home neighborhood after college to co-found Partnerships to Uplift Communities (PUC), a public charter school program, with Jacqueline Elliot.[5][6] He also lectured at Loyola Marymount University and was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing in 2013.[7][8]
Career
[edit]LAUSD Board of Education
[edit]District 5 election and tenure (2014–2018)
[edit]In November 2014, Rodriguez announced that he would be running for a seat in the Board of Education and raised $50,000 during the first campaign reporting period.[9] He ran against incumbent Bennett Kayser and Andrew Thomas, a professor at Walden University.[10] He maintained that he would do more for the District than pander to charter schools.[11]
On July 7, 2017, Rodriguez was elected as the president of the Board of Education by a 4–3 vote. The four votes were newly elected members Kelly Gonez and Nick Melvoin, reelected member Mónica García, and Rodriguez himself.[12][13]
Campaign contribution scandal (2017–2018)
[edit]LA County District Attorney Jackie Lacey charged Rodriguez with three felony charges of conspiracy, perjury, and procuring and offering a false or forged instrument. The case was linked back to Rodriguez's bid for the board in 2014, with he and cousin Elizabeth Tinajero Melendrez reimbursing $25,000 to his campaign donors, most of whom were family and friends.[14] In January 2015, Rodriguez reported in his first campaign disclosure statement that more than $51,000 had come from family, friends, and other people, but half actually had come from himself.[15] On September 20, 2017, the United Teachers Los Angeles called for the resignation of Rodriguez.[16]
On September 19, 2017, Rodriguez stepped down as president amid charges of perjury and other felonies. Although stepping down, he remained on the board.[17] On October 24, 2017, he pleaded not guilty to the charges.[18] On July 23, 2018, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to a felony count of conspiracy and four misdemeanor counts, and as part of a deal with prosecutors, resigned from office.[19] Ten candidates ran to replace Rodriguez,[20] and he was replaced by Jackie Goldberg in 2019.[21]
Santa Ana College
[edit]In March, 2023, Rodriquez was hired by Santa Ana College as the head of Career Education/Dual Enrollment amid community criticism.[22]
Controversies
[edit]Conflict of interest case
[edit]On October 13, 2017, a conflict of interest complaint was filed against Rodriguez by a charter school network that he founded.[23] A week later, on October 24, 2017, the California Fair Political Practices Commission closed the case, citing his conspiracy charges filed by the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office.[24] The conflict of interest case did not have any relation to his felony case.[25]
2018 arrest
[edit]On March 16, 2018, Rodriguez was arrested at The Paseo at around 4:30 p.m. for suspicion of public intoxication.[26][27] He was released without being charged or cited, with Rodriguez thanking the officers for "being kind and seeing this for the non- event that it was.”[28][29]
Elections
[edit]| Primary election | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Ref Rodriguez | 10,355 | 38.6 | |
| Bennett Kayser (incumbent) | 9,510 | 35.5 | |
| Andrew Thomas | 6,946 | 25.9 | |
| Total votes | 26,811 | 100.00 | |
| General election | |||
| Ref Rodriguez | 14,201 | 53.3 | |
| Bennett Kayser (incumbent) | 12,421 | 46.7 | |
| Total votes | 26,622 | 100.00 | |
References
[edit]- ^ Espinosa, Elizabeth (July 23, 2018). "Ref Rodriguez Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy, Resigns From Los Angeles School Board". KTLA.
- ^ "LAUSD President, Cousin Charged Campaign Contribution Case". KNBC. September 13, 2017.
- ^ "Ref Rodriguez resigns from school board". United Teachers Los Angeles. July 23, 2018.
- ^ Leibner, Joshua (10 April 2018). "The Lost Honor of Ref Rodriguez". LA Progressive.
- ^ Stokes, Kyle (October 31, 2017). "LAUSD was asking about Rodriguez-linked charter school deals in 2015. Did they say 'stop'?". KPCC.
- ^ Young, Caprice (6 June 2018). "A Wealth of Wisdom From a Charter School Pioneer". Education Next.
- ^ "Ref Rodriguez Biography". LAUSD.
- ^ "GOVERNOR BROWN ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENTS". July 11, 2013. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015.
- ^ Quednow, Cindy Von; Pamer, Melissa; Spillman, Eric (September 13, 2017). "LAUSD Board President, Cousin Charged With Conspiracy in Alleged Campaign 'Money Laundering Scheme'". KTLA.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "District 5: LAUSD school board race snapshot". LA School Report. February 24, 2015.
- ^ Romo, Vanessa (January 20, 2015). "Rodriguez, seeking an LAUSD seat as more than a 'charter guy'". LA School Report.
- ^ "Ref Rodriguez elected LAUSD school board president". Beverly Press. July 13, 2017.
- ^ "DR. REF RODRIGUEZ ELECTED LAUSD SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT". PUC Schools. July 7, 2017.
- ^ Favot, Sarah; Szymanski, Mike (September 20, 2017). "Ref Rodriguez Resigns in Los Angeles: Why the School Board President Stepped Down". The 74.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Koran, Mario (July 23, 2018). "Ref Rodriguez resigns: 3 things to know about the Los Angeles Unified school board member's departure". LA School Report.
- ^ "UTLA calls for the resignation of Ref Rodriguez from the LAUSD School Board". United Teachers Los Angeles. September 20, 2017.
- ^ DeSocio, Jeffrey Thomas (September 19, 2017). "Ref Rodriguez steps down as LAUSD president amid charges". KTTV.
- ^ "L.A. School Board Member Ref Rodriguez Pleads Not Guilty to Campaign Money Laundering Charges". KTLA. 24 October 2017.
- ^ Stokes, Kyle (July 22, 2018). "Ref Rodriguez Pleads Guilty To Felony And Misdemeanor Charges, Resigns From LAUSD Board". LAist.
- ^ "Meet the 10 candidates running for the LAUSD school board seat left vacant by Ref Rodriguez". Los Angeles Daily News. March 3, 2019.
- ^ Plachta, Ariella (March 5, 2019). "LAUSD Election 2019: Jackie Goldberg tops field in LA school board race that appears headed for May runoff". Los Angeles Daily News.
- ^ "Santa Ana College is apparently trying to hire a felon to work with high school kids". New Santa Ana. 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
- ^ Blume, Howard (October 16, 2017). "L.A. school board member Ref Rodriguez faces conflict-of-interest complaint over $285,000 in payments". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Dr. Ref Rodriguez's Conflict of Interest Case Dropped". La Comadre. October 24, 2017.
- ^ Blume, Howard (October 20, 2017). "Rodriguez won't have to defend himself against conflict-of-interest complaint — for now". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Eastside school board member Ref Rodriguez arrested for allegedly being drunk in public". The Eastsider LA. April 5, 2018.
- ^ Cain, John (April 4, 2018). "LAUSD board member Ref Rodriguez taken into custody for suspected public drunkenness in Pasadena". Los Angeles Daily News.
- ^ "LAUSD Board Member Ref Rodriguez Arrested In Pasadena On Suspicion Of Public Drunkenness". KCBS-TV. April 5, 2018.
- ^ "Only On 2: Video Released Of Arrest Of School Board Member". KCBS-TV. June 13, 2018.