Cartwright board hears amended charges alleging CFAO lied about $2.2M IRS payment; moves to serve dismissal notice

The Cartwright School District Governing Board on the evening of a special meeting heard an amended statement of charges alleging that Deputy Superintendent and Chief Financial Officer Victoria Farrar made a false statement to the acting superintendent about a $2.2 million IRS payment and, separately, enabled computer and email access for an administrator who had been placed on paid administrative leave.

Attorney Nick Buzan of Kentelme Brown PLC presented the amended charges and the documentary bases the district says support them, citing quoted emails and Microsoft Teams messages. "At a meeting in February 2025, Mrs. Farrar, when asked in front of at least three people, stated that, no, she did not know about the $2,200,000 payment," Buzan said while reading the hearing materials. He told the board the amended charges allege that statement was false and that Farrar later directed actions that concealed digital access and, in one instance, issued a notice of intent to discipline an employee who had raised the IRS payment to administrators.

Why it matters: the charges assert violations of district policy and Farrar's employment contract that, if sustained after any required process, could lead to dismissal. Buzan cited multiple governing-board policies (GBEA staff ethics, GBP prohibited personnel practices, GCQF and GDQD discipline provisions, and CBA duties of the superintendent) and Arizona statutes referenced in the statement of charges.

Key allegations and timeline - The statement says the district failed to timely file certain IRS information returns in prior years and that late or incorrect filings resulted in assessments and penalties. The materials presented allege the district ultimately paid approximately $2,200,000 in fines and penalties after those assessments. - The attorney told the board the payment was pushed through at the direction of the administration in July 2024 and that vouchers for the payment were later presented at a Sept. 12, 2024 board meeting with limited cover documentation, which the statement of charges says reduced board transparency. - The statement further alleges that on Feb. 11, 2025, Farrar told acting superintendent Steve Watson she did not know the IRS payment had been made; the amended charges allege that assertion was false. The statement also alleges Farrar provided the suspended superintendent (identified in the record as Emma Wattegui) with ongoing digital access to district email and files between Feb. 11 and Feb. 20, 2025, and that she counseled staff to keep the access "highly confidential." Counsel also said Wattegui's access continued until about April 3, when it was inadvertently turned off.

Board questions and evidence Board members pressed the attorney for "hard evidence" beyond witness statements. Buzan said that the quoted items in the statement of charges come from documentary sources — emails and Teams messages — and that additional witnesses received those communications. Several board members asked when Farrar was first informed about the IRS payment; Buzan said the statement of charges does not specify the exact date Farrar first learned of the penalty but that July 2024 direction to pay is included in the amended allegations.

Procedural steps taken The board voted to go into executive session under ARS 38‑431.03 to receive legal advice and discuss termination proceedings under ARS 15‑5‑39; the record shows the board entered executive session at 7:18 p.m. and resumed the public meeting at 8:14 p.m.

After returning to open session a board member moved to "adopt the amended statement of charges for termination of employment against Deputy Superintendent/Chief Financial Officer Victoria Farrar and to serve notice on Mrs. Farrar of the governing board's intention to dismiss her at the expiration of 10 days from the date of service of such notice." The motion was seconded. The public transcript of the meeting does not contain a roll-call tally for that motion in the public portion; the motion language includes the 10-day notice period that provides an opportunity for the employee to request a hearing under the notice process described earlier in the presentation.

The board also moved on a separate statement of charges for a deputy superintendent responsible for human resources and educational programs; that motion was seconded and votes were recorded in the public minutes for that item.

What the statement of charges seeks to prove, according to the board attorney, is not a forensic deep-dive into all financial practices but whether specific dishonesty and access-related acts occurred and whether they violated board policy and the administrator's employment contract. The attorney said the charges rely on documentary evidence and witness accounts; board members repeatedly asked for clarifying evidence and timeline details during questioning.

Next steps and other business The motion language on Farrar includes serving notice and a 10-day period for Farrar to respond or request a hearing, consistent with the timeline described in the presentation. The board announced future meeting dates (regular meeting Nov. 5, 2025, at 6 p.m.; a special study session Oct. 28, 2025, at 6 p.m.) and adjourned the meeting at 8:17 p.m.

The public transcript records the substance of the attorney's presentation, the board's questions, and the motions made; it attributes the allegations and evidence to the district's amended statement of charges and to counsel reading that document. The board did not detail a public roll-call vote tally for the Farrar motion in the public portion of the record included in this transcript.