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Board approves CAO separation agreement after closed session; public commenter alleges retaliation and confidentiality concerns
Summary
After a closed session, the Board of Education voted unanimously to approve a separation agreement for the Chief Administrative Officer effective Feb. 28, 2026. A public commenter, Joel Schlossman, had alleged the board used settlements and confidentiality to hide wrongdoing and raised concerns about staff qualifications.
The Board of Education reported that it unanimously approved an agreement to terminate the Chief Administrative Officer's employment and that the CAO will voluntarily resign effective Feb. 28, 2026.
The board said the district would pay the CAO the equivalent of 12 months of his base salary; the written meeting record contains an implausible dollar figure that appears to be a transcription error and was not confirmed at the meeting. The CAO's accrued vacation balance was reported as $17,929, and the district said health benefits will continue for up to 12 months or until the CAO becomes eligible for benefits from other employment.
The action was reported after the board returned from closed session. The presiding officer read the agreement terms and then recorded the roll call vote as unanimous: Member Aga Khanian, Member Kono, Member Ponser Comkar, Member Weisberg and Member Olsen were each recorded as voting yes.
Earlier in the meeting during public comment, Joel Schlossman — introduced by the presiding officer as 'Outspoken Gadfly' — criticized the board's handling of personnel matters and warned that confidentiality clauses in settlements can prevent the truth from coming out. "You need public input, whether you like it or not," he said, and he accused the board of playing "an unfair game" with a staff member he named as Cantwell in his remarks. Schlossman also raised concerns about hiring and qualifications in district leadership.
The presiding officer invited a superintendent response to the public comment; the transcript records, "None this evening." No additional public details about the closed-session subject or the CAO's identity were provided in the public record during the meeting.
The meeting adjourned thereafter; the motion to adjourn was recorded as moved by Member Olsen and seconded by Clerk Cano. The board set its next meeting for Feb. 5 at 7:23 (as recorded).
