Public defense given in Morelli dismissal matter; board moves to closed session

At the start of the board’s regular agenda, the board conducted a public portion of a personnel discipline matter. Counsel for Lianne Morelli, the district’s director of risk management and safety, urged the board not to proceed to termination and argued the charging documents were incomplete and lacked contemporaneous documentation.

Counsel identified multiple allegations in the district’s final notice (including alleged failures to record absences in the district attendance system, failure to lead contract-renewal processes for School Resource Deputies, and alleged deficient drafting of district documents). He said one allegation — that Morelli delegated a districtwide security-system training — was added in the final notice without supporting documents and lacked specificity. Counsel repeatedly referenced a midyear performance review dated Jan. 15, 2025, which he said rated Morelli as “progressing” and did not include contemporaneous discipline.

Counsel asked the board to note that some earlier cited issues had been withdrawn and urged that the charges as presented did not amount to a for-cause basis for termination. The board limited public remarks for time and moved the matter into closed session for further discussion. In the closed-session readout later in the night legal counsel reported that some actions were taken: two employee IDs were released by board vote (5–0) and no final action had been taken on other matters; no public vote to dismiss was announced in open session.