The state Attorney General's Office has ordered top leaders of the Sunnyside Unified School District to undergo training on state election laws after it found the district violated statutes.
In addition to the Governing Board and Superintendent Manuel L. Isquierdo, the district's principals, athletic department administration and its coaches must undergo training on the laws this month.
The findings are the result of an investigation by Assistant Attorney General Thomas M. Collins into several complaints, including that Sunnyside High School athletes last fall were directed to canvass neighborhoods and pass out literature in support of bonds and a budget override in the November 2011 general election.
The violations are:
• Richard Sanchez, district athletic director, directed coaches to plan on attending a campaign meeting at the home of Louie Gonzales, then board president, and chastised coaches who did not attend.
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• Glenn Posey, Sunnyside High varsity football coach, encouraged players to participate in activities in favor of the bond/override election campaign.
• Anthony Leon, Sunnyside High varsity wrestling coach, told students to participate in the bond/override election campaign.
• Campaign materials in favor of the bond/override were distributed by school personnel at Los Niños Elementary School and to students.
Sanchez, Posey and Leon submitted sworn statements admitting they negligently violated state laws. All three declined to comment through Monique Soria, the district's spokeswoman.
In a November Arizona Daily Star article, it was reported that student athletes were directed to pass out brochures in support of the bond election at the behest of Gonzales.
And coaches, who asked not to be named because they feared retaliation, said they were warned that should the bond measure fail, those who refused to participate would see their sports programs cut first.
In an email dated Oct. 3, Sanchez wrote to coaches that they were to attend a meeting at Gonzales' home to discuss the pending election.
The email also mentioned that Gonzales wanted student council sponsors and student government leaders at his home as well.
When Collins was asked why Gonzales did not have to submit to a sworn statement saying he also violated state election laws, he responded in an email: "The Attorney General's inquiry (which started before I took over the case) focused on the students in particular and those who had contact with them. In light of the training and other actions that the district agreed to, I believe the resolution was appropriate."
Gonzales said he did not have to admit culpability in a sworn statement because he did not do anything wrong.
"I had a meeting at my house. I can do that. I only invited people to my house if anyone was interested in discussing the election," Gonzales said. "I cannot hold such a meeting on school grounds or on school time," he said.
"The findings were reasonable," said Governing Board President Buck Crouch. "It is obvious if everyone would have abided by the law, all of this would have been avoided."
"I don't think there was intentional violation of the law, but rather there was ignorance by some and over enthusiasm by others," Crouch said.
Isquierdo released a statement: "We feel that the district didn't really do anything wrong, but we recognize the importance of education and training on this very important topic, especially as we get ready for an override election."
Last year, voters approved an $88 million bond measure for the district, but turned down a 10 percent maintenance and operations budget override. Sunnyside's board is asking voters to approve a 15 percent override election in November.
The district could have faced action from the state "to recover resources illegally expended for electioneering purposes," and if the matter was taken to court, the district could have faced a fine of $500 per violation, Collins said.
However, the Governing Board decided to resolve the matter by submitting to training.
Collins said state law prohibits the use of school district "personnel, equipment, materials, buildings or other resources for the purpose of influencing the outcome of elections."
Campaign literature cannot be distributed to students, and state law also does not allow students enrolled in a district to pass out material concerning a proposed increase in the district's budget, Collins explained in his findings.
Contact reporter Carmen Duarte at 573-4104 or cduarte@azstarnet.com
