Following calls from district unions Antioch superintendent employment terminated on 5-0 vote
“…effective immediately without cause.” – Board President Antonio Hernandez
Anello was in discussions with school board on “transition plan”, offered to stay on through May
“We agreed to a resignation that she proposed to begin with” – Trustee Mary Rocha
Reads Anello’s accomplishments
The “longest serving Superintendent in the history of AUSD”
By Allen D. Payton
During their meeting on Wednesday night, August 21, 2024, the Antioch School Board agreed to the terminate the employment agreement of embattled Superintendent Stephanie Anello who has spent several months on full or half-time medical leave. The move followed calls from the district’s unions, that night, asking for the board to take “decisive action”. It also follows the controversy surrounding accusations of bullying by a district department supervisor and claims of its mishandling by Anello and senior district leadership as well as the multiple attempts by Hernandez to terminate Anello in spite of the fact she has not been given her performance evaluation in four years.
Anello, who was recently placed back on full-time medical leave by her doctor after returning to work half-time, offered to stay on through next May and continue to be paid while on leave instead, according to Area 5 Trustee Mary Rocha. But she said the board felt they needed to make a change now and voted unanimously to terminate Anello’s employment agreement immediately and pay her the severance package.
According to district staff, the motion was to, “Terminate the superintendent’s employment agreement effective immediately without cause pursuant to the terms of that employment agreement.” Made by Lathan and seconded by Board President and District 1 Trustee Antonio Hernandez and the motion passed unanimously with the support of Rocha, Lewis and Area 4 Trustee Gary Hack.
Unions Speak Unanimously
Flanked by Amy Bettencourt, the district’s Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, representing the administrators and California School Employees Association, local Chapter 85 President Brian Atkinson, representing the classified employees, Antioch Education Association president Bob Carson, representing the district’s teachers, spoke during public comments before the board’s Closed Session on Wednesday night.
Reading from prepared remarks, he asked the board to take, “decisive action regarding the position of superintendent” at last night’s meeting. “As leaders of our respective associations we are deeply committed to the success and well-being of our district. However, the current uncertainty surrounding the superintendent’s role has created challenges in our ability to move forward effectively. For the sake of our students, staff and the broader community, we believe it’s crucial that the board establish a clear path forward. We request the board promptly address this matter, ensuring our district is guided by stable and visionary leadership. This will allow us to continue our mission of providing quality education and support to every student in Antioch. Thank you for your attention to this important issue. We look forward to working collaboratively to achieve a positive outcome for our district.”
That was met with applause from those in the audience.
Board Votes Unanimously, Lewis Attends Closed Session by Phone
The board then adjourned to Closed Session which lasted over an hour, at which only four members were in attendance in person, and Area 3 Trustee Dr. Clyde Lewis attending via phone “due to a COVID-positive test” according to Hernandez. (His participation is under review as to whether it complies with the state’s Brown Act open meeting law). However, later Lewis said the district’s legal counsel said it was legal.
When reporting out Hernandez said, “the board took action in Closed Session to terminate the superintendent’s employment agreement effective immediately without cause, pursuant to the terms of that employment agreement.” He added, “It was unanimous, five-zero.”
That was also met with applause from the audience.
However, according to Rocha, the board accepted one of two resignation options Anello offered.
“We agreed to a resignation that she proposed to begin with,” the Area 5 trustee stated. “One was to avoid paying her the severance for six or nine months. Or do we cut ties now and pay her out. Because it was her request to be released. She gave us two options saying, ‘I have to be released, I can’t come to work.’ First it was, ‘I can only work half-day.’ Then all of a sudden it was the doctor telling her to go back on leave and she needed to be released.”
Anello’s Accomplishments
Following the announcement by Hernandez, Rocha read a list of Anello’s accomplishments while superintendent since being promoted to the position in 2016.
“As the senior member, I’ve been given the privilege to at least say a few words on behalf of the superintendent,” she stated before reading the statement. “I would like to say that this is without cause, and I hope you understand, the circumstances here, is we need to go forward. We need to take care of this business. This is a new year and so, I want to read some of the things we feel her leadership has done.”
“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Superintendent Anello for her 25 years of dedicated service to our District, beginning in 1998 when she first served as a substitute teacher,” Rocha said reading from prepared remarks. “Ms. Anello is only the second female superintendent to lead the District and is the longest serving Superintendent in the history of AUSD. Some of her notable achievements as Superintendent include:
- Increasing accessibility for parents and guardians who speak languages other than English by ensuring bilingual assistance at all school sites and the District office;
- Expanding social-emotional support for students by reintroducing and increasing the number of counselors and mental health supports at every school;
- Instituting a comprehensive restorative justice program throughout the District, providing secondary sites with access to restorative justice coaches;
- Writing and implementing the District’s first Local Control Accountability Plan;
- Navigating the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, making AUSD one of the first districts in the county to offer free meals, computers, hotspots, and remote instruction;
- Overseeing the implementation of Measure B to upgrade and renovate Antioch High School;
- Successfully passing Measure B, the measure that we just did, which will bring over $195 million in much-needed upgrades and repairs to school sites.”
“So, we hope that Ms. Anello gets better in the future and that we look forward to at least having a direction of going forward in our district,” Rocha stated. “And I thank you and I hope we can all come together and understand that Ms. Anello has done a good job in this district.”
During general public comments Atkinson thanked, “the board for listening” and said, “I think it’s time to move on. Thank you, guys. It means so much to us.”
News Report on Leaked Information About Board, Anello’s Discussions
A report by NBC Bay Area on Thursday, August 15, 2024, claimed Anello was in discussions with the board on an exit plan. Posted to her official Facebook page on Friday afternoon Aug. 16th, Area 5 Trustee Dr. Jag Lathan wrote about the article, “Time to heal.”
However, when reached for comment about the matter, Anello said, “In my message to employees, it was called a transition plan. If anything was discussed in Closed Session, I was not there.”
The superintendent who was on medical leave, earlier this year, then returned to work at 50% under direction of her doctor, said, “My doctor has taken me off work, again due to my health.”
Questions for Lathan Ignored, Won’t Say if She Was Source for Report
Lathan was asked about her Facebook post asking if it was about Anello healing, who was placed on medical leave by her doctor, again or about the district healing over the claims of bullying. She was also asked if she believed Anello mishandled the matter of the accusation against Kenny Turnage, the department supervisor. He is still on paid administrative leave as of last week, pending the outcome of two additional investigations, which according to Acting Superintendent Dr. Rob Martinez earlier this month, have not yet been completed.
Because the report claims, “Antioch Unified School District’s superintendent is working with board trustees on her exit plan from the district, NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit has confirmed through multiple sources with knowledge of the discussions” Lathan was asked if she had spoken to Anello and if her “exit plan” discussed in Closed Session during the August 7th meeting at which the superintendent was not in attendance.
Because the NBC report also claims their “Investigative Unit has confirmed through multiple sources with knowledge of the discussions,” Lathan was asked, if she was one of the sources and if she had spoken to the media about Anello’s “exit plan”.
Finally, the Area 2 trustee was asked if she thinks it’s appropriate to post reports about personnel matters that are under discussion by the board and have not yet been decided and for anything else about the matter she’d like to share.
But Lathan did not respond.
Questions for Other Trustees Also Go Unanswered, Also Won’t Say if They Spoke to Media
Questions were also emailed on Saturday to the other four board members asking if any of them had spoken to Anello, if her “exit plan” was discussed in Closed Session during the Aug. 7th meeting at which the superintendent was not in attendance.
They were also asked if Anello had he send the message sent to district staff about her “transition plan” was sent to them, as well and if any of them were the sources for the NBC Bay Area report and if they had spoken to the media about Anello’s “exit plan”.
They were asked if they think it’s appropriate to post reports about personnel matters that are under discussion by the board and have not yet been decided, as Trustee Lathan did on Friday, Aug. 16.
Hernandez was specifically asked why he continued to place the same items on the Closed Session agenda when the superintendent was not in attendance for one or two of the matters and if the board had given Anello her annual evaluation this year, yet and if not, how could they consider her Discipline/Dismissal/Release if that agenda item was for her. He was also asked if he was attempting to put pressure on Anello hoping she will resign.
Finally, they were asked if Martinez is still the Interim/Acting Superintendent and, if so, are they planning on appointing someone else to that position while Anello is on medical leave, and, if not, why was it on the agenda, and for anything else about the matter that they’d like to share
None of the trustees responded. However, later Rocha shared that Anello was represented by an attorney during the Closed Sessions meetings of the board. “Everyone has attorneys, including the district,” she said.
Efforts to reach Anello for comment were unsuccessful prior to publication time.
The board will now have the option of promoting from within the district or hiring a search firm to recruit a new superintendent.
Please check back later for any updates to this report.
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Stephanie Anello & AUSD
