Conflict issue unresolved

A Willows Unified School District trustee accused of having an ongoing conflict of interest has refused to step down from her position.

Susan Domenighini, who works for the Glenn County Office of Education, said she doesn’t feel her job as interim principal of a charter school in Willows has any influence on how she votes.

“I see that I have a potential conflict of interest,” Domenighini said during an often-heated discussion at last week’s school board meeting. “But I don’t feel that I have a conflict.”

In February, the school board voted 3-2 that the decisions Domenighini makes as a Willows trustee could be influenced by her position as principal of William Finch Charter School. The board reaffirmed that vote Thursday after the district’s lawyer, Matt Juhl-Darlington, agreed that Domenighini has a conflict that could result in lawsuits or the overturning of decisions.

Darlington rendered his opinion that Domenighini serves “two masters” and that her professional duties and personal duties are incompatible. He cited an opinion by the state attorney general upholding that view in a similar case.

Darlington said the best thing would be for Domenighini to choose one duty or the other, but emphasized that the district could not direct a board member, who holds a constitutionally elected position, to step down.

“Nor can we direct a member to quit their job,” he said.

Darlington said at the heart of the conflict is that a charter school, like a private school, siphons ADA money from the school districts.

Sherry Brott, chairman of the board, said William Finch actively recruits students from the school districts in Glenn County by offering parents an alternative to general public school education and actively goes after the same funding sources.

Trustees said they felt Domenighini should not vote on budgetary matters, including layoffs of teachers and school staff. Darlington said he thought there was very little that Domenighini could vote on that would not be considered a conflict of interest.

Domenighini dismissed the entire conflict issue as a personal attack. She said there were “opposing opinions” out there, including one from GCOE’s attorney, who does not see it at a conflict of interest.

However, GCOE attorney Jana Lambert said Monday the opinion she prepared for Arturo Barrera, Glenn County superintendent of schools, addressed whether a conflict existed by having a Willows school board member employed at GCOE – not the other way around.

“We see no conflict of interest legally barring Mrs. Domenighini employment by (GCOE) as a principal while simultaneously serving as an elected board member of the Willows Unified School District,” Lambert said.

Domenighini also made the argument that conflicts of interest pertain only to matters of financial interest.

“A charter school can not be compared to a private school,” Domenighini said. “If I ran a private school and took students from the district, then my income would possibly go up. That is not the case here.”

Domenighini said that the district should not view William Finch as a competing school district but as a complementary educational opportunity for parents who choose home schooling.

“I see it as collaborative, not competitive,” Domenighini said.

Her arguments didn’t sway the board from voting that a conflict exists.

Trustee Alex Parisio said he was concerned that Domenighini had a conflict that could lead to litigation.

“I’m not only concerned how much this is costing us, but how much it could cost us if we are sued,” Parisio said.