Schools

Police Again Called to Sweetwater School Board Meeting

The Chula Vista Police Department were called to the outside of a Sweetwater Union High School District Board of Trustees meeting Monday to resolve a dispute over a campaign sign.

The Chula Vista Police Department were called to resolve a dispute over a campaign sign outside a Sweetwater Union High School District Board of Trustees meeting Monday.

This is the second time this month the CVPD were asked to resolve a sign-related conflict outside a Board of Trustees meeting.

During the public comment period of the meeting Proposition O Bond Oversight Committee member Kevin O’Neill held up a McCann for School Board sign. The sign was used in 2010 and again recently ahead of a 2014 campaign. Trustee John McCann demanded the sign back but instead it ended up in the hands of Kathleen Cheers of Imperial Beach.

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A theft report was made by McCann at 7 p.m., said Captain Gary Wedge with the Chula Vista Police Department. 

Four CVPD cars responded. 

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Approximately an hour after the call was made an officer removed the sign from Cheers' car. 

Cheers planned to give the sign to city code enforcement officers since the sign was allegedly found in the public right-of-way, according to San Diego Reader. Earlier in the meeting she urged people not to vote for McCann in elections to be held next November. 

No charges have been filed, Wedge said. An investigation is ongoing.

"We need to look at the circumstances and review the reports we have to figure out what crime if any occurred," he said.

McCann left the school board meeting for more than 30 minutes, in which time he missed the majority of a presentation about an audit of school safety conditions particularly in the event of an on-campus shooting. 

McCann returned halfway through a review of the district's $348 million 2013-14 budget.

"Are you guys going to let me know if something goes crazy back there? You guys are watching back there for me?", Chief Financial Officer Dr. Albert Alt asked trustees in a seemingly half-joking tone during his presentation. 

For more on the incident see this San Diego Reader article.

Earlier this month before a June 7 special meeting Jaime Mercado, a former trustee now running for another term of office on the school board, called police to report that a Sweetwater economics teacher damaged his sign at a residence across the street from district offices, according to the San Diego Reader.


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