Pressure increasing on SAUSD School Board V.P. Alfonso Alvarez to resign after his DUI car crash

The SAUSD School Board will be meeting tonight. Will they finally take action and ask the SAUSD School Board V.P. Alfonso Alvarez to resign in the wake of hir recent arrest on DUI charges after a car accident?

Santa Ana City Councilman David Penaloza weighed in on the matter on Facebook. What he had to say really matters as his own father was killed years ago by a drunk driver:

I have been thinking over the last couple of days about what to say about this. Obviously when I heard the news, I was infuriated and of course disappointed. As many of you already know, my dad was killed by a drunk driver when I was only three years old. From one day to the next my mom became a widow with three kids under the age of ten due to someone’s irresponsibility.

So, to find out that Dr. Alfonso Alvarez, , Vice President of the Santa Ana Unified School District caused a traffic accident for driving drunk in our city, and in my city council district really upsets me. He should count his lucky stars that he did not destroy a family by seriously injuring or killing anybody. Extremely reckless and irresponsible behavior from someone who is elected and charged with the responsibility of leading our local schools and educating our children.

Unfortunately, I was not surprised when I heard the news as it was only a matter of time this would happen. I genuinely hope he takes full responsibility and gets the help he very clearly needs. At this time, It is only appropriate that he resigns from the SAUSD Board of Education. I am calling on parents, the Democratic Party of Orange County, his board colleagues, and all other elected officials in Santa Ana to also join me in demanding that he resign from his elected office immediately. Santa Ana families deserve better.

From Councilman David Penaloza’s Facebook page

What Alvarez did has major consequences as he could have killed someone and definitely caused a car accident while driving drunk. Even worse the SAUSD is going to be pulled into any ensuing litigation as the SAUSD paid for his Elks Lodge membership. The day Alvarez decided to drive while drunk he had engaged in a tour of several Elks Lodges in Orange County. Each of those lodges has a full bar! There is no telling how wasted he was after a day like that.

Moreover as the SAUSD pays for the Alvarez Elks Lodge membership one has to wonder if they also pay him a car allowance as a Trustee. If they do a lawyer could argue that the SAUSD is liable for his DUI crash as he was driving home from an Elks Lodge function the district paid for.

The Santa Ana Elks Lodge could also get pulled into any ensuing litigation for serving Alvarez the liquor that led to his DUI arrest.

Alvarez is now facing charges and no longer deserves the honor of serving on the SAUSD School Board.

The SAUSD’s Trustee Operating Procedures state that:

• Trustees should act with dignity, and understand the implication of demeanor and behavior.
• Trustees should understand the importance of using one’s best judgment to represent all members of the community.

Alvarez clearly has violated the District’s own operating procedures. He needs to step down now!

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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