Investigation into removal of superintendent reveals misuse of public funds, Santa Clara County Office of Ed says

"They come more than a year after former Superintendent Mary Ann Dewan was unexpectedly removed from her position in a 4-2 vote; the action was classified as without cause. The board declined to expand on the reasoning for Dewan's mysterious removal for months, but says now the decision stemmed from her handling of several complaints regarding the county's Head Start program, which helps low-income children under the age of five access critical resources."

"The report did not cite specific examples of wrongdoing, or include the names of the two law firms that conducted the independent review. But it contained 14 findings, including that under Dewan's leadership, the Santa Clara County Office of Education misused public funds and violated several board policies, that the county superintendent's segregated account was used to redirect grant funding for unrelated purposes and that public dollars were used for legal expenses and investigations of the board of education."

"A federal audit released earlier this year said the county office of education misused more than $135,370 in federal Head Start funds under Dewan, an error the board called a failed cover-up and an intentional effort to undermine the board's authority but which Dewan said was a communication error. The county office of education said Wednesday that the board and staff were not aware of any charges being filed by law enforcement or the district attorney's office."

Santa Clara County Office of Education board delivered results of a lengthy investigation into alleged misuse of public funds by former superintendent Mary Ann Dewan, while conflicting claims from county leaders left many questions. Dewan was removed more than a year earlier in a 4-2 vote classified as without cause. The board attributes the removal to Dewan's handling of several complaints regarding the county's Head Start program. An independent review produced 14 findings, including misuse of public funds, violation of board policies, redirection of grant funding through a segregated account, and use of public dollars for legal expenses and board investigations. A federal audit found misuse of over $135,370 in Head Start funds; no criminal charges are reported.

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