Shasta County school board member resigns from one seat after AG backs challenge

Shasta County school board member resigns from one seat after AG backs challenge

SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. — Jackie LaBarbera resigned Wednesday from the Anderson Union High School District board after California Attorney General Rob Bonta allowed a teacher to pursue a legal challenge over LaBarbera’s service on multiple education boards.

LaBarbera served on the Anderson Union High School District board, the Shasta County Office of Education and, through a county appointment, the Cascade Union Elementary District.

Anderson Union teacher Tamara Pellow sought the attorney general’s approval to file a lawsuit challenging LaBarbera’s ability to hold seats on both the Anderson Union and Shasta County boards. Bonta issued his opinion Tuesday, and LaBarbera submitted her resignation from Anderson Union the next day.

The attorney general’s opinion does not determine whether LaBarbera violated the law. It allows Pellow to file a lawsuit and have a court decide the issue.

It was Bonta’s second opinion this year authorizing a legal challenge tied to LaBarbera’s positions on the two boards. A previous challenge ended with an agreement that LaBarbera would resign in November.

Teachers represented by the California Teachers Association had previously called for LaBarbera to resign from the Anderson Union board, arguing the two positions conflicted. LaBarbera had said they did not.

LaBarbera remains on the Shasta County Office of Education and Cascade Union Elementary District boards. As of Thursday, no lawsuit has been filed and Pellow has not responded to requests for comment on what comes next in her legal challenge.

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