A Stockton school board trustee who was arrested last week on suspicion of theft of public funds and insurance fraud was barred from remotely attending Tuesday’s school board meeting, according to her lawyer.
Tori Verber Salazar, who is representing trustee AngelAnn Flores, said her client made a written request Monday to appear remotely at the meeting, but was denied by the Stockton Unified School District.
Salazar, who is the former San Joaquin County District Attorney, said their denial disregards state law and is another example of a continued retaliation and attack on Flores for being a “whistleblower.”
“SUSD has constructed this situation purposefully to set the stage to remove Ms. Flores from the Board of Trustees,” Verber Salazar said in a statement. “We anticipate that SUSD will use Ms. Flores’ being prevented from participating in the hearing as a contrived excuse to claim she is failing to do her duty and attempt to discipline or remove her from the Board.”
An attorney for SUSD said the school district will accommodate future board meetings for Flores to attend virtually, but that there was not enough notice given for the Tuesday meeting.
“Given that Ms. Flores’ request was made approximately 19 hours from the noticed meeting, any last-minute changes would not qualify for the 72-hour notice requirement under the Brown Act,” said SUSD counsel. “Given the lack of notice, access to the public, and the strict language of the Brown Act, the District could not accommodate the request.”
Not allowed near the school district
Last Friday, Flores was arrested on suspicion of using her school board credit card to purchase fuel and food for personal gain, grand theft exceeding $950, and embezzlement.
She is also being accused of insurance fraud for allegedly filing a false insurance claim due to a non-SUSD-related vehicle accident.
Flores’ attorney said the arrest was wrongful and stated that despite her client not being charged with or having any history of violent crime, she was prevented from going within 100 yards of her place of work.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation into Flores stemmed from the former SUSD interim superintendent reaching out to them in April 2023 with concerns about Flores’s potential misuse of public funds through her assigned district credit card.
“Trustee Flores’ non-compliance to the District’s credit card policy was intentional, egregious, and clearly for personal gain.” San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office
A search warrant was executed last year at Flores’s residence and the district office.
An analysis was done of the usage of all seven of the trustees’ district-issued credit cards, and allegedly everyone except Flores was in compliance with the district’s policy and approved usage.
“Trustee Flores’ non-compliance to the District’s credit card policy was intentional, egregious, and clearly for personal gain,” alleges the Sheriff’s Office.
Flores’ attorney said her client will remain committed to fighting for Stockton Unified youth and families, and will hold the district “accountable for the documented millions of misused taxpayer dollars and corruption.”
Flores’ first court appearance is set for May 6, when she will request the removal of her pre-trial probation term, according to her lawyer.
Victoria Franco is a reporter based in Stockton covering San Joaquin County for Bay City News Foundation and its nonprofit news site Local News Matters. She is a Report for America corps member.
