Sunday column preview

At Thursday's Ontario-Montclair School District board meeting, we heard an oral report from the investigator hired to look into several allegations of misconduct against board member Paul Vincent Avila. The meeting was surprisingly low-key.

The report itself, in enormous binders, was distributed afterward to board members, the press and other interested parties. It's dynamite.

One exhibit is an e-mail Avila wrote to the superintendent at 12:13 a.m., hours after the middle school awards ceremony, requesting a meeting to discuss the omission of his name from the event program.

Here's one paragraph:

"In some circles it may be interpreted as disrespectful slight, You might asked, is this important? Yes, You bet is greatly important to me (self esteem) and community from which boardmember was elected. But if you must asked, then we really must seat down and have a passionate and sensitivity discussion."

A bit later, he wrote:

"I find it difficult - really difficult when this degrading/slight/disrespectful behaviors impacts my beloved wife whom witnessed some likes of this! Its painful for anyone but especially love one. But I remain undeterred and strong!! Its probably the most demanding restraints called on me to turn the other cheeck which I refuse to do! What left is my words of defiance, resolve, and search for reasonable resolution. Some how an simple apology doesn't do it!"

Yours truly made it into the report as well. Let me quote from page 93:

"On the audiotape of the August 21, 2008 Board meeting, the Investigator heard Mr. Avila refer to David Allen of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin as 'Mr. Simpson,' presumably a reference to the cartoon character 'Homer Simpson' of the 'The Simpsons' television show."

I'm so proud.

Read about the report in Sunday's column.