Accusations of intimidation and unprofessional behavior against school board members in Amador County have prompted a grand jury investigation.
The Amador County Grand Jury this week released its final report of the year. It focuses on the county's Office of Education Board of Trustees and Unified School District.
The report finds that the head of the school board - Wally Upper - repeatedly intimidated staff by yelling and using demeaning language during closed meetings. Upper did not immediately respond to our requests for comment.
The grand jury also looked into complaints that some school board trustees violated the Brown Act, which guarantees the public's right to attend and participate in meetings. The grand jury said the processes the board uses to evaluate members are almost non-existent.
The grand jury recommends changes to the board's bylaws and extensive training to remedy the problems.
The Amador County Unified School District's interim superintendent says all of the trustees attended ethics training earlier this month and that the board is making substantial strides to address the grand jury's findings.
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