Superintendent Placed On Administrative Leave For Inflated Salary 'Will Not Be Back'

HAWTHORNE (CBSLA.com) —The superintendent of the Centinela Valley Union High School District who was recently placed on administrative leave will not be back on the job, according to the teachers union president.

Jose Fernandez was suspended with pay at a closed-door board meeting Wednesday following a revelation that he had a total compensation last year of more than $660,000.

Jack Foreman, the president of the Centinela Valley Secondary Teachers Association, said Fernandez appears to have cleared out.

"From every indication I have, he is gone. He will not be back," he said. "We're delighted that he's gone, and we do not think he's coming back. I understand his office has been cleaned out, and he's turned in his keys. The teachers, the administrators…are delighted."

Some parents, teachers and students don't believe it's enough that Fernandez was merely placed on leave.

"It's not enough, he's gotta be fired, he's gotta go," Regina Dinnel said. "It was a misappropriation of the funds, it was abuse of taxpayer dollars, it's neglect to the students."

KCAL9's Dave Bryan reported that with the school board voting for a full investigation of Fernandez's compensation package, the question is if the superintendent will return, and if not, will he attempt to recoup a severance and pension package that could cost the district thousands more.

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