SOME ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS TOLD THOSE ATTENDING WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S PUBLIC MEETING THAT THEIR CONSTITUENTS REACTED LIKE A LYNCH MOB TO THE BOARD’S HANDLING OF FORMER APS SUPERINTENDENT LUIS VALENTINO. VALENTINO RESIGNED MONDAY WITH AN 80 THOUSAND DOLLAR BUYOUT AND PAY THROUGH THIS MONTH … ADDING UP TO NEARLY 100 MILLION DOLLARS. MANY, INCLUDING GOVERNOR SUSANA MARTINEZ, SAY VALENTINO SHOULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN A BUYOUT.
BUT BOARD MEMBERS SAY THAT BUYOUT WAS CHEAPER THAN FIRING VALENTINO AND PAYING FOR WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EXPENSIVE ROUND IN COURT.
VALENTINO WAS TARGETED AFTER IT WAS LEARNED THE MAN HE HAD HIRED AS DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT … JASON MARTINEZ … STARTED WORK WITHOUT COMPLETING A BACKGROUND CHECK. MARTINEZ IS CHARGED WITH CHILD SEXUAL ASSAULT AND ASSAULT IN COLORADO.
