Two weeks after Santa Clara County’s top education officer was fired with little explanation, the battle over the move has escalated.
The county’s Board of Education is standing firm in its decision, calling a lawsuit filed by ousted Superintendent Mary Ann Dewan “an astounding attempt to hold on to the power of the office” in a response filed Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a group of parents, community members and staff are calling for a civil grand jury investigation into the abrupt firing, which has also drawn criticism from state lawmakers representing the South Bay.
Tara Sreekrishnan, a member of the county school board, said at a Tuesday press conference that the closed-session decision to remove Dewan from her post has “thrown schools into chaos and created turmoil for staff.”