The long-standing feud between the Fillmore School District Board and Fillmore High School teachers has begun to boil over.

At issue are the disputed circumstances concerning the hiring of our high school Principal, Russom Mesfun, and his leadership methods. Numerous complaints have been directed to the Board and to District Superintendent Dr. Alan Nishino during the past several years. To date, teachers claim nothing has been done to rectify allegations of Mesfun’s incompetence and alleged improper hiring.

For me, Four issues stand out in this dispute: First, the appearance of serious cronyism in Mesfun’s hiring; Second, negligence by the Board in failing to properly consider serious legal problems in Mesfun’s professional history; Third, serious impropriety in calling candidates to apply and interview for the position of Fillmore High School principal when they clearly had little chance of being appointed – a serious ethical failure. And Fourth, the Board took Nishino’s personal recommendation of Mesfun, without due diligence, diminishing the seriousness of Mesfun’s lawsuit, which cost Lodi and Mesfun approximately $250,000 in settlement.

Here are some salient facts: Mr. Mesfun has been a personal and professional friend of Superintendent Nishino for more than a decade in the field of education. Mesfun was sued, and lost, in an action for sexual harassment in Lodi, CA. (Teachers sue Lodi Unified, former McAuliffe principal - Lodinews ...Lodi News Sentinel: Mar 21, 2008 - Three former Christa McAuliffe Middle School teachers have filed a lawsuit against the school's former principal, Russom Mesfun, and Lodi ... Please refer to “They Should Have Known”, fillmoregazette.com, Wednesday, March 12th, 2014 for official document.

As individuals I have great respect for each of our school Board members; I have known most of them for many years. But I have to say, as a Board, in this case at least, they have failed, seriously. I think Mr. Mesfun should step down.

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I see that President Obama seeks to hand over our Internet to other world powers, like Russia, China, maybe even Iran; who knows.

This is not insanity; it is a deliberate act of treachery. Though we know nothing about his school grades, he is not stupid. He knows (as Ronald Reagan insisted about the Panama Canal, another insane giveaway by another Democrat president, “We built it, we paid for it, it’s ours”.

Someone should remind the Commander in Chief that America’s entire defense and civilian communications networks depend completely upon our internet, which our many enemies constantly seek to destroy. Put Russia in charge of our Internet and see what happens to our power grid.

Only an enemy of America would even suggest such a thing. NASA has to keep a closer eye of Barack Obama!