San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas announced on Monday that his office would be looking into charges of widespread fraud within the county’s largest school district.

On the heels of two separate scathing Grand Jury reports criticizing the Stockton Unified School District and a report from the State of California’s Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team that alleges fraud, Freitas announced that his office would launch an independent investigation into the actions of the district officials at the center of the controversy.

“Our children are our most important resource. Their education and the environment in which they learn is one of my most pressing priorities,” said District Attorney Ron Freitas. “Make no mistake, any attempt to commit fraud on the backs of our children will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The district has seen a rash of resignations in recent weeks – including one on Monday when Interim Chief Business Officer Joann Juarez stepped down from the position to return to work on her previous capacity. The drop in position will also result in a cut in pay between $80,000 and $90,000-a-year. Less than two weeks before Interim Superintendent of Human Resources Wendy DeSimone also resigned from her position, citing reasons similar to those expressed by Juarez – lodging complaints about the behavior of Board of Education President Angel Ann Flores.

DeSimone took a job in neighboring Stanislaus County.

On April 7, the district’s Transportation Director, Nate Knodt, submitted a letter of resignation and then left his job formally less than a week later.

The mass exodus of administrators was front and center at a meeting of the Board of Education last week when numerous complaints about Flores’ behavior towards staff were put out into the open – a focal point that has served to advance individual narratives on social media about the district.

In its recommendation to San Joaquin County Superintendent of Schools, FCMAT – which is typically brought in to dive into finances of struggling districts – specifically called for a deeper look at potential fraud that occurred within the district, claiming that “sufficient evidence” exists that “fraud, misappropriation of funds and/or assets, or other illegal fiscal practices may have occurred.”

Voters in Stockton completely overhauled the Stockton Unified Board of Education in November after a series of highly-publicized reports came to light – installing four new board members to give reformers a majority in the district decision making process.

The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office is actively encouraging members of the public to come forward with tips by contacting the Public Integrity Unit at SJGov.org/DA or by calling 209.468.2400.

To contact Bulletin reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544