Simi Valley Unified School Board’s president resigned June 16 because of an unintended conflict of interest that school administrators said recently came to light.
Kristina Pine was elected to a four-year term in November 2022. Two years ago, the district hired her husband as a teacher while she was serving on the board — a violation of state law.
Superintendent Hani Youssef wrote in a June 13 news release that during a routine internal meeting, district leadership learned that because Pine’s husband was hired in August 2023, the timing breached California Government Code 1090.
“The board president’s service to the district has been marked by dedication to students, and her decision to step down reflects that same commitment to prioritize the public interest and ethical service,” Youssef wrote.
The law states that an employee must work for a district for at least one year before their spouse can take office at the same district to prevent the elected official from financially benefiting from the contract.
Jake Finch, district spokesperson, said in an interview that the internal meeting took place within the last few weeks.
The four board members must now decide whether to appoint or elect a new trustee to complete the remainder of Pine’s term.
Simi Valley Unified trustee says she asked district about conflict of interest
In a June 13 Facebook post, Pine wrote that before her husband, Christian Pine, applied to be a high school American Sign Language teacher, she verbally asked the district whether it was legal for him to teach while she was on the board.
She said in an interview that at the time, the district assured her there were no issues, but more recently the district’s legal counsel informed her of their concerns and advised her to resign.
Finch was unable to confirm the details in Pine’s Facebook post but said she had no reason not to believe the former trustee.
“In an abundance of caution, to ensure continuity for my spouse’s students and out of concern for our family’s wellbeing, I am stepping down from my position on the board,” Pine wrote. “Please know that I do not make this decision lightly. I take the commitment I made to our community very seriously and being unable to serve out my full term is agonizing.”
The superintendent wrote that the district will ensure Pine’s husband can continue serving students while complying with all laws. She and her husband have two children who attend Simi Valley schools.
Finch said the district did not receive any public complaints regarding the conflict.
A search of the California Fair Political Practices Commission found no complaints filed against Pine.
“I want to assure every family, employee and community member that we identified this mistake ourselves and are moving swiftly to correct it,” Youssef wrote. “Fiscal responsibility, ethical governance and transparent communication remain priorities.”
Simi Valley Unified to require conflict-of-interest training
In response to the incident, the superintendent said, the district will require trustees and senior administrators to complete conflict-of-interest training and improve pre-employment conflict checks for all hires.
Both Finch and Pine said they did not know whether Pine had completed such training.
According to the Ventura County Office of Education, an assembly bill that went into effect in January 2023 requires all board of education members in California to complete training on state government code before January 2026 and every two years after. The training covers conflicts of interest.
Pine wrote in her post that she hopes to serve Simi Valley schools again in the future but would not say in an interview whether she intends to run for the board again.
Finch said she did not know whether Pine would be permitted to run again.
Social media reacts to Kristina Pine’s resignation
Social media responses to Pine’s resignation ranged from condemnation to consolation.
“With all due respect, every school board trustee in Ventura County should know that this is a very serious ethics violation…” wrote Joe Piechowski, a Ventura County Community College District trustee who was required to complete training about state government code.
Another said she was “incredibly sorry” the decision happened the way it did.
“You are a huge asset to the school board and have always given so much of your energy, time and love to the students and the entire district,” wrote Melissa Jean Ploesch, a district parent, voter and friend.
Pine’s four-year term representing Area D expires in November 2026.
The four remaining board members will discuss the options for filling the vacancy 4 p.m. June 24 at the district office, 101 W. Cochran St. The board has 60 days to either appoint a trustee to complete the remainder of Pine’s term or order a special election, Finch said.
Makena Huey is an investigative and watchdog reporter for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at makena.huey@vcstar.com. This story was made possible by a grant from the Ventura County Community Foundation’s Fund to Support Local Journalism.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Simi Valley Unified School Board trustee resigns due to state law violation
Reporting by Makena Huey, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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