Leece public about desire for top spot

Deirdre Newman

NEWPORT-MESA -- One school district trustee is taking her campaign for

the board presidency public, charging that her colleagues are intolerant

and prejudiced for denying her the post in the past because of her strong

conservative views.

Wendy Leece, who is serving her seventh year on the board, is trying

to become president for the second year in a row. The school board will

select a new president at its meeting tonight.

While she submitted a letter announcing her desire for the position to

the board last year, this year she is making her efforts public,

including a lengthy letter published in the Daily Pilot.

Leece said she felt the tactic was necessary because she has not been

offered any officer positions over the past few years.

“There’s a lot of misunderstanding regarding this issue, and I think

we needed to at least have the community be aware that there is a

continued effort to marginalize me from the leadership,” Leece said.

Leece was originally elected in 1994 to represent the Westside,

beating the incumbent by about 6,000 votes. She ran unopposed in 1998.

She often disagrees with her colleagues on issues that conflict with

her conservative opinions. She favors basic programs instead of more

progressive, “touchy-feely ideas” and abstinence education over safe sex

teachings. She is also a proponent of local control, parent rights and

accountability.

But Leece said she would not let her strong views intrude if she were

elected president, especially as the president can’t make any official

action without the agreement of a board majority.

“In our country today, there are many differences of opinion on

controversial issues and if [my colleagues] take one stand and I take

another, that’s what makes us a republic and a democracy,” Leece said.

“That’s what makes us America.”

Current board President David Brooks, while refusing to respond to

Leece’s charges, said it’s not common procedure to campaign for office.

School board members usually nominate each other for the officer

positions, Brooks added.

Other trustees could not be reached for comment.

Leece said she only decided to voice her desire for the presidency

publicly after some intensive soul searching and consultation with family

and friends.

And she accused her colleagues of being hypocritical in preaching

tolerance but not practicing it.

“It appears to me that they are intolerant of my different views to

the point that they don’t want me in a leadership position,” Leece said.

She also contends that it’s unfair to the Westside that its area has

not been represented by the presidency in the last seven years.

* Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .