Anonymous email declares no confidence in TUSD superintendent

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — An anonymous group has issued a letter of no confidence in Tucson Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo. The group says it includes TUSD administrators.

There’s often some controversy surrounding TUSD. It handles a lot of sensitive issues. It’s a big district with a lot of staff and an awful lot of school children. But now there’s an anonymous memo circulating, about 20 pages by our printing, that levels a lot of complaints, most of them at the superintendent.

When a memo like this lands at TUSD, Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo says he has seen anonymous similar memos before.

“They've been a standard sort of feature of, I would say, the darker side of TUSD culture for the better part of 15-20 years," says Trujillo. "These letters, there's a series of over 115, actually go all the way back to the John Pedicone administration.”

This one made it out of TUSD circles to where the media saw it; and it makes some tough allegations:

• That Trujillo lives at a home in Maricopa County and manages the district remotely most of the week.
• It claims dishonest accounting paints a rosier picture of district finances and student performance.
• It claims discrimination against African Americans.
• It claims that Trujillo has poor communication skills.
• It claims that falling enrollment shows Trujillo has failed to stabilize the district.

“Yes, I own property in Maricopa County, but that doesn't mean I don't live in Pima County, and have a residence here that allows me to carry out a full week and then some of duties and meetings and activities and support of the district and the superintendency that I proudly hold,” said Trujillo.

And Trujillo says he does not use district vehicles or district money to travel to Maricopa County.

Trujillo also says there’s nothing to the anonymous memo’s talk of an investigation. He says outside agencies oversee and verify financials and student performance figures.

He denies there is discrimination and says there are ways to address any complaints without fear of retribution.

Trujillo says yes, falling enrollment is a challenge the district must cope with. The district has been marketing to try to attract more students.

“In these kinds of jobs you have to have a thick skin and understand that you're in the public. You're in the public purview," said Trujillo. "So this is very much part of that life.”