Twin Rivers Unified School District trustees reversed their vote on which law firm they'd like to hire following a special board meeting Wednesday night.
Board members voted 4-3 to hire Fagen, Friedman and Fulfrost. The move comes days after Twin Rivers trustees voted 4-3 on Saturday to hire Meyers Nave. However, after that vote, board member Bob Bastian said he had mistakenly voted for Meyers Nave when he had intended to vote for Fagen, Friedman and Fulfrost. No contract had been signed with Meyers Nave.
The change was prompted by the board's ending its contract with its longtime general counsel, Timothy M. Cary and Associates.
Trustees John Dexter, Cortez Quinn, Michael Baker and Bastian voted in favor of Fagan, Friedman and Fulfrost, while Linda Fowler, Walter Garcia Kawamoto and Rebecca Sandoval were in favor of Meyers Nave.
The new legal firm comes on the heels of a new legal threat.
Earlier this week, former Twin Rivers Police Lt. Jason Spano submitted a tort claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, with the school district. Spano alleges that Twin Rivers Unified violated his rights by taking his personal property, including the ashes and urn of his dead police dog, Morris, after the district placed the lieutenant on administrative leave.
Spano also alleges that confidential personnel information was given to prospective employers by Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel and officers in the Internal Affairs Department.
Spano further alleges that he was constructively terminated "by stigmatizing him with false allegations involving moral turpitude, retaliation against him for exercising his rights and reporting criminal misconduct by the District's general legal counsel, Paul Hamill of Timothy M. Cary & Associates, to the Chief of Police Chris Breck."
Spano is seeking damages in excess of $10,000 for damage to his psyche and loss of property.
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