How To Calendar The NMUSD Way

March 25, 2015: Russell Lee Sung was hired by Newport Mesa Unified School District as Associate Superintendent-Chief Human Resources Officer.

(He was a replacement for John Caldecott, who had been fired by text by the superintendent January 27, 2015.)

March 25th 2015: Lee Sung began his tenure at NMUSD His position came with a $225,000 base salary, benefits, a $650-per month transportation allowance, and a $100 –per month phone allowance.

(Lee Sung, Navarro, Novak, and Holcomb worked together in the Anaheim Union High School District. Novak became the superintendent of Anaheim High School District, after her tenure in NMUSD , and was subsequently fired from that district. Holcomb was responsible for late asbestos work in Ocean View, which resulted in schools not opening and millions of dollars lost)

July 2016: Lee Sung received yet another promotion to Acting Associate Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer for the district which carried with it $236,391 in 2018-19, and was serving as Deputy Superintendent by the following year.(Lee Sung had been employed only one year.)

June 13, 2020: the Board of Education accepted the retirement of Fred Navarro effective July 31, 2020.

(He continued to serve as Superintendent until July 15, and then used up his “non responsibility days” until July 31. Which enhanced his already rich retirement due to multiple annuities)

July 16,2020: Russell Lee Sung became the “Acting Superintendent” with expectation that he would be “Acting/Interim” superintendent for one year.

(The further expectation was that the superintendent search would begin after the election of possibly three new people to the board November 3rd so that the new board members would have a chance to some part of the search for the person they would be working with.)

July 16, 2020: Shockingly, the NMUSD Board of Education hired Lee Sung for a period of TWO YEARS, and determined that his salary would be $298,000 plus benefits.

The vote was 6-1 with Ashley Anderson the dissenting vote.

August 4, 2020: Tamara Fairbanks, Newport Mesa Federation of Teachers said that promoting an internal candidate without posting the position publicly could be a violation of equal employment.

August 4, 2020: Covert (the ever-present highly paid lawyer) stated that the decision (done without posting) was fine and “adherence to Board Policy 2120 was not necessary because there is no legal requirement to post or advertise for position of superintendent –ultimately it’s going to be the decision of the board how it wants to fill this position”

August 4, 2020: This Board of Education flouted their own policy not to mention the EEOC. By not posting and advertising the position and arrogantly placing Lee Sung in the position for TWO years, they have discriminated against people of color, women, older people, and people with a disability which is against the law.

I believe that purposefully giving this man a two year contract is outrageous. It serves to make sure that the new board will have to work with the same culture and make-up of the district that we have had for the last "checkered Navarro years".

It further discriminates against anyone who might have wanted, and should have been able to apply for the job.

We need to be clear about what this move means. It means that Lee Sung will have been put in this position by the old board to ensure that lee Sung will have this job possibly for many years until he retires.