Patrick Judd of Mountain Empire (and Chula Vista) school districts retires while on mysterious leave

See all Patrick Judd posts.


UPDATE NOVEMBER 4, 2008 ELECTION: JUDD LOSES



UPDATE:
March 6, 2008

Superintendent Pat Judd of Mountain Empire School District announced his retirement less than four months before the board's decision about whether or not to rehire him would go into effect.

Since Judd, the defendant in an employee's lawsuit, recently fired his lawyer and hired a new one, and at about the same time suddenly decided to go on an unexplained leave, I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that the board wasn't too happy with him.

I'm guessing that the board might want to settle the lawsuit. I know for a fact that Patrick Judd believes in harrassing witnesses; Richard Werlin did it on his behalf in my case. Perhaps Judd was putting pressure on Mountain Empire employees regarding the Sherbondy case, which was ready to go to trial when Judd apparently demanded a new lawyer. Judd says that he isn't sick, so I'm wondering if he's been off work because of administrative leave.

ORIGINAL POST:

Board members at Mountain Empire School District say that they did not discuss litigation involving Patrick Judd at their last board meeting.

Here is what today's San Diego Union Tribune says about Judd's leave:

Mountain Empire's superintendent on leave

PINE VALLEY: Patrick Judd, superintendent of the Mountain Empire Unified School District, has taken medical leave for an undisclosed condition.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080126-9999-lz1ez26short.html

Judd, reached by phone yesterday, declined to comment on his condition or his status with the rural East County district, which he has led since 2003.

The board voted Wednesday to hire Donald Haught as a consultant to fill in for Judd while he's gone. Haught's contract runs through February. Haught last year served as interim superintendent of the Grossmont Union High School District.

Judd's contract is to expire July 31. The board has not decided whether to extend it, said Ken Northcote, president of Mountain Empire's district board.

Northcote said he knew little about Judd's condition. “He asked for a leave for medical reasons. I didn't get into it with him,” he said.

The board met in closed session at the Wednesday meeting to discuss potential litigation, which Northcote said did not involve Judd.

Judd is also a longtime member of the Chula Vista Elementary School District's board of trustees.