Saying he has faced “harassment and veiled threats,” and the board has “wasted valuable time and resources,” Douglas County School Board Trustee Tony Magnotta submitted his letter of resignation Dec. 7.
The school board is scheduled to accept his resignation at its Dec. 12 meeting and begin the process of appointing his replacement.
Tony Magnotta won election to the board in 2020. In his resignation, he wrote, “Since January 2023 and the installation of the new School Board Trustees, I feel my voice, my vote and my opinion have not been seriously considered when discussing matters regarding our district.”
The school board voted 4-2 to fire their legal council and appoint Joey Gilbert’s law firm as the district’s representation at a meeting in July. Magnotta was opposed, and during the meeting he expressed concerns over Gilbert’s high legal fees and his lack of experience representing educational entities.
Three months later, former Douglas County School District Superintendent Keith Lewis submitted his resignation. The board denied his request in an October meeting, but reversed the decision and agreed to his termination Nov. 1.
In his resignation, Magnotta writes, “I feel we have ‘wasted’ valuable time and resources this past year on agenda items that will adversely impact our district in the near future (i.e. changes to our legal counsel, loss of 2 key administrators).”
Later in the letter, Magnotta also expresses concerns over hiring challenges and budget shortfalls.
“I regret the need to step down before my term is completed but I cannot in good conscience continue to serve on this Board while opposing many of the agendas,” he wrote.
As the board considers Magnotta’s resignation next week, trustees will also have to outline a process to hire a new superintendent to lead the district.
Read Magnotta’s full resignation letter here:
