Santa Clara County superintendent fired without cause

Santa Clara County Superintendent Mary Ann Dewan was fired in a closed session Wednesday evening, according to a statement from Board of Education President Maimona Afzal Berta.

The press release states that Dewan was removed from her position by a vote of 4-2 with one abstention. Board members Berta, Joseph Di Salvo, Grace Mah and Don Rocha voted in favor of Dewan’s termination. Reena Lari and Tara Sreekrishnan voted against it. Raeena Lari abstained from voting.

Berta wrote in her statement that Dewan’s employment was terminated “without cause pursuant to her employment contract upon 30 days’ written notice.” Dewan was also placed on paid administrative leave for the 30-day notice period after Berta submitted her written resignation.

After this period, Dewan will receive severance pay as provided for in her employment contract for termination without cause.

Tara Sreekrishnan, a member of the Board of Education who represents Area 2 — which includes school districts in Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Los Gatos, Saratoga and Morgan Hill — condemned the lack of transparency in Dewan’s termination and called for a public hearing to address those concerns.

“Firing a superintendent without cause, especially when it affects our most vulnerable students, is not just poor judgment, but a simple political ploy,” Sreekrishnan said. “This action resulted in employees leaving the company in protest, further underscoring the inappropriate and harmful nature of this decision.”

Claudia Rossi, a registered nurse who previously served as board president in 2020, told the Bay Area News Group that she felt “disappointment” and “dismay” over the vote. She also said she believed the vote was a “deliberate weaponization of the evaluation process” that did not seek consensus or a positive working relationship with Dewan.

She highlighted the work Dewan has done during the pandemic, such as making sure students were fed and supporting remote learning. As a former South County schools representative, Rossi said Dewan helped start programs for students who had been neglected in that part of the county and was grateful for her leadership.

Berta, Di Salvo and Mah declined to comment on Thursday.

NBC Bay Area’s investigative team previously reported that there were complaints about Dewan related to the use of Head Start funds and allegations of retaliation as part of a related federal review.

Berta announced in her statement that Assistant Superintendent Jessica Bondorius will assume duties as interim superintendent until the board finds a temporary or permanent successor.

“We are confident that Dr. Bondorius and the next interim superintendent will provide stability and continuity for our students, families and educators during this transition,” Berta said in her statement.