Ex-BHUSD Chief Hubbard to Lose His Newport-Mesa Job

Former Beverly Hills Unified School District Superintendent and current Newport-Mesa Unified School District Superintendent will lose his job—but reportedly not his pension—after being convicted Monday of two felony misappropriation of public funds charges.

Hubbard, 54, was convicted of approving $20,000 in stipends and a $500 car allowance raise for former BHUSD facilities director without approval from the school board. He was acquitted on a third charge of allegedly authorizing a pay increase for former district employee Nora Roque without school board consent.

The ex-BHUSD chief faces a maximum of five years in prison at his Feb. 23 sentencing. The conviction disqualifies Hubbard from working as a superintendent for any school district, prosecutors said.

A NMUSD board meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday afternoon to review the board's options. Member Karen Yelsey said the board "will be in the search for a new superintendent," according to the Daily Pilot, which identified Yelsey as a Hubbard supporter. Deputy Superintendent and Chief Business Official Paul Reed, who acted as superintendent while Hubbard was on five months of paid leave to prepare his defense, will lead the district in the meantime.

The Hubbard conviction follows the November conviction of Christiansen, who was to four years and four months in prison. She was in November of four felony conflict of interest charges for secretly negotiating to be an independent BHUSD contractor while performing her duties for the district. Christiansen was hired by the district in 2004 and reportedly received a total of $5.2 million from BHUSD between 2006 and 2009.

Hubbard was entrusted with money that "was supposed to go toward educating children," Deputy District Attorney Max Huntsman said after the verdict. "That trust was abused."

Defense lawyer Salvatore P. Ciulla said an appeal was likely.

"There was a breakdown in communication between the defendant and the school board," he said. "I don't think there was criminal intent."

Former BHUSD board members Myra Lurie and Myra Demeter, both of whom were on the board that hired Hubbard, testified against him. Lurie, who left the board in November, testified that Hubbard promised Christiansen more pay during an official trip to Sacramento in April 2006.

"I remember him saying, 'Karen, I'm going to find a way to get you more money,' " Lurie recalled, according to the Jan. 12 Daily Pilot.

Although Christiansen received more than four years in prison, Huntsman said he doubted that Hubbard would receive as severe a sentence.

"Ms. Christiansen was the most serious defendant," he said. "But Dr. Hubbard also abused his position."

This story was compiled with information from City News Service.

Be sure to follow Beverly Hills Patch on Twitter and "Like" us on Facebook.