2022 LAUSD Elections

Candidate Alleges Possible Retaliation

Jesus Arana, who is running against LAUSD Board President Kelly Gonez, claims that he was forced to retire from his job as a LASPD Sergeant.

“Actually, I have been forced to retire by LAUSD and I think it is because I am running against Kelly Gonez.”

- Jesus Arana

While LAUSD Board Members are not allowed to be employees of the district, there is nothing that prohibits employees from becoming candidates. Winners of the election will just need to resign their position before taking office. This is what Mónica Ratliff did after she won her Board District 6 seat in a 2013 upset.

In that same Board District, Jesus Arana is running against Ratliff’s successor, Kelly Gonez. While Arana listed his Occupational Designation as an “Educator/Police Sergeant,” he says in an email this week that “this statement is not true as [he] no longer work[s] there.” Arana says that he was “forced to retire by the LAUSD” with the official date of his retirement being April 19, 2022.

The candidate makes it clear that he believes the reason that he was “forced to retire”…