Sanchez Wins Right To Sue SUSD

By Frank Gayaldo 

The State of California has now issued Motecuzoma Sanchez a Right-to-Sue against the Stockton Unified School District, clearing the way for a civil lawsuit to be filed in court.

The notice from the California Civil Rights Department authorizes Sanchez to pursue claims under California civil rights and employment law after filing a discrimination complaint against the District.

Sanchez’s attorney has already sent Stockton Unified a pre-litigation demand letter outlining the allegations. According to that letter, disciplinary action against Sanchez began shortly after he exercised protected employment rights, and the District’s governing board later voted to eliminate his position as Director of Family Resource Centers, which he established. His employment was ultimately terminated in 2023 via a lay-off notice. 

The letter also puts SUSD on notice to preserve all internal evidence, including emails, text messages, board communications, and records related to the decision to eliminate Sanchez’s position, including communications involving disgraced former trustee and board president AngelAnn Flores.

Flores served as president of the Stockton Unified Governing Board during the period when the board voted to eliminate Sanchez’s position. She was forcibly removed from the board after being convicted of felony fraud, a development that adds further controversy to the events surrounding the board’s actions at the time.

Prior to that, Flores is believed to have been part of a conspiracy to oust Sanchez from the district in retaliation for his company, 209 Times, reporting on her crimes. Sanchez believes that conspiracy included Flores’ fellow trustees Kennetha Stevens, Sofia Colon, and Donald Donaire who are all up for re-election this year. Their campaigns were funded by donations from real estate mogul, Fritz Grupe, who was named in the search warrant in AngelAnn Flores’ criminal case. 

In a statement, Sanchez said:

“I don’t have much to say on the matter. I’m going to let the same court system that convicted Flores, take care of this issue for which I have a large dossier of witnesses and receipts.” 

With the Right-to-Sue notice now issued, Sanchez can move forward with a civil lawsuit that could place Stockton Unified’s internal communications, board discussions, and decision-making process under scrutiny in court.   Multiple SUSD administrators were allegedly terminated also for not bowing to direct pressure to terminate Sanchez, which also brought in current controversial Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez. 

As part of Sanchez’s lay-off notice, he was to be retuned to his position or “any similar”, which Rodriguez violated by bringing in Rogers to run his same program with his same staff despite claiming their was no funding. Sanchez established the Family Resource Centers, which instituted grocery for SUSD families in need, literacy programs, parent assistance and services, and negotiated the first ever MOU between SUSD and the City of Stockton to utilize community centers. 

SUSD has not yet responded.