Dan Cunningham recall, Dublin Unified School District, California (2018)

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2018 Dan Cunningham Recall Dublin Unified School District
Recall status
Did not go to a vote
Table of contents
Recall supporters Recall opponents Background Path to the ballot 2018 recall efforts
See also
External links Footnotes

An effort to recall Dan Cunningham from this position on the Dublin Unified School District board of trustees in California did not go to a vote in 2018. Petitions filed by recall supporters did not have enough verified signatures to qualify for the ballot.

The recall effort began on December 5, 2017, when recall supporters served Cunningham a notice of intent to recall during a school board meeting. Recall supporters said that Cunningham had not taken actions to build a second high school or stop overcrowding in the school district. They also said they sought recall due to an exchange Cunningham had with a district parent at a board meeting in October 2017. Cunningham said he regretted his reaction to the parent at the meeting, but he said he did not plan to resign. He said he was committed to being better in the future and that he had not done anything immoral, illegal, or unethical. He was one of three board members to vote in August 2017 to spend $100 million to build a new high school.

Cunningham is one of five members of the Dublin Unified board of trustees. He was first elected to the board in 2008. He was re-elected to a four-year term in November 2016. In the at-large election, he won the third seat on the ballot by receiving the third-highest number of votes (19.4 percent).

Recall supporters also served recall paperwork to Dublin City Council member Abe Gupta. Click here to read about that recall effort.

Recall supporters

The recall process was started by Dublin resident Bobby Khullar and the Dubliners United PAC. Khullar said Cunningham and other board members had not come up with solutions for overcrowding in the district. Members of the PAC also said, "Mr. Cunningham has demonstrated bad behavior, conflicts with teachers, residents, refusing to listen to DUSD constituents, and violating open meeting laws. Trustee Cunningham lacks decorum and has verbally abused concerned speakers during board meetings."

Khullar called an argument between Cunningham and a district parent at a board meeting in October 2017 the “straw on the camel’s back.” At the meeting, Cunningham agreed to take the argument outside after the parent shouted profanity at him. The two did not physically fight. Khullar said that Cunningham "has a specific attitude, he’s aggressive. He was out of line … but it’s been consistent."

After a different altercation occurred between Cunningham and Dublin City Council member Arun Goel at a city council meeting in November 2017, Khullar said, "I’m aware of the incident, and ashamed of Dan and his actions." An argument between the two officials got physical, but no punches were thrown, according to the East Bay Times. The two were separated by a police officer who had provided security at the meeting. Afterward, both officials said they had no intention of fighting and that the incident had not been signficant.

A separate group called Dubliners for Change also supported the recall effort. "Dubliners for Change's core mission is the preservation of open-space and the environment while ensuring our City has sufficient infrastructure including schools and pedestrian-friendly 'downtown' areas," said Kerrie Chabot, member of the board of directors for the organization. Chabot said that engaging in elections or recalls was not part of the organization's core mission, but she said they welcomed the effort.

Recall opponents

After the Dubliners United PAC was formed in November 2017, Cunningham said he was disappointed with the recall effort. “I find it interesting that these people haven’t at any time reached out to talk to me, to say perhaps we can work together,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham said he regretted his outburst at the school board meeting in October 2017, but he said he did not plan to resign. “Honestly, I could have done a better job controlling my temper. But it got personal,” he said. Cunningham said the parent referenced his wife moving to Tennessee for a job and his decision to stay in Dublin.

"I will commit to being better in the future,” Cunningham said. “I’m only human.” He also said he had not done anything immoral, illegal, or unethical. “Some people don’t like my approach to things, and that’s fine. At the end of the day, I’ve done a lot for our students and school community,” said Cunningham.

After he was served the notice of intent to recall, Cunningham gave the following statement to the Dublin Patch:

“	It's unfortunate that a small group of individuals have decided to initiate this process because it distracts and detracts from the important things we need to accomplish in Dublin Schools. None of the individuals who signed the notice have ever spoken at a school board meeting or attempted to reach out to me to discuss their concerns. Of course, it is there right to initiate this process; however, I believe that the recall process is meant for times when elected officials have violated the law or done something that is unethical or immoral. I have done none of those things. In contrast to the signers' contention that I have not done enough to address the growth issues in our schools, I have voted affirmatively on two different occasions to support the construction of a new high school in our community. I have voted to maximize our existing school sites, using local bond funds from Measure H, generously provided by our community, to make sure schools across the district (as was the intention of the Bond Measure) are expanded to accommodate growing student populations. As Board President in 2016, I led the Board's successful advocacy efforts at the state to increase developer fees to an unprecedented level. I have voted to expand programs and facilities at Dublin High School to assure that our students have the maximum opportunities for academic success as the school grows. Following an unsuccessful attempt to acquire a new high school site last spring, I supported the community's inclusion in the process to identify a future high school site and I, and the rest of the Board, are waiting for the Community Review Committee to complete their work and bring us their recommendations. We all realize there is a scarcity of both available land and limited funding. We have 50-year-old schools in need of renovation and the need to build new campuses. The students are coming fast and we must house them as they come. We are making complicated, difficult decisions and I realize that not everyone in the community will agree with the decisions we have made. But I do not believe any of it rises to the level of a recall.	”
—Dan Cunningham (2017)

Background

Vote on funding for second high school

Cunningham was one of three board members to vote in favor of spending $100 million to build a second high school on August 22, 2017. The funds came from a bond measure approved by voters in June 2016. Some members of the audience and the other two members of the board expressed concerns that $100 million was not enough money to build the school. The district had approximately 2,500 students enrolled at its one high school for the 2017-2018 school year. Growth projections showed that number could grow to 4,300 by 2024, according to the East Bay Times.

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing recall in California

The recall process began on December 5, 2017, when Khullar served Cunningham with a notice of intent to recall. To get the recall on the ballot, 5,309 registered voters had to sign the recall petition. Recall supporters turned in their petitions with 6,874 signatures on July 9, 2018. The county had 30 working days to verify the signatures, according to The Independent. Alameda County Registrar of Voters Tim Dupuis verified 5,266 of the signatures, which was 43 short of the requirement. The recall did not go to a vote.

2018 recall efforts

See also: School board recalls

A total of 33 school board recall efforts nationwide were covered by Ballotpedia in 2018. They included 74 board members. Twelve recall elections were held in 2018. The school board recall success rate was 29.7%.

Of the 12 efforts that made it to the ballot in 2018, eight were approved and the 20 targeted members were removed from office. Another two recall elections were defeated, and the targeted members kept their seats. One effort saw a mix of results: three members retained their seats, while the fourth was removed from his. Another recall election was held after the board member resigned. Her replacement was elected through the recall. The chart below details the status of 2018 recall efforts by individual school board member.

See also

• Dublin Unified School District, California
• Recall campaigns in California
• Political recall efforts, 2018
• School board recalls

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Dublin Unified School District
• Alameda County Registrar of Voters
• Dubliners United