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Annette Gonzalez-Buttner speaks out after Imperial County Officer of Education board votes for her resignation

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January 15, 2021 12:50 AM
Published 1:17 PM

EL CENTRO, Calif.(KYMA, KECY) - Imperial County Office of Education Trustee Annette Gonzalez-Buttner is refusing to resign, even after the board voted on her immediate resignation Monday evening.
The decision came as Gonzalez-Buttner faces various felony counts of election fraud in Imperial County Superior Court. Those charges allege that in 2014 she lied about her permanent residence in her 2017 candidacy filings for the position.
Buttner says she was going to school in Santa Clara County and her main home was in Calexico.
“I’ve been in a school like any other college student and I did not abandon my domicile this is my home this where I live you’re here and you can witness that,” said Annette Gonzalez Buttner, Board Member.
Gonzalez-Buttner says she has seen racism from the board. Citing one instance when she suggested they do an at-home reading program to benefit the Latino children in the community she says she was immediately shut down.
“The racism, misogyny I experience it in every board meeting like you would not believe I mean to experience it during every meeting,” said Buttner.
ICOE president Victor Jaime says the vote was not personal and he may have not been on the board when Buttner suggested the at-home reading program. He also discounts Buttner's sexism allegations.
“Up until November, December when the new board was sworn in it was 3 women to two men so I really discount that allegation," said Jaime.
The board also stated Gonzalez-Buttner can not hold two seats at the same time. She is currently on the ICOE board and also on the Community College District board. Both are elected positions.
Gonzalez-Buttner says she is being unfairly targeted by the board. "The board has been racist, and misogynistic to me several times, and this another example," said Gonzalez-Buttner.She said in one instance she pushed for a reading program to benefit the Latino community, but said her idea was dismissed.
ICOE has also been in communication with the California attorney general's office. In the coming weeks, they will determine if she can hold two board seats.
Buttner says if the attorney general decides she can’t hold both seats she will resign.

Article Topic Follows: Education

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Gianella Ghiglino

Peruvian-born and LA raised Gianella Ghiglino joins the team from the San Fernando valley. “LA is the place that taught me how to breath and Peru is my breath.” She says she was inspired by the community she grew up in and began documenting her experience through poetry at the age of 7. “I wrote about everything I saw, felt and everything that inspired me.” When she entered High School she joined her school news station and realized that broadcast journalism allowed her to pursue her passion and her purpose all at once. Gianella attended Cal State Northridge and received a Bachelors degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Spanish Broadcast Journalism, and Political Science. She did several internships while in College but most notably interned for PBS’s local LA station for three years. “My purpose is to share my story and of those in my community, my passion is writing.”

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