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OUSD Trustee John Ortega in alleged sex scandal

The Liberal OC Blog is citing sources in Murrietta that Orange Unified School Board Trustee has been placed on Administrative Leave by the Mt. Jacinto College. Ortega, a former Orange Count Sherriff Deputy, left that department and served as a police captain for the Montebello Unified School District Police Department. In March of last year, he took the position of Police Chief for the Mt San Jacinto College Police Department.

According to the Liberal OC posting, the Mt Jacinto College administration is citing the issue as a personnel matter. The blog also cites the college campus rumors and campus sources that the paid leave and replacement of Ortega was because he is allegedly accused of having sexual relations with more than one member of his staff.

Santa Ana blogger Art Pedroza reported in November of 2011 that Ortega was lining up to challenge Congresswomen Loretta Sanchez. Ortega was elected to the OUSD Board in 2001 as part of the Citizen’s Board in the Orange Recall. He has never faced a challenger in his Trustee area – Trustee Area #2. His current term is up in November of this year.

Ortega has gone through a metamorphosis on the Board. While an Orange County Sheriff, his missed meetings caused tension on the Board as some fellow Trustees opposed his being granted pay for those missed meetings. Ortega also had some now famous run-ins with the eccentric Steve Rocco. In one he hovered over Rocco in a Board meeting after Rocco brought up the death of Ortega’s brother who was an OUSD employee. Currently, Ortega is now allied with the more conservative majority on the OUSD Board.

The Administrative leave was effective December 12, 2011, just days after the December OUSD Board meeting which Ortega attended. The story of Ortega’s leave hit the Murretta press on January 6, 2012. Ortega was absent from the Regular January 19, 2012 Orange School Board meeting. The Liberal OC broke the story on Friday Feb 3, 2011 in Orange County.

Murrieta Patch Story:PATCH
Posting from Liberal OC Blog:

Orange School Trustee John Ortega On Leave – Sex Scandal Allegations?
February 3, 2012
By Chris Prevatt

Orange School District Trustee John Ortega, who was named Chief of the Mt. San Jacinto College Police back in March of 2011, was placed on paid Administrative Leave by the school on December 15, 2011 for an undisclosed reason. Ortega has been rumored as a potential challenger to Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez in Orange County’s 46th Congressional District.

Murrietta Patch reports:
Ortega, who took the position as the top cop March 1, 2011, was on leave as of Dec. 15, MSJC Spokesperson Karin Marriott confirmed. She declined to comment on why, as it was a personnel matter, she said.
Ortega, 42, was listed as an Orange County Unified School District board member. Before he was hired at MSJC, he served as a police captain at Montebello Unified School District. Prior to that he served in the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
MSJC, which serves students from much of western Riverside County, lost its former police chief, Kevin Segawa, in 2009. Segawa was charged and later pleaded guilty to eight felonies and two misdemeanors, mostly for directing the majority of towing profits to one company in exchange for gifts. He resigned shortly after his arrest.
Currently serving as interim chief for MSJC is Terry Meadows, a retired Riverside County Sheriff’s lieutenant, Marriott said. Meadows also served as interim when Segawa left.

We looked up campaign finance reports to see if Ortega has raised any money and thus far he has not filed any reports. Ortega is one of those right-wing darlings who touts family values. While the Mt. San Jacinto College administration isn’t talking, the rumor mill on campus is full of insight into the reason for Ortega’s sudden paid vacation.

We are hearing from anonymous campus sources that Ortega has been placed on leave for allegedly having sexual relations with more than one member of his staff. If this allegation sounds familiar, its probably because it is the same scenario that caused Santa Ana Councilman Carlos Bustamante to lose his job with the County of Orange Public Works we department last year.

LINK Liberal OC story: LIB OC

LINK to FINDLAW


SPECIAL REPORT
is a news service of Orange Net News /O/N/N/