Jury Begins Weighing Hubbard's Fate

A jury today began deliberating the case against superintendent of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, who allegedly authorized the payment of public funds to two employees -- including a $20,000 stipend to one -- without the school board's approval when he was the head of the Beverly Hills Unified School District.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Stephen Marcus handed the fate of
Hubbard to the seven-man, five woman jury after attorneys painted
sharply different pictures of the long-time educator in their closing
arguments.   

"He was arrogant,'' Deputy District Attorney Max Huntsman said. "He
felt that as superintendent he could do whatever he wanted and he didn't care
what the rules were.''

Defense attorney Salvatore P. Ciulla countered that while mistakes were
made, Hubbard did not commit a crime. He's going to put his job on the line and possibly go to jail?'' Ciulla asked. "It makes no sense.''

Ciulla also said he believes prosecutors may have waited too long to
file the case against Hubbard, although Huntsman said district officials did
not know of any possible wrongdoing until the summer of 2009 and that the
statute of limitations was not violated.

Hubbard, 54, is charged with three counts of misappropriation of public
funds. Huntsman said the school board never authorized two payments of $10,000 each or a $500 monthly car allowance that were paid at Hubbard's behest to Karen Anne Christiansen, a former facilities director for the district.
Christiansen's contract included a $150 monthly car allowance, and all
changes to the contract were supposed to be made in writing, Huntsman said.

The prosecutor said Hubbard had email exchanges with Christiansen that
suggested a "special relationship'' existed between the two. "It was certainly not the average employer-employee relationship,'' Huntsman said.

The prosecutor said he was not accusing Hubbard of stealing money.

"This is not a theft case,'' Huntsman said. "It's a question of the use of funds by a high-ranking public official.'' 

Ciulla described the emails between Hubbard and Christiansen as "tongue-
in-cheek inappropriate comments.'' But he said the communications do not demonstrate a romantic
relationship existed.

Christiansen was tried last year and convicted of four counts of conflict of interest for negotiating contracts between the school district and a firm with which her company had a consulting agreement, and for backing a school bond measure that benefited her firm.

The 53-year-old woman was sentenced earlier this month to four years and
four months in state prison, but was allowed to remain free on $400,000 bail
while her appeal is pending.

Hubbard also allegedly directed that another employee, Nora Roque, who
was then working as a human resources coordinator, receive a bump up in pay,
according to Huntsman. But Ciulla said Hubbard's intent was to put Roque on a salary schedule under which she would receive annual increases -- something he said she was told would happen when she was hired.

Hubbard was named the superintendent of the N-MUSD in July 2006.

-City News Service