Merced City Schools superintendent fired during special board meeting

The Merced City School District Board unanimously voted Friday night to fire superintendent Diana Jimenez during a special board meeting.

Board President Allen Brooks announced Jimenez’s employment contract was terminated without cause.

The board voted on the item during closed session, with board members Brooks, Birdi Olivarez-Kidwell, Priya Lakireddy and Beatrice McCutchen all voting for the termination. Board member Jessee Espinoza was absent.

Associate Superintendent Brian Meisenheimer will take over as acting superintendent, according to Brooks.

The board has a regularly scheduled board meeting at 7 p.m Tuesday.

“That’s when we will figure out the next step,” Brooks said. “Who will be the interim superintendent and when we’ll start the search for a new superintendent.”

Jimenez lasted less than a year in the district. The board appointed Jimenez as superintendent on May 24, 2022, and she officially started on July 1, 2022.

Jimenez was the superintendent of the Winters Joint Unified School District west of Davis prior to coming to Merced.

Jimenez’s salary was $260,000 a year with a 2% annual raise, according to her employment agreement.

There was controversy prior to Jimenez becoming Merced’s superintendent.

Jimenez’s predecessor Doug Collins left at the end of the 2022 school year to become superintendent of the Chowchilla Elementary School District.

Collins, however, was preceded by former MCSD superintendent Richard “Al” Rogers, who resigned July 1, 2021, following a civil complaint filed against him alleging sexual harassment.

The civil complaint, filed by a female administrator against Rogers, stated she was asked by him to work for the district in spring 2020. Not long after she started, she was allegedly subjected to harassment that included — but was not limited to — demeaning comments, unwanted touching, unwanted sexual advances and other unacceptable forms of behavior.

Rogers denied the allegations.

MCSD employees were unhappy with the district’s leadership under Jimenez.

Ada Givens Elementary principal Dora Crane addressed the issue during the special board meeting on Friday.

“I have never in my life not known what the vision is for the district,” said Crane, who has spent 36 years working in education.

“Every day is a battle for me to do my job and it shouldn’t be,” Crane added. “We’re looking to you, I’m asking you for better leadership that will drive us all and to have a true vision as we move forward.”

Brooks said the board heard similar pleas during a special board meeting held April 18.

“We heard union representatives express concern about a lack of communication throughout the entire year,” Brooks said. “This is the second time in one week we’ve heard about a lack of communication and a lack of leadership this year.

“The board was listening.”