A recall effort underway for Dr. Tony Vang, the Fresno Unified School Board member who has come under fire in recent months for allegedly living outside the area he represents. In June, Vang resigned as board president, but he still maintains his seat on the board.
A group says it's fed up with inaction against Vang after reports he lives outside the area he represents. Vang has been denying allegations for more than two months, but he did step down from his position as board president. Members of a recall group say it's not enough.
“He should not be a voting voice. He should completely step down. He's not representing the district. He doesn't live in the district,” said Mai Summer Vue, a Fresno Unified teacher.
A teacher at McLane High School for 18 years, JoAnne Clark says she's never seen Vang on campus, except at graduations. He's been the representative for the McLane area since 2005.
“Especially for schools like McLane, the person who represents that area on the board needs to be intimately, intimately acquainted with their students,” said Clark.
The group, Community United for Education Justice, says it is taking steps to formally recall Vang. First, it needs to get signatures from 25% of voters in the area Vang represents. The group hopes to have the leg work done to get the item on the ballot in November.
In the last couple months, those against Vang have called for outside agencies, like the State Attorney General’s Office, to launch a formal investigation. So far, no agencies have confirmed they're looking into it.
