Lawsuit Alleges Superintendent of Schools Candidate Unqualified to Run
Suit Alleges Candidate Christy Lozano Doesn’t Have Credentials to Be Superintendent
A lawsuit filed by Mollie Culver against County Superintendent of Schools candidate Christy Lozano, County Clerk Joseph Holland, and the County of Santa Barbara alleges Lozano does not have the Administrative Services Credential necessary to run for the position and therefore should not be permitted to continue her campaign.
The suit alleges that Lozano holds a Certificate of Eligibility but does not hold the credential necessary to be eligible for Superintendent of Schools. A certificate of eligibility, according to court documents, means that Lozano has completed some but not all of the requirements to obtain the credential. The lawsuit further states that through filling for her candidacy while not having this credential, Lozano is attempting to “bypass a fundamental statutory safeguard essential to the office of County Superintendent of Schools.”
The Office of the Registrar of Voters does work to verify if a candidate has the proper documentation, Holland said, and will advise candidates if they believe they do not have certain documents before filing. In Lozano’s case, Holland said, she filed at the last hour before the deadline, at 4 p.m. on March 11. He went on to say that election and education codes are complicated, and he decided to allow her to stay on the ballot if she signed under penalty of perjury that she was fully qualified. “I’m not going to not allow someone to file,” Holland said. “I sided with democracy.”
Culver, a former democratic consultant who has worked with Gregg Hart and Das Williams, is represented by Aaron D. Silva, and also calls for Holland, in his capacity as the county clerk-registrar of voters, to remove Lozano from the ballot and all related ballot materials due to lack of qualifications.
Lozano responded, after this story was first posted, that the lawsuit was in error: “I do have the administrative credential necessary to run for superintendent,” she said.
Culver, represented by Aaron D. Silva, also calls for Holland, in his capacity as the county clerk-registrar of voters, to remove Lozano from the ballot and all related ballot materials due to lack of qualifications.
Edito’s Note: The updated version of this story added Lozano’s and Holland’s response.
Support the Santa Barbara Independent through a long-term or a single contribution.
