ONLY ON ABC-7: Canutillo ISD audit reveals no wrongdoing, suggests policy reviews

No wrongdoing was found in an investigation of allegations regarding Canutillo Independent School District’s associate superintendent, but recommendations were given towards improving district policies.

That’s what the ABC-7 I-Team uncovered after combing through the internal audit into Associate Superintendent Annette Brigham.

ABC-7 has been covering this story since last October, when the CISD school board held a special meeting and voted 5-2 to not conduct a handwriting analysis on Brigham. Brigham didn’t respond to multiple interview requests on Tuesday.

Brigham was accused of tipping off Canutillo Elementary School’s office manager of a fundraiser investigation in May 2013. The district investigator found the accusation to be hearsay, and couldn’t find phone records of the call in question.

As ABC-7 previously reported, the school’s principal and office manager quit shortly after auditors visit to Canutillo Elementary School in May 2013. The internal audit says Brigham gave a recommendation for ex-principal Connie Parker to get a job out of state. Brigham also considered herself a mentor to the former principal.
The associate superintendent’s judgment to give a recommendation after the allegations of misconduct was questioned by the internal auditor.

“We need to really focus on transparency, high expectations and accountability,” CISD Board Trustee Armando Rodriguez said. “That’s the only way we’re going to move our district forward.”

Brigham stated in the report she was upset the audit was conducted after the investigator could not prove the allegation.

While Brigham was cleared from the allegations, the report suggests the district should evaluate how it reports any possible educator misconduct to the State Board for Educator Certification. It also advises that district administrators should review fundraiser procedures and the administrative leave policy since Parker was paid for about a month after her resignation should have been in effect. Plus, it recommends a review of references for people who quit or are fired from the district.

A CISD spokesman says due diligence was done looking into the matter and the district would like to move forward with the reassurance that their employees act with the utmost integrity and care for the community.