Parent files lawsuit against Cartwright School board president citing nepotism

PHOENIX (AZFamily)—Since the beginning of the year, a series of heated disturbances has plagued Cartwright school board meetings, even resulting in several meetings being cut short.

The controversy surrounds board president Lydia Hernandez and her daughter Cassandra Hernandez, who serve on the board together.

Cecilia Moreno, whose kids went to school in the district, is leading the lawsuit challenging the legality of these two being on the board together. “It’s conflict, it’s nepotism, and that’s what I’m against,” said Moreno.

Cassandra won her election in November, but Moreno said she shouldn’t have been allowed to run in the first place.

In her lawsuit, she cites an Arizona law that states close family members who have lived in the same household within the past four years are ineligible to serve on a school board together.

Arizona’s Family interviewed the board president earlier this month, who maintained that her daughter did not live with her.

Moreno claims otherwise. She submitted her evidence to the courts, where a judge will now decide.

How they vote with the school board pair bothers Moreno the most. “I think that she has a big influence over her daughter, and it’s already affected the voting.”

Moreno highlighted the board’s vote at the beginning of the year to place their superintendent on leave to hire a new one. “They didn’t discuss it at a board meeting. So, they must have discussed it at home which is in violation of open meeting law.”

When Arizona’s Family interviewed the board president and asked this question, the mother emphasized that her daughter makes her own decisions.

This lawsuit is set to go before a judge this July.

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