McLane High School area trustee Christopher De La Cerda misrepresented his endorsements to local media, the Fresno Teachers Association said in a tweet Tuesday afternoon.
The first instance was with The Fresno Bee and then in a GV Wire article, FTA said.
“I meant I have support, not endorsements,” De La Cerda said. “There was no intent to intentionally be deceptive.” — Christopher De La Cerda, Area 4 incumbent
SEIU, CTA Endorse Islas
In both instances, De La Cerda claimed to be endorsed by the Service Employees International Union and the California Teachers Association.
In an interview with GV Wire for an article profiling De La Cerda and challenger Veva Islas, the incumbent said that he was endorsed by both of those organizations.
“I think it is unfortunate anytime a candidate, in this case an incumbent, would lie about those sorts of things,” said FTA President Manuel Bonilla. “It definitely shows that we need somebody that has integrity in those positions, and that is why we have endorsed Veva Islas for that position.”
GV Wire confirmed the misrepresentations in interviews with De La Cerda and representatives of the labor groups on Tuesday and today.
As a state organization, CTA doesn’t endorse in school board elections, said Cynthia Menzel, CTA Region 2 communications consultant.
Bonilla took it a step further stating that the CTA doesn’t endorse at the local level at all.
Brian Murillo, the chair of SEIU Fresno Region, said the labor union endorsed De La Cerda in the previous election cycle, but not the current one.
“I think it is unfortunate anytime a candidate, in this case an incumbent, would lie about those sorts of things.” — Manuel Bonilla, President of Fresno Teachers Association
“Mr. De La Cerda participated in our interview process, but we did not endorse him,”
Murillo said. “We endorsed Veva Islas.”
De La Cerda Says He Misspoke
De La Cerda said his comments were misstatements.
“It was a confusion on my part,” De La Cerda said. “There was no intent to intentionally be deceptive.”
De La Cerda said that individual members of SEIU and CTA support him, but he admitted that those organizations didn’t endorse him.
De La Cerda said that he is endorsed by the California School Employees Association. A CSEA representative confirmed the endorsement to GV Wire today.
Profiles of De La Cerda and Islas
You can read “De La Cerda Points to Progress. Islas Says She Knows Student Needs.” at this link.
