ESCONDIDO (KGTV) — Community members and a teacher's union leader are raising questions about whether a now-former Escondido Union School District board member was living and working in Utah while still holding his seat on the board.
Brandi Krepps, president of the Escondido Elementary Educators Association, is calling on the district to explain what it knew about former board member Mark Olson's circumstances.
"There was no secret Mr. Olson was looking for a job. It was no secret that he was also looking out of state," Krepps said.
"Whether our school board knew about his circumstances, I don't know. And that's something that we have asked and we need answers for," Krepps said.
The issue took center stage at a school board meeting Thursday night.
While board members addressed community concerns, the school board's attorney said the board was not an investigative body.
"Where does the trail of evidence take us — when was the actual resignation date — when was a potential date of resignation from the trustee area. Those are very complex issues, but unfortunately, folks, that's not before the board this evening," the attorney said.
A review of Olson's LinkedIn profile shows he left his job with the City of San Marcos in March of this year. Two months later, in May, a city video from Ogden, Utah, shows him being recognized as a new employee.
"Mark Olson, he's new with the city. He started in March — so he comes from California with a lot of experience," a speaker in the video said.
Property records show Olson sold his home in Escondido on June 25. However, he did not notify the school board he was leaving until July 16 and officially resigned on July 24.
The timeline drew sharp reaction at the board meeting. When the board president pushed back on accusations against Olson, members of the audience responded.
"The accusations on his honor is very offensive," Zesty Harper, the board president, said, prompting response from the audience. "They are true." The board president responded: "No, please do not shout; they are not true."
In a statement, Olson said his family faced unexpected circumstances that required them to relocate. He said that after he sold his home in June, he stayed in Escondido within his trustee area while working through the details of his transition. His statement does not address when he started his new job in Utah or when he moved.
ABC 10news called Olson to ask those details. We also called his new employer and did not hear back.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
