Ex-Silicon Valley education leader dismisses lawsuit - San José Spotlight (2025)

Former Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools Mary Ann Dewan has dropped her lawsuit against the Board of Education after trustees fired her last year.

The lawsuit, dropped Thursday, claimed trustees had no authority to fire her because she was a constitutional officer and therefore could only be removed by the voters, Steven Ellenberg, Dewan’s attorney, said. The lawsuit did not seek any monetary damages, and a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge had previously denied Dewan’s request to be reinstated.

“I think she can see what is happening at the Office of Education and wants to end that distraction,” Ellenberg told San José Spotlight. “(She wants) to get on with her life and allow them to start focusing on doing what’s best for students throughout the county, rather than focusing on her and this lawsuit and their so called investigations.”

In a news release Friday, the county office of education said the dismissal “reaffirms confidence in the integrity” of the board’s actions and was a “positive resolution” to the months-long saga.

The board majority defended its decision to fire Dewan after fierce backlash by accusing the former superintendent of inappropriate expenditure of public funds, approving suspect contracts and conducting unauthorized surveillance of employees and board members. In December, officials sent their investigative findings to authorities, including the district attorney and law enforcement.

Former Area 4 Trustee Joseph Di Salvo previously told San José Spotlight the contractual agreement allowed for Dewan to be terminated without cause. He was among the four board members who voted to fire Dewan last October. Dewan voluntarily entered into the employment agreement with the Santa Clara County Office of Education as superintendent of schools on Sept. 19, 2018, and Di Salvo said the agreement clearly states Dewan can be let go upon 30 days notice.

Board President Maimona Berta said the lawsuit held no merit from the start and shouldn’t have been filed.

“Unfortunately, it took a superior court judge denying Dr. Dewan in October to hold her accountable to the community,” Berta said. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to serving the ongoing interests of the students, educators, and the community of Santa Clara County and will continue to ensure they are at the forefront of all of our efforts.”

The Santa Clara County Office of Education is responsible for overseeing the special education services, migrant education and Head Start and state preschool programs, as well as services for delinquent students at risk of expulsion. The office provides academic and fiscal oversight for the county’s 31 school districts and monitoring for the county’s 21 authorized charter schools.​

Contact Joyce Chu at [emailprotected] or @joyce_speaks on X.