Three candidates are running for two open seats on the Palo Alto Unified board: John Craig, Linda Henigin and Avery Wang. The final weeks of the campaign have centered on complaints about Henigin, a former district educator.

The email complaint

Craig, a tech executive, obtained records through a public records request and helped put together a multi-page report. Its claims: Henigin used her district email to discuss endorsements, recruited student volunteers through a district “career opportunities” slide deck, and had a head start because of a staff email announcing she was stepping down to run. Palo Alto Online reports that the records show five email exchanges about endorsements between June 2 and June 6. Craig told the Palo Alto Daily Post it was “not a level playing field.”

Henigin acknowledged using her district email. “I take responsibility,” she told Palo Alto Online. “I should’ve taken that to my personal email.” State law (Government Code 8314) bars using public resources for campaigns but exempts “incidental and minimal use.” Craig’s campaign filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission, which had not decided whether to open a case as of early October.

The slide deck and student credit

Superintendent Jason Glass stopped listing campaign volunteer opportunities in the slide deck because it is a “school sponsored channel,” Palo Alto Online reports. Past board candidates who used it were not educators. Glass said students can volunteer for any campaign on their own time, but class credit isn’t available for campaign-specific work.

The ‘math teacher’ lawsuit

Virginia Noh, former campaign manager for board member Rowena Chiu, filed an FPPC complaint and legal challenges to Henigin’s “math teacher” ballot designation. The district says Henigin worked as a “math resource” teacher, a role open to teachers with a multiple-subject credential. On Sept. 14, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Helen Williams denied Noh’s request to file an updated lawsuit because proper notice had not been given. The deadline to change ballot designations has passed.

None of the allegations has been decided by any agency. For the candidates’ positions, see our PAUSD race guide.

How to vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.