Daniel Jordan 
(CLAIR | Simi Valley, CA) — A Simi Valley Unified School District (SVUSD) Board of Education member has resigned after the district reviewed the employment of her spouse and its potential impact on board operations.
In a June 13 letter to families, staff, and community members, Superintendent Hani Youssef stated that the district had recently conducted an internal review related to a personnel matter involving a board member’s family. The review referenced California Government Code Section 1090, which generally prohibits elected officials from having a financial interest in contracts approved by the body they serve. The law aims to ensure decisions are made without even the appearance of a conflict of interest.
While the district’s letter did not name the board member, Kristina Pine, who joined the board in 2022 and served as its president, confirmed her resignation in a public Facebook post. She explained that in the spring of 2023, her spouse was hired by SVUSD to teach American Sign Language (ASL) at the high school level. Pine wrote that, before her spouse applied for the position, she reached out to district officials to ask whether his employment would be legally permissible during her term as a trustee.
“I was assured that this was legal and there were no concerns or issues,” she wrote.
Later, Pine said, the district’s legal counsel reviewed the situation and recommended that her resignation would be the best course of action under state guidelines. “Legal counsel has informed me that resignation from the Board is the appropriate course of action to take,” she wrote.
According to SVUSD, the teacher began employment in August 2023, about eight months after Pine took office in December 2022. While state law permits a trustee’s spouse to work for the district, that employment must typically begin at least 12 months before the trustee assumes their seat. This provision is in place to help avoid legal questions tied to board influence or decision-making.
Dr. Youssef said the district is taking additional steps to improve transparency and legal compliance. These include accepting the resignation, publicly acknowledging the matter, conducting mandatory conflict-of-interest training for board members and senior staff, and strengthening checks during the hiring process to identify potential conflicts before employment decisions are finalized.
Pine stated that her decision to resign was based on the desire to support her family and avoid any disruption for students.
As of June 13, Pine’s name was removed from the board roster on the SVUSD website. She represented Trustee Area D, which includes parts of central and southeastern Simi Valley. School board trustees are elected to represent specific neighborhoods and are responsible for approving curriculum, overseeing the district’s budget, and evaluating the superintendent.
Under California Education Code Section 5091, the board must either make a provisional appointment or call a special election to fill the vacant seat. If no action is taken within 60 days of the vacancy, the Ventura County Superintendent of Schools is required to initiate the special election process. A similar situation occurred in early 2025, when the Simi Valley City Council appointed Joe Ayala to a vacant seat after Councilmember Dee Dee Cavanaugh became mayor.
The SVUSD board is expected to discuss its next steps at an upcoming meeting.
Shortly after Pine’s statement was posted, members of the public responded with mixed views. Over 20 comments on her Facebook post expressed support, thanking her for her service and calling her decision thoughtful. Others on local community pages raised questions about the district’s hiring practices and whether clearer guidance might have prevented the situation.
