Woodland Hills superintendent and school board square off over his firing

In March, the Woodland Hills school board moved to fire superintendent Joe Maluchnik, but under his contract, Maluchnik has the right to an appeal hearing. On Thursday night, Maluchnik and the district will square off in the first of what may be several sessions. 

Back in November, the Woodland Hills school board put Maluchnik on paid leave, pending the result of an investigation into the alleged harassment and mistreatment of women employees. 

In March, the board moved to fire Maluchnik when the investigation found merit in those claims, but under his contract, Maluchnik has a right to a hearing to defend himself, and Thursday night, he will in an open forum in front of the board. 

Through his attorney, Maluchnik has maintained that his trouble with the board stems from him questioning financial practices under his predecessor, then-Superintendent Daniel Castagna, "including large administrative buyouts, unusual contracts, Sunshine Act issues, and potential irregularities in bidding processes. After asking for transparency and accountability, he experienced retaliation and a coordinated effort to remove him."

This is like a trial, and it will not end Thursday night. Both sides will present their case and will call witnesses. It's likely to take several sessions before anything is resolved.