T he Higley Unified Governing Board last week joined eight counterparts in hiring a Phoenix law firm to represent them in stalled negotiations with the East Valley Institute of Technology over new community technical education (CTE) contracts.

But board member Anna Van Hoek drew the line at authorizing Osborn Maladon to sue the Mesa-based CTE District – one of six such districts in the state.

In the Higley meeting, board member Anna Van Hoek rapped the move to include a lawsuit in the motion to hire Osborn Maladon.

Noting the district’s Nov. 4 all-mail election on its request for renewal of Higley Unified’s 15% operating budget override, Van Hoek said:

“I cannot in good conscience support taking EVIT to court. Lawsuits are costly, divisive and take resources away from our classroo

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