Judge Removes Member of Window Rock Unified School District Governing Board Following Attorney General Lawsuit

APACHE COUNTY -- A Superior Court Judge has ruled Scott Tomlinson, a member of the Window Rock Unified School District Governing Board (and former Board President), is ineligible to serve as a result of a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Mark Brnovich. Following a complaint filed with the Arizona Attorney General's Office in 2018, Brnovich filed a quo warranto action in October of last year to remove Tomlinson from office for violating an Arizona law that requires an individual running to serve as a member of a school governing board to be a registered voter at the time of their election to office.

The quo warranto lawsuit alleged that in 2016, Tomlinson filed papers with the State attesting he was qualified to run for office. He was subsequently elected to the Window Rock Unified School District Governing Board in November of that same year, and took office in 2017.

However, Tomlinson was not qualified for office because he was not a registered voter at the time of the election as required by Arizona law (ARS 15-421). Tomlinson was not registered to vote in Arizona until June 28, 2018.

Today's order removes Tomlinson from office immediately and requires that the office remain vacant until a replacement is lawfully appointed.

Full copy of the decision.