ENCINITAS — A new lawsuit claims that North County school board candidate Kevin Sabellico used a misleading ballot designation by defining himself as an “educator/board member” and demands that the San Diego County Registrar of Voters reject this designation ahead of the November election.
Trustee Michael Allman, an incumbent San Dieguito Union High School District board member, filed the lawsuit on Monday against San Diego County Registrar of Voters Cynthia L. Paes and naming Sabellico, his opponent in the Area 4 race in the November election, as a real party in interest.
A ballot designation is a short description of a candidate’s principal profession, vocation or occupation that appears beneath their name on the ballot. California Election Code defines a “principal” profession as being the “primary, main or leading professional, vocational or occupational endeavors of the candidate.”
Community members have until Aug. 19 to file a legal challenge to any candidate’s ballot designation or candidate statement. All challenges must be resolved by Aug. 30, according to the county registrar’s office.
Allman’s lawsuit states that Sabellico’s designation as an “educator” is misleading to voters, especially as Sabellico’s income is mainly earned from work as a political campaign consultant.
“Sabellico’s use of ‘Educator’ is an attempt to mislead voters into believing that he currently is or has recently earned a living in the field of education — i.e., as a teacher, professor, or administrator of a school — when, in fact, all of his reported income derives from his activities as a political campaign consultant,” the complaint states.
Sabellico is best known for his work on several political campaigns, including as field director for Congressman Mike Levin’s 2018 campaign and campaign manager for Catherine Blakespear’s 2022 state senate bid. He is also vice president of the consulting firm Amplify Campaigns.
Until recently, he was running for the Carlsbad City Council Area 2 race and served on the Carlsbad Planning Commission. Sabellico took a major pivot in May when he announced he was dropping out of the council race to run for San Dieguito school board.
At the same time, Sabellico resigned from the Planning Commission after being appointed to the county’s Environmental Health and Quality Advisory Board.
In his candidate documents, Sabellico requested the designation of “educator,” stating that he had been hired as a substitute instructional assistant in the San Dieguito Union High School District as of Aug. 7. A substitute instructional assistant is a classified role that can also be known as a teacher’s aide.
However, district spokesperson Edwin Mendoza confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Sabellico is not an active employee and has never been employed by the district.
“He recently showed interest in becoming a substitute Instructional Assistant and he is in the process of completing the requirements necessary to become eligible for Instructional Assistant substitute service. He is not an active employee and has never held a position with the District,” Mendoza said.
Sabellico’s attorney, Evan Sorem, refuted this, saying that Sabellico’s understanding was that he was employed and had completed all necessary steps. Sorem said they are attempting to get in touch with the district.
“The district’s message is news to him,” Sorem said via phone.
Sabellico also provided a copy of an Aug. 6 email from district Human Resources Generalist Jennifer Laity, in which she welcomed him to the district as a member of the Classified Substitute team and outlined final steps needed for his clearance to work in the district, including a background check.
According to Sorem, Sabellico had completed these steps.
Allman’s petition also includes an email correspondence between Encinitas resident Garvin Walsh and SDUHSD Associate Superintendent Mary Anne Nuskin, in which she confirmed that they had never employed Sabellico as a substitute teacher (this is a different role than a substitute instructional assistant).
Sabellico also requested, and was granted by Paes, the designation of “board member” in reference to his position on the county’s Department of Environmental Health and Quality, which he was appointed to in May.
Allman claimed this title is also misleading, noting that this is an unpaid position on the advisory board that only meets once per month and, therefore, it does not constitute a principal profession.
“Sabellico’s advisory board position would more aptly be described as that of a community volunteer,” the complaint states. “Identifying himself as both an ‘Educator’ and ‘Board Member’ suggests that Sabellico is both a teacher and an incumbent Trustee for the governing board for SDUHSD.”
Allman’s own designation on the ballot will read “Governing Board Member, San Dieguito Union High School District.”
A representative from the Registrar’s Office declined to comment on the lawsuit, stating that they cannot comment on pending litigation.
Prior to the district’s confirmation that Sabellico was not a district employee, Sorem released a statement on Tuesday in response to the lawsuit. The statement claimed that Sabellico’s substitute instructional assistant role involves working with teachers to implement programs for students with learning or behavioral differences.
The statement also noted that he has his substitute teaching credential from the State of California.
“Unfortunately, Kevin’s opponent has attacked him for working in the school system. On top of the attacks, he’s now suing the County Registrar of Voters to strike Kevin’s ballot designation, describing him as an ‘Educator/Board Member.’ Kevin adopted this designation on the suggestion of the Registrar of Voters herself and it has cleared every administrative review,” the statement said.
Emails between Paes and Sabellico, included as exhibits in the lawsuit, show that Sabellico did not suggest designations referencing his campaign consultancy. His first suggested designations included “Educator/County of San Diego Boardmember” and “Educator/County of San Diego Policymaker.”
However, Paes said these designations did not meet requirements and also had a “substantial likelihood to mislead voters as to your principal profession, vocation, or occupation.” She did suggest “Educator/Board Member” in a subsequent email, which Sabellico accepted.
The San Dieguito Union High School District’s Area 4 seat mainly covers Rancho Santa Fe. Trustee Katrina Young’s Area 2 seat, covering La Costa Canyon, La Costa Oaks South and Rancho Ponderosa, is also up for election in November.
This story was updated to include a statement from the San Dieguito Union High School District regarding Kevin Sabellico’s employment status and a response from his attorney, Evan Sorem. It also clarifies that Sabellico is not being sued but is named as a real party in interest.
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Allegations of fact in a legal proceeding require attention to detail. Take, for example, the repeated accusation that Kevin Sabellico falsely claimed that he was a substitute teacher at SDUHSD.
Here is a link to the job description for “Substitute Teacher” at the SDUHSD job portal: https://www.edjoin.org/Home/JobPosting/1976488.
Also available on the same job portal is the job description for “Substitute Instructional Assistant”: https;//:www.edjoin.org/Home/JobPosting/1892724
There are also job descriptions for positions including Substitute Athletic Trainer, Substitute Custodian, Substitute Theater Technician, Substitute School Bus Driver, and many more, both continuous and substitute positions.
The Petition and its supporting evidence as well as the commenters here and on social media persist in accusing Sabellico of falsely claiming to be a substitute teacher – there is no evidence that he made such a claim. In denying Sabellico’s employment as a substitute teacher in response to the express question of whether he was employed as a substitute teacher, the District did not provide proof of any falsehood – it stated the precise answer to the question it was asked. It was not obligated to look further.
Precision and accuracy in legal writing is drilled into every law student. Some lawyers appear to have forgotten this lesson.
It looks like the judge felt otherwise. Sabellico’s attempt to put “Educator” on the ballot is false and misleading, per the court ruling.
https://thecoastnews.com/judge-rules-sduhsd-candidates-ballot-title-false-and-misleading/
Me again. I just posted a “reply” and hit “SUBMIT” too soon. While here, I thought might be helpful to post the text of my 2 and 1/2 minutes comments at the most recent special Board Meeting of the San Dieguito Union High School District. Perhaps the readers will learn more about Mr. Allman by my doing so. Mr. Allman is in a panic to make sure the curriculum of the coming Ethnic Studies requirement supports the power structures that support him. Kevin Sabellico will support a robust Ethnic Studies program to so our students can really learn as the State law requires:
“Professional educators know identity is a comprehensive way to describe someone’s values and actions: where they were born, their cultural background, the color of the skin, the size of their bank account, their physical abilities, the ability to learn, their ability to do well in school, their family makeup, there’s sexual preference. It is essentially, “who am I”?
Most importantly, professional educators understand the relationship between a student’s strong sense of identity and that student’s academic outcome.
Of course, there are others who are terrified of focusing on a student’s sense of identity. Cultural War proponents such as Steve Miller and Steve Bannon refer to themselves as “Identitarians”. Identitarians see a focus on identify as a threat to white power – plain and simple. We are seeing this in writing in Project 2025
Michael Allman is an identitarian. He does not want the student to have a strong identify because it is a threat to his white privilege and power. It’s not about learning to him. It is not about the student.
When you say “identity” you are referring to an individual student who is seeking answers to very personal questions at a critical time in that student’s life.
Allman hears the word “identity” and he panics. Allman cannot see how a student’s deep understanding of their own identity can coexist with his power as a white man. Allman, and others like him, desperately want to protect their privilege and the 1940s 1950s White America that he is so afraid of losing.
Fighting against others gaining power to challenge his power is Michael Allman’s identity.
You are all smart people and you are already accutely aware of what I am saying. But it is important for the public to say certain things so you know we are paying attention. We are also aware of the challenges you face as you work to build a meaningful Ethnic Studies program while Michael Allman is doing everything he can to tear it down. Thank you for your efforts.” Bob Ayers
Hilarious seeing desperate fauxgressives try to bemean anyone that disagree with them by labeling them MAGA or bringing up Project 2025 which is a nothing document and not part of any platform.
Allman is actually a normal human being and not a leftwing nutjob, so he is automatically labeled by those promoting extreme agendas.
Allman is the only choice and the best choice.. Sabellico needs to take his grifting somewhere else.
There are few that know Michael Allman in the school board setting more than I. I would never describe him as “normal”. His attacks on anyone that disagrees with him is normal only in Trumpworld. But I also would not describe it as normal to interact with people who do not identify themselves or jump to conclusions (although that is clearly a common way many people spend their time these days.) Here is a statement recently made by an attorney for Kevin Sabellico to the Del Mar Times:
Mr. Harold,
Per my earlier e-mail below, I am Evan Sorem and I am a local attorney working with Kevin Sabellico’s campaign for election the San Dieguito Union High School District Governing Board, Trustee Area 4 seat.
As Mr. Sabellico is presently out-of-state to fulfill a critical civic function of national significance, I am providing the following statement on behalf of his campaign.
STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF KEVIN SABELLICO’s CAMPAIGN (Luke Harold @ U-T Community Press – 8/22/2024)
As someone who comes from a long line of educators, Kevin has tremendous respect for San Dieguito’s fabulous teachers and staff. That’s why he’s endorsed by San Dieguito’s classroom teachers and classified employees. Kevin doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk. Kevin has experience as a Science Olympiad Coach, high school math tutor, and he was hired by the District as a Substitute Instructional Assistant. In other words, he’s a bona-fide educator.
Kevin was also confirmed unanimously by the Board of Supervisors to the San Diego County Environmental Health and Quality Advisory Board this year. He is a Board Member, just like several SDUHSD candidates of both parties before him, who ran with “Board Member” or “Boardmember” designations — including Michael Allman.
Unfortunately, after Michael Allman lost his challenge to Kevin’s designation with the Registrar, he sued her, demanding she strike Kevin’s “Educator/Board Member” designation. Kevin adopted this designation on the suggestion of the Registrar herself, and it cleared every administrative review. This dirty trick is especially appalling given that Michael Allman himself used a substantially similar designation in 2020 when he ran as “Board Member/CEO.”
Michael Allman has run to court trying to stop Kevin from doing exactly what he did in his last campaign. MAGA Mike is a hypocrite, a bully, and most of all — he’s desperate. MAGA Mike is trying to win this election with cheap parlor tricks because he knows he can’t win campaigning on his abysmal track record.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
Regards,
Evan
Bob Ayer, Sabellico was caught lying about his background in hopes of misleading the voters to believe he’s a teacher and someone who sits on the School Board. HE LIED!
Sabellico also dropped out the Carlsbad City Council race because he was caught fabricating stories about his opponent, Priya. See my link above.
After dropping out of the Carlsbad City Council race Sabellico moves to another district and immediately runs for school board, telling voters he’s an “educator” and “Board Member”, even going so far as stating he’s worked at SDA.
The SDUHSD called Sabellico out, stating that Sabellico NEVER worked for any schools in their school district.
Sabellico has been investigated by the FPPC numerous times over his campaign and ethic violations during his short career as a campaign manager. Sabellico is a used car salesman at best. All he’s good at is creating problems.
Sabellico is a hard NO vote for me.
It is somewhat entertaining but very unpersuasive when comments come from anonymous writers. Even more so when “allegations” are presented as facts. These anonymous writers clearly know nothing more about Kevin Sabellico than what they read in the dark corners of the world-wide-web. If MAGA Mike Allman is your “guy”, why not identify yourself when propping him up? If you are going to bend allegations as facts, why not identify your personal experience in the matter? Bob Ayers
“CARLSBAD — Allegations of plots and an affair led to an ethics complaint against a Carlsbad City Council candidate, Kevin Sabellico late last year.
In a 15-page filing with the San Diego County Democratic Party on Dec. 12, 19-year-old Eve Antekeier alleged Kevin Sabellico and Christopher Castillo hatched an intimidation “plot” against Councilwoman Priya Bhat-Patel for covering up or alleging a made-up affair between Castillo and Bhat-Patel and to silence Bhat-Patel’s criticisms of Sabellico’s candidacy. Charges of homophobia and racism have also been alleged by Sabellico and Bhat-Patel, respectively, according to Antekeier’s complaint.”
https://northcountydailystar.com/political-plot-claims-create-chaos-in-carlsbad/
Kevin Sabellico is not the kind of person we need representing our residents, especially our children.
So far this is what we know about Kevin Sabellico:
• He’s 26 years old and has no children
• He describes his main achievements as his volunteer work in high school that he passes off as more than it was
• His only work experience is in politics (and it is either volunteer or low level work)
• He was running for Carlsbad City Council until about April, when the County Democratic party told him to get out of that race since they had a better Dem candidate
• He didn’t live in our district until he decided to run for school board and he had no previous involvement with the district after he graduated high school
• He had an ethics violation filed against him for trying to persuade a young female volunteer to lie about a fellow Dem candidate
• He is pretending be a teacher who works in our district to deceive the public. He has a 30-Day permit to be a sub but has NEVER WORKED A SINGLE DAY AS A SUB in SDUHSD.
• He quickly changed his LinkedIn after he called himself an “Educator” on his ballot designation and got caught out. Someone asked SDUHSD if he has ever worked there as a sub and the answer was no.
• He claims to be a “board member” on his ballot designation when he serves on a volunteer, unelected, unpaid board that meets for 90 minutes or less once a month, and has nothing to do with our school district. He is trying to deceive the public into mistakenly thinking its the SDUHSD board. We see through that.
• He only discusses partisan national politics in a race that is non-partisan and local
• He fights with people online, insults them, and calls them names
SPREAD THE WORD. He should not be anywhere near our children, in a classroom, or associated with our district in any way.
Is it true that he never worked a day as a substitute in the SDUHSD? He said is employed as an Substitute Instructional Aid at the district and his first day was August 7, 2024 (two days before he filed his election papers???)
I have a couple of simple and straight-forward questions:
1. Was Kevin Sabellico hired by the SDUHSD on August 7th, 2024? Was he an employee on August 9th when he completed this paperwork?
2. Has he ever been paid to be a substitute in the district?
Does anyone know definitively?
From what I understand Kevin Sabellico has been fined for numerous campaign and ethical violations in the past.
BOTTOM LINE, Kevin Sabellico was caught lying!
He’s not a teacher getting paid by SDUHSD and he’s not a board member for the school district. I guess he was hoping he could deceive the voters just like he did with Blakespear.
That is why I was asking about the endorsement from the teachers union. I just can’t believe that the teachers union would endorse someone who is trying to perpetrate a fraud against the voting public by claiming he is an educator. Teachers work hard for their teaching certification, and it is insult to teachers everywhere to try to put yourself off as an “educator” in an attempt to win an election. Shame on Kid Kevin.
Catherine Blakespear’s sphere of sleaze.
In Encinitas we will hopefully get rid of the last vestiges of her reign of terror, other than Joy Lyndes who isn’t up for re-election.
Kranz and Blackwell need to go and Density Preston the carpet bagger needs to lose.
Just one of multiple Blakespear remora’s, eager to lie to gain office and who have nothing to offer any community.
So just to break this down…Kevin Sabellico, a graduate of San Dieguito Union High School District and a leader at his High School (Canyon Crest Academy) is now running against a very unpopular incumbent (Allman). Allman would did not let his own children attend the San Dieguito Union High School District schools. Sabellico is endorsed by the San Dieguito Faculty Association (Allman’s application for endorsement was rejected and Allman constantly displays hostility to its teachers.) Sabellico takes all the necessary legal steps to educate others so Alliman has files a lawsuit to silence his opponent’s inspiring story of commitment to public education. Classic Michael Allman! I am a graduate of SDUHSD as were both our sons. I attend each and every regular Board meeting and constantly witness Allman getting others do to his dirty work rather than working civilly and collaboratively with his fellow Board Members, expert staff and Administrators. Allman is the POSTER CHILD for Project 2025 and he sees anyone who disagrees as a threat to his national, culture war agenda. Allman highlights his “fiscal responsibility” yet legal fees for the District have soared during his tenure. Another lawsuit, more legal fees, more division, more attempts at silence. Classic Michael Allman. Bob Ayers
So Bob, you say that Sabellico is endorsed by the San Dieguito Faculty Association? Are you sure this is true? I can’t obtain confirmation, and several people are trying to get Sabellico to confirm this but he won’t answer.