Kelly, Shield, Woods, and Eckert all took campaign money from a big-name attorney. These Trustees then approved GUHSD dealings to pay public money to this donor’s company.
The Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) Trustees all pledged to serve students, parents, teachers, and the community. But words are cheap. When it comes to actions, Kelly, Shield, Woods, and Eckert have made it a priority to serve one particular campaign donor.
John Howard donates to the Kelly, Shield, Woods campaign
On Oct. 2, 2022, John Howard, owner of JW Howard Attorneys, made a $2,000 donation to the joint “Jim Kelly, Rob Shield, Gary Woods” campaign. [See campaign finance document from the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.]
Nine months later, on July 20, 2023, Kelly, Woods, and Shield voted in favor of “Ratification and Approval of Agreement with JW Howard Attorneys for Legal Services for Fiscal Year 2023/24.” [See resolution document from the GUHSD Board Docs portal.]
Ramifications: As a result of this service contract, GUHSD paid JW Howard Attorneys $569,137 between July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024. [See “Legal Fees Quarterly Report 2023-24”]. GUHSD paid JW Howard Attorneys an additional $126,564 between July 1, 2024 and Dec. 31, 2024. [See “2024-25 Second Quarter Legal Fees Report”].
The total payment? GUHSD paid JW Howard Attorneys $695,701 following that campaign donation.
Eckert takes Howard money, votes in favor of Howard business
On July 11, 2024, the same donor, John Howard, made a $2,500 donation to Scott Eckert’s campaign for the GUHSD School Board. [See campaign finance document from the San Diego County Registrar of Voters].
Seven months later, on Feb. 27, 2025, Eckert voted “no” on a resolution to “Authorize Termination of Legal Services with JW Howard Attorneys Law Firm.” [See resolution document]
An obvious conflict
These Trustee decisions raise concerns regarding pay-for-play arrangements between the Trustees and John Howard. A potential conflict of interest would violate the GUHSD Governance Standards.
Excerpt from the GUHSD Governance Standards:
“To maximize Board effectiveness and public confidence in district governance, Board members are expected to govern responsibly and hold themselves to the highest standards of ethical conduct.”
Source: GUHSD Board Policy Manual
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