THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz
C. Quinn / TRUSD Photo
The Twin Rivers Unified school board will meet in closed session tomorrow, Nov. 7 to discuss the overnight arrest of trustee Cortez Quinn on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges.
Quinn, 46, was arrested Tuesday night for accepting monetary gifts and loans from a school district employee and conspiring to falsify a paternity test, according to a press release issued today by Sacramento County District Attorney Jan Scully. Andre Antoine Pearson, 36, was also arrested on related felony conspiracy charges.
According to the District Attorney’s office, Quinn had a personal relationship with a female school employee from December 2010 through April 2011. During that time, it is alleged Quinn accepted gifts totaling $4,000, and loans totaling over $50,000.
State law makes it illegal for a school board member to receive loans from an employee of the district. Quinn was required to report these financial transactions in his statement of economic interest to the California Fair Political Practices Commission, but reportedly failed to do so.
Quinn is charged with four felony counts of perjury, four felony counts of filing false documents, and five misdemeanor counts related to improper receipt of the loans and gifts.
According to the District Attorney’s office, the relationship between Quinn and the same employee also resulted in her pregnancy and the birth of a son in December 2011. The employee filed a paternity action, and the court ordered Quinn to submit to DNA testing.
Quinn reportedly went to Comprehensive Medical, Inc., where laboratory technician Pearson was employed to collect DNA samples. It is alleged Quinn and Pearson submitted a false DNA sample under Quinn’s name resulting in a paternity test fraudulently showing Quinn was not the father. Quinn used that test result in court to deny paternity.
Both Quinn and Pearson are charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice and conceal evidence, and preparing false evidence for a court proceeding. Quinn is also charged with offering fraudulently altered evidence in a court proceeding, and perjury. All are felonies.
Quinn faces a maximum of 12 years imprisonment on the felony offenses, and an additional six months in the county jail for each misdemeanor. He was booked late Tuesday night into the Sacramento County Jail, but was released today on bail.
Pearson faces a maximum of three years imprisonment for the felony offenses. He is in the process of being booked into the Sacramento County Jail.
Quinn has served as a Twin Rivers Unified School District board member since 2007. From 1999 to 2010, he served as Chief of Staff to Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson and as California State Legislature as District Director to Assembly Member Roger Dickinson from 2010 to 2012.
The Twin Rivers Unified School District issued the following statement in response to Quinn’s arrest, “All of us are impacted when something like this occurs, but we want to assure our parents and the community that we will not be distracted from our goal.”
Twin Rivers Unified campuses in Natomas include Rio Tierra Junior High, Smythe Academy, Garden Valley, Strauch and Regency Park elementary schools.
Sweet justice. This guy has been screwing everyone left and right, literally. He’s had sexual relationships with 5 separate women at Twin Rivers, and harassed many, many more. He is a predator, future felon and deserves every bit of pain that is coming his way. Good riddance Cortez, you lying POS.