Cerritos Councilman Chuong Vo Has Not Told Appointee to Resign After He Lied on School Board Application

Sean Wang, who was appointed to Cerritos’ Let Freedom Ring Committee by Vo, wrote on the application that he lived in Hawaiian Gardens when he lived in Cerritos; the application was signed under penalty of perjury in June. Vo is a Torrance Police officer.

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THERE IN BLACK AND WHITE: The ABC Unified School District Application to Fill Board of Education Agency filled out by Cerritos Councilman Chong Vo’s Committee appointee Sean Wang showing a reported address in Hawaiian Gardens; Wang also checked the box that he was a resident of Trustee Area Seven. To be on the LFR Committee Wang must be a Cerritos resident.

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September 14, 2023

By Brian Hews

In July, Dr. Chris Apodaca resigned from his ABCUSD District 7 position, citing family reasons and setting off the process of the ABC Board appointing an area resident to the vacant seat.

One of the requirements dictated that the applicant must live in Hawaiian Gardens.

Several people applied including eventual appointee Francisco Noyola, former Hawaiian Gardens Mayor Mike Gomez, Luis Rodriguez, and a candidate named Sean Wang.

Documents obtained by Los Cerritos Community News, signed under penalty of perjury, show Wang indicated that he lived at 22401 Ibex Ave. a very unkempt tiny two-bedroom, one-bath home in Hawaiian Gardens; Wang also checked a box saying he was a resident of Hawaiian Gardens.

Yet a check of Cerritos’ city website shows Wang is on the city’s Let Freedom Ring Committee, appointed by Cerritos Councilman Chuong Vo; Wang also proudly proclaims he lives in Cerritos and is on the LFR Committee.

To be on any committee in Cerritos, a person must be a Cerritos resident, yet Wang lied on his ABCUSD application twice under penalty of perjury, indicating he was from Hawaiian Gardens.

Seven weeks after it was revealed Wang lied on his ABCUSD application, an August 29 public records request to the Cerritos City Clerk has revealed that Wang has not resigned, indicating that Councilman Vo, a Torrance Police officer, has not asked Wang to resign even though Wang committed perjury by lying on his ABCUSD application.

In addition, an examination of the attendance by Wang and other LFR Commissioners shows a pattern of chronic absenteeism except for two committee members, Monica Ballentine and Candy Yee.

Two members have missed the last five meetings; Wang, appointed in May of this year, missed the previous meeting in August.

Emails to Cerritos City Councilman Chong Vo asking if he knew of Wang’s application went unreturned; Vo would not answer if he would tell Wang to resign from the LFR Committee.

The attendance log for the last five Let Freedom Ring Committee metings.