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Warrant served in probe of SD Unified trustee

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The San Diego County District Attorney's Office served a warrant on the San Diego Unified School District Thursday in relation to a criminal investigation of embattled trustee Marne Foster.

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She's accused of abusing her powers with her alleged involvement in a staff shakeup at the School for the Creative and Performing Arts; being secretly behind a $250,000 claim against the district filed by her son's father that accused the school of sabotaging the youngster's college plans; and holding a fundraiser to cover her son's college expenses.

The district is conducting its own investigation into Foster, who's served as president of the Board of Education this year.

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The SDUSD "was served with a warrant today by the District Attorney's office seeking information relevant to a criminal investigation they are conducting into the conduct of trustee Marne Foster," said district General Counsel Andra Donovan. "The district will cooperate fully with the district attorney's office as we are required to do by law."

Donovan said the district's civil investigation began Oct. 2 and has not been completed.

"I have directed the lawyers retained to conduct our civil investigation to suspend work and to focus their efforts on providing the district attorney's office with the information they have gathered to date," Donovan said. "We believe it is incumbent upon San Diego Unified to cooperate fully with the district attorney's office and to avoid interfering with that investigation."

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School district spokeswoman Linda Zintz told City News Service that representatives of the DA's office delivered a sealed envelope containing the warrant but took no further action.

The DA's office declined comment.