MON: Lawsuit alleges former Volcano Vista administrator made up benefactor for personal gain, + More
By KUNM News
December 15, 2025 at 5:18 AM MST
Lawsuit alleges former Volcano Vista administrator made up benefactor for personal gain
-Colleen Heild, Albuquerque Journal
Shirts for the annual Volcano Vista High School Powder Puff game in 2023? Thank "Charlie."
Drinks for staff after the game the following year? Don't worry, Charlie's got it.
"Charlie" was touted as an "amazing benefactor" for the high school of more than 2,000 students on Albuquerque's West Mesa, according to a newly filed lawsuit.
As it turns out, there was no benefactor, only a unauthorized slush fund siphoned from student activity fees by the school activities director George Woods, alleges the lawsuit filed last month by Albuquerque Public Schools.
Charlie happened to be the name of his daughter's dog, the lawsuit alleges.
Woods, who didn't return Journal phone calls seeking comment, submitted his resignation in April after APS launched an internal audit into the missing fees. Woods had been activities director since 2018, according to APS spokesman Martin Salazar.
The lawsuit, filed in state district court in Albuquerque, contends that Woods converted up to $14,600 from student fees to his personal use without APS authorization. The lawsuit also contends he signed contracts with various vendors as an APS administrator without following the school district's procurement processes.
When the need for cash arose, the lawsuit stated, Woods would pick up the tab and claim the money came from a benefactor known only as "Charlie."
During his employment with APS as a teacher and administrator, Woods "was entrusted with funds raised through school-sponsored activities," the lawsuit states. "As a result of defendant's actions, (APS) suffered damages, including loss of funds intended for student and educational programs."
Over the past decade, several employees at other district schools have been found to have tapped larger amounts of student activity funds for their own use, with at least two criminally charged and one of those convicted.
Asked if APS has decided against pressing criminal charges against Woods, Salazar in a written response stated, "An investigation was conducted and the decision was made to proceed administratively."
APS couldn't discuss specifics of the lawsuit, Salazar stated. "APS already had strict policies in place prohibiting this type of thing. Those policies weren't followed, and a subsequent audit discovered the problem."
The audit, triggered by a whistleblower complaint, coincided with a ruling in another lawsuit filed against Woods and APS in late 2024. In that case, a federal judge in April ruled against Woods and APS in a lawsuit filed by the then-vice president of Volcano Vista's student Senate. Woods oversaw the student Senate.
In that case, filed last December, U.S. District Judge Matthew Garcia of Albuquerque found Woods and APS "likely unconstitutionally punished" the unidentified student for posting after hours away from campus a social media message criticizing Woods and the student Senate program. The judge ordered APS to undo the disciplinary measures imposed and reinstate the young woman to her student body position.
That student's lawsuit alleged in part that Woods "often had student purchase things out of pocket and `Charlie' would repay them after the fact," according to the APS audit last April.
"Defendant made multiple remarks boasting about 'Charlie' — an alleged benefactor the Defendant claimed was paying for things," states the APS lawsuit filed Nov. 11. "A witness stated that the Defendant disclosed that Charlie is the name of the Defendant's daughter's dog and the `Charlie Fund' was a cash (slush) fund."
The audit found the slush fund included fees students and their parents paid so that between 12 and 16 students could attend a summer leadership workshop at New Mexico Tech in Socorro. The workshop, affiliated with New Mexico Association of Student Councils, is a four-day, three-night leadership skills building workshop, Salazar stated. The cost was between $200 and $400 for each student.
In October 2023, Woods is alleged to have used the slush fund to reimburse a staff member for the purchase of shirts for the school's annual Powder Puff game during homecoming week. He credited a "benefactor named `Charlie' who liked to help out their program," the audit report states. The next year, following the Powder Puff game, Woods "invited the staff to meet him for drinks following the game."
"When it was time to leave, (Woods) paid the entire bill and told the staff not to worry about paying, that `Charlie,' got it," the report states. Days later, a staff member at a meeting with other school faculty was "discussing how nice it is for Senate to have this amazing benefactor, 'Charlie,'" the audit report stated.
Woods received the "benefit of funds belonging to (APS)," the lawsuit stated. "It would be inequitable and unjust to allow (Woods) to retain benefits derived from public funds intended for education purposes."
APS seeks compensatory damages in an amount "to be proven at trial," including attorney's fees, and "punitive damages due to the malicious and reckless nature of Defendant's conduct."
Duke Rodriguez officially announces campaign for governor - Albuquerque Journal Staff Report
Duke Rodriguez, a cannabis entrepreneur and a health care system executive, is officially in the race for governor.
A Cabinet secretary under former Gov. Gary Johnson, Rodriguez for months had been weighing a bid and speaking with local and national GOP leaders. His announcement was made in a paid advertisement that was published in the Sunday Journal.
"Most political candidates start their campaigns off with a huge announcement party. I view this as a waste. I'd rather get to work making our state better, so I've created this letter to you as a means of announcement and as an impassioned plea for your help," he wrote.
State Sen. Steve Lanier, R-Aztec, and Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull have already announced their campaigns as Republican candidates for governor in 2026. Democratic candidates Sam Bregman, the 2nd Judicial District attorney; Deb Haaland, former U.S. Interior Secretary; and Ken Miyagashima, former Las Cruces mayor, are also in the race.
As a former secretary of the state's Human Services Department, Rodriguez said he would bring extensive experience in Medicaid and other health care issues to the governor's office. He is currently the president and CEO of Ultra Health, a cannabis company. His campaign announcement mentioned guaranteed health care for New Mexicans and getting more nutrition assistance funding to people who need it most.
"Politicians won't like these ideas, but they're necessary because New Mexico is not a poor state ... it's just poorly run," he wrote.
Santa Fe City Manager Mark Scott to resign Jan. 1 after dramatic council meeting - Santa Fe New Mexican
Santa Fe City Manager Mark Scott is resigning after a little less than a year on the job. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports Scott gave his resignation to the city last Thursday following a dramatic City Council meeting Wednesday night.
Santa Fe is approaching a municipal changing of the guard, as current council member Michael Garcia will be the city’s next mayor. At Wednesday’s meeting, Garcia clashed with others present during an emotional discussion of a complicated problem with the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
The conflict involved a budget adjustment of over $3 million to make up for a disparity that city staff identified between the amount of money budgeted for the fund and what was actually spent.
Garcia asked why the disparities in the account had not been brought to the council’s attention earlier and asked who knew about it. Scott defended city staff.
Scott accused Garcia of implying that staff were concealing the problem from the council. Scott described the implication as offensive and characterized Garcia as unfair. Garcia blamed the entire situation on the administration of outgoing mayor Alan Webber.
Scott says he’ll resign, effective Jan. 1st, but plans to return to his family’s home in Fresno, Calif., where he plans to work remotely for the rest of the month.
Scott was hired in February.
Deputy City Manager Andrea Phillips will serve as acting on-site city manager for the rest of December.
'We are going to raise the rails': NMDOT makes historic commitment to suicide barriers at Rio Grande Gorge Bridge - John Miller, Albuquerque Journal
New Mexico Department of Transportation Secretary Ricky Serna announced at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge on Friday that the state will construct higher curved railings for the 60-year-old structure, responding to a spike in suicides there this year and the bridge's longstanding reputation as a magnet for people in crisis.
Serna made the historic announcement at the Community Rally for Accountability, one of two gatherings held at the bridge this fall in response to seven suicides in 2025, including three in the month of September. A day before Friday's rally, the Taos County Sheriff's Office recovered the body of a Colorado woman from below the bridge, marking the seventh such death there this year.
"A higher rail can interrupt a moment," Serna told a crowd of local residents, politicians and sheriff's deputies, some of whom participated in Thursday's body recovery operation. "A conversation can interrupt a spiral. Compassion can interrupt despair, and a connection can truly save a life."
An engineering study the NMDOT commissioned this fall determined it will cost the state roughly $8 million to complete the project, which will require the replacement of the bridge's current sidewalks using "lightweight concrete" to help the structure support the heavier railings. The steel arch bridge, which was built in 1965, may also be repainted in the process. A closure the state ordered for the bridge's sidewalks this fall is still being enforced.
"We need concrete interventions now," said Carlos Miller, a former president of the True Kids 1 Youth Council, speaking at Friday's rally. "We cannot continue to let lives be lost to this bridge."
John Nettles, a longtime river guide and swift water rescue expert who attended Friday's gathering, estimated he has discovered the remains of up to 12 suicide victims below the bridge over the last 16 years. The section of river below the bridge is a popular rafting and kayaking spot, known for its challenging rapids.
According to data the sheriff's office shared with the Journal this week, a total of 58 people have died by suicide at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge since 2000, with an average of three deaths annually.
"This is a time-sensitive issue, getting these rails raised," Nettles said, adding that there's a misperception that halting one suicide attempt is only delaying another. "I think a lot of people misunderstand how suicide works. A lot of times if you can just break that momentum, they'll be able to clear their head and move through it and onto the rest of their life."
The bridge has for years been equipped with crisis phone lines and now is patrolled by three security guards employed through the state. However, advocates for safety enhancements at the bridge argue that the structure's 4-foot-tall railings make it too easy to jump, minimizing the window for people in crisis to reconsider their decision or for someone else to intervene.
Steven Adelsheim, director of the Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing at Stanford School of Medicine, said suicide at the bridge is just one part of a complex problem — he said it's important that the Taos community looks for ways to provide its population with additional mental health resources as part of a continuum of care.
"I worked for many years as the director of school mental health programs in New Mexico," he told the Journal, "and I continue to believe there can be expanded support for young people, both from the school district, school mental health professional staff as well as from community mental health agencies, who also can provide an additional level of confidentiality for mental health services for young people."
The Taos County Sheriff's Office has borne the brunt of the responsibility for recovering the bodies of people who die due to suicide at the bridge. Missions are often led directly by Steve Miera, the county sheriff. Lt. Marvin Armijo said each mission ends with a debriefing process, in which team leaders conduct a mental health check of every deputy involved with recovering a body.
"It's never easy to see — the aftermath," Armijo said. "Having to break the news to a loved one, having to break the news to families, to kids, you know, they lost a loved one. It's not easy for us. It impacts everyone as a whole, not just the people who have lost a loved one, but it also impacts us to see the aftermath and to have to relay the death notifications. It's never easy."
Serna said the design of the new sidewalks and railings is expected by June, with a goal to begin construction in July and finish by summer's end. The announcement of the project's timeline was met by applause from attendees at Friday's rally, which was organized by True Kids 1 and Help Outreach Taos.
"We are going to raise the rails," Serna said. "We are going to raise awareness. We are raising responsibility and raising our commitment to mental health and its care across New Mexico. While physical infrastructure matters, we also know that we cannot build our way out of the mental health crisis with railings alone."
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. The New Mexico Crisis and Access Line can also be reached at 855-662-7474 (855-NMCRISIS).
Prolonged bridge closure in Española leaves businesses on shaky ground - Santa Fe New Mexican
Espanola, communities and businesses have a new concern during this particular holiday season: The ongoing closure of the Oñate Bridge.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the state Department of Transportation closed the decades-old bridge back in early June.
Officials cited concerns about the bridge’s safety in advance of an anticipated heavy monsoon.
Specifically, engineers feared that erosion around one of the bridge’s piers had become such that a high river flow event could make the bridge unstable.
The New Mexican reports that since the June closure, locals say they’ve received little to no information about what’s going to happen next.
The New Mexican also reports that the newspaper has asked the state to provide a copy of the report outlining the state’s plans for the bridge, but still has not received the document.
As a result, the newspaper filed a formal request for the report Thursday under the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act.
Espanola Mayor John Ramon Vigil told the New Mexican he’s “very concerned” the bridge will remain closed permanently.
A town hall meeting on the fate of the bridge is scheduled for Monday evening, at Plaza Convento, located at 101 Calle de las Espanolas.
City and Department of Transportation officials are scheduled to be present.
Monday evening’s meeting is set to begin at 5:30.
-Colleen Heild, Albuquerque Journal
Shirts for the annual Volcano Vista High School Powder Puff game in 2023? Thank "Charlie."
Drinks for staff after the game the following year? Don't worry, Charlie's got it.
"Charlie" was touted as an "amazing benefactor" for the high school of more than 2,000 students on Albuquerque's West Mesa, according to a newly filed lawsuit.
As it turns out, there was no benefactor, only a unauthorized slush fund siphoned from student activity fees by the school activities director George Woods, alleges the lawsuit filed last month by Albuquerque Public Schools.
Charlie happened to be the name of his daughter's dog, the lawsuit alleges.
Woods, who didn't return Journal phone calls seeking comment, submitted his resignation in April after APS launched an internal audit into the missing fees. Woods had been activities director since 2018, according to APS spokesman Martin Salazar.
The lawsuit, filed in state district court in Albuquerque, contends that Woods converted up to $14,600 from student fees to his personal use without APS authorization. The lawsuit also contends he signed contracts with various vendors as an APS administrator without following the school district's procurement processes.
When the need for cash arose, the lawsuit stated, Woods would pick up the tab and claim the money came from a benefactor known only as "Charlie."
During his employment with APS as a teacher and administrator, Woods "was entrusted with funds raised through school-sponsored activities," the lawsuit states. "As a result of defendant's actions, (APS) suffered damages, including loss of funds intended for student and educational programs."
Over the past decade, several employees at other district schools have been found to have tapped larger amounts of student activity funds for their own use, with at least two criminally charged and one of those convicted.
Asked if APS has decided against pressing criminal charges against Woods, Salazar in a written response stated, "An investigation was conducted and the decision was made to proceed administratively."
APS couldn't discuss specifics of the lawsuit, Salazar stated. "APS already had strict policies in place prohibiting this type of thing. Those policies weren't followed, and a subsequent audit discovered the problem."
The audit, triggered by a whistleblower complaint, coincided with a ruling in another lawsuit filed against Woods and APS in late 2024. In that case, a federal judge in April ruled against Woods and APS in a lawsuit filed by the then-vice president of Volcano Vista's student Senate. Woods oversaw the student Senate.
In that case, filed last December, U.S. District Judge Matthew Garcia of Albuquerque found Woods and APS "likely unconstitutionally punished" the unidentified student for posting after hours away from campus a social media message criticizing Woods and the student Senate program. The judge ordered APS to undo the disciplinary measures imposed and reinstate the young woman to her student body position.
That student's lawsuit alleged in part that Woods "often had student purchase things out of pocket and `Charlie' would repay them after the fact," according to the APS audit last April.
"Defendant made multiple remarks boasting about 'Charlie' — an alleged benefactor the Defendant claimed was paying for things," states the APS lawsuit filed Nov. 11. "A witness stated that the Defendant disclosed that Charlie is the name of the Defendant's daughter's dog and the `Charlie Fund' was a cash (slush) fund."
The audit found the slush fund included fees students and their parents paid so that between 12 and 16 students could attend a summer leadership workshop at New Mexico Tech in Socorro. The workshop, affiliated with New Mexico Association of Student Councils, is a four-day, three-night leadership skills building workshop, Salazar stated. The cost was between $200 and $400 for each student.
In October 2023, Woods is alleged to have used the slush fund to reimburse a staff member for the purchase of shirts for the school's annual Powder Puff game during homecoming week. He credited a "benefactor named `Charlie' who liked to help out their program," the audit report states. The next year, following the Powder Puff game, Woods "invited the staff to meet him for drinks following the game."
"When it was time to leave, (Woods) paid the entire bill and told the staff not to worry about paying, that `Charlie,' got it," the report states. Days later, a staff member at a meeting with other school faculty was "discussing how nice it is for Senate to have this amazing benefactor, 'Charlie,'" the audit report stated.
Woods received the "benefit of funds belonging to (APS)," the lawsuit stated. "It would be inequitable and unjust to allow (Woods) to retain benefits derived from public funds intended for education purposes."
APS seeks compensatory damages in an amount "to be proven at trial," including attorney's fees, and "punitive damages due to the malicious and reckless nature of Defendant's conduct."
Duke Rodriguez officially announces campaign for governor - Albuquerque Journal Staff Report
Duke Rodriguez, a cannabis entrepreneur and a health care system executive, is officially in the race for governor.
A Cabinet secretary under former Gov. Gary Johnson, Rodriguez for months had been weighing a bid and speaking with local and national GOP leaders. His announcement was made in a paid advertisement that was published in the Sunday Journal.
"Most political candidates start their campaigns off with a huge announcement party. I view this as a waste. I'd rather get to work making our state better, so I've created this letter to you as a means of announcement and as an impassioned plea for your help," he wrote.
State Sen. Steve Lanier, R-Aztec, and Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull have already announced their campaigns as Republican candidates for governor in 2026. Democratic candidates Sam Bregman, the 2nd Judicial District attorney; Deb Haaland, former U.S. Interior Secretary; and Ken Miyagashima, former Las Cruces mayor, are also in the race.
As a former secretary of the state's Human Services Department, Rodriguez said he would bring extensive experience in Medicaid and other health care issues to the governor's office. He is currently the president and CEO of Ultra Health, a cannabis company. His campaign announcement mentioned guaranteed health care for New Mexicans and getting more nutrition assistance funding to people who need it most.
"Politicians won't like these ideas, but they're necessary because New Mexico is not a poor state ... it's just poorly run," he wrote.
Santa Fe City Manager Mark Scott to resign Jan. 1 after dramatic council meeting - Santa Fe New Mexican
Santa Fe City Manager Mark Scott is resigning after a little less than a year on the job. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports Scott gave his resignation to the city last Thursday following a dramatic City Council meeting Wednesday night.
Santa Fe is approaching a municipal changing of the guard, as current council member Michael Garcia will be the city’s next mayor. At Wednesday’s meeting, Garcia clashed with others present during an emotional discussion of a complicated problem with the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
The conflict involved a budget adjustment of over $3 million to make up for a disparity that city staff identified between the amount of money budgeted for the fund and what was actually spent.
Garcia asked why the disparities in the account had not been brought to the council’s attention earlier and asked who knew about it. Scott defended city staff.
Scott accused Garcia of implying that staff were concealing the problem from the council. Scott described the implication as offensive and characterized Garcia as unfair. Garcia blamed the entire situation on the administration of outgoing mayor Alan Webber.
Scott says he’ll resign, effective Jan. 1st, but plans to return to his family’s home in Fresno, Calif., where he plans to work remotely for the rest of the month.
Scott was hired in February.
Deputy City Manager Andrea Phillips will serve as acting on-site city manager for the rest of December.
'We are going to raise the rails': NMDOT makes historic commitment to suicide barriers at Rio Grande Gorge Bridge - John Miller, Albuquerque Journal
New Mexico Department of Transportation Secretary Ricky Serna announced at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge on Friday that the state will construct higher curved railings for the 60-year-old structure, responding to a spike in suicides there this year and the bridge's longstanding reputation as a magnet for people in crisis.
Serna made the historic announcement at the Community Rally for Accountability, one of two gatherings held at the bridge this fall in response to seven suicides in 2025, including three in the month of September. A day before Friday's rally, the Taos County Sheriff's Office recovered the body of a Colorado woman from below the bridge, marking the seventh such death there this year.
"A higher rail can interrupt a moment," Serna told a crowd of local residents, politicians and sheriff's deputies, some of whom participated in Thursday's body recovery operation. "A conversation can interrupt a spiral. Compassion can interrupt despair, and a connection can truly save a life."
An engineering study the NMDOT commissioned this fall determined it will cost the state roughly $8 million to complete the project, which will require the replacement of the bridge's current sidewalks using "lightweight concrete" to help the structure support the heavier railings. The steel arch bridge, which was built in 1965, may also be repainted in the process. A closure the state ordered for the bridge's sidewalks this fall is still being enforced.
"We need concrete interventions now," said Carlos Miller, a former president of the True Kids 1 Youth Council, speaking at Friday's rally. "We cannot continue to let lives be lost to this bridge."
John Nettles, a longtime river guide and swift water rescue expert who attended Friday's gathering, estimated he has discovered the remains of up to 12 suicide victims below the bridge over the last 16 years. The section of river below the bridge is a popular rafting and kayaking spot, known for its challenging rapids.
According to data the sheriff's office shared with the Journal this week, a total of 58 people have died by suicide at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge since 2000, with an average of three deaths annually.
"This is a time-sensitive issue, getting these rails raised," Nettles said, adding that there's a misperception that halting one suicide attempt is only delaying another. "I think a lot of people misunderstand how suicide works. A lot of times if you can just break that momentum, they'll be able to clear their head and move through it and onto the rest of their life."
The bridge has for years been equipped with crisis phone lines and now is patrolled by three security guards employed through the state. However, advocates for safety enhancements at the bridge argue that the structure's 4-foot-tall railings make it too easy to jump, minimizing the window for people in crisis to reconsider their decision or for someone else to intervene.
Steven Adelsheim, director of the Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing at Stanford School of Medicine, said suicide at the bridge is just one part of a complex problem — he said it's important that the Taos community looks for ways to provide its population with additional mental health resources as part of a continuum of care.
"I worked for many years as the director of school mental health programs in New Mexico," he told the Journal, "and I continue to believe there can be expanded support for young people, both from the school district, school mental health professional staff as well as from community mental health agencies, who also can provide an additional level of confidentiality for mental health services for young people."
The Taos County Sheriff's Office has borne the brunt of the responsibility for recovering the bodies of people who die due to suicide at the bridge. Missions are often led directly by Steve Miera, the county sheriff. Lt. Marvin Armijo said each mission ends with a debriefing process, in which team leaders conduct a mental health check of every deputy involved with recovering a body.
"It's never easy to see — the aftermath," Armijo said. "Having to break the news to a loved one, having to break the news to families, to kids, you know, they lost a loved one. It's not easy for us. It impacts everyone as a whole, not just the people who have lost a loved one, but it also impacts us to see the aftermath and to have to relay the death notifications. It's never easy."
Serna said the design of the new sidewalks and railings is expected by June, with a goal to begin construction in July and finish by summer's end. The announcement of the project's timeline was met by applause from attendees at Friday's rally, which was organized by True Kids 1 and Help Outreach Taos.
"We are going to raise the rails," Serna said. "We are going to raise awareness. We are raising responsibility and raising our commitment to mental health and its care across New Mexico. While physical infrastructure matters, we also know that we cannot build our way out of the mental health crisis with railings alone."
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. The New Mexico Crisis and Access Line can also be reached at 855-662-7474 (855-NMCRISIS).
Prolonged bridge closure in Española leaves businesses on shaky ground - Santa Fe New Mexican
Espanola, communities and businesses have a new concern during this particular holiday season: The ongoing closure of the Oñate Bridge.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the state Department of Transportation closed the decades-old bridge back in early June.
Officials cited concerns about the bridge’s safety in advance of an anticipated heavy monsoon.
Specifically, engineers feared that erosion around one of the bridge’s piers had become such that a high river flow event could make the bridge unstable.
The New Mexican reports that since the June closure, locals say they’ve received little to no information about what’s going to happen next.
The New Mexican also reports that the newspaper has asked the state to provide a copy of the report outlining the state’s plans for the bridge, but still has not received the document.
As a result, the newspaper filed a formal request for the report Thursday under the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act.
Espanola Mayor John Ramon Vigil told the New Mexican he’s “very concerned” the bridge will remain closed permanently.
A town hall meeting on the fate of the bridge is scheduled for Monday evening, at Plaza Convento, located at 101 Calle de las Espanolas.
City and Department of Transportation officials are scheduled to be present.
Monday evening’s meeting is set to begin at 5:30.