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Oakville school board trustee Nancy Guzzo is facing 12 counts of fraud related to her former job as an administrator with health care union LIUNA.
Hamilton police have confirmed that they charged Guzzo last January and that she is facing 10 counts of fraud under $5,000 and two counts of fraud over $5,000.
She has continued to sit as a trustee with the Halton District Catholic School Board since then and board chair Patrick Murphy said he was unaware of the criminal charges.
“At this point I haven’t been convicted and I am fighting these charges,” Guzzo told Oakville News, when asked whether it was appropriate for her to continue to sit as a trustee.
She added that she has filed a civil suit against LIUNA.
When asked whether Guzzo’s continued participation as a trustee is appropriate or violates the board’s code of conduct, Murphy said, “From the board perspective, we would have to get legal advice as to our role and responsibilities.”
According to her LinkedIn profile, Guzzo was the assistant business manager for LIUNA Local 3000 from March 2018 to April 2019, after serving as business manager and secretary-treasure for LIUNA 1110 for almost 18 years.
She has since helped found the not-for-profit Food4Kids organization in Mississauga and, according to the organization's website, serves as vice president.
Guzzo appeared in court this week and has had her case adjourned until November.
She was first elected as one of Oakville’s three Catholic school board trustees in 2018.
News of the charges is the latest blow to a dysfunctional and badly divided school board that most recently made headlines for paying more than $24,000 last year to have an outside parliamentarian referee its argumentative meetings.