Following months of allegations, San Diego Unified School Board trustee Marne Foster resigned over something that had never surfaced publicly.
She pleaded guilty Tuesday to a misdemeanor charge of accepting illegal gifts as a public official. Her resignation from the school board, effective Feb. 7, was part of her plea agreement.
But her defense attorney and the prosecution acknowledged that high-profile allegations made against her had played an important role in her resignation.
They both said the public issues she’d faced in the media, which also led to an investigation into her conduct by the school district, were part of negotiations that eventually led to the plea agreement.