Painted Rock principal has new job

The embattled principal at Painted Rock Elementary School is moving to Abraxas High School.

Last week Mary Jo Thomas told her staff that she was taking a “leadership position” at the continuation high school. The school’s website shows a vacancy for the position of assistant principal.

Today (Friday) was Thomas’s last day at Painted Rock.

Taking over as interim principal at Painted Rock will be Janet Bernard, who has acted as interim principal at several other schools in the district.

Poway Unified School District spokeswoman Jessica Wakefield confirmed the district will be hiring a new principal for Painted Rock.

Earlier this year the school district went to court and obtained a restraining order against Christopher Garnier, a parent with children attending Painted Rock, after he allegedly made verbal threats against Thomas and exhibited menacing behavior. Garnier and his attorney have appeared the decision.

Garnier, an African-American who was involved in a controversial School Site Council election at the school, previously said that he felt the legal action was due to racism.