Former Rialto Unified School District Superintendent Cuauhtemoc Avila has filed a long-anticipated lawsuit alleging he was fired earlier this year because he publicly accused district officials of engaging in unethical and illegal conduct.

The suit, filed July 3 in San Bernardino Superior Court, mirrors the allegations outlined in a previous legal claim in which Avila portrayed himself as a victim of a campaign to destroy his reputation because he stood in the way of officials trying to exert more control over daily operations.

Named as a defendant in the suit is Edgar Montes, a school trustee of 15 years whom Avila claims was instrumental in the school board’s decision to place him on nondisciplinary leave on May 8, 2024, and subsequently fire him 10 months later.

Avila’s claim against Rialto Unified, filed in November, accused Montes and Patricia Chavez, the district’s lead agent of innovation, of “joining forces” to damage his standing in the community.