The Salt Lake City school board member who was accused of trying to bribe his election opponent into dropping out of last year’s school board race has agreed to resign as part of a plea deal.
Mohamed Baayd was initially charged in December with one third-degree felony count of bribery in elections. Under a plea in abeyance agreement this month, that charge was amended to a misdemeanor count of attempted bribery in elections, to which Baayd pleaded no contest, court documents show.
According to his plea in abeyance agreement, Baayd was ordered to submit his letter of resignation to the Salt Lake City School District’s board of education on July 22, with his resignation to take effect no later than Aug. 5.
He must also pay a $1,000 fee and serve six months of abeyance probation, during which he cannot violate the law except for “minor traffic violations,” according to court documents.
If he meets those terms, the count he faces will be dismissed, according to the agreement.
Baayd did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Salt Lake Tribune. He previously told the news organization in a December text that he’s “an innocent man.”
In charging documents, the Utah attorney general’s office asserted that Baayd on Feb. 20, 2024, first texted his opponent for Precinct 5, Russell Askren, asking to “meet up and talk.” The two agreed to meet at a coffee shop March 7, 2024.
At the coffee shop, the opponents discussed their families, schools, motivations and worries before “the chit chat ended,” charging documents state.
That’s when Baayd is accused of telling Askren that a “councilmember” seat was expected to open in two years, that Baayd was planning to run for it, and that he “had a very good chance of winning.” The documents did not specify what council Baayd was referring to.
In the meantime, Baayd told Askren that he felt it was important for him to stay on the school board, charging documents state. He then allegedly asked Askren to “withdraw from the election” so Baayd could be reelected as an unopposed candidate.
Baayd added that he would involve Askren in the school board’s work and ensure he gained relationships with its members and the district superintendent, charging documents state.
Baayd defeated Askren with 64.22% of the vote. He initially ran for the Precinct 5 seat in 2020 against Dorothy Draper, winning with 68% of the vote.
In a statement, the school district’s board said Monday it was aware of the plea in abeyance agreement and Baayd’s resulting resignation.
“While we regret it has taken so long to reach this outcome, we are very pleased this issue has been brought to a conclusion,” the statement read. “This matter caused other board members a great deal of stress as we sought to respect Board Member Baayd’s right to assert his innocence, while being upset by the nature of the allegations and by the disruption to, and distraction from, the important work of the board caused by pending legal proceedings.
The board said it will “act promptly to appoint a new board member” after Baayd’s Aug. 5 resignation.
“We have every confidence that, through the prescribed process,” the statement continued, “we will identify and select an outstanding new board member who will put the interests of constituents first and will work diligently to carry out the board’s vision of excellence and equity for every student, every classroom, every day.”