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Dec 01, 2023

Del Mar School Board member arrested in Florida resigns

A 13-year member of the Del Mar Union School District Board of Trustees has

A 13-year member of the Del Mar Union School District Board of Trustees has resigned after being arrested last weekend on suspicion of soliciting prostitution in Florida, according to a statement from the school board.

Scott Wooden, 60, was one of 213 people arrested during a weeklong crackdown on human trafficking in Polk County, according to law enforcement officials there.

Wooden, a married father of two who has served on the coastal San Diego County school board since 2010, was taken into custody Saturday during a sting operation, the Polk County Sheriff's Office reported.

Wooden allegedly responded to a mock online sex-services advertisement and paid a deputy posing as a sex worker $200, at which point he was arrested, according to an affidavit filed in the case.

In a statement Friday, the Del Mar Union School District said it received a resignation notice from Wooden. It also said while district leaders don't know all the details of Wooden's arrest, they find the allegations "shocking and extremely concerning."

"The District is continuing to learn more about this incident as information becomes available, and the Board is exploring options for any related action with its attorneys," the statement read. "On behalf of the entire Board, you have our commitment that our Superintendent and all staff will continue to focus on our important work each day in support of the students of the Del Mar Union School District."

When being questioned while in custody, Wooden commented that he had been "caught doing something stupid," the court document states.

He was released from jail Monday after posting a $500 bond, said Carrie Horstman, a Polk County sheriff's spokesperson.