Judge bars candidate’s calling herself ‘educator’

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Dzintra Janavs ruled Monday that Monica Rodriguez, a candidate for the City Council’s 7th District, cannot call herself an “educator” on the March 6 ballot.

Rodriguez is a manager of housing opportunities for the California Assn. of Realtors. John Shallman, her political consultant, said Rodriguez may appeal because her job entails educating the public on housing.

“I’m a former teacher and it just stuck in my craw that someone would use that term -- ‘educator’ -- willy-nilly,” said Assemblyman Richard Alarcon (D-Panorama City), who is running against Rodriguez and brought the legal challenge.