30 Mayıs 2012 Çarşamba

SB 355 on Mandatory Reporters related to Child Abuse

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Date: February 3, 2012

Dear Senator Unterman,

· In response to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oxeR7M4PvY&feature=youtu.be&a and proposed SB 355 http://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/en-US/Display/20112012/SB/355 , I have attached for your review the recent PDF decision by ALJ Kimberly Schroer in the Alex Williams vs Fulton County School District case of severe and horrific physical and mental child abuse on several students with disabilities including Alex at the Hopewell Elementary School in Fulton County. It contains and outlines abuse by one teacher, Melanie Pickens who was allowed to continue to harm these students for years due to non reporting practice by the Principal of the school even though the known child abuse was continuing daily and reported to the Principal by many levels of educators and staff at the school including county level special education supervisors, sometimes repeatedly and over several years. It is a sickening and unbelievable story which quite frankly has set special education back 30 years. It certainly demonstrates Principals have TOO much power and control and we must work to put checks and balances in our educational systems to protect ALL children so this type of incident can never happen again.

Therefore, we must make sure there are absolutely NO loopholes in SB 355 for Educators and School District employees and there can NO longer be one person in the educational system the “sole” mandatory reporter to DFACS and Police (which previously has been the Principal). No longer can we allow DFACS when abuse is reported in schools to turn it back over to the school for them to police themselves. DFACS must be mandatory reporters as well and made to investigate and report to police for criminal investigation. NO longer can we allow Principals to only report to the School Resource Office, which is a hired school district employee. School Resource Officers must be mandatory reporters and report to DFACS and police.

VERY concerning, to date, the teacher and Principal in this matter have neither one been charged criminally, even though there has been a Fulton County documented report of criminal abuse and cover-up by the school district since 2007. WHY?

Here are recent news reports on this case:.

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/16651222/2012/02/01/judges-ruling-expected-today-in-fulton-school-abuse-case

http://www.ajc.com/news/judge-fulton-schools-owes-1327242.html#.Tyn0BGXVcCI.email

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/fulton-schools-ordered-pay-tuition-after-abuse-tea/nHSHD/

Wednesday another school case came to light in Bibb county involving seven teenagers at Northeast High School in which a 16-year-old special-needs student was allegedly raped and sodomized for about an hour in one of the school’s boys restrooms. Here again school police initially did NOT report this matter to Macon Police for criminal investigation. This must stop! I have seen no reporting that this matter has been turned over to DFACS.

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/2012/02/01/1886921/superintendent-says-he-wasnt-aware.html#storylink=cpy

I would love to discuss these matters with you personally at your convenience. Please provide me a time to call your office that you will be available. We need to protect all our children in GA, esp. our must vulnerable populations of special needs children who cannot speak and report abuse themselves.

Thank you for your time and consideration to this matter.

Respectfully,

Advocacy & Consulting Services - IEPadvocate4you
Carol Sadler, Special Education Consultant/Advocate
GA Advocacy Office PLSP I Graduate
770-442-8357
1105 Rock Pointe Look
Woodstock, GA 30188
CarolSadler@bellsouth.net
www.IEPadvocate4You.com
http://iepadvocate4you.blogspot.com

IEPadvocate4you also now on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter

https://www.facebook.com/pages/IEPadvocate4you-Carol-Sadler-Special-Education-ConsultantAdvocate/139597000964

http://www.linkedin.com/in/carolsadleriepadvocate4you

"There is nothing more unequal than the equal treatment of unequal people." ---- Thomas Jefferson

“Refrain from Restraining, Secluding and Corporal Punishment & Aversives are Abusive and Dehumanizing” ---- Carol Sadler, Advocate

GNET=GetNoEducation/Therapy=PsychoNOed=Jail without Jury or Trial=Imprisonment without Legal Representation

CONFIDENTIAL AND PRIVILEGED
Information contained in this communication is confidential and privileged. It is not meant to represent legal or medical advice, but rather advice given based on my knowledge as a trained Parent Advocate by the GA Advocacy Office, Council of Parent Advocates & Attorneys, CHADD, LDA, the GA DOE Parent Mentor program as an invited guest and the special education attorneys that I often work with on educational matters. Please do not forward without my permission.

CC: Disability List Servs and Agencies P.S. I encourage other parents, advocates and disability agencies to read and share this information as well and help advocate for changes in Mandatory Reporting practices in our schools! Please distribute widely!

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Attachment(s) from Chris Vance

1 of 1 File(s)

1135718.PDF

"Favorable" Decision in AW vs Fulton County School District

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All parents and advocates should read the 65 page PDF decision (at the bottom of this post) in the Alex Williams vs Fulton County School District decision regarding horrific physical and mental child abuse by a special education teacher at Hopewell Middle School and years of school cover-up by the Principal and County officials. In this case, had this teacher been fired when abuse was first noted by school personnel and reported to Special Education County staff and Principal, Alex would not have been abused and allowed to be tormented.

As parents and advocates, this case teaches us we must all work together to change Mandatory Reporting practices for all educators. NO longer can we allow what happened in this case. No longer can we allow Principals ALL power. This impacts ALL children, not just special needs.

It also teaches us we must continue to advocate for Inclusive and Non-segregated classrooms. Special Education classrooms should NOT be isolated alone down one hall, but intermingled amidst general education classes. Where are your classrooms?

Here are related articles published this week regarding this decision:

AJC - Alex Williams Was Denied a FAPE http://www.ajc.com/news/judge-fulton-schools-owes-1327242.html#.Tyn0BGXVcCI.email

CBS - Judge: Fulton Co schools violated students rights, must pay http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/16651222/2012/02/01/judges-ruling-expected-today-in-fulton-school-abuse-case

WSB - http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/fulton-schools-ordered-pay-tuition-after-abuse-tea/nHSHD/

Thanks to parents of Alex Williams and attorney Chris Vance, this case was open to the public. Myself and many special education advocates and attorneys attended daily to support the Williams family. Additionally, the media was present daily and I want to personally thank Jeff Chirico at CBS for his excellent coverage of the case I’ve posted at http://iepadvocate4you.blogspot.com/2011/08/abuse-cover-up-on-spec-needs-students.html . Mike Petchenik with Channel 2 news is also covering this decision and doing a terrific job keeping it in the spotlight. None of us must ever forget.

Fulton County residents should be furious this case was allowed to be litigated wasting your tax payer dollars. There needs to be an Open Records investigation to find out the entire cost of this case. You need to hold your School Board accountable for this tragedy. Two Fulton County school attorneys quit because they refused to litigate for the firm. The school district already had a shocking internal investigation documenting years of abuse and cover-up between 2004-2007, which has been previously posted on my blog at http://iepadvocate4you.blogspot.com/2011/08/fulton-county-report-of-investigation.html . Additionally there was a report by the GPSC posted at http://iepadvocate4you.blogspot.com/2011/08/gpsc-investigation-report-of-melanie.html . These are must reads for all parents, esp. parents in Fulton County. School Board President, Linda Schultz testified she was aware there was an investigation report documenting abuse by one of their teachers, but she had never read it. If you even believe that, you must ask WHY? Even if she hadn’t read it but knew about it, WHY had she not taken action? Should she still be your school board President?? Five years later, WHY has the teacher who abused the children and the Principal who covered it up never been prosecuted? Tough questions that need to be answered!

What is even most shocking is the school districts response to CBS regarding the decision in this case:

“This situation never should have happened and our hearts go out to the family for what their child has experienced.

It is in no way an indication of the character or culture of Fulton County Schools. We are pursuing criminal charges against the former teacher in this case.

We hope that this brings some sense of closure to this unfortunate circumstance.”

If their hearts went out to this family, WHY did they put them through this Due Process hearing stating their school district provided this child FAPE (Free and Appropriate Public Education)? Why did they never apologize? Why did they not notify the parents when they discovered abuse occurred? Why did they not share the internal investigations reports with these parents? Why did they continue to not provide all educational records?

How can any parent ever trust Fulton County School District again in light of this case?

IEPadvocate4you also now on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter

https://www.facebook.com/pages/IEPadvocate4you-Carol-Sadler-Special-Education-ConsultantAdvocate/139597000964

http://www.linkedin.com/in/carolsadleriepadvocate4you

"There is nothing more unequal than the equal treatment of unequal people." ---- Thomas Jefferson

“Refrain from Restraining, Secluding and Corporal Punishment & Aversives are Abusive and Dehumanizing” ---- Carol Sadler, Advocate

GNET=GetNoEducation/Therapy=PsychoNOed=Jail without Jury or Trial=Imprisonment without Legal Representation

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Attachment(s) from Chris Vance

1 of 1 File(s)

1135718.PDF

NFASG Meeting 2-12-12 Advocates Arsenal - IEP Tips and Strategies the Regulations Don't Tell You

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FYI – Please come join me as I speak on “IEP Tips and Strategies the Regulations Don't Tell You” at the 2/12/12 NFASG meeting below. Make your reservations to DebbieDobbs@comcast.net .

Please share with other parents, professionals and disability groups!!

IEPadvocate4you also now on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter

https://www.facebook.com/pages/IEPadvocate4you-Carol-Sadler-Special-Education-ConsultantAdvocate/139597000964

http://www.linkedin.com/in/carolsadleriepadvocate4you

"There is nothing more unequal than the equal treatment of unequal people." ---- Thomas Jefferson

“Refrain from Restraining, Secluding and Corporal Punishment & Aversives are Abusive and Dehumanizing” ---- Carol Sadler, Advocate

GNET=GetNoEducation/Therapy=PsychoNOed=Jail without Jury or Trial=Imprisonment without Legal Representation

[Attachment(s) from Debbie Dobbs included below]

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Attachment(s) from Debbie Dobbs

2 of 2 File(s)

Meeting Announcement 2-12.pdf

Tomorrow!! NFASG Meeting 2-12-12 Advocates Arsenal - IEP Tips and Strategies the Regulations Don't Tell You

To contact us Click HERE

FYI – Wrap up snuggly warm and come join me as I speak tomorrow on “IEP Tips and Strategies the Regulations Don't Tell You” at the 2/12/12 NFASG meeting below. Not too late to make your reservations to DebbieDobbs@comcast.net . Information to help you advocate for our precious babies!!

Please share with other parents, professionals and disability groups!!

IEPadvocate4you also now on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter

https://www.facebook.com/pages/IEPadvocate4you-Carol-Sadler-Special-Education-ConsultantAdvocate/139597000964

http://www.linkedin.com/in/carolsadleriepadvocate4you

Attachment(s) from Debbie Dobbs

2 of 2 File(s)

Meeting Announcement 2-12.pdf

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Father files $10.5M suit over Roswell student's death

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Father files $10.5M suit over Roswell student's death

http://www.ajc.com/news/north-fulton/father-files-10-5m-1369099.html

I met and had lunch with Mr. Hatcher at AW’s Due Process Hearing. This is another very sad and tragic story of abuse and neglect in Fulton County Schools. Parents must stand together and hold the School District accountable……….

IEPadvocate4you also now on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter

https://www.facebook.com/pages/IEPadvocate4you-Carol-Sadler-Special-Education-ConsultantAdvocate/139597000964

http://www.linkedin.com/in/carolsadleriepadvocate4you

"There is nothing more unequal than the equal treatment of unequal people." ---- Thomas Jefferson

“Refrain from Restraining, Secluding and Corporal Punishment & Aversives are Abusive and Dehumanizing” ---- Carol Sadler, Advocate

GNET=GetNoEducation/Therapy=PsychoNOed=Jail without Jury or Trial=Imprisonment without Legal Representation

23 Mayıs 2012 Çarşamba

School Board Discussion Meeting, Thursday, April 12th 3:00PM

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The Escambia County School board will be meeting for our once monthly discussion meeting this coming Thursday, April 12^th at 3:00 PM in room 160 of the Hall Center.
Board Topics that will be discussed at this meeting include the following:
1. Purchasing of Tablets - Bill Slayton - 5 minutes
2. School Board Member Networking Statewide (and Nationwide) for Best Practices/
Idea Sharing - Jeff Bergosh - 10 minutes

3. April and May Calendar and District-wide Calendar - Bill Slayton - 5 minutes

4. Promotion Requirements - Bill Slayton - 10 minutes

5. Overcrowding at Global Academy - Gerald W. Boone - 10 minutes

6. Televising Workshops - Linda Moultrie - 10 minutes

7. Proper Time-line and Communication with Board Regarding Disciplinary Items
and Late Adds to Agenda - Bill Slayton - 10 minutes

8. Protocol for Questioning of Students on School Property by Law Enforcement -
Jeff Bergosh - 10 minutes

9. Update on Meeting with District Staff and the Mayor's Office as Proposed at
the February 21, 2012 Board Meeting - Linda Moultrie - 10 minutes

Items the Superintendent has placed on the agenda for the discussion Workshop include:

1. Update on Back File Conversion - 5 minutes

2. Compass Learning Presentation - 25 minutes

3. LllS Presentation - 20 minutes

As is always the case for all of our meetings-- the public is encouraged to attend and afforded the opportunity to speak to the full Board.

Law Enforcement Investigators Questioning Students at School Part IV

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This is a subject I have discussed numerous times at length at School Board meetings and also on my blog here, here, and here.

Parents need to be engaged before their young school aged kids are questioned at school for law enforcement purposes, and students should not be yanked out of class by police for non-school related matters, except in certain limited circumstances. These are two issues which I feel need to be put into our policy in Escambia County. Many districts around the country are modifying their policies to delineate and define when students can be questioned at school by police for non-school related, law enforcement purposes as well as protocols for parental notification prior to such questionings. I have put together a list of some policies from around the state and nation side by side with Escambia County’s current weak policy.

I really like the way our neighbors in the Santa Rosa County School District define this process in their policy—and I’d be happy if we could mirror their language—although I like the Chesapeake, Virginia, policy even better! See some different policies here.

So, as I said I would do, early last month I met with the Sheriff’s Captain of the School Resource Officers and also a staff attorney from ECSO. I felt like the meeting went well.

I brought the initial draft policy I asked our attorney to write for Escambia Schools, which was built on a very well thought-out, well written statewide guideline from the Illinois Council of School Attorneys. The goal was to find what parts of this policy were disagreeable to the Sheriff, and then work toward a compromise. At this hour long meeting that occurred on March 7th, I felt really confident that we were at the precipice of the collaborative development of a better policy for Escambia Schools.

On March 27th, I received this response to the meeting from Sheriff Morgan. His response was mailed on March 15th, to the wrong address, and thus I did not receive it until 12 days after it was mailed.

The response from the Sheriff was somewhat terse, and it subtly hints that I somehow seek to subvert the school board’s decision making process by developing a policy on my own without input from the other board members.

This is simply not the case, though, and I pointed this out in

my response to the Sheriff.

I’ve talked about this issue with my fellow board members at open, advertised meetings on October 13, 2011, and also on November 9,, 2011. At the November 9, 2011 meeting, I volunteered for and stated my intention to work independently with the Sheriff’s office to draft a better policy that everyone could be happy with—with the idea that such a jointly developed policy would then be brought back to the board for their input, comment, modification (s) and-- ultimately-- their action. This is all reflected in the posted minutes from this November 9th school board meeting.

So instead of addressing the issue of crafting a better policy jointly, the letter from Sheriff Morgan to me simply restates the Sheriff’s original position—being that he is fine with the policy as-is---the Status Quo.

So, once again I’ll be bringing this issue back to the full board for discussion. I believe this is a worthy discussion to have—as on the one hand we are always seeking more parental engagement for school related matters, however our current policy on student treatment by police at school leaves these same parents as an afterthought---disengaged.

If the full board feels there is no need to make any adjustments to our current policy, even in light of recent Supreme Court Rulings that speak to this issue and also after looking at what other districts like Santa Rosa are doing—then I will stand down on this issue.

If, however, the board wants to get the policy updated, I’m ready to work together to get a better policy put into our rules.

I predict we’ll know what direction the board wants to go on this after next Thursday’s discussion workshop.

What Happens When the Lawyers Disagree?

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Lawyers argue their side of things, oftentimes disagreeing--this is a normal thing. But when the Superintendent's attorney and the School Board attorney disagree on an important matter up for Board action-- things can become interesting.

On the subject of Employee discipline recommendations, the superintendent's attorney, Joe Hammons, believes that the board can only accept or reject the superintendent's recommended punishment for employees.

While not advising that the board modify a superintendent's recommendation--School Board attorney Donna Waters, on the other hand, believes that the board can, in fact, modify a discipline recommendation.

I understand that discipline recommendations are the purview of the Superintendent, and in the rare instances where I have disagreed with one of these recommendations (4 times total in 6 years), I have simply voted against a particular recommendation.

I agree with our attorney in that a fight with the superintendent over something of this nature would serve no good purpose, and would in all likelihood result in litigation--Board vs Superintendent. I do, however, agree with Mrs. Waters' side of this argument--it is well researched, and she has reached out to several peers around the state to come up with her opinion and subsequent memo to the board.

Read Mr. Hammons' opinion here.

Read Mrs. Waters' opinion here

Senator Bill Nelson Visits Pensacola Elected Officials

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United States Senator Bill Nelson (D) met with about three dozen locally elected officials and other interested community members this morning at Pensacola State College.

Mr. Nelson is making stops today in Pensacola, Ft. Walton Beach, Destin, and Chipley.

If the session in Pensacola is any indication as to the motivation for the visit—the RESTORE act and lobbying for its passage in the U.S. House of Representatives (free of any major amendments) is the impetus for the Senator’s panhandle visit; the inevitable media coverage his visit locally will garner during this heated campaign year is probably a part of the reasoning for the visit as well.

Mr. Nelson spent about 40 minutes explaining, in very detailed fashion, the way in which he and the other Gulf State Senators were able to get the RESTORE act passed in the U.S. Senate by a 74-22 margin. The Senator was very complimentary toward the Republican Senators that voted with him to pass the bill, however he had nothing to say about those who voted no. Nelson explained some of the technicalities of the bill and the fact that if it is passed in its current form, 80% of the BP fine money-which could be anywhere from $5- $20Billion dollars—would be dedicated to the gulf states that were directly impacted by the oil spill. The catch, according to Senator Nelson, was that in order to pass the bill to get the BP fine money, new revenue had to be generated to satisfy a GAO report stating the RESTORE act would cost $1.5Billion to implement. Nelson, deridingly described this GAO figure of $1.5Billion as “fiction”—but he did mention that, oh by the way, he had found a mechanism by which he could raise $2.5Billion to satisfy the GAO requirement (and then some!)! (He never fully described this “mechanism”, only saying that it was something already “on the books”, not enforced for 9 of the last 10 years, and that if implemented this year would

generate $2.5Billion. My sense is that it would be some sort of a tax increase, most likely allowing the Bush-era tax cuts to fully expire, charging investors higher capital gains rates---a non-starter idea, in my opinion. And this is the reason why his counterpart, Senator Marco Rubio from Florida, voted NO on the RESTORE act. This is also why the bill is held up in the U.S. House)

Senator Nelson spent a portion of this forty minutes also regurgitating some standard Democratic party talking points about deficit reduction—Namely that spending cuts alone cannot get the budget under control and that the “ONLY WAY” to get a balanced budget is the expand the tax base [AKA: RAISING TAXES] and reduce spending simultaneously—which I do not believe either. (The reality---the quickest, most efficient way to get a budget balanced is to control discretionary spending, hold the line on or reduce taxation, and loosen the reins of government burdens on businesses to get the economy rolling. Just my opinion, though.)

Senator Nelson then took five (5) audience questions/comments:

1. Wilson Robertson, Escambia Commission Chairman, asked that any settlement with BP not be a complete and final settlement, as He felt that the damage from the spill could exceed what would be offered in a settlement, and Wilson asked the Senator to speak to this concern. Senator Nelson did not directly answer the question, but rather simply restated his belief that the full impact of the spill is not known but a settlement now is the a prudent course to take.

2. I thanked the Senator for coming to Pensacola and I asked the Senator to explain how he could utilize his leadership position on the Senate Finance committee to address the ballooning Federal Student Loan Debt situation. Escalating defaults are putting taxpayers on the hook (like the banking/real estate collapse) and many borrowers are deferring payments and actually dying before paying the loans back! I stated the fact that this debt exceeds $1Trillion and if the problem gets worse and is not solved it could put the economy on a course toward recession again. Senator Nelson said the senate passed a law that limits federal student loans to students attending institutions with a high historical default rate. On the subject of collecting the outstanding loans, the senator simply stated that “It is an issue that is real-- and we need to start working on this.”

3. Patty Hightower asked if the Senator had any sense of whether or not the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (AKA No Child Left Behind) would be re-authorized before elections, and the Senator gave a long winded description of why he did not think it would be acted upon—summarized by the statement that during the election year some lawmakers were

“Too Chicken” to make the tough decision and act on this bill.

4. Grover Robinson praised the Senator’s actions on behalf of the Gulf coast but quickly turned the mood by pressing the Senator to send more resources to the Gulf and eliminate NOAA bureaucratic red tape and improper analysis of actual conditions of the fish stocks in the gulf; This red tape, according to Robinson, was hindering the Gulf Coast Fishing Industry and the overall recovery locally from the oil spill. The Senator used this question from Grover to pivot back to his RESTORE act and what it would do to fund Gulf research that would help give meaningful data to local communities regarding the health of the Gulf of Mexico. Senator Nelson also took this time to vehemently defend the idea of not allowing any drilling in the Eastern Gulf Coast—saying any drilling operations would interfere with military training and also stating that “There is no oil there” and that “36 Million Acres of the Gulf are Leased out, yet these companies are only utilizing 6 Million of these Acres for drilling” Nelson reaffirmed his opposition to expanded drilling, yet he offered no alternate plan or idea to lower energy prices for taxpayers, which I thought was somewhat peculiar. I mean, at least bring a jar of seaweed, a Solyndra solar panel, a windmill--- or something?? But to just say “I don’t want expanded drilling” while simultaneously offering no alternative solution to lower prices for taxpayers, is somewhat weak. Just my opinion, though.

5. PC WU only added comments of thanks to Senator Nelson for his willingness to meet with the league of Cities group which had recently visited Washington DC, and Mr. Wu also praised Nelson for his availability and accessibility to locally elected officials.

The Senator spoke for about ten minutes with the media outlets after the main meeting, and then he quickly departed for his next event in Ft. Walton Beach.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished---School District prevails with Summary Judgment in James Benny Washington Case

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From an email sent by Board Attorney Donna Waters this morning:

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS - DO NOT ‘REPLY ALL’ – RESPOND ONLY TO ME
Good Morning: Mr. Hammons' office just advised us that a summary judgment in favor of the School Board has been granted in the Case of James (Benny) Washington v. School Board. This means that the Court found that there were no material facts in dispute, and that based upon those undisputed facts, there was no legal basis on which the plaintiff could win at trial. I will provide a copy of the court's order to you upon receipt. Congratulations are due to Mr. Hammons and his staff for this success! Donna Sessions Waters General Counsel Escambia County School Board 75 North Pace Boulevard Pensacola, Florida 32505
Background…..At the regular meeting of the Escambia County School Board on December 18, 2007, Superintendent Jim Paul recommended that the board terminate then employee James Benny Washington. After reviewing the entire issue, including looking into the appropriate files and speaking with numerous district administrative personnel with direct knowledge of this employee, I made the difficult decision at that time to not support the termination recommendation. At the regular meeting that December evening, Superintendent Jim Paul was stunned as the board voted down his recommendation and instead allowed this employee to resign. It became somewhat personal to me, as I made the recommendation that this employee be allowed to resign, which was voted on and passed by the board over the objection of Superintendent Paul.This employee had some significant issues, including a legal issue in the courts, which would have provided ample support to the termination had the board decided to take that path. My fear in terminating this employee was that an appeal might be successful—and we would then be compelled to bring this person back with back-pay and be “stuck” with him forever. Nobody wanted that. Also, the compassionate side of me felt that to allow him to quit might provide him the spark necessary to get back on track with his coaching/teaching career. I harbored no personal animosity toward this employee; rather, I felt that if he voluntarily quit, as he was pleading with us to allow, then we would have the benefit of a clean break from him. No DOAH hearings, no arbitration, no Union Grievances, nothing. He would be gone, and that would be that. Plus, we would not have to spend oodles of cash fighting him through these grievances, hearings, appeals, or in court because ----he wanted to quit.To me it seemed so clear.But I was wrong—at least initially. After James Benny Washington quit, it became one legal fight after another---racking up huge legal bills for the taxpayers of this county to eat in the process. In June of 2009, Washington filed a two count complaint against the School Board in Circuit Court. We let him quit, which he requested, then he sued us. And this has been expensive-- I have requested and will get the exact figure, but for now the outside legal counsel expense is estimated to be between $25-30K, plus countless hours of our in-house attorney’s time, and add to that staff time in preparing documents and doing research and attending meetings on this issue. Yes, this person quit and yet we were incurring huge costs. I was infuriated when the lawsuit broke in 2009 and wanted so badly to come forward and discuss this travesty earlier and in the media—but I was admonished not to do so for fear of jeopardizing the case . So I’ve kept my mouth shut, my opinion to myself, and gritted my teeth as the legal bills mounted and the taxpayers continued to be soaked.Eventually, this issue faded into the background with all of the other legal matters, until about six months ago when the issue again bubbled up to the surface as one of the two counts alleged by James Benny Washington vaporized via a summary judgment in our favor. One Count down, one to go!Fast forward to last week, and the issue came up again, as I was subpoenaed to appear in court! Unbelievable—I lead the charge to allow this man to quit after he pleaded with us over and over--and I end up getting subpoenaed to appear in court as huge legal fees continue to mount for the taxpayers!!

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. Thankfully, I won’t be going to court next week after all—as it appears that the Saga of James Benny Washington’s Case is finally over—nearly four and a half years and tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars later, the second count of his complaint is gone as of today. A summary judgment in favor of the School Board has been granted in the Case of James (Benny) Washington v. School Board.Meanwhile, the moral of the story is that even when you are in the right and you try to make a good decision and do the right thing by giving somebody something they want-- you can still get socked with a costly lawsuit, which is incredibly frustrating.

17 Mayıs 2012 Perşembe

Jeremiah Wright Ad Proposal Prompts Responses From Obama, Romney Campaigns

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WASHINGTON -- Top aides to President Barack Obama's presidential campaign have long prepared for a general election battle far more divisive and nasty than the one that took place in 2008.

The rapid growth of super PACs has enabled deep-pocketed donors to spend unlimited sums of money on negative campaign ads. Members of some conservative circles have consistently expressed the belief that the president was not fully "vetted" during the '08 campaign, and that a few ads focusing on his controversial associations could have perhaps moved the dial. Moreover, at the top of the ticket, there will be no John McCain, who famously decided during his presidential campaign that racially provocative attacks were out of bounds.

"I see nothing in Governor Romney's performance so far that suggests that he sees many lines, or that there are lines that he wouldn't be willing to cross or allow," David Axelrod, a chief adviser to the Obama campaign, told The Huffington Post during an interview in his campaign office on Monday. "I thought it was one of the great moments of McCain's campaign when he stood up to that woman [who called Obama a Muslim]. I don’t think he lost points because of it. I think it was a high character moment and people want that in their president."

So Obama's reelection team in Chicago wasn't caught off guard when The New York Times reported Thursday morning that a conservative super PAC, bankrolled by Joe Ricketts, the founder of TD Ameritrade and the owner of the Chicago Cubs, was plotting a $10 million ad campaign focusing on the president's ties to his former pastor, the controversial Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

But the campaign still viewed the story as incredibly consequential. The prospect of these types of character attacks had surfaced earlier than expected, and aides thought the story had the potential to place the campaign in one of the five most important moments of the election.

Campaign manager Jim Messina carefully crafted a statement denouncing the "hate-filled, divisive campaign of character assassination" and accusing Mitt Romney of falling "short of the standard that John McCain set, reacting tepidly in a moment that required moral leadership."

Earlier in the day, Romney had told reporters that he hadn't read the Times story, leaving him incapable of offering a response. But by the time that Messina was attacking the former Massachusetts governor for quivering morals, his campaign had already sought distance from the Wright ad proposal.

"Unlike the Obama campaign, Gov. Romney is running a campaign based on jobs and the economy, and we encourage everyone else to do the same," Matt Rhoades, Romney's campaign manager, said in a statement. "President Obama’s team said they would 'kill Romney,' and, just last week, David Axelrod referred to individuals opposing the president as 'contract killers.' It's clear President Obama’s team is running a campaign of character assassination. We repudiate any efforts on our side to do so."

Even Ricketts himself tried to distance himself from the proposal by midday Thursday, with a spokesman saying it "reflects an approach to politics that Mr. Ricketts rejects."

Though Romney himself brought up Jeremiah Wright during an interview on Sean Hannity's radio show in early February, he seemed hesitant to see the Wright debate revived. By offering a statement from Rhoades, a reticent figure who rarely talks to the press, the Romney campaign was signaling a deep sense of unease with the topic. An hour later, the campaign further signalled its seriousness, when it granted an interview with the candidate to the conservative website Townhall.com.

"I repudiate the effort by that PAC to promote an ad strategy of the nature they've described," Romney said. "I would like to see this campaign focus on the economy, on getting people back to work, on seeing rising incomes and growing prosperity ... And I think what we've seen so far from the Obama campaign is a campaign of character assassination. I hope that isn't the course of this campaign. So in regards to that PAC, I repudiate what they're thinking about."

It seems unlikely that that will serve as a sufficient denouncement of the attempts at character assassination, as the Obama campaign has little incentive to let Romney off that easy. What's more, Romney, in the end, has very little control over what third-party groups end up doing with their money. If Ricketts decides that he still wants to write that $10 million check, there are plenty of conservative ad-makers and media buyers willing to cash it for him.

If that ends up happening, the Obama campaign wouldn't be entirely displeased. The president has long polled best on questions about his personal attributes. People like him. And the prevailing sentiment among top aides is that the Reverend Wright issue has been chewed over by the public before and won't change voter's minds if it comes up again.

"Nobody in the country hasn't seen those tapes from last time around. It is not like that attack hasn't been introduced," said one top aide, before the Times story was published. "It may have been effective then because nobody knew who the president was. But they have been with them for four years. Re-surfacing it now won't work. His leadership and character attributes have always been some of his strongest when you ask voters."

Employers Target Liberal Arts Majors And College Grads Who Had Internships: Survey

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A new survey holds some good news for liberal arts majors.

It has certainly been said that a liberal arts degree is impractical for this economic climate. Some have argued that technical degrees are the path towards finding work after college.

Well, a recent survey of 225 employers issued by Millennial Branding and Experience Inc. finds employers are seeking out liberal arts majors almost as much as engineering students.

Thirty percent of employers in the survey said they were going after liberal arts types, just shy of the 34 percent who indicated they were seeking grads who studied engineering and computer information systems. As for finance and accounting, only 18 percent of employers were recruiting them.

"Of all the things employers look for when hiring entry-level talent," said Jennifer Floren, Founder and CEO, Experience, Inc., "it's the so-called 'soft skills' that are valued most: communication, teamwork, flexibility and positive attitude are by far the most sought-after skills. Employers understand that everything else can be taught, so they look for the most promising raw material to work with.”

Overall, 87 percent of employers are planning to hire more recent graduates this year.

There was a catch, however. Most of the employers also said in the survey they usually don't hire interns, and only half admitted to hiring any in the past few years. Yet, at the same time, 91 percent think students should've had one or more internships in the past.

Walmart Mechanic Wrote Satanic Symbols On Car During Oil Change, Customer Claims

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A Walmart customer says she found an unpleasant surprise after taking her car to the retail giant for an oil change.

A Fort Worth, Texas woman, known only as Jessica, claims that a Walmart mechanic with “an attitude” scrawled satanic symbols, including the “Mark of the Beast,” on the bottom of her car during an oil change, CBS Dallas-Fort Worth reports (h/t The Consumerist). Jessica says she only became aware of the symbols when a mechanic at a different Walmart later pointed them out, saying the blue sealant used to write them is common to Walmart car-servicing stations.

“Who does that?” Jessica told CBS Dallas-Fort Worth. “I mean, what if it’s a curse?”

Jessica's car crisis is the latest in a slew of bizarre incidents at Walmart stores. First of all, a rattlesnake reportedly bit a man while he was shopping in the garden section of an Idaho Walmart this week. Then in February, a razor blade was found in a brand new baby sleeper purchased from a Walmart in West Virginia, resulting in minor injuries. In addition, multiple customers were pricked by hypodermic needles found in clothing at a Walmart in Georgia last December.

Then there are the controversies that, like in the case of the satanic car incident, have to do more with human interaction. Donnell Battie is suing Walmart for a million dollars, after a 16-year-old allegedly said "all black people must leave the store" over the PA, according to the International Business Times.

It doesn't stop there. At the corporate level, Walmart is also in hot water over a variety of claims. The big box retailer's Mexico division is being investigated for allegedly using bribery to boost the number of stores in the country. The U.S. Labor Department also fined Walmart earlier this month for allegedly denying workers overtime pay.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this post mistakenly said a Walmart employee had stated that "all black people must leave the store" over the PA.

Walmart Satanic

SENATORS INTRODUCE ‘EX-PATRIOT ACT’ IN RESPONSE TO FACEBOOK FOUNDER’S TAX AVOIDANCE

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Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin renounced his American citizenship ahead of Facebook’s initial public offering, a move that will save him about $67 million in taxes. Today, Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the “Expatriation Prevention by Abolishing Tax-Related Incentives for Offshore Tenancy” Act — or Ex-Patriot Act— to prevent this sort of tax avoidance. Under the bill, former citizens “will besubject to 30% capital gains tax on future U.S. investments no matter where they live.” Of course, Saverin could have bigger problems, as he may not be able to reenter the U.S. on account of his decision. And Saverin is certainly not the only person connected to Facebook who is planning on avoiding taxes.

‘Post-Racial America’ Laid Out In Plain English By Talib Kweli

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The other day, rapper Talib Kweli (pictured) used Twitter to convey a sentiment many people have felt since talk of this mythical (read: nonexistent) land called “post-racial America” first surfaced in national media following the historic election of Barack Obama as president. I understand why people wanted to see his election as a manifestation of Mariah Carey’s “Hero,” but such a scenario was never going to happen.

Talib argued that, if anything, Obama is indeed a symbol, but his presence does not negate a longstanding systematic problem in this country. To him we are not ”post-racial” but in fact “most-racial.” Have enough noticed? I’m guessing not from his series of politically themed tweets.

Talib Kweli writes:

These “we got a black president everything is great” losers kill me lol

This is how backwards ppl are. In 08 I was asked in more than one interview, if Obama wins, what would I have left to rap about? As much respect as I have for Obama as a man & historical figure, the president is a symbol.

Post racial society? Nah. Most racial society. Stop #stopandfrisk

There are MANY criticisms of Obama that I feel are accurate. But when u call him a socialist u expose yourself as a Fox News watching moron.

The president can be criticized for his record. No need to make stuff up just because you don’t understand your real reason 4 disliking him. Obama is Christian, a capitalist and a shrewd politician. He is not a Muslim or a socialist. Even if he was, so what?
I pray for the brain cells of those who posed Talib such an asinine question, but shouldn’t they be revisiting the aftermath of those post-racial proclamations more anyway?Why not dissect the overt racism President Obama’s political opposition has leveled against him since he was sworn in? We had plenty of well-intentioned — albeit grossly superficial — fantasy works on America’s potential in light of his candidacy.

How about something revisiting the reality? The boldly racist, consistently xenophobic, vitriol often hurled Obama’s way.

Watch President Obama on “The View” this week:

Even during his appearance on “The View,” President Obama (pictured below) responded to Sherri
Obama on the view

Shepherd’s question about how competitive his reelection bid will be by quipping, “When your name is Barack Obama it’s always going be tight.”
There are countless other examples of divide to highlight, too. Say Travyon Martin’s death and the racial divide with respect to the perception of his killing, or the spectacle less-subtle Americans have made of it – i.e. using Trayvon’s image to sell target sheets. There’s a lingering hostility in the air as it pertains to race, and while it would be wrong to not denote improvement, it’s even more so to sweep it under a dusty rug completely.

Just a week ago, I tweeted: “How are all of you post-Black, post-racial, and other post-posturing folks enjoying the headlines of the week?”

I never got an answer, but perhaps I’m just as silly to expect that I’d ever get an answer on that or any one similar to it. What to do? I’m not sure, but I guess I’ll start humming Mariah in the meantime.

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