tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34037338473176898352024-03-13T19:09:06.456-07:00Reform ABC Unified School DistrictA grassroots campaign started by the parents of children in the ABC Unified School District along with concerned citizens to call attention to the danger and harm caused by school district officials mishandling of kindergarten teacher Kevin Kirby's death threats and Stower Elementary Principal Eileen Blagden's demotion for reporting them.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-57051488758548092732012-08-03T12:50:00.003-07:002012-08-03T12:50:46.618-07:00Video: Just how safe are your children in school?<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">An eye opening look at California's ABC Unified School District officials in the wake of a brewing scandal involving a mass cover-up of teacher misconduct which includes lewd and lascivious behavior, indecent exposure, suicide and death threats, a pay off to leave quietly.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-1544350331550171222012-08-01T16:13:00.001-07:002012-08-01T16:13:09.457-07:00L.A. Times: Professor set fires at son's school and plotted murder, D.A. says<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A UC Irvine professor is accused of setting a series of fires at and around his son's high school before outlining plans in emails to kill teachers and students, Orange County prosecutors said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rainer Reinscheid, a 48 year old an associate professor of pharmaceutical science, was arrested July 24 after Irvine police found him trying to start a fire using lighter fluid and newspaper in the Mason Park Preserve near University High School, the Orange County district attorney's office said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Police had increased patrols in the University High School area after a series of small fires in and around the school started July 4, said Irvine police Lt. Julia Engen. The fires did not injure anyone or burn down any structures but left school property scorched, and police feared that another fire might ignite the preserve's dry brush and cause a major conflagration.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But when investigators looked at Reinscheid's cellphone, what they found, they said, was far more troubling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In emails from April addressed to himself and his wife, Reinscheid allegedly planned to obtain firearms to murder students and administrators, commit sexual assault, burn down the school and then kill himself, said Farrah Emami, spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorney's office.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"We did take these emails very seriously," Emami said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The professor — who posted bail and was released after his intial arrest — was taken into custody again and is now being held without bail, which prosecutors requested in court Tuesday. He faces felony arson charges.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reincheid's 14yearold son, Claas Stubbe, attended University High School. The teenager committed suicide in March, days after he was disciplined by school administrators for what Irvine Unified School District spokesman Ian Hanigan described as a "fairly minor" matter involving a theft from a student store. He was given trash pickup duty as a punishment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Acquaintances say Reinscheid had been furious at University High School for how it handled his son's death.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"He was angry and unsatisfied with the investigation into his son's death," said Bruce Blumberg, a professor in Reinscheid's department at UC Irvine. Blumberg described Claas Stubbe as "a sweet and sensitive boy."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were rumors the boy had been bullied, though Hanigan maintained that no evidence was found to support the claim. Irvine police said they were unable to verify what drove him to suicide.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"There is just a tragic situation for [Reinscheid] and his family," Engen said, but added: "This is such an irrational response. … This is not a normal grieving."</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Source: <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/08/uci-professor-allegedly-set-fires-at-sons-school-before-murder-plot.html" target="_blank">L.A. Times</a></b></span></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-15875094196842064282012-07-31T12:21:00.001-07:002012-07-31T12:21:11.878-07:00Kent State University Campus Threat<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Kent State University student accused of posting a message on Twitter saying he would be "shooting up" the northeastern Ohio campus was instructed Monday to stay away from the school and its president.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">William Koberna, a 19-year-old sophomore, was set to be released Monday after posting part of a $50,000 bond set at Portage County Municipal Court in Ravenna, about 20 miles east of Akron. He appeared via video from the Portage County Jail.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conditions of his bond require Koberna to wear a GPS tracking device and to stay away from university President Lester Lefton and the school.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">University officials say an employee was monitoring social media mentions of the school when a profanity laced tweet posted July 25 was discovered. The public tweet mentioned Kent State University, identified the university president by name and included a threat that he planned to be "shooting up" the school. The tweet ended with "ASAP." It is no longer available.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Koberna was arrested Sunday afternoon at his parents' home in the Cleveland suburb of Brunswick after university officials contacted police about the tweet. Officials say he was taken into custody without incident.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Our primary concern is keeping the school safe," said university spokesman Eric Mansfield. "We took this tweet very, very seriously, which is why we contacted police so quickly."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Koberna has been charged with inducing panic, a felony, and aggravated menacing, a misdemeanor. A preliminary hearing is scheduled Friday at the Kent branch of Portage County Municipal Court. Court records do not list an attorney for the teen. Public records also do not list a phone number for him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mansfield said university officials are meeting Monday to discuss what disciplinary actions will be taken against Koberna. He could face possible suspension or expulsion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Any threat to our campus community is taken seriously and immediately investigated," said Lefton in a statement on the university's website posted to students and staff. "Our students, employees, and all those who come to campus should know that their safety is our top priority."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mansfield said officials do not ignore any threat to the school, especially after a recent shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., left 12 dead and 58 injured during a midnight showing of the new Batman movie.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"In light of what took place in Aurora, Colo., and with Columbine and Virginia Tech and even Chardon, we can't take any chances," he said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chardon is a city in northeast Ohio where three students were killed and three others were injured February. A teen has pleaded not guilty to charges in the shooting rampage at Chardon High School, east of Cleveland.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"We're not playing games," Mansfield said. "When someone posts something like this, we're going to respond immediately to make sure our campus is safe."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Koberna, a computer science major, is studying at the school's College of Arts and Sciences. He was living off campus and wasn't taking any summer classes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kent State was the scene of deadly gunfire in May 1970, when Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire during an anti-war protest. Four students were killed and nine others were wounded.</span><br />
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-31248955764296104092012-07-21T05:29:00.001-07:002012-07-21T05:29:37.477-07:00Los Cerritos News: Settlement Fails Between ABC and Former Stowers Principal<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.loscerritosnews.net/2012/07/20/settlement-fails-between-abc-and-former-stowers-principal/" target="_blank">LOS CERRITOS NEWSPAPER</a><br />July 20, 2012</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Case goes to Trial Court<br />Oct. 31st</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Former Stowers Elementary School Principal Eileen Blagden and the ABC Unified School District failed to agree on a settlement over her demotion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Judge Rex Heeseman, presiding over a Mandatory Settlement Conference on July 17, following a series of interviews with both parties in his chambers ruled a settlement could not be reached because both sides were to far apart. The case will go to trial on Oct. 31 of this year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the school board meeting scheduled that night, Lakewood resident Larry Andre accused the District of covering up the events leading to Mrs. Blagden’s demotion. He said he has looked at the depositions made by ABC officials and he is concerned by their answers to what he described as simple questions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He accused them of dancing around them and that concerned him very greatly. “The fact that Mrs. Blagden was told to violate the law and not report the death threats made to two of her teachers concerns me greatly.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He said not only was she demoted but also the teacher who made the death threats was given a sum of money to go away. He said it concerns him that the school board could be so complacent about this matter. He asked if Mrs. Blagden did the right thing in reporting the death threats?” Apparently the District felt the rights of the employee were more important than the lives of the two teachers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Addressing Superintendent Dr. Mary Sieu he said you were asked at the deposition if Mrs. Blagden did the right thing. You answered, “I don’t know.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">School Board President Olympia Chen pointed out the District currently employs Mrs. Blagden as a teacher. “And it is Board policy that we do not discuss personnel matters in open meetings.” She added, “Mrs. Blagden sued the District and we cannot talk about this case.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rich Blagden, husband of Eileen Blagden accused the District of knowing that the teacher, Kevin Kirby, was arrested for lewd conduct and indecent exposure while at Leal Elementary School and yet transferred him to Stowers. “The case went to trial and he wasn’t convicted on the charge,” Blagden said. Assistant Superintendent Carol Hansen stated Kirby was guilty but got off on a technicality.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In his deposition former Superintendent Dr. Gary Smuts admitted he was aware Kirby had been accused of a crime described as lewd and lascivious conduct while he was at Leal and that he had one conviction and had been arrested three or four times. He also admitted following the Stowers incident where there was a possible danger to the students and faculty on Jan 26-28 and on Feb 1 2010.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blagden wanted to know why someone with Kirby’s known background was placed in a school where he had access to young children? He said no one from Dr. Smuts on down could give a straight answer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He accused the Board of violating their own policy when his wife came to the school board seeking an audience with Dr. Smuts and was denied. In his deposition Dr. Smuts claimed he denied Blagden a meeting with her immediate supervisor pursuant to board policy because she had retained a lawyer even though the specific section says she has the right to be accompanied by a friends or advisor of the employees choice.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr. Smuts said in his opinion she was denied a meeting because the attorney had “done research” and had threatened litigation, therefore the policy did not apply. He admitted this was just his opinion.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mr. Blagden said his wife had been demoted because she had revealed the death threats to the sheriff. He said they deny this but there are 12 or 13 depositions that state otherwise. “Last week Superior Court Judge Joanne O’Donnell ruled the accusations against my wife were fabricated.”</span></span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-54269192232294413292012-07-20T11:24:00.000-07:002012-07-20T11:36:10.178-07:00If Fred Willard had been a teacher for the ABCUSD, he'd still have his job<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fred Willard, the 72-year-old star of “Best in Show” and “A Mighty Wind,” among countless other comic roles, was arrested Wednesday night at Hollywood's Tiki Theater when vice cops allegedly saw him with his genitals exposed and in his hand. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The charges, lewd and lascivious behavior and indecent exposure. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And even though no trial date has been set and Willard hasn't been convicted of anything, t<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 12px; text-align: left;">he arrest led to Willard being fired from his job as narrator of PBS's new show "Market Warriors." </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interesting, because when then Leal Elementary school teacher Kevin Kirby was arrested for those exact same charges involving a similar situation and convicted on trespassing, the ABC Unified School District didn't fire him. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, not even when he was barred from 100 yards of a public school, library, park, etc. in the City of Long Beach, they just moved him to Stowers Elementary School where he went on to make suicide and death threats towards two of his fellow teachers before being paid off to leave quietly into the night.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now we're not saying actor and comedian Fred Willard should have been fired from PBS but we are pointing out the similarities in his situation with those of a teacher responsible for children on a day to day basis. While Fred Willard was not in direct contact with kindergarten children as we know it, PBS still wasted no time in firing him. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So why can't a school district take the same actions towards one of their teachers who actually is in contact with children everyday?
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-17445359597333554532012-07-20T11:05:00.001-07:002012-07-20T11:05:29.935-07:00OpEd: ABCUSD reaches new low with denying media access to public meeting<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ABC
Unified School District’s free fall from its lofty perch continues unabated. On
Tuesday night, district security went outside and denied the cameraman for KCBS2/KCAL9 television news station access to a public school board meeting
being held inside a public building. This clearly violated the public’s right
to attend public school board meetings. What is the ABCUSD school board hiding?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Furthermore,
district security denied reentry to the building of a Cerritos-Artesia Patch
reporter. In a brazen move, district security locked the front door, denying
entry to all citizens. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A concerned citizen witnessed this and even confronted
district security about these violations. The security officer reported that
his superior told him to do it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why?
What brought us to this point where Superintendent Mary Sieu is above following
the law? Isn’t respecting and obeying rules and laws one of most important
tenets children are taught in school? Why not practice these tenets as adults,
too?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">T</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">he
ABC Unified School District administrators believe they are accountable to NO
ONE. This didn’t happen overnight and it will not be undone until the community
rises up and demands change at the top.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Denying
media access to a public school board meeting Tuesday night is the District’s
feeble attempt to duck and cover. It is now too late to run and hide from the
truth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ABCUSD
demoted Principal Blagden over two years ago, because Blagden reported
suicide/death threats to the sheriff, after she was directed to do nothing,
tell no one, especially the victims.
Blagden refused to follow this clearly illegal directive, as she took
proper action to protect students and staff.
These facts are no longer being repressed by fear, intimidation, and
retaliation orchestrated by district officials against school employees, as
this lawsuit, is now public record. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>An
Outraged Parent</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-77122204121835167052012-07-19T16:07:00.000-07:002012-07-19T16:07:44.303-07:00Cerritos-Artesia Patch: Richard Blagden Speaks Out at School Board Meeting On Wife's Demotion as Stowers Elementary Principal<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://cerritos.patch.com/articles/abc-unified-school-district-eileen-richard-blagden-speaks-out-on-behalf-of-wife-at-abc-school-board-meeting#photo-10705865" target="_blank">CERRITOS-ARTESIA PATCH</a></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">July 19, 2012</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0VIUhUm2Mes/UAiSxrrzZYI/AAAAAAAAABw/wMVut57VdS4/s1600/b2952ad16433e28faee7b6021fb9f845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0VIUhUm2Mes/UAiSxrrzZYI/AAAAAAAAABw/wMVut57VdS4/s1600/b2952ad16433e28faee7b6021fb9f845.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On July 17 attendees sat in silence as Richard Blagden exhausted his 3-minute limit during the ABC School Board meeting, speaking on behalf of his wife, former Stowers <span style="background-color: white;">Elementary School principal, Eileen Blagden.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 2010, Blagden filed a police report that kindergarten teacher Kevin Michael Kirby, who had recently been reassigned to Stowers Elementary, had made suicide and death <span style="background-color: white;">threats. Kirby had been recently been accused of lewd and lascivious behavior and indecent exposure and convicted of trespassing in the city of Long Beach.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Former Teacher Allegedly Made Suicide and Death Threats</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to Blagden, Kirby said he wanted to kill two teachers at the school and end his own life. When she reported this to a district representative, Blagden said she was told <span style="background-color: white;">not to say anything.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"She said to me, 'if you report this, you'll be sorry'," Blagden told CBS2 in a sit-down interview. "She made it very clear it was a directive to say nothing."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But after learning the teacher also had a criminal history, she became worried about the safety of the other teachers and her students, prompting her to tell the two teachers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">whom he allegedly threatened they didn't have to come to work. Blagden then filed a police report.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After reporting the threats, Blagden was put on a three-month administrative leave, but was demoted back to teacher status. With the help of attorney Ron Wilson, she filed a <span style="background-color: white;">lawsuit against the ABC Unified School District alleging retaliation for whistle-blowing.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During a taped deposition, recently retired district Superintendent Gary Smuts said Blagden was demoted because she refused to follow a district directive to allow the district <span style="background-color: white;">representive to verify the information Blagden had given her with regards to the threat.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Settlement Talks Fizzle, Case Set for Trial on Oct. 31</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joanne O'Donnell denied the school district's motion for a summary judgment. The parties were also unable to come to a settlement <span style="background-color: white;">agreement on July 17 and a jury trial has been set for Oct. 31.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mr. Blagden: "You're dragging ABC, getting negative publicity."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With just three months left before going to trial, the ABC School District is faced with backlash by </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Richard Blagden, the husband of former Stower's Elementary principal, Eileen Blagden, regarding </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">her demotion in the district.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dragging a cart filled with binders containing what Blagden's husband claimed as evidence received by the court, he mentioned incidents of flip-flopping and document <span style="background-color: white;">fabrication regarding the parties involved in his wife's case. To add, Mr. Blagden cited specific ABC employees as problems to the district.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You're dragging ABC, getting negative publicity,” he said at the school board meeting earlier this week.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The problem is at the top. It's Mary Sieu, the superintendent, it's Carol <span style="background-color: white;">Hansen, the assistant superintendent/human resources, it's Cheryl Bodger, who is the director of schools, and lucky for Gary Smuts he retired.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The School District's Response</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sieu, when ask for comments regarding Mr. Blagden's comments, could only offer what was written in the district's official statement:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />We cannot comment on the reasons why Mrs. Blagden was reassigned, as this matter is still in litigation and she has not authorized us to discuss this matter in public. It is not our <span style="background-color: white;">practice to litigate matters in the press. However, the decision had absolutely nothing to do with her reporting any threatening behavior to the authorities, as this District takes the </span><span style="background-color: white;">safety of its students and employees very seriously. It is unfortunate that Mrs. Blagden has decided to take this matter to the public with her perception of the facts and not allow the</span>District to present its side of the story but since this a personnel matter, absent a release from her, the District is not allowed to discuss the details in public until the trial, which we <span style="background-color: white;">feel is the proper forum to discuss this matter in public. We look forward to the trial of this matter when the real facts come out about the reasons the District took the actions it did </span><span style="background-color: white;">against Mrs. Blagden and we are confident that a jury will find that all of her claims lack merit and that the public will agree that the actions taken against her were more than justified.</span></span></blockquote>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Local Television Media Denied Access to School Board Meeting</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Following Mr. Blagden's comments, members of KCAL 9/CBS 2 were denied entrance to the school board meeting. Outside the district building, meeting attendee and <span style="background-color: white;">candidate for 29</span><span style="background-color: white;">th Congressional District, Larry Andre, offered comments regarding press being restricted from the meeting.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“This ought not to be a police state, but these individuals in this school district are so interested in protecting their butts,” Andre said. “They don't care about the students. They <span style="background-color: white;">don't care about the teachers. They don't care about anybody but themselves.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During the meeting, board president Olympia Chen reminded the audience that issues regarding district personnel should not be discussed during an open meeting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Since it's in litigation, we are not to talk about this case,” Chen said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a statement issued by a representative for the former Stowers Elementary principal, Blagden said that all she wants is for the truth to come out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“This is about protecting our children and the staff on the campuses of our schools,” she said. “I did the right thing in reporting the threats to the police. The children come first—<span style="background-color: white;">not the union, and not the school district’s reputation.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"It has been the worst nightmare," Blagden told CBS2. "They knew it was wrong, and they covered it up."</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-33812011173281495972012-07-18T10:22:00.003-07:002012-07-18T10:22:30.758-07:00Los Cerritos Newspaper: Do what is Right And Be Content<div>
<b><a href="http://www.loscerritosnews.net/2012/07/13/fruitcake-do-what-is-right-and-be-content/" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fruitcake: </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do what is Right And Be Content</span></span></a></b></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Jerry Bernstein</span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Los Cerritos Newspaper</span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">July 13, 2012</span></span></span><br />
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My Friend from Fruitcake, Florida looked sad as he walked into the office. “Is something wrong?” I asked. </span></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">“You look like you lost your best friend.”</span><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I was going over some of my files when I was recently in Fruitcake and found this poem written by one </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Brian Watkins, a member of the Montgomery, Alabama Fire Department. It was written in memory of the firefighters who gave up their lives on the 9-11 attack on the twin towers in their attempt to get people out of the towers.</span><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">“I think the entire country not only felt their loss but also for the people who were trapped in the towers as well as the victims in the airplanes that crashed into them. “I said.</span><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">You know,” he said, “I sometimes wonder if we Americans take too many things for granted.”</span><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">“Like what?” I asked.</span><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Well for one thing, here in California we expect our leaders in Sacramento to do what is right. For instance, our schools have been downgraded into the bottom third in the country. Most Districts have cut back because the state legislature and the governor refuse to tackle the economic problems facing the state.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;">“Wait a minute,” I said, “The governor has a tax increase on the November ballot that will reduce the budget deficit by approximately $9 billion.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;">“I know,” my Friend from Fruitcake, said. That leaves a deficit balance of approximately $7 billion. How is that going to be covered? he asked.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;">I looked at my friend and replied, “I don’t really know.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;">“What gives me hope,” he said, “is a little city like Hawaiian Gardens that is giving your local school district $88,500 thousand so their kids can go to summer school. They didn’t have to do that, but the city council takes seriously the city’s motto “Our Youth is our Future.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;">“Hawaiian Gardens is a small city, nine-tenth of a square mile, and it has a casino that provides revenue and keeps the city’s budget balanced and puts money into the city reserve.” I said. “Most important the city council believes it’s important that their children attend summer school.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;">“That leads me to another subject.” my Friend from Fruitcake said. “What’s going to happen at ABC, now that the court has ruled the “evidence” used against the former Stower’s principal Eileen Blagden, to remove her from her job as principal at Stower’s Elementary School was ruled as being fabricated by the Superior Court?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;">“I don’t know,” I replied, The District and Mrs. Blageden are meeting July 17 at Mandatory Settlement Conference. Hopefully they’ll reach agreement on a settlement. If not the case will go to trial.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;">“My Friend from Fruitcake, Florida asked what happened to the teacher.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;">“I understand he had moved to northern California.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;">“That’s what we were told,” I replied, “but when we last checked, he was still residing in Long Beach.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;">My Friend from Fruitcake, Florida looked at me. This brings me back to the poem I found in my files,” he said.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;">How’s that? I asked.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;">The poem is entitled “Giving a Life.” It starts as follows:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 19px;" /></span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">“It’s twenty past the hour now</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The stations neat and clean.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">They’ve had their morning exercise,</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Their bodies are tough and lean.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">They know their job’s to Serve and Protect.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Sometimes they just can’t wait.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">But none of them knew what was near</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">On that September date.”</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;">He paused and said. Shouldn’t the District staff and superintendent worked with the principal instead of sweeping it under the rug. Where were the firemen to protect the principal, school staff and most of all the school children?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;">“I don’t know,” I replied.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;">“I’ll tell you where they were,” he said. They were too busy protecting themselves, lifting the rug so they could swept the problem under the rug.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;">The allegory was correct, but I decided not to say anything. After a few minutes, my Friend from Fruitcake, Florida got up from his chair and left.</span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-24011686063089796712012-07-18T10:16:00.001-07:002012-07-18T10:16:24.297-07:00KCBS 2/KCAL 9 Denied Entrance to Public ABCUSD Board Meeting<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, it's true, KCBS 2 / KCAL 9 reporter Stacy Butler and her cameraman were denied entrance into last night ABCUSD school board meeting. Even though it was a public meeting, and there was media inside, including Los Cerritos Newspaper editor Jerry Bernstein, Butler was held at bay by a security guard with strict orders not to let them into the meeting. So much for freedom of the press. So what do the ABCUSD school board members and superintendent Dr. Mary Sieu have to hide? And why would they block entrance to the media of a public taxpayer funded meeting. Inquiring minds would like to know. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-73138891314266414022012-07-18T07:24:00.002-07:002012-07-18T10:11:11.873-07:00Video: KCBS 2/KCAL 9: Whistleblower Blames Principal Demotion On Speaking Out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/U9iyddAXRKU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">CERRITOS (CBS) — </strong>The ABC Unified School District was unable to reach an agreement on a settlement Tuesday in a case filed by former Stowers Elementary School Principal Eileen Blagden.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blagden was demoted from her position two years ago after she reported a kindergarten teacher at Stowers allegedly told her he wanted to kill two other teachers and end his own life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It has been the worst nightmare,” Blagden told CBS2’s Stacey Butler. “They knew it was wrong and they covered it up.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She reported the alleged threats to the ABC Unified School District and a district representative told her not tell anyone, especially the other teachers or the police.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“She said if you report this, you’ll be sorry,” Blagden said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The former principal says she was concerned after she found out the teacher had been arrested more than once for lewd behavior and indecent exposure. She then told the teachers he allegedly threatened not to come to work and filed a police report.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gary Smuts, former Unified School District Superintendent, told Blagden’s attorney in a sworn deposition her demotion was not to cover-up the allegations, it was because she refused to follow what she was told after the district representative decided not to take action until she found out if the threats were real.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I believe she wanted to verify that Eileen got the statements correct before she brought trouble or problems or concerns to people,” he said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blagden’s case against the ABC Unified School District is scheduled to go to trial in the fall.</span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-19794851958478282162012-07-17T20:20:00.004-07:002012-07-17T20:20:47.261-07:00Media Alert: Tune into KCAL 9 and KCBS 2 Tonight<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tune into <b>KCAL 9 </b>news at 9 and <b>KCAL 2</b> news at 11 p.m. tonight to see the latest report on Eileen Blagden's lawsuit against the ABC Unified School District's cover up of a former kindergarten teacher's suicide and death threats which led to her being demoted from a principal to a teacher after she reported the threats to the police against the District's orders. Way to go Eileen...</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-4460784605782943532012-07-17T16:51:00.005-07:002012-07-17T17:00:45.624-07:00UnionWatch.org: Damning the Children<br />
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<strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Protecting image and turf in the face of evil is unconscionable.</strong></div>
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As if the Jerry Sandusky fourteen year long child abuse tragedy hasn’t been painful enough, former FBI director Louis Freeh released a <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jul/12/sports/la-sp-0713-penn-state-report-20120713" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">report</a> last week that condemned Penn State’s legendary football coach Joe Paterno as well as other school leaders for conducting a massive cover-up. The report said that Paterno, University President Graham Spanier et al agreed</div>
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<em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">… to conceal child sexual abuse allegations against assistant coach Jerry Sandusky for more than a decade, choosing to preserve the university’s reputation over protecting the victims of a pedophile….</em></div>
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<em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(They) showed “total disregard” for the abuse victims, concealed crucial information and failed at least twice to act on sexual assault accusations against one of their own because they feared the consequences of bad publicity on the university….</em></div>
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Clearly the brunt of the evil lies at the feet of Sandusky, the depraved assistant coach who sodomized young boys. But what can be said of the people who knew about Sandusky’s repulsive acts and did nothing? While Sandusky is guaranteed a special place in the ninth circle of Hell, what about Paterno and the others? Sorry, Coach. Your legacy will not be that you were the winningest college coach in history, but that you and others knew that unspeakable things were being done to children and were more concerned about image than responsibility.</div>
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While protecting image will push some otherwise decent folks into moral turpitude, the same can be said for protecting turf. A few weeks ago, at the behest of the California Teachers Association, six members of the California State Assembly education committee refused to sign off on a bill that would have shortened the now endless and expensive process for firing a teacher who abuses children with sex, drugs or violence. As an <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/editorials/article/SB1530-defeat-a-disservice-to-children-3684559.php" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">editorial</a> in the <em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">San Francisco Chronicle</em> stated,</div>
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<em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The influence of the California Teachers Association was rarely more apparent – or more sickening – than in the defeat of SB1530. The union showed its willingness to defend an expensive and cumbersome process for firing bad teachers at almost any cost – even if that means school districts must continue to spend exorbitant sums of time and money to dismiss teachers in cases involving sex, drugs or violence with students.</em></div>
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<em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Even more disturbing than the union’s predictable dogma was certain legislators’ equally predictable acceptance of it.</em></div>
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These legislators blatantly disregarded their public mandate in order to protect their positions in the legislative body. The teachers union did what it typically does – protect every dues paying member no matter how incompetent, rotten or perverted they are. The union’s laughably transparent defense was that if administrators would follow protocol, bills like SB 1530 would not be necessary. While admittedly school administrators dropped the ball in the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2098811/Shocking-photo-Mark-Berndt-posing-tights-Mickey-Mouse-ears.html" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mark Berndt</a> case in Los Angeles, it doesn’t negate the fact that the system is rigged to protect teachers who should not be allowed to be near kids.</div>
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For many reasons – including callous dismissal of children’s claims, missing teacher files and operating in a culture of non-accountability – Berndt got away with sexually abusing his students for over 20 years. The system is so perverse that the school district couldn’t get rid of Berndt without going through a lengthy appeals process costing over $300,000. So, when his crimes were exposed, Berndt gamed the system by accepting a $40,000 bribe and retired – of course only after racking up another year of credit toward his pension. Writer <a href="http://dropoutnation.net/2012/07/09/when-teachers-unions-perpetuate-cultures-of-abuse-the-california-example/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">RiShawn Biddle</a> succinctly and emphatically gets to the heart of the problem,</div>
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<em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Yet those education traditionalists, especially AFT officials in L.A., and their counterparts at the statewide affiliate and the NEA’s Golden State unit, who want to simply blame school leaders for the failure to catch Berndt are also essentially refusing to hold their colleagues responsible. Actually, let me go further: If any education traditionalist tries to use the failures of L.A. Unified as a justification for defending their opposition to making it easier to get evil men like Berndt out of their jobs, then they should look in mirrors and ask forgiveness of their Creator. Because their argument is morally repulsive, intellectually dishonest, and abhorrent violation of one’s obligation to their fellow men and women. An important reason why Berndt was able to perpetuate educational and criminal abuse on the children in his care for so long lies with state laws that effectively make it almost impossible for L.A. Unified and other Golden State districts to dismiss teachers who don’t belong in classrooms.</em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What happens when an adult does the right thing? Ask seven year veteran principal, Eileen Blagden. In 2010, Kevin Kirby, a teacher who had been suspended from a nearby middle school for lewd and lascivious behavior and trespassing, was sent to Blagden’s school – Stowers Elementary, part of the ABC School District in southern Los Angeles County – where he was assigned as a Kindergarten teacher! (Because it is virtually impossible to get rid of a teacher in California, no matter how incompetent or perverted, Kirby had to be placed <em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">somewhere</em>.)<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kirby, after his leave of absence, reported to Stowers “disheveled, stressed, and with blood visibly on his body,” alleging that he was in a motorcycle accident. He was clearly distraught and began talking about suicide and killing two Kindergarten teachers at the school. When Blagden told Carol Hansen, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, of the threats, she was stunned when Hansen told her not to mention it to anyone. But after sending Kirby to the hospital, Blagden did not remain silent. In order to protect the involved teachers and their students, she informed the teachers about Kirby’s threats. As <a href="http://www.loscerritosnews.net/2012/07/03/eileen-blagden-losing-a-job-to-keep-kids-safe/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Blagden</a> said,</span></blockquote>
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<em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the wake of the Miramonte Elementary School and Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandals coupled with the Columbine, Virginia Tech, and Seal Beach tragedies, none of us entrusted with the safety of children can afford to guess at the genuineness of the threat when danger presents itself.</span></em></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></em>As a result of disobeying a superior, Blagden then was relieved of her duties and eventually “demoted” to the classroom for “poor performance.” Unwilling to accept the district’s action, Blagden filed a lawsuit alleging retaliation for whistle-blowing.<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then, on July 6th the court ruled that the district <a href="http://www.loscerritosnews.net/2012/07/06/court-rules-abc-school-district-fabricated-evidence-used-to-demote-former-stowers-principal/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">fabricated evidence</a> when it said that Blagden was demoted before she went to the police. In what will undoubtedly make it into the deer-in-the-headlights wing of the deposition hall of fame, the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbTHsA1nnXs&feature=plcp" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">former</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq6CCjKNqdY&feature=relmfu" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">current</a> ABC Superintendents hem and haw and bob and weave their way through the tough and forthright questioning of Blagden’s attorney Ron Wilson.</span></blockquote>
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As these three cases show, when protecting image and turf become paramount, our institutions become nothing more than a Potemkin villages. Until we reach the point where those in positions of authority make morality their number one priority, evil will prevail. When this evil invades our schools, children are the victims. And any society that abuses children on a regular basis is doomed to fail.</div>
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<em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">About the author: Larry Sand, a former classroom teacher, is the president of the non-profit <a href="http://www.ctenhome.org/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">California Teachers Empowerment Network</a> – a non-partisan, non-political group dedicated to providing teachers with reliable and balanced information about professional affiliations and positions on educational issues.</em></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-66827424895312861812012-07-17T14:04:00.000-07:002012-07-17T16:52:40.171-07:00IT'S OFFICIAL: Principal Who Blew Whistle on Teacher Suicide and Death Threats to Go to Trial Against School District<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>ABC Unified School District charged with repeatedly concealing facts of kindergarten teacher’s lewd and lascivious charges, suicide and death threats to avoid bad publicity</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Trial to start Oct. 31</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><b>LOS ANGELES</b> – Attorneys for the ABC Unified School District </span> ( <i>Artesia, Cerritos, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, and Norwalk</i>) and former Stowers Elementary School principal Eileen Blagden were unable today to reach an agreement on a settlement during a court ordered settlement conference regarding suicide and death threats made in 2010 by a kindergarten teacher who had recently been accused of lewd and lascivious behavior and indecent exposure and convicted on trespassing. After reporting the threats, principal Eileen Blagden was put on a three-month administrative leave before being demoted back to a teacher. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“All I want is for the truth to come out,” commented Eileen Blagden. “This is about protecting our children and the staff on the campuses of our schools. I did the right thing in reporting the threats to the police. The children come first—not the union, and not the school district’s reputation.”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ron Wilson, attorney for Eileen Blagden said, “It’s unfortunate that an agreement could not be reached today.”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Eileen and I are prepared to exhaust all legal remedies available at this time in an effort to not only try to undo the damage already done to her reputation and 26-year career as a stellar educator—but to make sure that as we go into another school year, that the children in the ABC Unified School District are protected from all harm, even when the threat is coming from within by a teacher.”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1">The ABCUSD was alleged to have participated in a Jerry Sandusky like cover-up by district officials after a kindergarten teacher made public suicide and death threats towards two of his colleagues. On January 26, 2010, kindergarten teacher Kevin Kirby who had recently been re-assigned to </span>Stowers Elementary School in Cerritos after being charged with 2 counts of lewd and lascivious behavior and convicted of trespassing in the City of Long Beach, made suicide and death threats against two other teachers to then-principal Eileen Blagden. When Blagden reported the incident to District officials, she was told to keep her mouth shut and ‘tell no one’ of the incident. Blagden, who by law is a mandatory reporter, reported the incident to police and alerted the teachers in danger. Less than a week later, Kirby, the teacher, was offered a cash settlement to leave the District quietly and Blagden was put on administrative leave for three months before being demoted back to a teaching position.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blagden hired attorney Ron Wilson and filed a lawsuit against the ABCUSD alleging retaliation for whistle-blowing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joanne O'Donnell denied the school district's motion for a summary judgement and has set a jury trial for Oct. 31.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ABCUSD will hold its regular meeting of the members of the Board tonight, Tuesday, July 17, at 7 p.m. at 16700 South Norwalk Boulevard in Cerritos.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-7920705628090176542012-07-15T17:19:00.001-07:002012-07-15T17:20:20.094-07:00ABCUSD Board Meeting July 17<br />
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<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ABCUSD Board Meeting will take place on Saturday, July 17, 2012 at 7 p.m. at 16700 Norwalk Boulevard in Cerritos.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Persons wishing to address the Board about the ABCUSD Administration cover-up of the Stowers Elementary School situation with former kindergarten teacher Kevin Kirby should fill out a card located on the table by the door <span style="background-color: white;">and submit the completed card to the secretary. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speakers will be called in sequence during </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the Public Comments section which is limited to one hour, and each speaker to one </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">presentation of five minutes unless the Board wishes to waive the time limit. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please come out and let the Board Members know that we are aware of what's going on and we don't like it. We need to make it clear to all of the board members that if there isn't swift action, and action meaning a new board policy in dealing with on campus death threats and the immediate dismissal of both Dr. Mary Sieu and Dr. Carol Hansen, that as parents, community members, and voters, we will purse all legal remedies available to protect our children--including recalling Board Members unable or unwilling to address this issue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><a href="http://www.abcusd.k12.ca.us/files/_eNF6O_/13ea1318a60fa5273745a49013852ec4/Board_Agenda_July_17_2012.pdf">MEETING AGENDA</a></b></span></span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-66917242506294194592012-07-15T16:49:00.002-07:002012-07-15T16:53:56.210-07:00Audio: Eileen Blagden on 870 AM KRLA's Mark Isler Show<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-amhWeERKv04/UANHnqZavwI/AAAAAAAAABk/1nX2okDnW_U/s1600/KRLA_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-amhWeERKv04/UANHnqZavwI/AAAAAAAAABk/1nX2okDnW_U/s400/KRLA_3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Los Cerritos Newspaper's Randy Economy, 870 AM KRLA's Mark Isler, Eileen Blagden, and attorney Ronald Wilson in Glendale at KRLA's studios.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out the audio from Eileen Blagden's appearance on the Mark Isler Show Saturday, July 14, where she and her attorney Ronald Wilson discussed the cover up of former Stowers Elementary School kindergarten teacher Kevin Kirby's misconduct and death threats. Eileen was also joined in studio by Los Cerritos Newspaper's Randy Economy.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-25750780249588711842012-07-13T17:52:00.002-07:002012-07-13T17:53:24.981-07:00Eileen Blagden to Appear on the Mark Isler Show on 870 KRLA The Answer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZXCNtZeqi4M/UADCzdLySsI/AAAAAAAAABY/A7LSVbEtFf8/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-07-13+at+5.49.10+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZXCNtZeqi4M/UADCzdLySsI/AAAAAAAAABY/A7LSVbEtFf8/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-07-13+at+5.49.10+PM.png" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tune into </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">870 KRLA</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The Answer on Saturday, July 14, at 9 p.m. (PST) as Eileen Bagden joins <a href="http://www.loscerritosnews.net/">Los Cerritos Newspaper</a> reporter and blogger<a href="http://economy4abc.blogspot.com/"> Randy Economy</a> on the <a href="http://www.am870theanswer.com/podcast.aspx?showid=2362">Mark Isler Show</a> to discuss her lawsuit against the ABC Unified School District.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Mark Isler show is live, at 870 KRLA on the AM dial, or online at <a href="http://www.krla870.com/"><span class="s1">http://www.krla870.com</span></a><span class="s2"> by </span>clicking on the “Listen Live” button. Listeners can call into the show and ask questions or make comments, by dialing 866.870.KRLA (5752). </span></div>
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<span class="s3"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The show is podcast, where all shows are archived, and can be accessed through the following link <span class="s4"><a href="http://www.am870theanswer.com/podcast.aspx?showid=2362">http://www.am870theanswer.com/podcast.aspx?showid=2362</a>.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eileen Blagden is 26-year veteran in education. Her career includes
serving as a teacher, vice-principal and principal in the Southern California
area.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On January 26, 2010,
kindergarten teacher Kevin Kirby who had recently been re-assigned to Stowers Elementary School
in Cerritos after being charged with 2 counts of lewd and lascivious behavior
and convicted of trespassing in the City of Long Beach, made death threats
against two other teachers to then-principal Eileen Blagden. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When
Eileen reported the incident to District officials, she was told to keep her
mouth shut and ‘tell no one’ of the incident. Eileen, who by law is a mandatory reporter,
reported the incident to police and alerted the teachers in danger. Less than a week later, Kirby, the teacher,
was offered a cash settlement to leave the District quietly and Blagden was put
on administrative leave for three months before being demoted back to a
teaching position.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A
La Mirada resident and mother of two, Blagden hired long-time and respected
attorney Ronald Wilson and filed a lawsuit against ABC Unified, alleging
retaliation for whistle-blowing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Los
Angeles Superior Court Judge Joanne O'Donnell denied the school district's
motion for a summary judgement and set a jury trial for Oct. 31.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-29282729858071516482012-07-12T15:38:00.003-07:002012-07-12T15:38:47.593-07:00AP: LA judge nixes dismissal of ex-principal lawsuit<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/12/4627414/la-judge-nixes-dismissal-of-ex.html">ASSOCIATED PRESS</a></b><br />July 12, 2012</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="dateline"><a class=" lingo_link lingo_link_hidden" href="http://lingows.appspot.com/link/?@li2=11442&is_lhid=1&key=ATPUCNWCXV&portal_key=3_Sacbee&ps_id=1PX81GofW3&q=QQ:lqOTqjptCQUUZID:UZ{ORJJOGDHOHDUVOqptJ:pnCGOqmj_J:pnCGO4aJm8CPPARA:GAPGKVV&section_key=&site_id=&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftopics.sacbee.com%2FLos%2BAngeles%2F&url_key=_TaCSO0CBDPPGDPGBK&v=1&~boot=1342132403758" rel="nofollow" style="border: none; color: black; cursor: pointer; display: inline; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">LOS ANGELES</a> -- </span>A Superior Court judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit against a suburban<a class=" lingo_link lingo_link_hidden" href="http://topics.sacbee.com/Los+Angeles/" rel="nofollow" style="border: none; color: black; cursor: pointer; display: inline; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Los Angeles</a> County school district by a former principal who was demoted after she notified the Sheriff's Department of threats allegedly made by a teacher against his colleagues.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Judge Joanne O'Donnell has set a settlement conference next week in the case of Eileen Blagden against ABC Unified in Cerritos.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blagden alleges the demotion was retaliation for reporting to <a class=" lingo_link" href="http://topics.sacbee.com/law+enforcement/" rel="nofollow" style="border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #024a82; cursor: pointer; display: inline; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">law enforcement</a> a teacher's statements about hiring a hit man to kill two colleagues in 2010.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blagden says she was told by superiors to forget about the incident after the teacher was taken to a hospital. He no longer works for the district.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Superintendent Mary Sieu says the district disagrees with Blagden's characterization of the incident and acted appropriately.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/12/4627414/la-judge-nixes-dismissal-of-ex.html#storylink=cp</span><span style="font-family: sans-serif;">y</span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-17877672536800693792012-07-12T15:34:00.000-07:002012-07-12T15:34:54.846-07:00Parents & Community Members Outraged, Claim Local School District Hid Teacher Misconduct and Death Threats<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>As Sandusky
report is released, SoCal parents and community members accuse <br />
ABC Unified School District with <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">repeatedly concealing facts of kindergarten
teacher’s lewd and lascivious charges and death threats to avoid bad publicity </span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Activists launch <a href="http://reformabc.blogspot.com/">reformabc.blogspot.com</a> in an effort <br />
to apply heat to silent board members after video showing district
superintendent unable to answer question on whether or not reporting teacher
death threats is a ‘good thing’ and prior knowledge of teacher’s criminal
history</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/OFVW-gM64P0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>CERRITOS</b> – Parents
and concerned community members are outraged over the response of the ABC
Unified School District ( <i>Artesia, Cerritos, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood,
Long Beach, Norwalk, and La Mirada</i>) following published news reports (<i>Long Beach Press-Telegram, July 4, 2012</i>)
of an alleged cover-up by district officials after a kindergarten teacher made
public death threats towards two of his colleagues. On January 26, 2010,
kindergarten teacher Kevin Kirby who had recently been re-assigned to <span style="color: #222222;">Stowers Elementary School in
Cerritos after being charged with 2 counts of lewd and lascivious behavior and
convicted of trespassing in the City of Long Beach, made death threats against
two other teachers to then-principal Eileen Blagden. When Blagden reported the incident to
District officials, she was told to keep her mouth shut and ‘tell no one’ of
the incident. Blagden, who by law is a
mandatory reporter, reported the incident to police and alerted the teachers in
danger. Less than a week later, Kirby,
the teacher, was offered a cash settlement to leave the District quietly and
Blagden was put on administrative leave for three months before being demoted
back to a teaching position.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I was told (by an ABC Unified School District employee in the
Human Resources Department) not to say anything or tell anyone," Blagden
said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"But I thought I was protecting the students and teachers by going
to the Sheriff's Department. I figured the district would see my side of
it."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A La
Mirada resident and mother of two, Blagden hired a lawyer and filed a lawsuit
against ABC Unified, alleging retaliation for whistle-blowing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Los
Angeles Superior Court Judge Joanne O'Donnell denied the school district's
motion for a summary judgement and set a jury trial for Oct. 31.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Lakewood
resident and community activist Larry Andre said, “</span>unfortunately in this
matter we have polar extremes.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“We have elected and appointed officials who were elected
and appointed to act in the best interests of the children, their parents,
teachers, and the community and we have parents, teachers, and specifically
Mrs. Blagden, doing what’s right and and being punished for it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Damaging
video has been released by Eileen’s attorney of ABC Unified Superintendent Mary
Sieu who had repeatedly declined to comment on the case, citing confidentiality
in personnel matters.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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officially replaced retired former Superintendent Gary Smuts this month, is
seen being interviewed by Blagden’s attorney Ron Wilson.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When asked
if whether or not reporting a death threat made by a teacher against other
teachers while on campus is a good thing, Sieu replies, “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFVW-gM64P0&feature=player_embedded">I
do not know how to answer that question</a>.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">In another
video, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSr-htkpLqo&feature=player_embedded">Sieu
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">confirms</span></a></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;"> that Dr.
Carol Hansen, director of Human Resources for ABC Unified School District told
Blagden not to tell anyone about the death threats made by a kindergarten
teacher against two other teachers.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq6CCjKNqdY&feature=player_embedded">Sieu
also goes on to explain</a> that because kindergarten teacher Kevin Kirby’s
charges for lewd and lascivious behavior was with an adult and not a minor,
even though his conviction for trespassing resulted in him being banned from
within 100 yards of public parks, libraries, and other entities in the City of
Long Beach, that it didn’t meet the standards for any action on behalf of the
school district other than his being transferred to Stowers Elementary School
District.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently retired <span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">ABC Unified Superintendent Dr. Gary Smuts <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbTHsA1nnXs&feature=player_embedded">admitted
under oath</a> prior knowledge of Kevin Kirby’s criminal history.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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and community members have vowed to up the pressure on the school district and
board members—including protesting outside of district headquarters and
possible recall campaigns—in advance of the upcoming school year for changes in
policy that are clearly needed to protect students, teachers, and principals
like Mrs. Blagden.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-24716453176504582592012-07-11T15:40:00.000-07:002012-07-12T09:07:23.342-07:00Contact the ABC Unified School District Board Members Today!<br />
<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Help us send a clear message to the ABC Unified School District board members about the importance of the safety of our children as well as the leadership of the school district.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Stowers Elementary School kindergarten teacher Kevin Kirby made death threats towards two of his fellow teachers and when Eileen Blagden alerted the District leadership she was told not to tell the police. This is not the type of leadership we need when it comes to the safety of our children and District staff on campus. </span><br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Please call, fax, and email the ABC Unified School District today and tell them to Help Us REFORM THE ABC UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. </b><br />
<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<br />
<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>ABC Unified School District </b></span><br />16700 Norwalk Blvd, Cerritos, CA 90703<br /><b>Phone: </b>562-926-5566 <b>Fax:</b> 562-404-1092</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Email:</b> <a href="mailto:maria.machado@abcusd.k12.ca.us">maria.machado@abcusd.k12.ca.us</a><br />Send an email to Maria Machado at the District addressed to all of the Board Members please.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; width: 500px;"><tbody>
<tr class="light"><td valign="top"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <img alt="Image" height="153" src="http://www.abcusd.k12.ca.us/dynimg/_eLAAA_/docid/0x12B10588C9B57BC4/1/Chen.jpg" width="120" /></span></td><td valign="top"><strong><em><br />Olympia Chen</em></strong><em>, </em>President of the Board, was first elected to the ABC School Board in 1997. She also served as the Board President in 2000, 2004, and 2009. Olympia was a high school teacher and has been a resident of Cerritos for 28 years. She has extensive involvement in the school district and the community. She volunteered in her children's schools, including serving as secretary of Carmenita PTA and Cerritos High School PTSA. Olympia was a board member for the Greater Long Beach Chapter of the American Red Cross as well as the Community Family Guidance Center. She is a member of Woman’s Club of Artesia Cerritos and a life time member of Friends of Cerritos Library. Olympia enjoys most "Read Aloud" events at the schools. Olympia feels it is critical to continue a partnership between teachers, other staff and the administration in the ABC Unified School District. "This will allow us to focus on quality education for all students."<br />
<br />
<b>PHONE: (562) 404-2263</b><br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
<tr class="light"><td valign="top"><img alt="Image" height="167" src="http://www.abcusd.k12.ca.us/dynimg/_eLAAA_/docid/0x12B10588C9B57BC4/2/Spitzer.jpg" width="120" /></td><td valign="top"><b><i>Celia Spitzer</i></b>, Vice President of the Board, was first elected to the ABC Board in 1999 and to her fourth term in 2011. She has been a resident of Cerritos since 1971. Celia worked as a systems engineer for IBM after graduating from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor's Degree in mathematics. Both of her children attended ABC schools from kindergarten through high school. Celia is proud of the many accomplishments of our district, its students and its employees. Many of our schools have received state and national recognition for academic performance. ABC has received national recognition for its excellent relationship with district employees with everyone working together to promote student achievement. All of this is being accomplished with a balanced budget that focuses on the needs of all students. Celia thoroughly enjoys serving on the Board and is proud of how well our schools and the communities they serve are working together.<br />
<br />
<b>PHONE: (562) 924-5227</b><br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
<tr class="light"><td valign="top"><img alt="Image" height="174" src="http://www.abcusd.k12.ca.us/dynimg/_eLAAA_/docid/0x12B10588C9B57BC4/3/Tse.jpg" width="120" /></td><td valign="top"><b><i>Sophia Tse</i></b>, Clerk of the Board, was elected to the ABC Board in 2007. Sophia Tse is a pediatric nurse practitioner and part-time university instructor. Sophia has been a resident of Cerritos for 24 years. All three of her children attended ABC schools. Sophia has been involved in her children’s schools as PTSA board member at Carmenita MS and Whitney HS, chairwoman at Whitney HS Chinese PTSA and volunteer nurse practitioner for Cerritos HS soccer teams. She has served in the community through the following organizations: Chairwoman and Board Member of the Southern California Chinese Culture Association; coach, team mom, and first aid provider for City of Cerritos soccer teams; participant in the March of Dimes Program for premature Infants; and community instructor for basic life support and parenting classes. Mrs. Tse is a Southeast ROP board member representing ABC. Mrs. Tse is the liaison to the Career Technical Education Ad Hoc Board Advisory Committee. She believes that educational instruction should develop all aspects of the student, including the physical, intellectual, social, and psychological aspects, in order to create a well-rounded individual. She strongly feels that success in a student’s education can only occur through strong parental involvement and participation.<br />
<br />
<b>PHONE: (562) 809-1874</b><br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
<tr class="light"><td valign="top"><img alt="Image" height="167" src="http://www.abcusd.k12.ca.us/dynimg/_eLAAA_/docid/0x12B10588C9B57BC4/9/lynda.jpg" width="120" /></td><td valign="top"><strong><em>Lynda Johnson</em></strong>, Member of the Board, was elected to the ABC Board in 2011. Lynda Johnson is a 40 year resident of Cerritos and a product of the schools in the ABC district. She attended Cabrillo Lane Elementary, Patricia Nixon Elementary, Haskell Junior High and graduated from Artesia High. She valued the quality of education that ABC offered and therefore raised her three children in this community. All three of her children are also proud products of ABC and all graduated from Cerritos High School. Her daughter, Lauren, is a graduate of UCLA. Her son, Roy, is a graduate of Whittier College. Her youngest son, Ryan, is a Midshipman at the United States Naval Academy. Lynda has been involved as a parent volunteer in the ABC classrooms and also served as a three-term PTSA President at Cerritos High School. During the three years she served as the PTSA President, along with parental involvement and community support, she raised thousands of dollars for Cerritos High School to help improve school facilities, technology and provide student scholarships. In the community, she has coached youth basketball, T-ball, and soccer through the City of Cerritos Parks and Recreation program. Lynda is proud to have been an ABC school graduate, an ABC School parent, and now is looking forward to proudly serving as an ABC School Board Member.<br />
<br />
<b>PHONE: (310) 650-6159</b><br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
<tr class="light"><td valign="top"> <img alt="Image" height="155" src="http://www.abcusd.k12.ca.us/dynimg/_eLAAA_/docid/0x12B10588C9B57BC4/5/Kang.jpg" width="120" /></td><td valign="top"><strong><em>James Kang</em></strong>, Member of the Board, was elected to the ABC School Board in 2009. He graduated from Korea University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a MBA Degree in Marketing, then worked as a systems analyst for the Los Angeles County Data Processing Department for three years, before spending thirty years as a real estate businessman. During his business career, he continued post graduate study at Cerritos College and CSULA. He and his family have been residents of Cerritos since 1977. His three children graduated from Cerritos Elementary and Whitney High School. His first son graduated from UC Berkeley and became a medical doctor, and his second son graduated from Yale University and became a lawyer. His daughter graduated from UCLA and works as a pharmacist. He honors and thanks all the teachers who gave a great education to his children. As he became involved in his children’s activities, James Kang was a founding leader of the Whitney High Korean Parent group. He also served as a Chairperson of the Whitney Foundation for Educational Excellence. He served as a member of the ABCUSD Strategic Planning Committee and the Student Achievement Committee. He is now involved in supporting youth activities such as middle school track meets, essay contests, and oratorical contests. James Kang supports students who would like to go into a professional trade as well as further academic study. He encourages all ABC students to do their very best during their stay with ABCUSD.<br />
<br />
<b>EMAIL: (562) 865-3030</b><br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
<tr class="light"><td valign="top"><img alt="Image" height="174" src="http://www.abcusd.k12.ca.us/dynimg/_eLAAA_/docid/0x12B10588C9B57BC4/6/Law.jpg" width="120" /></td><td valign="top"><b><i>Maynard Law</i></b>, Member of the Board, was elected to the ABC Board in 2007. Maynard is a retired Special Education Teacher as well as a retired public administrator. Maynard has been a resident of Cerritos for 34 years, with both of his sons educated in ABC. He has extensive involvement in the school district and the community. He has served the community on various ABC School District advisory committees, coached more than 40 youth sports teams, volunteered as a scout leader, as a member of the Friends of Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, as President of the Cerritos Optimist Club, and as Chairman of the City of Cerritos Parks and Recreation Commission. He feels honored to continue the leadership excellence that is the cornerstone of the ABC District. He believes that continuing strong partnerships among parents, teachers, administrators, employee groups, and the school board is a priority. He believes that a primary role of a board member is to ensure that every student has the resources to achieve academic success. Mr. Law is the liaison to the Strategic Planning Board Advisory Committee.<br />
<br />
<b>PHONE: (562) 924-6622</b><br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
<tr class="light"><td valign="top"><img alt="Image" height="167" src="http://www.abcusd.k12.ca.us/dynimg/_eLAAA_/docid/0x12B10588C9B57BC4/7/Reyes.jpg" width="120" /></td><td valign="top"><strong><em>Armin Reyes</em></strong>, Member of the Board, was elected to the ABC Unified School District Board of Education in 1999 and re-elected in 2003, 2007 and in 2011. He served as Vice President of the Board in 2004 and President in 2005. He is also served as member of the Southeast ROP Board of Trustees from 2003-2006 and served as Vice President in 2011. Armin earned his Bachelor Degree in Political Science form California State University Fullerton and received his M.A. in Behavioral Science from California State University Dominguez Hills Armin works as a Labor representative with the United Nurses Association of California, UNAC/UCHP, AFSCME, and AFL-CIO. He also serves as a Functional Specialty Team Leader with the 426th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) based in Upland, CA. with a rank of a Major. Armin was deployed as a Detachment Commander of 376th Personnel Services Battalion, Detachment 1 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 2004-2005 and as HHC Commander of the 445th Civil Affairs Battalion in 2007-2009. Armin has been active in the community for many years. He is a member Cerritos-Artesia Rotary Club, Past President of Sunny Side Optimist Club of Cerritos, Past Board of Trustee, Artesia-Sunrise Masonic Lodge, Member of the Eclectic- Dialectic Toastmasters, American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Armin and his wife Lilibelle have been married for 15years. They have three children, Ian, Julia and Michael. Ian a junior and Julia a freshman are currently attending Cerritos High School and Michael is a 5th grader in Cerritos Elementary school. Armin is currently mobilized in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in support of the Afghanistan Theater of Operation.<br />
<br />
<b>ON ONE(1) YEAR LEAVE FOR MILITARY DUTY (THANK YOU MR. REYES!)</b></td></tr>
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</tbody></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-89683998076151318852012-07-11T15:13:00.001-07:002012-07-12T09:07:03.005-07:00Would you want this person as your child's superintendent?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Check out Dr. Mary Sieu, the new superintendent of the ABC Unified School District who replaced Dr. Gary Smuts. Below Dr. Sieu is asked a series of questions about whether or not reporting a teacher who made death threats on campus towards other teachers is a good thing, among other things...</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr. Mary Sieu, Deputy Superintendent ABC Unified School District, is asked why was Kevin Kirby transferred to Stowers Elementary School. She never says why he was transferred. She takes no responsibility as second in command at the time and now as the new superintendent. (3/21/2012)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr. Mary Sieu, Deputy Superintendent for ABC Unified School District confirms that Dr. Carol Hansen, director of Human Resources said to Eileen not to tell anyone about the death threats made by a kindergarten teacher against two other teachers. (3/21/2012)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr. Mary Sieu, Deputy Superintendent ABC Unified School District, learned about lewd and lascivious charges and a trespassing conviction of kindergarten teacher Kevin Kirby while he was on a leave of absence from Ron Wilson during the deposition. Dr. Sieu didn't seem too concerned about Kirby's arrest because it wasn't with minors.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr. Mary Sieu, Deputy Superintendent ABC Unified School District, is asked if reporting death threats is a good thing. She spends nine minutes unable to answer the question. (3/21/2012)</span></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-55956917501434655632012-07-11T14:46:00.001-07:002012-07-11T14:46:18.166-07:00Former principal's lawsuit claims she was demoted for reporting alleged death threats<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.presstelegram.com/education/ci_21002087/former-principals-lawsuit-claims-she-was-demoted-reporting">LONG BEACH PRESS-TELEGRAM</a><br />Kelly Puente</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">July 4, 2012</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CERRITOS - When a teacher at Stowers Elementary School in Cerritos allegedly made death threats against two other teachers, then-principal Eileen Blagden thought she was doing the right thing by reporting the incident to police.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I was told (by an ABC Unified School District employee in the Human Resources Department) not to say anything or tell anyone," Blagden said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"But I thought I was protecting the students and teachers by going to the Sheriff's Department. I figured the district would see my side of it."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blagden said she didn't expect to lose her job.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After she reported the death threat incident to authorities in 2010, Blagden said she was put on administrative leave and ultimately demoted to a teaching position.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The 51-year-old La Mirada resident and mother of two hired a lawyer and filed a lawsuit against ABC Unified, alleging retaliation for whistle-blowing. The case is now making its way through the court system.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joanne O'Donnell denied the school district's motion for a summary judgement. The judge set a jury trial for Oct. 31.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ABC Unified Superintendent Mary Sieu declined to comment on the case, citing confidentiality in personnel matters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sieu, in an email, said the teacher who allegedly made the death threats, Kevin Michael Kirby, is "no longer working" in the district.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sieu, who officially replaced retired former Superintendent Gary Smuts this month, didn't say when Kirby stopped working for ABC Unified nor the circumstances surrounding his departure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kirby couldn't be reached for comment this week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blagden's attorney, Ronald Wilson, said he reviewed her personnel files and found no negative performance evaluations during her years as principal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blagden, an educator for 26 years who previously taught in the Anaheim City School District, joined ABC Unified in 2003 as principal of Stowers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the 2009-2010 school year, Kirby, a tenured teacher with the district, was transferred from a middle school to a kindergarten class at Stowers following a period of suspension, Blagden said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She said district officials didn't say why Kirby had been suspended from his previous teaching position.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Los Angeles Superior Court records show Kevin Michael Kirby had legal problems in Long Beach in early 2009 when he faced two charges of lewd conduct and indecent exposure in a public place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kirby was acquitted of both charges but was found guilty of a misdemeanor charge of being in a public park, beach or building during closing hours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">State records show that Kirby still holds a teaching credential, which expires on Oct. 1.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Halfway through the school year, Blagden said Kirby was involved in an accident while riding his motorcycle on the freeway. The teacher, she said, showed up at the school disheveled and distraught but insisted on teaching his class.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"He told me he had refused medical treatment at the scene of the accident," Blagden said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Disturbed by his condition, Blagden urged Kirby to get medical treatment and told him he couldn't report to his classroom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She said Kirby became visibly distraught and at one point said, "I wish I was dead." He then said he had been having problems with two of his fellow kindergarten teachers and wanted to hire a "hit man" to kill them, according to Blagden.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blagden said she excused herself from the room and called the district's Human Resources Department.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A short time later, human resources personnel and a representative of ABC Unified's teachers union arrived and escorted Kirby to a medical facility.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blagden said she was told by district officials not to do anything else and that the school district would handle the situation. But as the weekend came, Blagden said she was concerned that Kirby would return to the school the following Monday.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She filed a report with the L.A. County Sheriff's Department over the weekend and notified the two teachers Kirby allegedly identified as targets. The following week, Blagden claims she was placed on administrative leave for "unknown reasons."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The L.A. County District Attorney's Office decided not to pursue the death threat incident and dropped the case, she added.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blagden claimed the school district subsequently investigated her for about three months. In June 2010, she was reassigned to teach at another elementary school in the district.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blagden is seeking salary compensation and an unspecified amount in emotional damages.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-46800844271104210722012-07-11T14:41:00.002-07:002012-07-11T14:46:50.554-07:00KNBC-TV - Demoted Principal Accuses School District of Trying to<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N5k6NgWkm8">KNBC-4</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">July 3, 2012 - PATRICK HEALY FOR KNBC-TV (4)- Eileen Blagden, former principal at Stowers Magnet Elementary School in Cerritos, thought it was a no-brainer when she was confronted with a teacher she thought might be a threat to others.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">Ha</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">ving heard the teacher express unhappiness with his life, and then muse about having a hitman<br />kill two of his colleagues, Blagden recalls thinking that the district needed to get him help. And she thought law enforcement and his two colleagues needed to be notified for their safety -- and potentially the safety of others at the school.<br /><br />But administrators at ABC Unified School District told her not to tell anyone, and then punished her after she did, according to her lawsuit. The complaint has now survived a summary judgment challenge and is scheduled for trial later this year.<br /><br />"I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd be here today with a lawsuit against the school district, because I did the right thing: I protected the children from potential harm. And they wanted to sweep it under the rug," Blagden said in her attorney's office.<br /><br />Blagden served as principal at the well-regarded school in southeastern Los Angeles County. She recalls having concerns about odd behavior by one teacher, including sleeping during class. She later learned he had a misdemeanor arrest on his record.<br /><br />Her concerns came to a head early in 2010. The teacher was involved in a traffic accident on the way to campus in the morning, and then, with clothing torn and bloodstained, came to her office. It was clear to her that he was hurt and upset, Blagden told NBC4.<br /><br />According to Blagden, the teacher expressed his unhappiness with his life and then spoke of how much he hated two of his fellow teachers, musing about arranging for their deaths.<br /><br />"He said, 'I want to hire a hitman and have him kill them,'" recalled Blagden.<br /><br />Paramedics transported the teacher, and Blagden notified district headquarters that he appeared to need mental health care. She was stunned, she said, that he returned on the Friday three days after the incident to resume teaching.<br /><br />Blagden said she was told by a human resources administrator not to tell anyone what she heard the teacher say -- not law enforcement, not the teachers named in the threat.<br /><br />"She said, 'If you do, you'll be sorry,'" Blagden said.<br /><br />It was phrased as a formal directive, and Blagden took it as formal notice that her job was on the line if disobeyed, she said. But over that weekend, she notified the Sheriff's Department and informed the two teachers.<br /><br />The next day, Blagden was told district officials wanted to meet with her. After the session two days later, she was put on leave pending an investigation.<br /><br />"Mrs. Blagden was properly placed on paid administrative leave following her refusal to comply with...validly-issued directive," states a March 29, 2010 letter to Blagden's attorney from a law firm representing the district. It maintains it handled the situation properly.<br /><br />Later, the district demoted Blagden and reassigned her as a classroom teacher. Blagden's lawsuit followed.<br /><br />"You can't retaliate against a whistleblower," said Ronald Wilson, Blagden's attorney.<br /><br />In its legal filings, the district contends, contrary to the March 2010 letter, that Blagden failed to fulfill her responsibility by not notifying law enforcement sooner.<br /><br />But there was evidence another school employee knew of the threats and did not report them, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joanne O'Donnell noted.<br /><br />"This evidence weakens the credibility of defendant's position," Judge O'Donnell wrote in her June 22 ruling denying the district's request for a summary judgment against Blagden.<br /><br />At the same time, the district maintains the incident was not the reason for her demotion, but rather<br />shortcomings in her job performance.<br /><br />Challenging that, Wilson said pre-trial discovery has revealed that her file is full of commendations without any written complaints from the teachers at Stowers.<br /><br />As for the teacher in question: arrangements were made so that he never did return to his classroom.<br /><br />He told the Sheriff's investigator he made the "hitman" comment "in jest, I wouldn't hurt a fly." He also said that at the time he was feeling more pain and shock from his injuries, according to a Sheriff's Supplemental Report.<br /><br />His current occupation is unknown. NBC4 was unable to contact him.<br /><br />The court scheduled a settlement conference for Blagden's suit on July 17th, and failing a resolution, trial to begin October 31.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-76832533921412718232012-07-11T14:25:00.001-07:002012-07-11T14:47:26.386-07:00Court Rules ABC School District Fabricated Evidence Used to Demote Former Stowers Principal<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">PHOTO COURTESY OF NBC NEWS Former Stowers Magnet School Principal, Eileen Blagden, shown here with her attorney Ron Wilson, is suing the ABC Unified School District because she claims she was demoted for reporting death threats being made against two teachers. However, the school district maintains they demoted Blagden as a result of her performance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was February 2010 when then Stowers Principal Mrs. Eileen Bladgen reported a threat on the lives of two of her teachers by a third teacher to the sheriff. Under the law Mrs. Bladgen is obligated to report any such incident to law enforcement. Her superiors and AFT President Laura Rico told her they would take care of the matter and she didn’t have to do anything more about the incident. The District then reacted to her sheriff’s report by placing her on administrative leave for the rest of the school year, demoting her to a teaching position, and worst of all using false evidence of her incompetence to justify its action.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last month Superior Court Judge Joanne O’Donnell in Los Angeles ruled the evidence used against Mrs. Blagden to demote her was fabricated. The case now goes to a Settlement Conference on July 17.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The events leading up to Blagden’s leave of absence and subsequent demotion occurred when a teacher, Kevin Kirby, arrived at Stowers on Jan. 25, 2010 at approximately 9 am with bloodstains on his clothes and told a secretary he had been in an accident on the freeway while riding his motorcycle. Blagden told Kirby he should not report to his classroom due to his appearance and possible injuries. Kirby told her he refused medical treatment at the scene of the accident and didn’t need a doctor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to the sheriff’s incident report Kirby became very agitated that he was not able to go to his classroom and stated, “Nobody likes me here. Nobody loves me here. I have no friends. Maybe my acci-dent happened this morning for a purpose. I wish I was dead.” He subsequently told Blagden he was hav-ing trouble with two other Kindergarten teachers and he hated both of them, adding, “I wish something bad would happen to them! I want to hire a hit man to kill them.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At this point the principal contacted the District office and told them what was going on. She repeated she needed help at the school and Kirby appeared suicidal and distraught and should be taken out of serv-ice,” She was told to get his union representative to her office. Short time later personnel from the District office, including Union President Laura Rico arrived along with paramedics and escorted Kirby to a medical facility. She was told by Assistant Superintendent Carol Hansen that Kirby would not be allowed to return to work without a doctor’s note.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rico later informed ABC that Kirby would not be returning to work immediately and would be of work for an extended time period. Mrs. Blagden was told not to say anything else that the District would handle it from there. However, Blagden, concerned about the safety of her teachers and students, later filed a report with the sheriff. On Feb 3, Blagden was put on “indefinite” leave for disobeying orders not to say any-thing to anybody about the incident.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blagden’s attorney Ron Wilson said former Superintendent Gary Smuts stated the day before the “Kirby incident” that he had decided to demote her and made that announcement at a cabinet meeting. Unfortunately there is no documentation of the meeting. According to Dr. Smuts the accusation was not true. Wilson said the District hired a coach for Mrs. Blagden to improve her standing. According to the coach her biggest job was to determine why she was there or what Mrs. Blagden’s deficiencies were. “No one ever told me,” she testified under oath. “No one ever talked to her.” Wilson said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In her deposition then Deputy Superintendent Dr. Mary Sieu testified that Stowers was a great school. She said she didn’t know if it was a good thing that Mrs. Blagden reported the death threats to the Los Angles County Sheriff Department. She confirmed Assistant Superintendent Carol Hansen had told Mrs. Blagden to do nothing about the death threats. Dr Sieu also described Mrs. Blagden as an honest person. She said she was told by Dr.Smuts that Mrs. Blagden was placed on administrative leave because of the death threat incident. She also said Carol Hanson told her the same thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr. Sieu testified one of the reasons Mrs. Blagden was disciplined and demoted was for divulging con-fidential information. Asked what the information was, she replied the reporting the death threat made by teacher Kevin Kirby against two other teachers to law enforcement officials. Another issue used against Mrs. Blagden was she refused to support an illegal, school sponsored non-profit foundation, which was not properly set up in accordance with California law.</span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-3428429898735816122012-07-11T14:20:00.003-07:002012-07-11T14:47:59.254-07:00Eileen Blagden: ‘Losing a Job to Keep Kids Safe’<br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.loscerritosnews.net/2012/07/03/eileen-blagden-losing-a-job-to-keep-kids-safe/" style="color: #555555;">LOS CERRITOS NEWSPAPER</a><br />By Eileen Blagden</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s been over two years since I made the decision to defy a direct order from my superiors at the ABC Unified School District to keep my mouth shut about suicide and murder threats from one of my kindergarten teachers. A decision that cost me my job as principal of Stowers Elementary School in Cerritos but probably saved the lives of two teachers and countless students—and I have no regrets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Schools are where our children come to grow and to learn. It is our responsibility as educators and administrators to keep their environment safe from all forms of danger—even when that danger is coming from a teacher.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So when one of my kindergarten teachers—a teacher who had just returned from a leave of absence after two charges of lewd and lascivious behavior and one conviction for trespassing—came to me looking disheveled, stressed, and with blood visibly on his body, I took his threat to commit suicide and kill two of my other teachers seriously.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the wake of the Miramonte Elementary School and Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandals coupled with the Columbine, Virginia Tech, and Seal Beach tragedies, none of us entrusted with the safety of children can afford to guess at the genuineness of the threat when danger presents itself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I never expected that my actions would have resulted in my demotion back to teacher and banishment from Stowers as well as the school district offering the teacher who made the threats a cash settlement to leave quietly. I expected the school district to back me up, notify the local authorities, and to keep the safety of the children and staff as their number one priority.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But they didn’t, and now two years later, after much speculation and whispering, I am finally breaking my silence as I prepare to move forward to vindicate my name, reputation, and actions on that day in a court of law.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The recent decision by an Assembly committee to reject a bill that would have protected students from sexual predators, further reminds us all that something is seriously wrong when we, as adults, can’t take the steps needed in order to protect children and allow the process to do just the opposite—leave our children vulnerable to random attacks from mentally unstable teachers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Union regulations and the “politically correct” have paved the way for situations where you can have a kindergarten teacher in the classroom with students who at the same time is banned from all public places, including parks, beaches, and libraries after 6 p.m. in Long Beach.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not an activist. I am an educator. I don’t consider what I did as whistle blowing. I considered myself taking the appropriate actions to protect hundreds of kids and dozens of teachers who might have been lost in the crossfire had that teacher taken action on his threats.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If I had it to do all over again, I wouldn’t change anything that I did because at the end of the day, it’s our job to keep schools safe—even from the dangers within.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If through the shame, hurt, and humiliation I have suffered as a result of all of this has to be the catalyst through which we start to have honest and real conversations about school safety, then let’s start talking.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403733847317689835.post-63248529212639818812012-07-11T14:18:00.000-07:002012-07-11T14:48:38.922-07:00Video deposition emerges between Smuts, Blagden attorney regarding background of ex-Stowers teacher Kirby<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.loscerritosnews.net/2012/07/05/video-deposition-emerges-between-smuts-blagden-attorney-regarding-background-of-ex-stowers-teacher-kirby/" style="color: #555555;">LOS CERRITOS NEWSPAPER</a><br />July 5, 2012</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A video of the deposition between former ABC Unified School District Superintendent Gary Smuts and attorney Ron Wilson who represents former Stower’s Elementary School Principal Eileen Blagden in a lawsuit has been posted on a video web site late Thursday afternoon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was filmed March 9, 2012.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The video shows Smuts testimony in Blagden’s legal lawsuit involving the incident involving former Stowers teacher Kevin Kirby. More information in this weekends edition of Los Cerritos Community Newspaper.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note: Adult subject matter contained in video clip.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12047506657807642080noreply@blogger.com1