Orange County, CA: Parents, taxpayers and Americans who have been frustrated with the leadership of their local School Boards, can look to South Orange County California for what will surely be a text book case for how to conduct a complete political revolution, using the democratic process. The Full Disclosure Network®(FDN) presents a FREE eight minute Internet video preview of the two latest episodes (Part 5 and 6) of an on-going cable tv series covering the real life grassroots campaign to recall or replace all seven of the elected Trustees within the Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD).
While the CUSD recall petitions were disqualified from the ballot under unusual circumstances, the organizers and citizens went on to defeat three of the incumbent Trustees in the next regularly scheduled election. The Trustees were replaced by candidates supported by the Recall Committee. However, the four remaining “Old Guard” Trustees are now being accused of undermining the efforts of citizens and the new Trustees to truly reform the District and restore accountability
The latest FDN episodes, to be released to 45 cable systems, will be cablecast during the first two weeks of September throughout California. Excerpts will be video streamed24/7 on the Internet from http://www.fulldisclosure.net/ website.
These episodes present an historical overview of the entire conflict. The recall leaders are now joined by elected officials from small cities in the District who describe their own horror stories of dealing with the former Superintendent James Fleming who recently resigned. A short time after his resignation, he was then indicted by the Orange County Grand Jury for alleged use of taxpayers funds to prevent the recall petition from qualifying for the ballot.
The FDN series on CUSD documents the historic battle to reform the District starting in 2005 up to present. In all there are six, half-hour Full Disclosure® programs and three Video News Blog on the Internet each reporting step by step, the citizens struggle to regain control of their school district.
Elected officials are featured in the episodes calling for the "old guard" Trustees to step down or to face another recall election are:
- Mayor Pro-Tem Gary Thompson, City of Rancho Santa Margarita
- Tom Russell, CUSD Recall Leader
- Mayor Tony Beall, City of Rancho Santa Margarita and CUSD Recall Leader
- Mayor Carmen Cave, City of Aliso Viejo
- Councilman Mark Neilson, City of San Juan Capistrano & Recall Leader
- Trustee Anna Bryson, Vice Pres. CUSD Board (newly elected)
- Mayor Gail Reavis, City of Mission Viejo
- Trustee Ellen Addinizio, CUSD Board (newly elected)
- Councilman Lon Uso, City of San Juan Capistrano
- Councilman Steve Knoblock, City of San Clemente
One of the major obstacles encountered by the recall leaders was the difficulty in gaining media attention to the problem due to refusal of the District and the Trustees to be interviewed. Indeed, the Full Disclosure Network® encountered fierce resistence as well, when the CUSD Administration and Trustees steadfastly denied interview requestst. This fact is doumented in previous FDN episodes and in correspondence posted on the CUSD FDN website page and most recent email rejecting our requests for interviews from the new Director of Communications.
The Full Disclosure Network® (FDN) is known as “the news behind the news” covering, in-depth, important issues the mainstream media often ignores. As an independently produced and privately funded cable access program FDN is currently featured on 45 cable systems in the State of California and on the Internet as a public service. Producers of the program are host Leslie Dutton and T. J. Johnston. In 2002 the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presented FDN with a local public affairs Emmy Award for the series "L.A.'s War Against Terrorism". Channels and Airtimes for the programs can be found on the website.
Comments to date: 23. This is page 1 of 3.
cusdwatcher san clemente
Posted: 08:07 pm [PST] on October 14 2007
One would be surprised regarding the large percentage of staff that is in on all of this corruption. If I were the paranoid type, and I'm getting there, I would have to believe that there is some secret religious, political or other type of organization that these people all belong to. Unfortunately, removing the trustees isn't going to cure the problem. It goes way deeper.
ethicalman south oc
Posted: 02:41 pm [PST] on October 03 2007
I have to wonder if the district office break-ins and "stolen" computers have any relation to the Fleming investigation or other improper activities of certain persons in the administration. These people are corrupt and I wouldn't be surprised if they were merely trying to destroy other incriminating information and evidence of other conspiracies.
CUSD parent CUSD
Posted: 06:30 pm [PST] on September 12 2007
Someone asked how to determine if they are on the district's hit list. The question is, which one? There are two that we know of. The first one was generated from an email sent out to volunteers during the first recall. If you were a volunteer during the first recall and received an email from Kevin Murphy, you are probably on that list. The second enemies list is the one created by former Asst Superintendent Susan McGill for former Superintendent James Fleming. Remember when Fleming dispatched McGill and another CUSD official to the Registrar of Voters office where Registrar Neal Kelley illegally allowed them access to the recall petitions?. The officials copied down names of petition circulators and took them back to the district office where McGill directed her secretary Bobbie Thacker to create spreadsheets using info from our childrens private education files. You can view the lists at the following link:
www.thecapistranodispatch.com
Click on "All Issues" and scroll down to "CUSD Investigation". It will bring up Judge Waldrips report. Forward through to page 30 to see McGill's memo to Fleming and the accompanying lists of names. The actual spreadsheets are not posted online as they contain the names of children, spouses and other confidential info. I was able to get a copy of the spreadsheet with my families info on it from the district however. Its truly disgusting, especially since my tax dollars were used to generate it against my family.
You may also want to read some of the Grand Jury testimony which is also posted at the dispatch website. Recommended reading:
the testimony of
-Kate McIntyre (Fleming's $95K secretary)
-Marlene Draper (who seems to have complete memory loss - except when she feels it exonerates her)
-Dave Doomey (former Asst. Superintendent in charge of facilities funding who couldn't explain the funding vehicles he let faceless attorneys from outside the district put in place) and
-John Casabianca (former Trustee who was voted out of office).
Don't bother reading Fleming's testimony. He pled the Fifth on everything so as not to incriminate himself.
H.S. Anaheim, CA
Posted: 04:09 pm [PST] on September 12 2007
Impressive to see so many elected officials taking such a strong position on such a controversial issue. They are all to be commended -- and the school board members should be run out of office.
Sally Garibaldi SJC
Posted: 08:43 pm [PST] on September 11 2007
Excellent news blog! Thanks for chronicling the grass roots efforts of those citizens who stepped up to tackle the corruption of CUSD's Trustees
ethical man south oc
Posted: 09:47 am [PST] on September 08 2007
Martin:
I don't blame you Martin. False allegations run rampant in this district. I've seen instances where children lie about a teacher and the teacher isn't even given a chance to respond and is immediately blamed. The truth should be goal, not finding a scapegoat. Are the administrators so afraid of the parents, they won't do the right thing? Don't these people know that kids lie sometimes and make up stories just because they don't like the way their teacher runs things or because they want to get another student in trouble? I don't know where these principals got their credentials, probably on-line. Regardless, there are several principals and other adminstrators whose egos are out of control. A report has it that the principal at one of the high schools told his teachers at a summer retreat that he wanted a young staff (or something to that effect.) When he surplused several teachers at the end of the school year, they included teachers that had taught most of their careers at the school. These teachers were, of course, very hurt by being surplused, having given so many years to a particular school, only to have a fairly new principal rip the relationships and memories they have devloped over years away! Age descrimination? I heard through another rumor that he told one of these teachers that "I can do whatever I want, I'm the principal, and you don't fit in here!" I guess that means "anything goes!" How sad that the egos and nepitism in this district rule over what's best for the kids! I thought the kids were the reason most of these people went into education. I hope the investigation of Fleming trickles all the way down to these other unethical people. :(
Martin Oliver Capistrano Beach
Posted: 09:16 am [PST] on September 07 2007
I organized the first meeting of Capo Beach parents to discuss the proposed high school boundry changes. I immediatly stepped back and let people with more experience take over. I was not on the published 'hit list'. Yet somehow, my 5th grade son was accused of threatening to 'stab' another child (the allegation was absurd). My boy was interogated for 45 minutes by the elementary school principal - with no one else present - and in tears he said that "maybe" he said he would stab someone. When I was allowed to see my child he was scared and confused - he said he was told if he didn't 'confess' he would be in more trouble. Now he has a mark on his school transcripts that he is "potentially dangerous", and any school or teacher can refuse to teach him. Last year he scored in the 99th percentile in STAR testing, and was 4th Overall in the Orange County Academic Pentathelon. This year my son is attending middle school in a small town in Oregon. Your loss, CUSD.
ethical man south oc
Posted: 07:08 am [PST] on September 07 2007
Does anyone know how to find out whether or not a person is on the list? I really just want to find out if I am!
Leslie Dutton Los Angeles
Posted: 08:25 pm [PST] on September 06 2007
Dear Kitty: The reason coverage seems one sided is that the "Old Guard" CUSD Trustees and administrators have refused our numerous invitations to provide their side of the issue "on camera" with Full Disclosure. We agree with you, this needs to be a two-way discussion. Our invitation to the Trustees to present their side was rejected repeatedly, starting in Sept. 2005 to present. Perphaps, you, as a parent and educator, can you use your own personal influence to convince them to come forward to give us their side of the story. Full Disclosure is dedicated to doing just that. Thank you so much for coming forward to express your frustration.
ethical man south oc
Posted: 06:06 pm [PST] on September 06 2007
Unfortunately, this corruption goes very deep. There are many unethical decisions being made by administrators in this district. It goes to the school level. Some of the Principals at these schools are just as crooked as Fleming. After all, without support at the school level, how could this district ever attack students or parents? I have witnessed lies about teachers by Principals, and much other unethical and even sexist behavior. The rumor mill has it that the Principal of CVHS made some very inappropriate comments at their summer retreat. One indicating his desire to make CUSD a young school or something like that. Isn't that age discrimination? Maybe you could do some research into this and find out from some of the attendees what the actual statement was.