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Stutz Artiano Shinoff
& Holtz v. Maura
Larkins defamation
SDCOE
CVESD
Castle Park Elem
Law Enforcement
CTA
CVE
Stutz Artiano Shinoff
& Holtz
Silence is Golden
Schools and Violence
Office Admin Hearings
Larkins OAH Hearing
Why This Website
Stutz Artiano Shinoff
& Holtz v. Maura
Larkins defamation
SDCOE
CVESD
Castle Park Elem
Law Enforcement
CTA
CVE
Stutz Artiano Shinoff
& Holtz
Silence is Golden
Schools and Violence
Office Admin Hearings
Larkins OAH Hearing
The Castle Park Five
The Castle Park Five were a group of teachers transferred out of Castle
Park Elementary School in Chula Vista Elementary School District in August
2004.
The teachers in the school had triggered serious legal problems for the
district in February 2001, and the district had spent $100,000s on their
defense.
The district struggled to calm the school, but it turned out to have been a
bad decision to support teachers who had violated multiple laws. The
teachers, who in 2004 began calling themselves the "Castle Park Family",
were determined to control the school, disregarding all authority. Castle
Park Elementary School averaged one new principal each year for about a
decade during the power struggle.
These teachers had the support of Beverly Tucker, the chief counsel of the
California Teachers Association (CTA), who wields enormous power.
Tucker seems to be the real power in CTA, controlling even the "elected"
president. (CTA President Barbara Kerr was called the "third most
powerful" person in California in 2003.) Tucker's loyal henchman in Chula
Vista, Jim Groth, was chosen as a statewide director of CTA. Jim Groth
managed to insert one of the Castle Park Five teachers, Peg Myers, into his
position as president of Chula Vista Educators (CVE) when he resigned to
become a CTA director.
THE 2004 TRANSFER COMPLICATED BY SIMULTANEOUS COVER-UP
In 2004 superintendent Lowell Billings transferred five teachers in an
attempt to make it possible for principal Ollie Matos to run the school
effectively. In the end this attempt proved fruitless, thanks to the
remaining teachers and Chula Vista Educators, as well as the need of
Billings and the school board to continue to cover up the wrongdoing they
had supported since 2001. Don Sevrens, an editor at the San Diego Union
Tribune, helped cover up the lawsuit involving several of the Castle Park
Five at the same time that he wrote anonymous stories about the transfer.
Sevrens coined the phrase, "Castle Park Five." Linda Rosas at the Chula
Vista Star-News also published a series of stories attacking principal Ollie
Matos at the same time that she refused to publish the story of the
wrongdoing that teacher Robin Donlan had initiated, and other teachers
expanded (see Linda Watson report, Jo Ellen Hamilton report, and Alan
Smith report).
School district lawyers were pressuring the Castle Park Five teachers to
avoid telling the truth at depositions (see Peg Myers deposition, Robin
Donlan Deposition; also former CVE president Gina Boyd deposition) at the
same time that the board was transferring the teachers. The teachers
clearly had no respect for their co-conspirators in the district office. The
teachers had called the shots for years and were apparently not inclined to
suddenly become docile.
The Castle Park Five were a group of teachers transferred out of Castle
Park Elementary School in Chula Vista Elementary School District in August
2004.
The teachers in the school had triggered serious legal problems for the
district in February 2001, and the district had spent $100,000s on their
defense.
The district struggled to calm the school, but it turned out to have been a
bad decision to support teachers who had violated multiple laws. The
teachers, who in 2004 began calling themselves the "Castle Park Family",
were determined to control the school, disregarding all authority. Castle
Park Elementary School averaged one new principal each year for about a
decade during the power struggle.
These teachers had the support of Beverly Tucker, the chief counsel of the
California Teachers Association (CTA), who wields enormous power.
Tucker seems to be the real power in CTA, controlling even the "elected"
president. (CTA President Barbara Kerr was called the "third most
powerful" person in California in 2003.) Tucker's loyal henchman in Chula
Vista, Jim Groth, was chosen as a statewide director of CTA. Jim Groth
managed to insert one of the Castle Park Five teachers, Peg Myers, into his
position as president of Chula Vista Educators (CVE) when he resigned to
become a CTA director.
THE 2004 TRANSFER COMPLICATED BY SIMULTANEOUS COVER-UP
In 2004 superintendent Lowell Billings transferred five teachers in an
attempt to make it possible for principal Ollie Matos to run the school
effectively. In the end this attempt proved fruitless, thanks to the
remaining teachers and Chula Vista Educators, as well as the need of
Billings and the school board to continue to cover up the wrongdoing they
had supported since 2001. Don Sevrens, an editor at the San Diego Union
Tribune, helped cover up the lawsuit involving several of the Castle Park
Five at the same time that he wrote anonymous stories about the transfer.
Sevrens coined the phrase, "Castle Park Five." Linda Rosas at the Chula
Vista Star-News also published a series of stories attacking principal Ollie
Matos at the same time that she refused to publish the story of the
wrongdoing that teacher Robin Donlan had initiated, and other teachers
expanded (see Linda Watson report, Jo Ellen Hamilton report, and Alan
Smith report).
School district lawyers were pressuring the Castle Park Five teachers to
avoid telling the truth at depositions (see Peg Myers deposition, Robin
Donlan Deposition; also former CVE president Gina Boyd deposition) at the
same time that the board was transferring the teachers. The teachers
clearly had no respect for their co-conspirators in the district office. The
teachers had called the shots for years and were apparently not inclined to
suddenly become docile.
The "Castle Park Five"
See blog posts with detailed stories about Castle Park Five.
See blog posts with detailed stories about Castle Park Five.
To be held on Saturday
February 12, 2011:
Truth and
Reconciliation
meeting
for current and former
Castle Park teachers,
parents and students.
CVESD board members
and administrators are
urged to attend.
(details to be announced)
February 12, 2011:
Truth and
Reconciliation
meeting
for current and former
Castle Park teachers,
parents and students.
CVESD board members
and administrators are
urged to attend.
(details to be announced)
Depositions of
Castle Park Five
teachers
Robin Donlan deposition
Robin Donlan $7 m fraud
Peg Myers (CVE
President) deposition
Peg Myers and the SDUT
Castle Park Five
teachers
Robin Donlan deposition
Robin Donlan $7 m fraud
Peg Myers (CVE
President) deposition
Peg Myers and the SDUT
| Grievances |
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| (For explanation of hoax, see Did CVESD Violate EERA?) |
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| 2007 Lawsuit Against CVE and former President Gina Boyd and Castle Park teacher Linda Watson |
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Depositions of
other former
Castle Park
Elementary
teachers
Gina Boyd (CVE
President)
Maura Larkins
other former
Castle Park
Elementary
teachers
Gina Boyd (CVE
President)
Maura Larkins
Blog post about San Diego Union-Tribune
coverage of Castle Park
Elementary School
Maura Larkins comment:
The Castle Park Elementary site council and PTA "heads" who
slammed their principal in this story were Felicia Starr and Kimberlee
Simmons.
The San Diego Union Tribune was also guilty of slanted reporting by editor Don
Sevrens.
Kim Simmons was elected in 2004 because Felicia Starr wanted someone she
could control in charge of the PTA. Starr, a parent representative on the site
council, made sure that Latino parents didn't get a vote. She engaged in
hostilities with Latino parents who had innocently tried to nominate a
candidate.
As a result of the embezzlement (the second discovered at Castle Park
Elementary within 6 years), there has been no PTA at the school from
mid-2005.
coverage of Castle Park
Elementary School
Maura Larkins comment:
The Castle Park Elementary site council and PTA "heads" who
slammed their principal in this story were Felicia Starr and Kimberlee
Simmons.
The San Diego Union Tribune was also guilty of slanted reporting by editor Don
Sevrens.
Kim Simmons was elected in 2004 because Felicia Starr wanted someone she
could control in charge of the PTA. Starr, a parent representative on the site
council, made sure that Latino parents didn't get a vote. She engaged in
hostilities with Latino parents who had innocently tried to nominate a
candidate.
As a result of the embezzlement (the second discovered at Castle Park
Elementary within 6 years), there has been no PTA at the school from
mid-2005.
Little or no oversight leaves school, sports groups
at risk
By Leonel Sanchez and Brent
Schrotenboer
San Diego Union Tribune
August 26, 2007
"CHULA VISTA: The former president of the Parent Teacher Association
at Castle Park Elementary was arrested in November on suspicion of
stealing up to $20,000.
No criminal charges were filed.
Castle Park's PTA disbanded."
at risk
By Leonel Sanchez and Brent
Schrotenboer
San Diego Union Tribune
August 26, 2007
"CHULA VISTA: The former president of the Parent Teacher Association
at Castle Park Elementary was arrested in November on suspicion of
stealing up to $20,000.
No criminal charges were filed.
Castle Park's PTA disbanded."