| Deposition of Ray Artiano by the author of this website (with Dan Shinoff acting as Artiano's counsel) |
| March 18, 2005 Lawsuit against Escondido school district set for trial By: Scott Marshall North County Times VISTA ---- A lawsuit that alleges two autistic students in the Escondido Union School District were battered by a teacher is scheduled to go to trial April 1, an attorney for the school district confirmed late Thursday. The case involves two students, ages 4 and 5 at the time, and alleges the children were battered while they were students at the Nicolaysen Center, a school for special-education students, said Daniel Shinoff, the district's attorney. Andrea Leavitt, an attorney for the students and their families, could not be reached for comment late Thursday afternoon. Shinoff said the school district denies the allegations and believes the case involves a misunderstanding "that's been blown way out of proportion." |
Shinoff Federal in Feb. 2008 3:07-cv-00049-W-CAB Roberts et al v. Ramona Unified School District et al filed 01/05/07 3:07-cv-00714-L-WMC Ollier et al v. Sweetwater Union High School District et al filed 04/19/07 3:07-cv-01978-LAB-CAB To et al v. Poway Unified School District et al filed 10/12/07 |
| Presiding Judge So, Kenneth K. Ex Parte GIC840369 D) JOHN PITARRESI DANIEL R. SHINOFF 11/15/06 09:00AM SD-4 BOLLMAN Sp Setl Conf GIC840369 D)PITARRESI SHINOFF |
| LEBLANC VS POWAY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Central 02/29/08 09:00AM C-75 Strauss, Richard E. L. Civil Jury Trial GIC 777812 D)POWAY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT D)THOMAS [TOM] COLE DANIEL R. SHINOFF |
| 1) Dan Shinoff/Rick Rinnear/SDCOE GIE019680 P) RICK RINEAR Daniel R. Shinoff Was this work by Daniel Shinoff a reward for SDCOE-JPA's giving most of its cases to Shinoff? |
| CHRISTEIN HUMPREY VS. CHULA VISTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT Case Number: 37-2007-00069969-CU-PO-SC Case Location: South County Date Filed: 07/30/2007 Category: CU-PO PI/PD/WD - Other Plaintiff/Petitioner HUMPREY CHRISTEIN |
| 04/04/08 09:00AM E-15 Halgren, Laura W. Demurrer / Moti 37-2008-00061228-CU-PO-EC D)Cajon Valley Union High Daniel R. Shinoff |
| South County 03/28/08 08:35AM S-04 Cannon, William S. Demurrer / Moti 37-2007-00069969-CU-PO-SC D)Chula Vista Elementary Sc Daniel R. Shinoff |
| Guajome Park Academy (part of VUSD) |
| Poway Unified School District |
| Grossmont Cuyamaca Com. COLLEGE District |
| Fallbrook |
| ESCONDIDO |
| AUSTIN VS MIRA COSTA COLLEGE Case Number: GIN058018 North County Filed: 12/28/2006 Category: CU-WT Wrongful Termination Plaintiff/Petitioner AUSTIN KAREN P HATOFF JULIE P KRASKOUSKAS EILEEN RICHART VICTORIA MUNOZ Defendant/Respondent RIGGS TERRY P MIRA COSTA COLLEGE |
| LEON JAMES PAGE VS. MIRACOSTA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT Case Number: 37-2007-00055219-CU-WM-NC Location: North County Date Filed: 08/08/2007 Category: CU-WM Writ of Mandate Plaintiff/Petitioner PAGE LEON JAMES Defendant/Respondent MIRACOSTA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT RICHART, DR VICTORIA MUNOZ |
| Central 05/09/08 10:00AM C-71 Prager, Ronald S Summary Judgment GIC871766 D)CAJON VALLEY UNION SCHOOL Daniel R. Shinoff Court ruling: "The motion is continued to May 20, 2008..." [M.L. note: I suspect that the judge would like to see this case settled. The decision has been delayed twice. My advice to CVUSD is do the right thing, not what Daniel Robert Shinoff advises.] Judge Prager found in favor of the school district, but his decision was overturned on appeal. Eric M. v. Cajon Valley Union School District Filed 5/20/09 Certified for Publication 5/27/09 COURT OF APPEAL, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT DIV 1 D053534 (Super. Ct. No. GIC871766) APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of San Diego County, Ronald S. Prager, Judge. Reversed. Plaintiff and appellant Eric M. (Eric), by and through his guardian ad litem, Gloria M., brought this action against defendant and respondent Cajon Valley Union School District (the District), alleging that his injuries from being hit by a car were proximately caused by the District’s failure to supervise adequately the process of his dismissal from school and anticipated school bus ride home. After six-year-old Eric boarded but then immediately left the school bus (telling the bus driver he saw his father’s car), shortly after school had ended for the day, he started walking to the bus stop where he thought his mother would pick him up, but was hit by a car as he crossed the street. Eric appeals from a judgment of dismissal entered against him after the trial court granted the District’s motion for summary judgment, and denied Eric’s motion for summary adjudication on the existence of an affirmative duty not to let him off the bus under those circumstances. The trial court’s ruling to grant the District’s summary judgment motion was based on its analysis of duty and immunity under Education Code section 44808, under the circumstances of a student being injured by being struck by a car, after school and off campus. The court concluded the District owed Eric no duty, as of the time of his injuries, to provide him safe transportation under its transportation safety plan (TSP). (§ 39831.3, Gov. Code, § 815.) On appeal, Eric argues the trial court erroneously determined as a matter of law that the District owed him no duty of reasonable care during the events leading up to his injuries .. We agree with Eric that, as a matter of law, and under existing authorities, the trial court incorrectly determined the District did not owe Eric a duty of reasonable care at the relevant times during these events. (Hoyem v. Manhattan Beach City School District (1978) 22 Cal.3d 508 (Hoyem).) Moreover, triable material issues of fact remain regarding the extent and manner of performance of that duty, and the summary judgment and underlying summary adjudication ruling must be reversed. |
| MIRACOSTA COLLEGE |
| OTHER MIRACOSTA CASES |
| San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) |
| Stutz, Artiano Shinoff & Holtz |
| Cajon Valley |
| Grossmont Union High School District |
| Lakeside Union School District |
| Mountain Empire School District |
| VISTA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT vs Dr. B.J. FREEMAN Case Number: GIN035902 Location: North County Case Type: Civil Date Filed: 03/04/2004 Category: A60304 Breach of Contract VISTA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT FREEMAN B J School demanded that doctor testify in support of falsified reports. BJ Freeman referred the Peters case to another doctor. |
| Shinoff is witness in this case Harnett v. Diane Crosier, SDCOE 07/08/08 08:30AM C-73 Ex Parte 37-2008-00081583-CU-W T-CTL P)Rodger J. Hartnett BARRY M. VREVICH 07/11/08 10:30AM C-73 Denton, Steven R. Motion Hearing 37-2008-00081583-CU-W T-CTL P)Rodger J. Hartnett BARRY M. VREVICH |
| East County 05/30/08 09:00AM E-14 CV Sturgeon, Eddie C Motion Hearing GIE031907 12/12/08 10:30AM Management D)BILL BAUCHER D)DOE 3 D)LARITA WILLIAMS D)LEMON GROVE SCHOOL DISTRI D)LYNN BOUFFARD Daniel R. Shinoff VILLALOBOS VS LEMON GROVE SCHOOL DISTRICT Case Location: East Date Filed: 04/20/2006 Category: CU-CR Civil Rights Plaintiff/Petitioner VILLALOBOS KATHY |
| Lemon Grove School District |
| CHULA VISTA ELEMENTARY |
| National School District |
| McCabe Union School District |
| Sponsored by St. John's Law Review Daniel Shinoff will join a distinguished panel of speakers for the Second Annual Constitutional Panel Discussion on March 31, 2008. Invited panelists include general counsel for each side of the Harper v. Poway and Morse v. Frederick cases. Topics to be discussed will include theTinker-Fraser- Hazelwood trilogy of cases, analysis of the Harper v. Poway case of which Shinoff is lead counsel, an overview of oral arguments at the various stages of review, reactions to Supreme Court jurisprudence in the area of student speech, and implications on current caselaw. from Stutz website Training school attorneys Ray J. Artiano and Lesa Wilson are experienced employment litigators, knowledgeable in all aspects of advisory and litigation issues which employers face on a daily basis. Mr. Artiano and Ms. Wilson are available for training seminars to help employers and their supervisors understand the increasingly complex legal environment of employment law...Mr. Artiano and Ms. Wilson understand that the myriad of statutes governing employers requires sophisticated interpretation and informed analysis, along with a common sense approach to the alternatives in any situation...Please contact the firm at 619-232-3122 to schedule a seminar and to learn more about the legal services we offer. from Stutz website |
| Vista Unified School District (VUSD) |
| OCEANSIDE |
| Del Mar Union School District works with Stutz Artiano Shinoff & Holtz, but Shinoff himself appears not to be the Del Mar Union School District From the district's website: Christina Dyer letter www.dmusd.org/district/files/openFile. aspx?fileID=3055 |
| DEL MAR UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| Coach James "Ted" Carter's students needed him. Principal Dianne Carberry and her husband, a coach who suggested a student take a substance that caused his kidneys to fail, should have been fired instead of Carter, who blew the whistle. Why did Daniel Shinoff and the Escondido Union High School District board appeal the court's award to Carter? They should have apologized, paid the victim, and immediately hired new administrators. |
| San Diego Union Tribune regarding the Coach Carter v. Carberry case |
| Daniel Shinoff cases |
| North County K-12 Schools |
| South County K-12 Schools |
| East County Schools |
| Case Title: SHERBONDY VS MOUNTAIN EMPIRE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT ITS SUPERINTENDENT [Patrick Judd] AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES Verdict: Shinoff loses Case Number: GIC866959 Case Location: San Diego Case Type: Civil Date Filed: 06/02/2006 Category: CU-BCW Breach of Contract/Warranty Plaintiff/Petitioner SHERBONDY SUE Defendant/Respondent MOUNTAIN EMPIRE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT ITS SUPERINTENDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES Central courthouse 06/17/08 09:00AM C-47 Judge Whitney, Richard S. Ex Parte GIC866959 D)MOUNTAIN EMPIRE UNIFIED Jon Vanderpool for plaintiff Daniel R. Shinoff (replacing Stephenie Vandreuil, who replaced Pamela Dempsey) Another change of judge: 07/18/08 01:30PM C-75 Judge: Strauss, Richard E. L. |
| Danielle Cozaihr v. Chula Vista Elementary School District Settled Dec. 2008 CVESD decided to appeal the verdict won by Cozaihr, but the opening brief was never filed. Daniel Shinoff passed the case to his partner Jack M. Sleeth, Jr. On December 5, 2008, parties stipulated to dismiss the case. It would seem that the case was settled. Cozaihr attorneys: C. Daniel Carroll Mccann & Carroll 2755 Jefferson St., Suite 211 Carlsbad, CA 92008-1558 Laura J. Farris 2755 Jefferson Street Suite 209 Carlsbad, CA 92008 |
| Lawsuit abuse by school attorneys? Attorney fees in Roberts, Hess, et al v. Ramona USD case: why didn't Shinoff simply settle the case? |
| North County Times article about Daniel Shinoff |
| Roberts and Hess v. Ramona Unified School District (re: girls softball field) |
| La Mesa-Spring Valley School District |
| Ramona USD |
| 3) Superintendent Ed Brand |
| North County K-12 Schools |
| Schools defy the Office of Civil Rights Title IX cases |
| Dan Shinoff makes agreements with the Office of Civil Rights, then gets paid to fight the agreements on behalf of school districts. He uses the taxpayers' deep pockets to buy personal loyalty (and commit tortious interference) when he gives work to other attorneys. |
| Ana Stover v. CVESD and Lowell Billings for politically-motivated defamation and tortious interference. It's no wonder this egregious case was settled privately by CVESD and Lowell Billings. |




| Personal favors or merely the appearance of conflict of interest? |
| 2) Daniel Shinoff and SDCOE-JPA executive director Diane Crosier's son Diane Crosier refused to answer questions posed by a reporter. This lawsuit was filed by Dan Shinoff in San Francisco on behalf of Crosier's son Christian. Cross complaint against Chris Crosier |
| 04/01/09 08:45AM C-68 CV Hayes, Judith F. Ex Parte 37-2007-00065902-CL-BC -CTL C)Jeffery Essakow Daniel R. Shinoff ANTHONY T DITTY VS. GEORGE HUNT Case Number: 37-2007-00065902-CL-BC -CTL Location: San Diego Date Filed: 05/01/2007 Category: CL-BCW Breach of Contract/Warranty Plaintiff/Petitioner DITTY ANTHONY T ESSAKOW JEFFERY KAGNOFF MARCIA MOYHI DARUSH RAGHAVEN SREEN Defendant/Respondent HUNT GEORGE KAGNOFF MARCIA C PROPTECH INC |
| Governing Board Minutes – November 5, 2007 FALLBROOK UNION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT MINUTES Special Meeting November 5, 2007 1. Members Present Mrs. Anne Renshaw, Vice President Mrs. Lisa Masten, Clerk Mrs. Patty de Jong, Trustee Mr. Pat Rusnell, Trustee Dr. Janice Schultz, Superintendent B. Members Absent Dr. Maurice F. Bernier, President C. Others Present Various staff and community members HEARING SESSION This is the appropriate point in the meeting for members of the audience to speak on matters of special concern not on the present agenda. Mrs. Roxanne Stanley read the following statement: “I am Roxanne Stanley. I have absolutely no qualms about my case being discussed in an open forum as I feel it should be. I have maintained and vindicated by arbitration that I have done nothing wrong so why should this case go behind closed doors unless it is to hide conduct by others? This is not about me any more, but as brought to light in the arbitrator’s scathing decision paper it is about the actions of district administrators. Administrators of conscience and integrity would excuse themselves from the deliberations of this case so as not to show conflict of interest or unfairly influence the Board’s decision. Trying the case again behind closed doors without an advocate to defend me is not right. Thank you. Roxanne Stanley, November 5, 2007.” Mrs. Patty de Jong responded that even though Mrs. Stanley had agreed to have her concerns shared in Open Session, that it may be possible that other employees may be mentioned during this portion of the meeting, and that they had not given permission for this to be discussed in Open Session. Mrs. Anne Renshaw read the following statement: “The purpose of the meeting is to reach a decision concerning the recommendation to terminate Ms. Roxanne Stanley, a permanent employee and member of the District’s classified bargaining unit... |
| Bus drivers claim kids’ health was endangered Village News December 6th, 2007 FUESD bus number 76 is said by some drivers to have had severe exhaust problems that they feel may have endangered local children’s health. A group of Fallbrook Union Elementary School District (FUESD) bus drivers say the district failed to notify parents of a situation they felt endangered the health of children riding a certain school bus in 2004 and 2005. Bus drivers Kathy Maebert, Roxanne Stanley and Gaylen Brady allege that students riding FUESD bus number 76 during those years were exposed to significant amounts of exhaust fumes, until the district finally repaired the bus in June of 2005. “A smell doesn’t mean there is a danger,” said Jim Whitlock, assistant superintendent of personnel services at FUESD. “It’s interesting that no children or parents have complained about it.” The drivers say exhaust from the bus was escaping back into the bus through a loose shroud that provided a six- inch passageway for the fumes to flow throughout the bus. “If kids were getting sick, I’d know,” said Whitlock. “We regularly check each bus in our fleet every 45 days, and we have a newer fleet than other districts comparable to us.” Whitlock did say that bus 76 was repaired in June of 2005, following a driver complaint, and produced a copy of the record that indicated the following tasks had been completed as a result: exhaust leak repaired, (2) tires replaced, reseal engine intake inside bus, replace decal inside right side emergency door, steam clean, replace clamp at turbo and replace headlight. Stanley, who drove the bus during the time period in question, says before the bus was repaired, she suffered a collapsed lung in March of 2005 because of it. “[The district] got me off the bus so I couldn’t tell the kids [what happened],” Stanley claims. “There were things made up to get me off the bus.” Before driving this particular bus, Stanley says, she was a healthy, strong individual and 2007 marks her nineteenth year working for the elementary school district. “What makes anyone think that some of those kids aren’t suffering with problems [because of the exhaust leak] and the parents think it is something else?” Stanley asks. Stanley said some of the symptoms she and/or others with excessive exposure to exhaust fumes experience are a nagging cough, flu-like symptoms, chronic bronchitis, headaches and, possibly, the onset of asthma. Stanley claims after becoming ill and emphatically complaining about the condition of the bus, she was “continually harassed by supervisory personnel” and unfairly disciplined by the District. Brady says he distinctly remembers Stanley reporting the problem with the bus to the transportation supervisor and says he feels Stanley was treated unfairly because “she asks a lot of questions.” Other drivers of the same bus concur with Stanley’s reports. Maebert says that, after running the bus on its morning route one day, she informed a district mechanic, “There was an odor in the bus.” “He and I looked around the back interior,” she says, “and discovered an opening along the right side to back of wall which we were able to see sunlight through and possible looseness around the big box on [the] righthand side in back of [interior]. “[He] said he would seal up the openings and let me drive the bus for the afternoon route. After closing the windows, I [then] started to experience a severe headache along with severe stomach cramps and [an] extremely sore throat.” “It was horrific how sick [the bus] made me feel,” Maebert said. “No wonder [Roxanne] was sick.” Another driver, Melissa Seymour, says she is certain the same bus made her ill when she drove it for roughly three months while Stanley was out on medical leave. “Every single time I drove it, which was four or five times, I got bronchitis really bad,” said Seymour. “I’d spend three days on that bus, then I’d be out sick for a week. It kept making me sick. My lungs would just shut up. “I was the senior driver, the lead driver, so I would be pulled off my [regular] special ed route and put in [Stanley’ s] bus when she was out sick and I always had to take bus 76. “Every time I complained about it smelling funny, [the mechanic] told me the bus was fine, that it was just all in my head. “I would never tell [the kids] that they had to put the windows up in that bus. The kids complained every time about the smell.” Seymour is now retired on medical disability after 23 years on the job. During 2004 and 2005, bus number 76 was the vehicle used on the morning pickup and afternoon return route for third through sixth grade students traveling from Alturas Road to Live Oak Elementary School and seventh and eighth grade students traveling from Camp Pendleton to Potter Junior High. Although the bus has since been repaired, it is no longer used as a primary bus, Brady says. “As far as I know it is only used, if needed, on field trips now.” “This bus is not in regular service right now,” said Ray Proctor, assistant superintendent. “It’s used as a substitute bus – not for any fear of a problem, just that we like to rotate buses due to mileage numbers.” Brady went on to say that he has noticed that additional precautions are being taken now in bus maintenance now that he claims never took place before. “They are now taking some precautionary measures by having the mufflers cleaned on the buses,” Brady said. What worries these drivers most is that they feel that parents of children who rode the bus during the problem time are not aware of the exhaust leak. “Who knows where all the [Camp Pendleton] kids are now?” Brady said. “When I asked my supervisor [at the time] if the parents were going to be notified, I was disciplined for insubordination,” Stanley said, “but they have to let parents know.” |
| LEONA SMITH VS. GROSSMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 37-2007-00082718-CU-OE-CTL Case Location: San Diego Date Filed: 12/06/2007 Category: CU-OE Other employment Church Wins Motion for Summary Judgment Dismissing Race and Age Discrimination Case in its Entirety From Stutz Website May 10, 2009 Ryan Church successfully argued a Motion for Summary Judgment which dismissed a Plaintiff's case in its entirety. Plaintiff Leona Smith filed suit against the School District alleging racial and age discrimination under FEHA. Plaintiff maintained that she was the most qualified applicant for a District coordinator position, and the District’s hiring process for the position was discriminatory. Following extensive discovery, Mr. Church filed a Motion for Summary Judgment on behalf of the District. The Summary Judgment was granted in its entirety by the Court on May 1, 2009. |
| San Dieguito |
| from Stutz website Shinoff and Abed Win National Origin Discrimination Suit May 05, 2009 Partners Daniel R. Shinoff and Gil Abed obtained a defense verdict for their client, Escondido Union High School District. The Plaintiff sued the District claiming, among other things, national origin discrimination and harassment, and retaliation. She also claimed that she was being retaliated against because of her national origin. Mr. Shinoff and Mr. Abed successfully argued that plaintiff's complaints were not on the basis of race but rather disputes between employees who did not get along. Upon hearing the arguments, the Court found in favor of the School District in that there was no discrimination, harassment or retaliation. Furthermore, the Court held that the Plaintiff did not suffer any adverse employment action. |
| David Alberts case Parent jailed for complaining about coach (Compare to Michael Lee case in Conejo Valley), in which the court ruled that parents and students are not required to be silent. |
| Hazing by Santana coach Jacob Clark-Schirmer v. GUHSD |
| San Marcos |
| Solana Beach |
| San Diego Community College District |
| See more community colleges at bottom of page |
| Community Colleges |
| MiraCosta College (see top of this page) |
| Insurance company pays $250K to settle football lawsuit February 7, 2001 ADAM KAYE The San Dieguito Union High School District and its insurance company have agreed to pay $250,000 to settle in mid-trial a lawsuit brought by a former La Costa Canyon High School football player against the school district and three equipment suppliers. Attorneys from all sides agreed upon the settlement on Thursday, according to Vista Superior Court records. Robert "Bobby" Rodriguez and his family sued over head injuries Rodriguez allegedly suffered during a junior varsity football game on Nov. 13, 1998, when the youth was 15 years old. The family sought $50 million in damages. The settlement dismisses the litigation against the school district, Athletic Helmet Inc., face-guard maker Schutt Manufacturing Co. and equipment supplier Gunther's Athletic Service, said Dan Shinoff, an attorney representing the school district. The San Dieguito district's insurance carrier will incur the cost of the settlement and will cause "no direct damage" to the school district's budget, Shinoff said. Jurors were told the trial before Judge Thomas Nugent could last five weeks. It ended, however, on its eighth day. "The (Rodriguez) family decided they were not going to pursue (the case) any further," Shinoff said. "It's my personal belief they began to recognize it was a very, very marginal case against the school district and its staff." Colin Cossio, the attorney representing the Rodriguez family, has not returned repeated calls to discuss the case. Rodriguez continues to suffer "very profound injuries," Shinoff said, including partial blindness, speech and cognitive damage. Rodriguez's conditions probably will affect him for the rest of his life, Shinoff said. During the trial's opening arguments on Jan. 23, both sides agreed that on the day of the game against Torrey Pines High School, Rodriguez suffered a subdural hematoma, or bleeding between the skull and the brain. Rodriguez's attorney argued that the football team's equipment manager was inexperienced and gave the boy a helmet that didn't fit; that Rodriguez also didn't receive swift treatment when he complained of headaches during the game; and that the school district's equipment supplier, Gunther's Athletic Service, did not follow national guidelines applied toward reconditioning helmets, rendering the headgear defective. Attorneys for the equipment companies said Rodriguez suffered from pre-existing conditions and the boy's medical history contributed to his head injury. Jeff Morris, an attorney for the school district, argued that there was no delay in treating Rodriguez when he collapsed during the game. |
| Gabriel, a minor v. SMUSD School Did Not Violate Boy's Civil Rights During Restraints, Jury Says By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express April 3, 2003 VISTA, CALIFORNIA--A jury ruled Wednesday that San Marcos school employees did not violate the civil rights of an 8-year-old boy when they forcibly restrained him in his special education classroom, the San Diego Tribune reported. The decision ends a four-week trial stemming from a lawsuit filed by the boy's mother against the San Marcos Unified School District. Neither the mother nor the son were identified in the news report. Jurors heard that the boy, who has developmental disabilities, was restrained by special education teachers and aides face down on the floor or was taken by force from the classroom 145 times over a six-month period in 2000. The boy's mother bristled when lawyers for the school district said her son was "out of control" and "extremely psychotic." School officials said that the boy was loud and obnoxious, he refused to cooperate with staffers and often soiled his pants. At times he threatened to throw his feces at teachers, aides and fellow students, school officials said. "He's not a monster," the mother said outside the courtroom. "He's not a psychotic crazed animal. He's a sweet, special boy." Her lawyer said jurors told him privately that they didn't approve of the way the boy was treated, but were concerned about hurting school finances. The mother said the lawsuit was not about money. "It was about the way they treated my son," she explained. |
| Lost cash more than admitted, suit says Ex-cheer coach accused of taking over $55,000 San Diego Union Tribune By Chris Cadelago August 9, 2006 RANCHO SAN DIEGO – The amount of money missing from the Valhalla High School cheerleading program is much greater than the $15,000 a parent has admitted stealing, according to a lawsuit filed by the Grossmont Union High School District. The lawsuit states that Bobbie Norby, 47, of El Cajon took more than $55,000 in less than three years of working for the district as cheer adviser and gymnastics coach. Norby has yet to list a lawyer on court papers, or respond to the district's complaint. She did not return repeated calls for comment yesterday. However, she disputes the district's dollar figure, stating “dollar amount is incorrect” on a signed court form. In a signed May 11 statement, Norby admitted cashing or depositing seven checks made out to the cheer program into her own personal bank accounts. The statement, in which she estimates taking $10,000 to $15,000, was part of a report compiled by private investigator Robert Price, who was hired by the district's lawyers. The full report was obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune through a public information request. “I will do everything I can to repay the money,” reads the statement, which is Exhibit A in the district's lawsuit. “I will also help in any way I can to account for the money that I have stolen and the money I have received from Valhalla Cheer this year.” The Sheriff's Department is still investigating the case and Norby has not been arrested or charged with a crime. Detective Bob Niderost said last week that Norby's admission is “not enough proof.” In the civil suit, filed in mid-May, the district accuses Norby of fraud and deceit, breach of contract and unjust enrichment. Its lawyers are asking for full reimbursement, including all legal fees. “I am surprised that I haven't heard anything from her yet,” said Daniel Shinoff, the school district's lawyer. “Her time is running out.” No date has been set for the first meeting, but if Norby doesn't respond soon, the district will win by default, he added. Norby worked for the district from about 2003 to spring 2006, according to the suit. She was considered a district employee but classified as a volunteer who received a stipend. From 2005 to 2006, she received stipends totaling $1,614, records show. Team officials in January noticed almost all of the money in the cheer program's account had gone missing. Valhalla's head cheer coach pitched in for one event in Anaheim, but the team's next event at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, which parents had already paid for, was canceled. “This is sad because it's the girls that had to suffer because of this,” cheer mom Noreen Wilson of El Cajon said yesterday. There was a similar case in Chula Vista Elementary School District, but Daniel Shinoff represented clients who were friends of the embezzler, Kimberlee Simmons. |
| Fallbrook High School District seems to be having trouble figuring out how to handle the First Amendment. The ACLU is suing Fallbrook to protect the right of students to express their views in student newspapers. ACLU sues Fallbrook High School over free speech issues By Bruce Lieberman SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE November 11, 2008 The American Civil Liberties Union has sued the Fallbrook Union High School District, charging that Fallbrook High's principal violated the free speech of students when he censored two articles, axed the newspaper's faculty advisor position, cut the journalism class and killed publication of the Tomahawk newspaper... The lawsuit is demanding that the high school district restore the journalism class and reinstate its advisor, Dave Evans. The ACLU is also asking for a court order prohibiting school or district officials from censoring future publication of the articles killed last school year. One of the articles, scheduled for publication last November, suggested that former district Supt. Tom Anthony had hesitated to open Fallbrook High as an evacuation center during the October 2007 fires. The second article, scheduled for publication last May, was an editorial that had criticized the Bush administration's support for teaching abstinence in the public schools. The district's attorney, Dan Shinoff, has said that Fallbrook High principal Rod King was concerned that the first article contained factual inaccuracies. As for the second piece on abstinence, King was concerned that its tone and language suggested that it was likely written by an adult and not a student as claimed, Shinoff said. The student whose byline appeared on the unpublished editorial has insisted that she alone wrote the piece. [Blogger's note: A good student in high school writes like an adult, especially if she revises a piece a couple of times. The principal knows this very well. His excuse for censoring the editorial is not credible. Shame on the principal for denying that the girl spoke the truth when she said that she wrote the essay by herself. He's making up an accusation simply to justify his arbitrary and illegal action.] Shinoff has said further that the district's decision to cancel the journalism program predated much of the controversies over the Tomahawk and was due entirely to state budget cut..s. |
| BOONE v. CARLSBAD COMMUNITY CHURCH ET AL (Apr 2008) • TO ET AL v. POWAY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT ET AL (Oct 2007) • KEARNEY v. FOLEY & LARDNER, ET AL (May 2007) TO ET AL v. POWAY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT ET AL (Oct 2007) • OLLIER ET AL v. SWEETWATER UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT ET AL (Apr 2007) SCHOOL DISTRICT ET AL (Jan 2007) • PETERS, ET AL v. GUAJOME PARK ACADEMY, ET AL (Nov 2006) • ALMENDAREZ v. MIRACOSTA COLLEGE ET AL (Oct 2006) • PINNOCK ET AL v. TWENTY FOUR HOUR FOOD STORES ET AL (Sep 2006) • SORNIA v. EL CENTRO ELEMENTARY, ET AL (Sep 2006) • JOE BABAKANIAN v. INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES INC ET AL (Feb 2005) Federal cases Boone v. Carlsbad Community Church (Jun 2008) • Houston v. Encinitas Union School Dist. (May 2008) • Sornia v. El Centro Elementary School Dist. (Apr 2008) • Hess v. Ramona Unified School Dist. (Mar 2008) • Houston v. Encinitas Union School Dist. (Jan 2008) • Hess v. Ramona Unified School Dist. (Sep 2007) • Hess v. Ramona Unified School Dist. (Sep 2007) • Crawford v. San Dieguito Union School Dist. (Sep 2006) • Harper v. Poway Unified School Dist. (Apr 2006) • Noyes v. Grossmont Union High School Dist. (Jun 2004) State cases Brennan v. Anaheim Union High School Dist. (Sep 2007) • Shirk v. Vista Unified School Dist. (Aug 2007) • Austin B. v. Escondido Union School Dist. (Apr 2007) • Carter v. Escondido Union High School Dist. (Mar 2007) • Manderville v. PCG & S Group, Inc. (Jan 2007) • Hodge v. Poway Unified School Dist. (Oct 2006) • McCallum v. Carlsbad Unified School Dist. (Jan 2006) • Ramona Unified School Dist. v. Tsiknas (Dec 2005) • Thomas P. v. Fallbrook Union Elementary School Dist. (Jul 2005) • Rodriguez v. McCabe Union School Dist. (Apr 2005) |
| Southwestern College |
| Sweetwater Union High School District |