NOTE: It took a looonnnnggggg and grueling “investigation” by LAUSD (probably at least an hour to
review Clinton’s notes on government ethics, openness and honesty), but Sheridan Street Elementary School
principal Nora Gonzalez has been cleared of all wrongdoing. What a surprise!
Rowena Lagrosa stated "I don't have any evidence that the principal did those things". I don’t blame her... after
all, those sneaky parents lie like crazy! They don’t have the ability to be as honest and forthright as Roy Romer
and Jose Huziar!
To be fair, Ms. Lagrosa may not have any evidence of the misconduct alleged by Parents Demand last
year either... that’s because she never wanted to receive any evidence that could reflect negatively on
LAUSD. Probably all those nasty ol’ secretaries of each and every board member and all other LAUSD
officials that we copied in disposed of all the nasty ol’ documentation we provided. Bad ol’ secretaries!!!!!
The “investigation” was internal, as opposed to being conducted by an outside, objective agency not connected
or controlled by LAUSD (like Mullinax). But why should LAUSD go to that trouble? After all, if we can’t trust
the government entity known as LAUSD, who can we trust?
Assuming that Ms. Lagrosa has not spent the past year in Tibet learning of the benevolent treatment received by
monks from their Chinese masters, she must be aware of the prior Sheridan Street story as witnessed by several
community leaders; she must also be aware that it was taped - after all, our attorneys informed Ms. Gonzalez of
that fact in a letter demanding that she cease her illegal tactics.
Could it possibly be that Ms. Lagrosa, Roy Romer, Jose Huziar and those other purveyors of Truth, Justice, and
the American Way (where is Superman when we need him?) did not want to see the evidence of wrongdoing?
Of course not; that would be unethical and unprofessional!
Perhaps Mayor Hahn and our other dedicated and trusty elected officials should take this one step further
and have DPSS investigate the schools... after all, they take children away from their parents if they force kids
to live in filth and squalor...why can’t they take the kids away from LAUSD? That would take ADA money
from the district... and we all know what gets the district’s attention.
It’s just too much for my feeble parent mind... I’m not capable of truly understanding the big picture like the
"educators" in LAUSD are and I’m probably jumping to conclusions... perhaps this whole matter should be
referred to those all-knowing and dedicated members of the LAUSD Parent Collaborative for one of
their monthly two-hour meetings...that is, if they can squeeze such a trivial matter in between their
indoctrination speeches from Romer, Mullinaux and other LAUSD propagandists.
Carlos L’Dera
Parents Demand
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Los Angeles Daily News
Saturday, December 6, 2003
LAUSD defends principal
By James Nash
Staff Writer
Los Angeles Unified School District officials said an elementary school principal did nothing wrong when she
asked to meet with parents who publicly voiced concerns about unsanitary conditions at the school.
The principal, Nora Gonzalez of Sheridan Street Elementary School in Boyle Heights, was not attempting to
intimidate the four parents who spoke Tuesday at Los Angeles City Hall about vermin and filthy bathrooms at
schools in East Los Angeles, Rowena Lagrosa, superintendent of the LAUSD's local District H, said Friday.
Superintendent Roy Romer asked Lagrosa to investigate Gonzalez' actions Wednesday after some parents and
city officials suggested that the principal tried to cover up complaints about unclean conditions at the school.
"I don't have any evidence that the principal did those things," Lagrosa said Friday.
Gonzalez did not return a call for comment.
Lagrosa said the principal was caught between competing factions of parents: one who was upset about
conditions at the school, and another who felt that the concerns shouldn't be aired in public. Gonzalez tried to
mediate between the factions, Lagrosa said.
Critics of the LAUSD have said the district would rather polish its public image than listen to candid criticisms.
District officials deny that and have reaffirmed parents' rights to speak openly at public meetings.
The issue of unsanitary bathrooms has become politically contentious as Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky
Delgadillo pushes for city inspectors to examine school bathrooms for health and safety violations.
On Thursday, officials in Mayor James Hahn's office said inspectors will begin a five-school pilot inspection
program early next year after working out protocol with the school district.
Hahn's announcement came after a City Council subcommittee voted to delay the matter by 45 days. Under the
City Charter, the mayor has authority over the Department of Building and Safety.
Delgadillo's office hailed Hahn's announcement Friday.
"It's an outstanding decision by the mayor," spokesman Matt Szabo said. "The mayor is siding with parents
seeking better schools rather than bureaucrats seeking delays."
At the same time, Szabo said, the city attorney wants the inspections to occur without advance warning and
independent of the school district, to ensure their accuracy.
James Nash, (213) 978-0390
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Los Angeles Daily News
December 4, 2003
Hahn orders LAUSD health checks
By James Nash
Staff Writer
With school officials ending their resistance, Mayor James Hahn ordered the city Department of Building and
Safety on Thursday to start inspecting Los Angeles public schools for dirty toilets and other health and safety
problems.
His action ends weeks on conflict between City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, who pushed for the inspection
program, and schools Superintendent Roy Romer, who heatedly fought against him. And it comes a day after
Romer initiated an internal investigation of whether Los Angeles Unified School District officials intimidated
four East Los Angeles parents who complained to the City Council about dirty toilets, vermin and other
problems at area schools.
Ending weeks of controversy, Hahn sent two members of his staff to meet with LAUSD officials to work out
details on an inspection program expected to begin at five schools early next year.
After a meeting at City Hall, where details of the pilot program were worked out, Glenn Gritzner, a special
assistant to Romer, defended the LAUSD's own facilities inspections but welcomed the city's new role.
"We have said all along that we're an open book," Gritzner said. "We're trying to solve problems. We know the
condition of our facilities pretty well."
Delgadillo had challenged that claim, saying neighborhood prosecutors reported receiving numerous complaints
from parents about conditions at many schools. Hahn refused to initiate the inspection program the city attorney
sought, however, deferring the issue to the City Council, which voted in a committee Wednesday to delay
action for 45 days.
Deputy Mayor Sarah Dusseault said LAUSD officials did not throw up any barriers during a meeting with two
officials from Hahn's office. The Department of Building and Safety will carry out inspections at five schools
during a five-week period, probably to begin in January or February.
Thursday's meeting marked a cooling off of tensions between city and school officials over whether city
inspectors should look for health violations in school bathrooms. Some L.A. Unified officials have accused
Delgadillo, a potential mayoral candidate, of exploiting concerns about filthy conditions for his own political
ends.
Delgadillo denies that, saying he represents parents whose children have been exposed to unsanitary conditions
for too long.
District officials did not have any updates on the status of the investigation into the conduct of Nora Gonzalez,
principal of Sheridan Street Elementary School in Boyle Heights.
Gonzalez summoned four parents, who testified about vermin and moldy drinking fountains at a City Council
committee hearing Tuesday, to a meeting Wednesday morning at the school. Details of the meeting vary, but
some critics say the principal was attempting to silence the parents to avoid embarrassing the school.
The parents themselves Wednesday backed down from harsh complaints about conditions at the school, saying
they were speaking generally about East Los Angeles campuses and didn't intend to besmirch their school's
reputation.
L.A. Unified should turn over the investigation to an outside party rather than review the actions of its own
principal, said Carlos L'Dera, founder of Parents Demand, a group of parents who have tangled with the district
over its handling of parents' complaints.
"We're constantly bringing up misconduct in the LAUSD," L'Dera said. "Right now, parents are ignored, abused
and retaliated against when they voice complaints about the district."
L'Dera cited the example of another group of Sheridan Street Elementary School parents who addressed the
school board in September 2002 with complaints about Gonzalez's handling of special education. School
security officers visited the parents' homes to warn them against complaining about the school or principal,
L'Dera said.
School board President Jose Huizar, who represents Boyle Heights, said the security officers were called in to
intervene in a dispute between factions of parents who disagreed on whether Gonzalez should be fired.
"I know the principal and I fully support the work she's done there," Huizar said. "We want to assure the parents
that none of our officers should intimidate any parents, if in fact that happened."
NOTE: Following is a newstory from the Los Angeles Daily News respecting misconduct at Sheridan
Street Elementary. Immediately following is a story on that very same subject from Hispanic Vista dated
October 28, 2002... over one year ago.
Interestingly enough, the Daily News declined to do a story on Sheridan Street in 2002. However, an article in
the Daily News on November 20, 2000 states, in part: “Carlos L’Dera, whose daughter attends Mount Gleason
Middle School in Sunland, has waged a yearlong campaign against school officials over everything from unfair
suspensions to dirty bathrooms”. The abuse was ignored. Instead of responsible action, we got lies, smoke and
mirrors, dogs and ponies.
No long dissertation this time. The facts, and the stories, speak for themselves. However, one fact is that
Romer is lying. He knew about Sheridan Street Elementary, as did Jose Huzier and every member of the board.
They knew about bathrooms. They knew about abuse.
If the news media, Romer, Huzier and the other board members, LULAC, and those organizations and persons
who purport to be concerned with abuse in our schools by school officials had acted responsibly when they
were first notified of the problems; if they had afforded the matters the seriousness that was and still is
warranted, then there would have been no need for today’s story.
Going to meetings and patting yourself on the back for your monthly two-hour time commitment is not going to
effectuate change, nor will legitimizing rogue behavior of school and other government officials by venting at
board meetings for three minutes or engaging in other futile acts.
We parents are the ones ultimately responsible for the welfare of our children. As long as we are willing to be
tokens, pawns and puppets to the government entity known as LAUSD, we will continue to fail.
My kid is worth fighting for; so are all the other kids whose parents bring concerns to Parents Demand.
Carlos L’Dera
Parents Demand
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http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~20954~1807611,00.html
Los Angeles Daily News
Wednesday, December 3, 2003
LAUSD parents facing bully?
Principal's actions target of probe
By James Nash
Staff Writer
District schools Superintendent Roy Romer ordered an investigation Wednesday into whether an East Los
Angeles school principal intimidated four parent volunteers who complained to the City Council about filthy
conditions at area schools.
The controversy erupted while City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo continued pushing for city inspectors to be
authorized to visit schools and cite violations of health and safety standards -- a program Romer has fought hard
to prevent in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
"I will not tolerate anyone trying to intimidate parents. If there is any improper intimidation of parents, I'll
simply remove the person from authority," Romer said.
His comments came after the four parents, who had previously complained about vermin and unsanitary
conditions at East Los Angeles campuses, softened their comments Wednesday in the wake of questioning by
the principal of their Boyle Heights school about their earlier harsh criticisms.
The parents, who volunteer at Sheridan Street Elementary School in Boyle Heights, told a Los Angeles City
Council committee Tuesday that their campus and others have filthy bathrooms, cockroaches, rats, dirty
drinking fountains and classrooms littered with trash.
The council committee was meeting to hear Delgadillo's proposal for a pilot program to have city inspectors
check sanitary conditions at schools.
Later Tuesday night, Principal Nora Gonzalez called the parents and asked them to come to her office
Wednesday morning to address their comments, the parents said. Gonzalez did not return calls for comment.
LAUSD spokeswoman Stephanie Brady said Gonzalez denied reprimanding the parents for their statements.
Instead, Brady said, the principal was caught off guard by the public airing of complaints and called them in to
clarify their remarks.
The parents stopped short of saying Gonzalez had attempted to intimidate them. But one of the parents, Josefina
Munoz-Dorado, said she felt uncomfortable at the meeting with the principal and left feeling uneasy about
making her concerns public.
Munoz-Dorado said the criticisms she and other parents made weren't an attempt to embarrass Gonzalez or the
school.
"The principal didn't tell us anything personally," Munoz-Dorado said through an interpreter. "We spoke about
all the schools."
Munoz-Dorado and the other parents returned to City Hall on Wednesday to speak to another council
committee that was considering the same proposal for city inspectors to examine school bathrooms.
Delgadillo said his office has received numerous complaints about dirty and unsanitary school restrooms, an
issue that has long been the source of widespread concern.
At Wednesday's meeting, the parents maintained that city inspectors should make surprise inspections of school
bathrooms, but backpedaled on their earlier criticism of the school bathrooms.
One of the parents called Delgadillo's office Wednesday morning to express concerns about being called into
the meeting with the principal, said Delgadillo spokesman Matthew Szabo. School board President Jose Huizar,
who represents the area around Sheridan Street Elementary, said he also heard that the parents were
discouraged from making their complaints public.
"I was appalled if in fact it is true that anyone in our district tried to keep these people from coming in to
speak," Huizar said. "If a school official told them not to come, (the official) should be reprimanded."
Romer said District H Superintendent Rowena Lagrosa would look into the matter.
Delgadillo wouldn't say he had evidence that district officials had attempted to silence the parents, but he
reaffirmed their right to speak out at public meetings.
"If there is any restricting of their First Amendment rights or an attempt to do that, that's a tragedy for our
democracy," Delgadillo said. "At this point, it's best to say that First Amendment rights shouldn't be abridged."
In response to the parents' cautious behavior at Wednesday's public meeting, members of the City Council's
Planning and Land Use Committee said parents should not feel threatened when going public with concerns
about health and safety issues.
"You have an absolute right to tell the government what is wrong," Councilman Jack Weiss said. "You should
always come before the government and tell the government exactly what you think is right for your kids."
LAUSD officials say the district is spending some $20 million to upgrade and clean school bathrooms and can
police itself. Delgadillo maintains that outside inspectors could more objectively assess whether the bathrooms
are clean.
On Tuesday, the City Council's Budget and Finance Committee had endorsed the pilot program in which city
inspectors would visit five schools over five weeks. But the same proposal failed Wednesday before the
council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee, which asked for a 45-day delay to look into program
implications.
Both city and school officials say the issue has become needlessly divisive. Romer, in comments to the council
committee Wednesday, said reports of dirty bathrooms have once again sullied the reputation of the school
district as it builds dozens of new campuses and raises academic standards.
"Since this issue came up, there have been three (news) stories that have been negative toward the district,"
Romer said, "and probably another one tomorrow."
James Nash, (213) 978-0390
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http://www.hispanicvista.com/html2/102802ed.htm
LOS ANGELES/EDUCATION
SPECIAL REPORT from Parents Demand (PD)
Los Angeles Unified School District’s Sheridan Street Elementary School backs down.
On September 24, 2002, parents of special education children attending Sheridan Street Elementary School in
the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles (99.1% Hispanic enrollment) addressed the Los Angeles Unified
School District (LAUSD) Board of Education regarding allegations of misconduct by Principal Nora Gonzalez
and her administrative staff.
The allegations included denial of services, non-response to parental concerns and intimidation/harassment of
parents and students by school officials.
One of the most severe allegations was that the administration dispatched LAUSD police officers to the
parents’ homes and threatened them with arrest if they continued voicing opposition to administration policies.
The parents presented the board with a petition, signed by approximately 450-500 parents, calling for the
removal of Principal Gonzalez and an unnamed Vice Principal (believed to be Pat Feagin). The interim District
H Superintendent, Rowena Lagrosa, rebutted the allegations and told the board that the parents obtained the
signatures by coercion, a charge that the parents denied.
As the allegations were reminiscent of situations personally experienced by Parents Demand (PD) members at
various LAUSD schools, it was decided to visit the school and hand out flyers advising parents that we might be
able to assist them. PD has not taken a position on the dispute and will not do so until more facts are known.
However, the actions of school officials lend credence to the parents’ version of facts.
Representatives of PD and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) visited the school on Friday,
October 4, 2002 and began handing out flyers to parents who were picking up their kids at the end of the school
day.
Some of the parents told us that the complaints were made solely by two parents who were being unreasonable.
They reiterated Ms. Lagrosa’s claim that the petition signatures were obtained through duress. They also stated
that they wanted to address the LAUSD board to clarify the situation but were denied the right to do so.
Their story lacks credibility.
First, LAUSD does not deny parents the right to praise administrators or to defend their school at board
meetings or anywhere else. Such a claim is ludicrous.
Second, the pro-administration parents did, in fact, address the board on the following Tuesday, October 8,
2002. This was highly unusual, since time slots to address the board are normally secured one to two months in
advance. The fact that these parents were able to secure a time slot only four days from the time of our visit is a
clear indication of special treatment.
Third, the board minutes for the October 8, 2002, LAUSD board meeting include the entry:
"Mr. Ruben Cruz Sheridan Elementary School...Ms. Ilsenia Arias Sheridan Elementary School...With the
approval of the Board, Ms. Maria Diaz addressed the Board regarding Sheridan Elementary School."
In other words, Mr. Cruz and Ms. Arias went through normal procedures for obtaining a time slot to address the
board, the same as everyone else. Ms. Diaz, however, was given special permission to address the board in an
expedited manner. In fact, there were two speakers supporting Sheridan Street administrators.
Fourth, while the complainant parents kept their comments under the three-minute limit allowed for speakers;
the pro-Sheridan speakers, whose presentation amounted to an ad hominem attack on the complainant parents,
slightly exceeded the allotted time. Although not a major violation of protocol, it is further indication of special
consideration since LAUSD board members are infamous for cutting off parent speakers the instant their time
allotment is concluded, LAUSD Board President Caprice Young and former president Genethia Hudley-Hayes
in particular.
Fifth, while the complainant parents were sternly told by Ms. Young that they were not permitted to name the
school or any of the parties involved, thereby severely restricting the information that they could convey, the
pro-Sheridan speakers had no such restrictions and gave names at will. Ms. Young made no comment or
correction to the pro-Sheridan speakers as she did to the complainant parents.
Sixth, the complainants presented an additional 300 names for their petition, further discrediting the claim of
coercive methods to obtain signatures. It stretches credibility to the breaking point to believe that two special
education parents committed all of the misconduct attributed to them by the pro-administration forces and still
managed to obtain 750-800 signatures.
Almost immediately after the arrival of PD/LULAC on October 4, 2002, three members of school
administration arrived on the scene and told the PD/LULAC members that it was illegal to distribute flyers
within 100 yards of the school. When asked to cite what law they were referring to, Vice Principal Pat Feagin
said it was district policy. PD/LULAC advised Ms. Feagin that LAUSD policy was not law and that they were
not on school property, but Ms. Feagin kept insisting flyer distribution was illegal. PD/LULAC told Ms. Feagin
that they would comply with the law if they could provide the citing. Ms. Feagin was argumentative and
abusive during the entire conversation. Ms. Feagin called for police and PD/LULAC waited a reasonable
amount of time for them to show up, and then resumed handing out flyers. The three administrators then tried
to physically block parents from receiving the flyers. When that failed, a male administrator told the parents (in
Spanish) that PD/LULAC was acting illegally and that if they (the parents) took the flyers, they could be
arrested. After distributing the remainder of flyers, PD/LULAC left the school without further incident.
Attorney Gary Kreep of the United States Justice Foundation was notified of the incidents. Mr. Kreep notified
Principal Gonzalez in writing that the actions of her administration violated the civil rights of the parents and
PD/LULAC members and that further interference would result in litigation being filed against LAUSD and the
perpetrators individually.
On Wednesday, October 23, 2002, PD returned to Sheridan Street Elementary School along with Eliza
Thompson, Executive Director of the Chanda Smith Educational Alliance (CSEA) and the mother of Chanda
Smith. Ms. Thompson, an advocate of special education students, successfully sued LAUSD and changed the
entire system for LAUSD special education students, resulting in the enactment of the Chanda Smith Consent
Decree. This time, the visit was almost without incident. Almost, because one of the previously mentioned
“puppet” parents attempted to cause a conflict between school administration and PD/CSEA. The parent,
whose identify is unknown, told one of the PD/CSEA members that they could not distribute flyers so close to
the school and ordered them from the area. When her orders were refused, the parent stated that just because
some parents were “unlucky enough” to have “mentally retarded children” was no reason why they should
make others suffer.
The parent then sought out Vice Principal Pat Feagin and falsely told her that PD/CSEA was on school property
and “forcing” parents to take flyers. Ms. Feagin approached the members and told them that there was no
problem in distributing flyers so long as they remained off school property and did not harass parents, but that
the Sheridan parent had advised her that PD/CSEA was “forcing” parents to take the flyers and was distributing
them on school property. When advised that the allegations were deliberate falsehoods and that it was the
Sheridan parent who was attempting to create a conflict, Ms. Feagin stated that the parent was “just doing her
job” because she was a “supervisor”, albeit a volunteer.
Carlos L’Dera, founder of Parents Demand, asked Ms. Feagin to clarify her statement of October 4, 2002 that
parents were not permitted to hand out flyers within 100 yards of the school; Ms. Feagin made no denials of the
remarks, stating only that she would not discuss it. Mr. L’Dera pressed the issue, but Ms. Feagin, showing signs
of hostility, refused to say anything other than that she would not discuss the matter. She and the troublesome
“puppet parent” then disappeared into the school and there was no further interference.
As stated above, PD has not taken a position one way or the other and will not do so until more facts are
known. The conduct of school administration and LAUSD, however, lends far more credence to the
complainants’ version of fact than does the reprehensible, and illegal, behavior of LAUSD.
The complainants alleged that school administration retaliated against them for voicing concerns and used
harassment and intimidation to prevent them from organizing; PD/CSEA experienced exactly the same
behavior.
The complainants alleged that the “puppet” parents and school administration deliberately lied in stating,
among other things, that they were “intimidating” parents into signing their petition to remove the principal;
PD/CSEA experienced exactly the same behavior.
The complainants alleged that LAUSD was refusing to act in good faith in resolving the dispute and has made
no attempt to contact them. PD/CSEA has experienced this type of behavior for years. Certainly, the attempt by
Sheridan Street administrators, through deceit, lies and intimidation, to prevent flyers from being distributed
qualifies as bad faith as a minimum.
Sheridan Street Elementary School is located in Board Member Jose Huzier’s district. When the complainants
addressed the board, Mr. Huzier expressed confidence in the integrity of the LAUSD police and vowed
resolution. However, we remember when Mr. Huzier contacted PD and stated that he wanted to help resolve
disputes between parents, LAUSD administration and the LAUSD board. Mr. Huzier’s intent was obviously
false, as he discontinued communication as soon as he realized that we would not back down from our demand
for accountability.
Before the October 8, 2002 presentations were completed, Ms. Young interrupted the speakers to advise that
their points were moot; a decision had already been made. Roy Romer then told the complainants that he had
the final decision and that he had decided not to replace Principal Gonzalez. Again, this is standard LAUSD
procedure; whenever a member of administration is found deficient, the prime directive of LAUSD is to avoid
accountability at all costs. This was done at Mount Gleason Middle School; this was done at Sylmar High
School; this was done at Columbus Middle School; this was done at Mark Twain Middle School; this was done
at Kenter Canyon School; and this is being done right now at schools throughout LAUSD.
While we cannot as of yet determine the validity, or lack thereof, of the allegations made by the complainant
parents, we do know that LAUSD willfully acted illegally and with malice insofar as their interface with
PD/CSEA/LULAC. Naturally, we expect LAUSD to remain true to form and deny wrongdoing and to attempt
to discredit PD/CSEA/LULAC. The difference between LAUSD and PD/CSEA/LULAC, however, is the matter
of proof. We invite responsible members of the news media to challenge us to prove our allegations.
As CSEA's Eliza Thompson stated: "I noticed when I was passing out flyers that you have a lot of angry
parents at the schools and they are being misled. The best way for a parent to know what's going on, educate
herself and to be the best advocate for her child is to come out to some of the meetings and listen to what
people are saying about certain things because everyone cannot be wrong." The fact that the administrators at
Sheridan Street Elementary backed down reinforces what most of us learned as children; the only effective way
to deal bullies is to stand up to them. |