Approval of Legal Representation
Quick Summary / Abstract
Presented by: Mr. Thomas E. Bowen, Chair
Contacts
Mr. Thomas E. Bowen, Chair, 404.392.1621
Requested Action
It is requested that the Board of Education approve the law firm of _________ to represent former Board Members Cassandra M. Anderson-Littlejohn, Lynn Cherry Grant, Frances Edwards, Chip Franzoini, Bebe Joyner, Zepora Roberts and current Board Member Sarah Copelin-Wood. _________ will be the lead attorney, and the hourly rate will be ____ for partners and ___ for associates, plus expenses.
Motion by: _________________
Seconded by: _________________
Vote: ___________
(Certainly this has to do with the recent AJC report stating that 17 people could be added to the Heery-Mitchell lawsuit.)
Ruling could cost DeKalb schools millions more in legal fees
===
Will we ever get around to spending money in the classroom? I can't believe that when I suggest buying Kindles or iPads for every student, I get more or less laughed at as if I were suggesting a financial impossibility. However, money for lawyers just has no limit.
Layer on top of the legal fees (the AJC mentioned 17 possible defendants added to the case) - this agenda item seems a tandem -
ReplyDeleteContingent\ Excess Liability Insurance
Rationale
The School District relies on the doctrines of sovereign and official immunities to protect the Board of Education, Administrators, Teachers, and other employees from liabilities that may arise within the course and scope of their duties. This protection is very broad and strong. However, it does not insulate the District, the Board and the employees in all instances. To the extent commercial insurance coverage is available, this proposed policy will fill those gaps in exposure.
Quick Summary / Abstract
Presented by: Mr. Mike Florio, Director, Risk Management
Details
This insurance placement was marketed to eleven insurers. For various reasons the following insurers declined to quote or indicate a premium – Ace, United Educators, AWAC, Munich re, Lloyd’s of London, Chartis, Travelers, and Markel Re. As detailed in our Broker’s proposal, Ironshore, Genesis, and Everest re did respond. Of those, only Ironshore would quote a combined $5,000,000 limit (structured as a $1,000,000 Primary limit and a $4,000,000 Excess) and they were the least expensive option. The proposed and recommended policy from Ironshore Insurance includes a $350,000 self-insured retention layer.
Financial Impact
Not to exceed $314,080 from General Funds.
Two more things: As No Duh pointed out, the student transfer policy that Ramona pulled from the agenda last month has not resurfaced. I'm uncertain how we can redistrict without an administrative attendance policy revision.
ReplyDeleteAnd - there may be a new escape hatch if you need one:
Requested Action
It is recommended that the Board of Education approve the MOU between DeKalb County School District and Fulton County School District. This MOU will allow students living in the DeKalb County School District to enroll in Fulton County School District Conversion Charter Schools, subject to the admissions procedures of the Fulton County School District and the individual conversion Charter School.
I saw the board should hire the absolut cheapest lawyers possible- enough with hiring King & Spaulding, the most expensive law firm in Atlanta. If these individuals being sued want to have the best and the brightest lawyers represent them- ley them pay for it! We can't afford it!!
ReplyDeleteThis may sound mean-spirited but I've had it with the amount of money DCSS spends on lawyers while we ask students and teachers to make constant sacrifices in the classroom!
Breaking news from Premiere DeKalb
ReplyDeleteDEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- The mother of an 8-year-old Woodward Elementary student said her son was sexually assaulted by an 8-year-old classmate and wants to know why the child hasn't been prosecuted.
"I want justice," the mother said through an interpreter. Channel 2 is concealing the identity of the child and his mother because of the nature of the crime.
The mother wants to know why the offender wasn't removed from the school. She said her son sees him all the time and that has bothered the victim.
"I don't like to see him at lunch or in the hallway," the child stated.
The mother said it was last February when her child told her his third-grade classmate repeatedly tried to proposition him.
"He's going to give him $5 to have sex with him, but he doesn't want to," the mother said.
The mother said the classmate later lured her son into a bathroom, pulled his pants down, then tried to force him to have sex. Students came in and interrupted the attack, the mother said.
The victim's mother said that’s a crime.
"For what he did, … that is wrong," the mother explained.
An investigation by the school district found that the incident did happen and the victim's mother said the third-grader received a three-week suspension.
But the child's mother and her attorney feel that the offender needed more severe punishment.
"I don't know where the ball was dropped, but I know it was dropped,” said attorney Gerald Griggs.
Griggs and the child's mother are angry the case wasn't forwarded to juvenile authorities or the district attorney for criminal prosecution.
"The particular heinousness of a crime is why we have the juvenile court system. You can't circumvent that system," Griggs explained.
The school system defended its actions.
DeKalb County Schools spokesman Walter Woods sent Channel 2’s Tom Jones a statement which read, "DeKalb Schools staff followed all of our internal policies and procedures regarding this incident, including disciplining the student involved, conducting a disciplinary hearing, enforcing a suspension from school, referrals to social workers and other appropriate entities and involving the DeKalb Schools police force."
Woods also said DFACS was called. When Jones asked Woods why the case wasn't forward for prosecution, he said not all cases involving young children are forwarded for prosecution.
The victim said he's afraid of the boy.
The school system said it offered to transfer the victim to another school, but his mother said she should not move when her son did nothing wrong. She is considering a lawsuit.
** Sorry I meant to write "I say..." not saw
ReplyDeleteThank you Georgia Tech!
ReplyDeleteGood news! Education is happening despite our legal troubles.
Science, Art, Experience and Collaboration
DeKalb County School System 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd Stone Mountain, Georgia 30083
Contact: Elizabeth M. Eppes, NBCT 678.676.0192
In the spring of 2010, former DeKalb County Science Coordinator, Faatimah Muhammad and Visual and Performing Art Coordinator, Elizabeth Eppes were approached by Georgia Tech.Departments of Engineering and Education seeking collaboration with teachers of an Advanced Placement science course and an Advanced Placement studio art course. Tucker High School was identified and ultimately selected as the site in which to implement the project with teachers, Ms. Kelly Voss, Science Educator and Ms. Renee Gaither, Visual Art Educator. Ms. Voss and Ms. Gaither met with Dr. Jamila Cola in October to begin the dialog for the Georgia Intern Fellowship for Teachers (GIFT). Dr. Baratunde Cola, PhD. invited Ms. Voss and Ms. Gaither to the Nano Lab at GA Tech on November 16th to further discuss the research grant and their role in the study and the writing of the paper.
As a result of this work a four hundred thousand dollar ($400,000.00) grant has been awarded to Georgia Tech Mechanical Engineering department to support the collaboration between Georgia Tech School of Mechanical Engineering and Tucker High School’s Science and Visual Art departments. The research will involve Creating Transformative, Aesthetic Science Education.
The study is about heat/energy transference and how that energy can be harnessed and used. Ms. Voss and Ms. Gaither will assist in developing lesson plans and curriculum for the collaboration of science and art on an Advanced Placement level. The research will commence during the summer for four weeks and continue over a four year period.
http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/newsroom/press/pdf/2011-02-02.2011-02-09.400_Thousand_Dollar_Grant_Partnership_with_Tucker_HS_and_Georgia_Tech.pdf
There's also an agenda item that could actually be a good thing toward improving student performance -
ReplyDeleteQuick Summary / Abstract
Presented by: Dr. Audria Berry, Executive Director, Office of School Improvement
Details
University Instructors and Achieve Success Tutoring are leading providers of education services and academic programs. With a diverse team of more than 2,000 instructors, University Instructors and Achieve Success Tutoring are both committed to helping students achieve in the classroom and in life.
Working with a significant number of rural, urban and suburban school districts throughout the southeast, University Instructors and Achieve Success Tutoring have helped improve academic achievement for thousands of students, including disadvantaged, at-risk, homeless, and elementary-aged students through standards based instruction.
This year the Board of Education has approved 15 agreements in the amount of $182,125.90 for the following homeless shelters and schools: Nicholas House, International Women’s House, Women’s Resource Center, and My Mother’s Daughter, Tucker High School, Southwest DeKalb High School, Dunwoody High School, Freedom Middle School, McNair Middle School, Elizabeth Andrews High School, Columbia High School, Rockbridge Elementary School, Avondale High School, McLendon Elementary School, and Toney Elementary School.
Financial Impact
The total cost of the five agreements is $70,196.50. Local school Title I, Title I School Improvement and ARRA Title I School Improvement funds will be used to cover the expenses these agreements, totaling $70,196.50. The Title I schools are Martin Luther King, Jr., High School, Lithonia Middle School, Oakview Elementary School, Rowland Elementary School and McNair Discovery Learning Academy.
Lest we forget the big agenda item we've all been waiting for --
ReplyDeleteSuperintendent presents redistricting and school consolidation recommendations
Superintendent's 2020 Master Vision Plan Recommendation
Presented by: Ms. Ramona H. Tyson, Interim Superintendent
Ms Tyson's recommendation will be followed by these meetings on the subject -
ReplyDeleteMarch 1 & 3, 2011
formal public hearings, Administrative and Instructional Complex auditorium at 6:30 PM
March 7, 2011
board meeting—approval of redistricting and school consolidation recommendations
one more item - I noticed in the personnel reports - Arabia lost 5 teachers since the last report to the board.
ReplyDeleteWhy doesn't DCSS pay a law firm one fee no matter how many law suits they are involved in? Why are we hiring more lawyers, when we should have lawyers already lined up?
ReplyDeleteAlso, why aren't we doing more to cover our behind? Isn't there a lawyer or two working for the county who over sees things to make sure that protocol and such are done in the best manner to avoid lawsuits?
I have never see a school system waste so much money that should be going towards the children and their education. Whether it's the educational coaches and that entire farce of a department, or the employees selling books to the schools, or the way important matters with discipline-bullying, sexual assault, etc are handled, or the CRCT scandal, and I could go on, why are we not crossing our T's and dotting our i's as they say and making sure that we are doing everything in our powder to do the right and just thing?
And it isn't just money that is being wasted, it is energy and opportunity.
ReplyDeleteAll DCSS seems to be able to do is put out fires.
School closings, this legal issue, SACs, and so much more are a continual distraction.
No one is really thinking about instruction in a meaningful way. What are we doing for our lowest performing schools that might work?
Where is Simone Manning-Moon's name on this list?
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 10:58: That is not how lawyers work. No law firm in its right mind would accept a flat fee for any and all lawsuits that come down the pike.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure we can blame the lawyers here. They are hired to do a job and they do it. It is not their fault that DCSS keeps getting themselves into this mess.
Blaming the lawyers for DCSS's legal fees is kinda like leaving the window open all winter and then blaming the power company for your heating bill.
REgarding the following:
ReplyDeleteAnd it isn't just money that is being wasted, it is energy and opportunity.
All DCSS seems to be able to do is put out fires.
School closings, this legal issue, SACs, and so much more are a continual distraction.
No one is really thinking about instruction in a meaningful way. What are we doing for our lowest performing schools that might work?
DOESN'T SACS CARE ABOUT THESE FACTS? DCSS IS TOO BUSY COVERING THEIR OWN BUTTS TO EVEN RUN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HALF WAY EFFECTIVELY. DOESN'T ANYONE IN POWER SEE THIS? I'M APPALLED. THE ATTORNEYS? CERTAINLY WE SHOULD HAVE A FIRM, ONE FIRM, ON BOARD TO HANDLE OUR LEGAL ISSUES. WE CERTAINLY PAY ONE FIRM ENOUGH TO SIT AND WAIT FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN. WHY ISN'T THAT FIRM HANDLING THIS? PLEASE SOMEONE ENLIGHTEN ME IF I'M WRONG.
As a teacher, I guess unless I sue, I can kiss the illegally appropriated TSA (that Ramona said would be return.) goodbye, Unless. of course, we all decide to sue as well
ReplyDeleteAnon 8:51 am
ReplyDeleteThe discussion in my circle of attorney friends is that DCSS continues to hire the most expenisve outside consul, King and Spaulding.
Certainly, we can find less expensive attorneys. In this market, many will be willing to do the work.
@Cere 10:03pm - Do you know where I can get more info on this? I'm confused about the BOE providing tutoring at Dunwoody High School and homeless shelters. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteNearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. ~ Abraham Lincoln
ReplyDeleteThink about it. Name even one person in power at the Palace or comprising the "leadership" on the BOE who demonstrates good character ...
Anon, that's all I know. You may want to call Audria Berry Monday morning and ask for more info.
ReplyDeleteCerebration,
ReplyDeleteHow do I access the personnel reports? Thank you.
Anon 10:15
ReplyDeleteI'm hearing the same - that king & spalding have the reputation of being the most expensive in the area and to suggest that the other top 15 law firms in Atlanta couldn't do the work (which would be less costly) is absurd.
This is hilarious!! I have revised my household budget so that part of my school taxes replace the entertainment portion that now goes to pay the school taxes. Lots of laughs.
ReplyDeleteThe legal fees cover only 6 people. Who are the rest of the 17? The BOE is setting a precedent to cover their own legal fees on the next round of suits.
Why don't they hire DeKalb County judge Mobely who just lost her job for a bit of shady dealings?
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dekalb-judge-accused-of-828004.html
Also, turn over the DCSS suit to the Cochran law firm on a contingency basis.
The Bishop is needed for some spiritual guidance. ROFLMAO
The Board of Education better not bring up raising taxes with these new developments. I refuse to pay any more in taxes, when so much money is already wasted on over priced lawyers for events that most likely if handled properly in the first place, would not have amounted to a law suit.
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to access the BOE pages on the DCSS website for the last hour, and I am getting errors and failure to load the page. This is where you could (in theory) look at the HR reports Cere referred to.
ReplyDeleteTrying not to read anything into this (first the stop posting meeting minutes, now we can't access agenda for future meetings and information from past ones...). I SURE it's just a technical glitch.
"other appropriate entities and involving the DeKalb Schools police force"
ReplyDeleteLOL
Whatever happened to that most frighting of all deterrents when I was a kid? EXPLUSION!
I don’t understand why (a) there isn’t D&O coverage for the board members; (b) they don’t have their own umbrella policies for just this purpose and (c) why DCSS doesn't have a terrific general counsel, who is in-house, really making good decisions on these fronts…. On behalf of the children when issues come up (such as the news story about the 8 year old and Jaheem and other IEP type issues) and the citizens as in this case… This does not make any sense to me except if DCSS has really been run as a glorious kite for some other enterprise – in which case why isn’t the US Atty really investigating… I don’t understand…… maybe between the US Atty and FBI in Virginia (anyone see the Fox story involving NB the other night?) and this monstrosity and the current pending case in DeK, it will finally get at the truth? It sure hasn’t been about education.... Please write ... see the take action blog column from last month for contact points to express your opinons to the State and SACS and to Legislators and bring hard evidence to the FBI fruad division. (Cere: maybe you can post contact info on the side bar?).
ReplyDeleteHey citizen school leaders out there (The Marshall Orson's, the Faye Andresen's, the Amy Powers', the Kom Gokce's, the Ernest Brown's, etc.):
ReplyDeleteWe all need to DEMAND that the BOE posts meeting minutes online again. They did so through July 2010, and just stopped. This is blatantly unethical, if not possibly illegal.
The Ramona Tyson-led Central Office is intentionally or unintentionally stonewalling parents and taxpayers by failing to post the meeting minutes of every BOE meeting.
C'mon Jeff Dickerson and Walter Woods, how come y'all are suppressing information instead of releasing it?
Ella, since you're such a big supporter of Tom Bowen, how 'bout calling him and asking him why, as leader of the Board of Education, he is allowing the Tyson Central Office to hide important information from the public.
We should have to ask the DeKalb Delgation to help us with this, but we are.
This has to stop, right now.
Gene Walker is out campaigning for a property tax increase. I heard him at a public meeting say so in person.
ReplyDeleteThis clown has the audacity to ask for a property tax increase while DCSS wastes milions on lawyer fees. It looks like we actually have to provide legal counsel for Crawford lewis and Pat Pope for the Heery lawsuit.
I'd rather move than pay one penny of taxes to represent human pond scum like Crawford Lewis and pat Pope. It's bad enough that Marcus Turk and Tom Bowen allowed him to travel out of the country to a Carribean resort with a current DCCS department head who's not his wife, and to the Ritz Carlton reynolds Plantation, on a DCSS PURCHASING CARD!!!
I got onto e-board this morning. There must be a system error. It was working just a few hours ago.
ReplyDeleteAnnonymous 12:58, I will be glad to advocate for this to happen. I will be glad to do this. I agree with you. However, this has nothing to do with me thinking Tom Bowen does a good job as the Chairman of the School Board. I have attended board meetings for 15 years in the county and followed the school board. Have you followed them this long and watched the meetings over the years. Tom Bowen does handle the Chairman of the School Board better than others in the past, or at least better than most of the others. He is not disrepectful to the speakers from the community and he handles the other conflicts among the board in a civil way. He never talked bad about his other school board members and I am sure he has been frustrated with members of the school board while he has been on there. However, this is just my opinion. I have reviewed a great deal of information on leaders in the last two years in my studies and I respect him as a leader of the school board. I may not always agree with him but I respect him. I also do not agree with Dr. Walker on all his decisions and all the other interests he seems to have. I do not like what I see regarding the legal cases from the state. But, as a school board member I respect him and always treat him with respect. Disagreeing with someone does not mean you attack them in a public manner or show them disrespect. I respect individuals for who they are regardless if I agree with them or not. You have to be able to work with other individuals whether you agree with them or not or like what you always read about them or not. I respect all the school board members except one. I try very hard to respect this school board member but I just cannot make myself gain respect. I think it is that I do not feel she has the right respect for all citizens and students in the county to be a school board member.
ReplyDeleteThe school sytem used to self-insure themself and this may still be the case. I have not kept up with this very well the last few years. The school system does not have any insurance to cover these extra expenses. The school board also will not settle any lawsuits, etc. quickly. They are known to draw them out in a court of law. Most people cannot financially afford to keep up with them due to the money they spend. However, it appears one person has and has run up the School System's legal bill. He has not backed down. I have always assumed the school system is right and assumed that everything I have heard is true, but apparently someone feels differently and is willing to spend just as much money on lawyers and now that school board members can be sued for their individual decisions as members of the school board, a can of worms has been opened.
ReplyDeleteI can understand how the past and current school board members must fell knowing that the decisions they made as a group is allowing them to be sued. However, it may just be the individuals who voted yes on an item are being sued. However, this is a little scarey. I am sure if they belong to the Georgia School Board Associatin they many have some insurance. At least I hope these individuals had some kind of insurance. They may have had it back when they were on the school board also and not have it currently.
Why do we write contracts that require us to protect people who are being charged with wrongdoing in the provision of services to the kids?
ReplyDeleteI am utterly, angrily opposed to paying for counsel to represent BOE members who have threatened the public for anything that they do in the "capacity" of the board. If they were inept and ineffective in doing the job that they were elected to do for the kids, why are we on the hook for attorneys fees in cases that point this out?
Perhaps we need to have more specific instances of when attorneys' fees are appropriately provided for employees and when they are not. Teachers, I thought, should get their own legal insurance to cover lawsuits like this. Seems to me board members should as well.
I WILL NOT VOTE for additional taxes or SPLOST monies until this board gets their ducks in a row. Why is this conversation secret from the public?
"I got onto e-board this morning. There must be a system error. It was working just a few hours ago."
ReplyDeleteI can find BOE meeting agenda's on the website, but can't find any meeting minutes. Where are they supposed to be? if the BOE posted them online under Lewis, why can't Tyson do so. She was head of Info. System by gosh.
@ Anonymous 2:16
ReplyDelete"I can find BOE meeting agenda's on the website, but can't find any meeting minutes. Where are they supposed to be? if the BOE posted them online under Lewis, why can't Tyson do so. She was head of Info. System by gosh."
The DCSS BOE meeting minutes have been published consistently for 8 years from 2002 to 2010 until Ms. Tyson became Interim superintendent. She ceased publishing them in July, 2010. No minutes have been published since them.
Please email the BOE members and ask why they the minutes are not being published and request they be published. Let us know here at the blog what they say.
Look at this website:
http://www.gfaf.org/open_meetings.html
"O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1
GEORGIA CODE
Copyright 2007 by The State of Georgia
All rights reserved.
*** Current through the 2007 Regular Session ***
TITLE 50. STATE GOVERNMENT
CHAPTER 14. OPEN AND PUBLIC MEETINGS
O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1 (2007)
§ 50-14-1. Meetings to be open to public; limitation on action to contest agency action; recording; notice of time and place; access to minutes; telecommunications conferences...
....A summary of the subjects acted on and those members present at a meeting of any agency shall be written and made available to the public for inspection within two business days of the adjournment of a meeting of any agency. The minutes of a meeting of any agency shall be promptly recorded and such records shall be open to public inspection once approved as official by the agency, but in no case later than immediately following the next regular meeting of the agency; provided, however, nothing contained in this chapter shall prohibit the earlier release of minutes, whether approved by the agency or not. Said minutes shall, as a minimum, include the names of the members present at the meeting, a description of each motion or other proposal made, and a record of all votes. In the case of a roll-call vote the name of each person voting for or against a proposal shall be recorded and in all other cases it shall be presumed that the action taken was approved by each person in attendance unless the minutes reflect the name of the persons voting against the proposal or abstaining."
I'll tell you who is going to sue. The parents of those boys who where checked out to commit a robbery. If it hasn't occurred to them yet it will soon. You are not supposed to be able to check out someone else's child unless you are on a approved list filed at registration. Just wait it's coming...I doubt this woman was on both of these boys files with permission to pick up.
ReplyDeleteFrom the AJC article: "As it stands, the district will have to pay for its own legal bills and provide lawyers for those 17 individuals, including Lewis, former chief operating officer Patricia Reid and members of the 2006 school board."
ReplyDeleteThis is the ultimate in irony. We are paying good funds that should be used to educate our children for lawyers to protect the likes of Pope and Lewis, while we are hoping to have them jailed on a different matter.
BOARD, LEWIS, POPE, AND EXPENSIVE LAWYERS, SHAME ON ALL OF YOU.
Do not be too concerned about the money for the legal fees. The worst case is that the final total should not be more than about two years of the savings from redistricting. The best case is that it will be about 20% of the almost guaranteed $135 million recovery.
ReplyDeleteNeither teachers or students will see one single penny ever again. Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteIt is sure that the best and brightest teachers will not choose DeKalb. The awesome teachers that we do have will look for their exit and never look back. The good teachers close to retirement will wait it out and retire as they are a lot less likely to get a job in another district. DCSS will not be tops in the area for some time to come. I, in my late 30's don't think that I'll see it in my life time.
ReplyDeleteThose boys never actually went to class. Even the law enforcement agency in Gwinnett has stopped saying she checked them out, I think. I think her son went to class and then when his buddies were skipping he decided to as well.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why DCSS has to pay the legal fees? Is there an explanation anywhere?
ReplyDeleteCan anyone explain why the Chief financial officer is not held more accountable? Is there a reason why so many Dekalb employee names are left off the Open Records salaries of Georgia State Employees? Another disturbing thing that I found was one employee (in the "H" section) was listed as having two titles and two salaries; one was for $106,848 and the other was for $94,632. What are the chances of two female employees having the exact name including the middle initial?????????????Maybe there is a good explanation for it. I would surely like to hear it.
ReplyDeleteMy point is that this is more of the same; incompetent, connected people getting high salaries!
I can understand why the school board would pay attorney fees of school board members. However, I do think we would be better off having insurance to help pay for this.
ReplyDeleteI also am not for sure it is a good deal for the school system to be so heavily self-insured with the bone head moves made in the past 7-10 years. I think we may benifit from being more insured that we currently are.
I also think that the individual school board members should have their own insurance. However, many of these school board members are being sued and they are no longer on the school board. I am sure they are not still insured, even if they once were. I am not for sure how this type of situation would work. I suspect the school board as a whole do need some type of insurance to cover situations like this.
I also do believe there should be in-house counsel that might prevent a great number of things from happening to start with. We could easily afford in-house council if we did away with so many administrative positions. We probable could afford more than 1 attorney for in-house counsel if we did away with the excess wait in administration costs.
@9:04..... I can tell you that are there are 7 different people in the county with the same first and last name as me. 4 of them have the same initial. So yes it can happen. But I wished my salary was that big.... When reading emails it becomes a big mess because I get theirs and they get mine.
ReplyDelete[I am not a lawyer, and I don't even know any lawyers to ask about this.]
ReplyDeleteIs it possible that the suit against the former school board members is a usual order of business in a lawsuit of this type? It would seem logical to name anybody and everybody who could be connected, regardless of what their actual involvement was, in order to make the suit an even bigger deal.
If this is the case, perhaps whenever this thing ACTUALLY comes to trial, some of the 17 named will be dropped. Surely, this is what lawyers working for them would be doing.
Not minimizing this thing in any way - I am way cheesed that DCSS let this happen, and its genesis is so tangled and murky - but just possibly we won't be on the hook for everybody for the entirety of the proceedings.
Anon @ 8:48 PM...
ReplyDelete"I'll tell you who is going to sue. The parents of those boys who where checked out to commit a robbery."
She didn't check them out. She didn't have time to check them out at Stephenson High School, drive to Lilburn, and rob a bank at 9am. Have you ever been in an attendance office in a high school at the opening of the school day? Parents are checking students IN. School starts around 8:15/8:20 or so. Check-ins take until around 8:30 if not later. If you try to check a student OUT at the beginning of the day, you get put at the END of the line. Try and check out three students. It takes easily 15-20 minutes. Add on the fact that two of them aren't your own kids.
The boys went to school, hung out on campus, and got into her car when she drove up. They never went to class. She didn't check them out. It happens all of the time on every high school campus all over the district.
AJC's Jim Walls reports:
ReplyDelete" Now school officials can't seem to locate these findings."
This article pertains to the 2004 salary audit conducted by Ernst & Young.
Read the article and weep!
Sorry for the previous misquote:
ReplyDeleteJim Walls report stated: (and should read)
"Now, school officials can't seem to locate those findings."
Accidently typed THESE and should be those...
my bad.