CUSD update - Capo Parent Sends a Message

Dear concerned Capistrano Unified School District parents and residents:

The OC Grand Jury transcripts related to the CUSD corruption investigation were released for public viewing on July 13. They're lengthy – approximately 1,300 pages – so it's taking media, parents and other interested parties a while to comb through them. I keep waiting to see something – anything – of substance in the OC Register about the testimony. The only article I have seen thus far is one by Sam Miller a week ago that offers only what we already knew – Fleming created the enemies lists. There is much more testimony that illuminates very serious problems at the senior CUSD administrative level, according to people who have been reviewing the transcripts. So, where is the coverage?

If you are concerned, as am I, that the OC Register isn't covering the story, I ask you to join in me in requesting that the Register assign an investigative reporter (not Sam Miller, our assigned education reporter who is not an experienced investigative or crime reporter). Many of you will remember the excellent investigative series last summer about the problems in CUSD by Investigative Reporter Tony Saavedra (aided by reporter Norberto Santana). It was when Tony was assigned to cover CUSD that many of the serious problems in CUSD were finally revealed to the public.

Therefore, I ask that you please email OC Register VP Ken Brusic at kbrusic@ocregister.com or call him at (714) 796-2226 to ask why we haven't seen any coverage of this issue (with the lone exception of Sam Miller’s article, which wasn't even news), and to respectfully request that an Investigative or Crime Reporter, such as Tony Saavedra or Ron Campbell, be assigned to cover the CUSD Grand Jury testimony (not the education reporter, Sam Miller). Please tell him that the public wants to know – and since the Register is our newspaper of record, we would like them to report on this. If you are a Register subscriber, please let them know that as well.

It could be that the Register is planning on doing something and is just taking its time. Unfortunately, I don't believe the Register will do anything more unless they are asked to do so by many South County residents who are interested in learning about what is really going on in CUSD. 

Please pass this on to your friends and family so that their voices may be heard too.

Thanks for your support!

Listed below is a glimpse of the testimony from parents who have taken the time to drive to the courthouse in Santa Ana and review the transcripts. I have not yet read any of the transcripts myself, as they are only accessible by reviewing them at the courthouse, but several parents I know have been reading them, and here's what they've reported thus far:

Based on the testimony of Fleming's former assistant Kate McIntyre, who by the way, is still a very highly paid secretary for the district, the "enemies list" was brought into a cabinet meeting that was attended by Suzette Lovely, who is now our acting superintendent. According to McIntyre's testimony, the list was passed around and Lovely added comment about one or more names on the list. So, if true (and I repeat, I have not yet read the testimony myself), not only did she know about the list the whole time Fleming was denying the existence of it, she actually contributed to it. By the way, Ms. Lovely just received a salary increase totaling 7 percent.

We already know from the list(s) themselves, and as has been reported from the Grand Jury testimony, that both Kate McIntyre and CUSD employee Bobbie Thacker created these political list(s), using our private education files, on district time and using district resources. The use of private education files for non-education related purpose(s) is a felony. They knew about the existence of these lists while Fleming was denying it publicly – and yet they stayed silent, even while parents were telling the trustees at board meetings how they believe their children had been retaliated against as a result of being on the list. It's looking doubtful that either of these employees will be punished for their role, let alone be reprimanded by CUSD management.

There's much more about other serious issues in CUSD, and I'll forward it to you as it comes out, but in the interest of brevity, I'll stop now. We are making a difference, but we still have a ways to go. Thanks again for your support!