Be the first to know: SUBSCRIBE HERE
↑ To add this ANIMATOR CLICK HERE
Greater Orange HEADLINES in the News
Follow Greater Orange on TWITTER
Friday, July 13, 2007
OUSD CENSORS VIDEO OF ANOTHER CONTROVERSIAL BOARD MEETING
SPECIAL REPORT
FROM ORANGE NET NEWS /O/N/N/
What did OUSD Superintendent Godley decided you should not hear?
OUSD Superintendent Dr. Thomas Godley
The “Missing Gap” in Public Comments about
OUSD Trustee Wes Poutsma and
The "Missing" Rocco Two Minutes
For the second time in less than a year, Orange Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Thomas Godley ordered the censorship of an Orange Unified School District Trustee Meeting before it was broadcast to the community. Godley ordered two parts of the June 21st, 2007 Orange Unified School District Trustee Meeting public regular session to be cut from the public showing of the meeting over the OUSD cable station. As of the publication deadline of this report, Dr. Godley and OUSD Board President Kim Nichols did not answer emails requesting a statement from them about the censorship of the broadcast to the Greater Orange Community.
In an unprecedented move, the first comments censored were comments from a citizen addressing the Board in the Public Comments section of the OUSD Agenda. Those critical comments took aim at OUSD Trustee Wes Poutsma. Godley also ordered the last two minutes of the June 21st, 2007 OUSD Board Meeting censored and not broadcast to the community. Those two censored minutes included: controversial comments from OUSD Trustee Steve Rocco; three trustees leaving the meeting during Rocco’s comments; and also cut was an uncharacteristic snide comment from Board President Kim Nichols towards Rocco at the end of his comments. The transcripts of all the censored comments are provided below by Orange Net News.
This newest controversial Godley censorship episode is similar to the first Godley ordered censorship concerning the September 14th, 2006 OUSD Board Meeting. Later in defending his decision to censor the community broadcast, Godley stated that the September 14th 2006 broadcast was edited because of remarks Rocco had made about transferred Villa Park Principal Ben Rich. Despite the censorship, Rocco’s remarks were widely publicized because his remarks about Ben Rich were the reason given by the OUSD Board in passing a controversial Resolution of Censure. A legal battle over that Resolution of Censure continues today. However, the censored portion of that meeting also included the now famous “face-off” between OUSD Trustee John Ortega and Rocco (see link to photo and story CLICK ON: OUSD CENSORED: ROCCO vs ORTEGA ). The censored “face-off” came about after Rocco brought up the subject of Trustee John Ortega’s deceased brother Daniel Ortega. Rocco alleged that Daniel Ortega’s death (Daniel was an OUSD employee at the time of his death) was due to drug use.
Coincidentally, both censored segments from the latest June 21st, 2007 broadcast to the community also relate to Trustee John Ortega’s deceased brother Daniel. Rocco alleges that OUSD Administrators, including then Assistant Superintendent and now Trustee Wes Poutsma knew about Daniel Ortega’s drug problem (at work) and by doing nothing (presumably because he was related to a Board Member) endangered others and contributed to Daniel Ortega’s death.
Citizen’s Public Speech about Elected Trustee: CENSORED
At the beginning of the June 21st meeting, Rocco (who was wearing a bandage over his nose) was sitting in the audience prepared to speak for three minutes as a citizen in the Public Comments section of the agenda ( Rocco did this at the June 4th, 2007 OUSD Board Meeting) . However at the June 21st meeting, Board Clerk John Ortega did not call Rocco’s name from the filled out speakers cards. Ortega did call another speaker who requested to address the Board, Rocco supporter Evan Harris. Harris, a self-proclaimed private investigator for Rocco had spoken before the OUSD Board on a number of occasions in the past. During his three minutes of comments, Harris implicated Trustee Wes Poutsma (a retired OUSD Assistant Superintendent) in a cover-up of Daniel Ortega’s alleged drug problem while both were employed by OUSD. The part of Harris’ three minute address before the OUSD Board mentioning Trustee Wes Poutsma was ordered censored from the cable broadcast of the OUSD Board meeting to the community by Godley. The transcripts of the Harris’ comments that were censored from public broadcast are below.
After Harris spoke, OUSD Board President Kim Nichols asked if there were anymore speakers, Ortega told her no. At that point Rocco yelled loudly from the audience in protest that he had turned in a card to speak. Board President Kim Nichols responded to Rocco, telling him he was out of order. Shortly thereafter, the bandaged Rocco took his seat on the Board Dais and sat quietly through the meeting.
Towards the end of the meeting, during the agenda section for Board Member Comments, the bandaged Rocco explained that shortly after visiting the OUSD District Office on June 12th that he was the victim of a “politically motivated beating” that occurred at 11:15 a.m. Rocco stated that the police had two suspects in custody. After Rocco spoke, Kathy Moffat (late to the meeting because of an airplane delay) spoke to items she had missed earlier in the meeting including the issue of parental notification of students who had been interrogated by the police on campus.
More Controversy, More Censorship
After a lengthy discussion by Moffat voicing her concerns about police interrogations of students and parental notification, Nichols called on Rocco who was requesting to speak. For two minutes Rocco responded to Moffat’s comments on Parental Rights and then transitioned to speak about Trustee Ortega’s deceased brother Daniel Ortega. Rocco referred to an alleged interview by the police of Daniel Ortega’s son at school concerning his father’s activities. Godley ordered all of Rocco’s comments be censored. The transcripts of Rocco’s two minutes that were censored from public broadcast are below.
THE TRANSCRIPTS:
The “Missing Gap” Evan Harris’ Censored Comments about Poutsma
The following transcripts are taken from the censored gap in the three minutes of comments by Evan Harris that OUSD Superintendent Thomas Godley ordered not to appear in the public broadcast of the June 21st OUSD Board Meeting to the community. This is what OUSD Superintendent Thomas Godley did not want you to hear:
(Speaking at the public podium addressing the OUSD Board under the agenda’s Public Comments section, Evan Harris):
“…I hear the phone calls, I hear the threats, and I do the investigations. Mr. Poutsma is an ex-union representative, ex-human resources representative, and ex-principal, a nightmare for the district.
Mr. Poutsma when you covered-up the drug induced vehicle destruction of Daniel Ortega you contributed to his death and endangered the safety of employees in the district, especially the students. When Rocco brought up the Ortega matter, again you used district lawyers to stop him. All students, teachers, and employees were at risk by the continual employment of Daniel Ortega. You’re all responsible, especially Wes Poutsma.
The big surprise of 2004 should not have been that Rocco was elected, but that the secret of Poutsma and Ortega has been kept so long.”
The Missing Rocco Two Minutes
The following transcripts are taken from the censored last two minutes of the June 21st OUSD Board Meeting. OUSD Superintendent Thomas Godley ordered the following be censored in the public broadcast of the June 21st OUSD Board Meeting to the community. This is what OUSD Superintendent Thomas Godley did not want you to hear:
(After a lengthy discussion by Moffat voicing her concerns about parental rights in campus police interrogations, Rocco responded for two minutes to Moffat’s comments, initially directing his comments to Moffat):
Board President Kim Nichols: “Mr. Rocco did you have…”
Trustee Steve Rocco:: “I have a couple of comments about that.
First of all I found all those comments very interesting about ...ah… it sounds nice on the surface about what you believe, and philosophically I heard your, ah, six points about drug testing [ referring to Moffat comments from June 7th, 2007 meeting] . It sounds nice but I don’t believe it. Ah, what happens and what’s said are two different things."
[Trustee Wes Poutsma walks out of the meeting. Trustee John Ortega stands, then sits as he starts organizing and gathering items at his place on the dais.]
"You really don’t believe it because you don’t believe in the rights of board members. You proved that as president.
You’re proving that as an unspoken president right now because pretty much you are the president."
[Trustee Lissa Smith walks out of the meeting.]
"Ah, I’m stuck here in the middle of whatever. This is the way I got beat to a pulp, ah, last week. By one person on one side, and another on the other side.
I sit on the Board with Kim Nichols on one side. I sit on the Board with you on the other side. And so, you really don’t believe in rights. Ah, not me as a citizen to speak for three minutes. Ah, not me as a Board member. You do not believe in it. It sounds nice. You know I can honestly say I agree with you. But I know you don’t believe it.
Ah, as far as police coming to campus,"
[Ortega stands and turns to hand the recording secretary papers]
"You know you have to protect children, and ah, you know sometimes police need to interrogate children to get facts and protect them.
Let me give you a good example, an excellent example, and you were here at the time of this. Ah, when Daniel Ortega was crashing automobiles on the Orange Unified School District, the police came on campus and went to his son’s school. And ah, he told them the truth."
[Ortega stands and leans over to whisper to Kim Nichols]
"Nobody did anything about it and he stayed here until he died."
[Ortega leaves the meeting]
"He was a threat to this District and he died. He was never disciplined."
Board President Kim Nichols: "Mr. Ortega, Mr. Rocco…"
Trustee Steve Rocco: "And his son gave the information about that. If the police were not allowed to interrogate him, we would never know, he would of never been arrested. But he did!"
Board President Kim Nichols: "Mr. Rocco."
Trustee Steve Rocco: "I’m finished that’s all I have to say."
Board President Kim Nichols: "Thank God!"
THE CENSORSHIP ENDS AT THIS POINT as Nichols continues
(The following is the last thing broadcasted to the community and the last thing Nichols said:)
Board President Kim Nichols: "Anything else? Meeting adjourned."
The next OUSD Board Meeting is July 19th, 2007. An unedited DVD can be ordered for purchased by the public at the OUSD Superintendent’s Office for $10.00.
ALSO READ THE ORANGE NET NEWS SITE CLICK ON:
ORANGE NET NEWS /O/N/N/
SPECIAL REPORT
FROM ORANGE NET NEWS /O/N/N/
Is an original news production of Orange Net News /O/N/N/
OrangeNetNews@verizon.net
“Independent, Local, News and Insights”
FROM ORANGE NET NEWS /O/N/N/
What did OUSD Superintendent Godley decided you should not hear?
OUSD Superintendent Dr. Thomas Godley
The “Missing Gap” in Public Comments about
OUSD Trustee Wes Poutsma and
The "Missing" Rocco Two Minutes
For the second time in less than a year, Orange Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Thomas Godley ordered the censorship of an Orange Unified School District Trustee Meeting before it was broadcast to the community. Godley ordered two parts of the June 21st, 2007 Orange Unified School District Trustee Meeting public regular session to be cut from the public showing of the meeting over the OUSD cable station. As of the publication deadline of this report, Dr. Godley and OUSD Board President Kim Nichols did not answer emails requesting a statement from them about the censorship of the broadcast to the Greater Orange Community.
In an unprecedented move, the first comments censored were comments from a citizen addressing the Board in the Public Comments section of the OUSD Agenda. Those critical comments took aim at OUSD Trustee Wes Poutsma. Godley also ordered the last two minutes of the June 21st, 2007 OUSD Board Meeting censored and not broadcast to the community. Those two censored minutes included: controversial comments from OUSD Trustee Steve Rocco; three trustees leaving the meeting during Rocco’s comments; and also cut was an uncharacteristic snide comment from Board President Kim Nichols towards Rocco at the end of his comments. The transcripts of all the censored comments are provided below by Orange Net News.
This newest controversial Godley censorship episode is similar to the first Godley ordered censorship concerning the September 14th, 2006 OUSD Board Meeting. Later in defending his decision to censor the community broadcast, Godley stated that the September 14th 2006 broadcast was edited because of remarks Rocco had made about transferred Villa Park Principal Ben Rich. Despite the censorship, Rocco’s remarks were widely publicized because his remarks about Ben Rich were the reason given by the OUSD Board in passing a controversial Resolution of Censure. A legal battle over that Resolution of Censure continues today. However, the censored portion of that meeting also included the now famous “face-off” between OUSD Trustee John Ortega and Rocco (see link to photo and story CLICK ON: OUSD CENSORED: ROCCO vs ORTEGA ). The censored “face-off” came about after Rocco brought up the subject of Trustee John Ortega’s deceased brother Daniel Ortega. Rocco alleged that Daniel Ortega’s death (Daniel was an OUSD employee at the time of his death) was due to drug use.
Coincidentally, both censored segments from the latest June 21st, 2007 broadcast to the community also relate to Trustee John Ortega’s deceased brother Daniel. Rocco alleges that OUSD Administrators, including then Assistant Superintendent and now Trustee Wes Poutsma knew about Daniel Ortega’s drug problem (at work) and by doing nothing (presumably because he was related to a Board Member) endangered others and contributed to Daniel Ortega’s death.
Citizen’s Public Speech about Elected Trustee: CENSORED
At the beginning of the June 21st meeting, Rocco (who was wearing a bandage over his nose) was sitting in the audience prepared to speak for three minutes as a citizen in the Public Comments section of the agenda ( Rocco did this at the June 4th, 2007 OUSD Board Meeting) . However at the June 21st meeting, Board Clerk John Ortega did not call Rocco’s name from the filled out speakers cards. Ortega did call another speaker who requested to address the Board, Rocco supporter Evan Harris. Harris, a self-proclaimed private investigator for Rocco had spoken before the OUSD Board on a number of occasions in the past. During his three minutes of comments, Harris implicated Trustee Wes Poutsma (a retired OUSD Assistant Superintendent) in a cover-up of Daniel Ortega’s alleged drug problem while both were employed by OUSD. The part of Harris’ three minute address before the OUSD Board mentioning Trustee Wes Poutsma was ordered censored from the cable broadcast of the OUSD Board meeting to the community by Godley. The transcripts of the Harris’ comments that were censored from public broadcast are below.
After Harris spoke, OUSD Board President Kim Nichols asked if there were anymore speakers, Ortega told her no. At that point Rocco yelled loudly from the audience in protest that he had turned in a card to speak. Board President Kim Nichols responded to Rocco, telling him he was out of order. Shortly thereafter, the bandaged Rocco took his seat on the Board Dais and sat quietly through the meeting.
Towards the end of the meeting, during the agenda section for Board Member Comments, the bandaged Rocco explained that shortly after visiting the OUSD District Office on June 12th that he was the victim of a “politically motivated beating” that occurred at 11:15 a.m. Rocco stated that the police had two suspects in custody. After Rocco spoke, Kathy Moffat (late to the meeting because of an airplane delay) spoke to items she had missed earlier in the meeting including the issue of parental notification of students who had been interrogated by the police on campus.
More Controversy, More Censorship
After a lengthy discussion by Moffat voicing her concerns about police interrogations of students and parental notification, Nichols called on Rocco who was requesting to speak. For two minutes Rocco responded to Moffat’s comments on Parental Rights and then transitioned to speak about Trustee Ortega’s deceased brother Daniel Ortega. Rocco referred to an alleged interview by the police of Daniel Ortega’s son at school concerning his father’s activities. Godley ordered all of Rocco’s comments be censored. The transcripts of Rocco’s two minutes that were censored from public broadcast are below.
THE TRANSCRIPTS:
The “Missing Gap” Evan Harris’ Censored Comments about Poutsma
The following transcripts are taken from the censored gap in the three minutes of comments by Evan Harris that OUSD Superintendent Thomas Godley ordered not to appear in the public broadcast of the June 21st OUSD Board Meeting to the community. This is what OUSD Superintendent Thomas Godley did not want you to hear:
(Speaking at the public podium addressing the OUSD Board under the agenda’s Public Comments section, Evan Harris):
“…I hear the phone calls, I hear the threats, and I do the investigations. Mr. Poutsma is an ex-union representative, ex-human resources representative, and ex-principal, a nightmare for the district.
Mr. Poutsma when you covered-up the drug induced vehicle destruction of Daniel Ortega you contributed to his death and endangered the safety of employees in the district, especially the students. When Rocco brought up the Ortega matter, again you used district lawyers to stop him. All students, teachers, and employees were at risk by the continual employment of Daniel Ortega. You’re all responsible, especially Wes Poutsma.
The big surprise of 2004 should not have been that Rocco was elected, but that the secret of Poutsma and Ortega has been kept so long.”
The Missing Rocco Two Minutes
The following transcripts are taken from the censored last two minutes of the June 21st OUSD Board Meeting. OUSD Superintendent Thomas Godley ordered the following be censored in the public broadcast of the June 21st OUSD Board Meeting to the community. This is what OUSD Superintendent Thomas Godley did not want you to hear:
(After a lengthy discussion by Moffat voicing her concerns about parental rights in campus police interrogations, Rocco responded for two minutes to Moffat’s comments, initially directing his comments to Moffat):
Board President Kim Nichols: “Mr. Rocco did you have…”
Trustee Steve Rocco:: “I have a couple of comments about that.
First of all I found all those comments very interesting about ...ah… it sounds nice on the surface about what you believe, and philosophically I heard your, ah, six points about drug testing [ referring to Moffat comments from June 7th, 2007 meeting] . It sounds nice but I don’t believe it. Ah, what happens and what’s said are two different things."
[Trustee Wes Poutsma walks out of the meeting. Trustee John Ortega stands, then sits as he starts organizing and gathering items at his place on the dais.]
"You really don’t believe it because you don’t believe in the rights of board members. You proved that as president.
You’re proving that as an unspoken president right now because pretty much you are the president."
[Trustee Lissa Smith walks out of the meeting.]
"Ah, I’m stuck here in the middle of whatever. This is the way I got beat to a pulp, ah, last week. By one person on one side, and another on the other side.
I sit on the Board with Kim Nichols on one side. I sit on the Board with you on the other side. And so, you really don’t believe in rights. Ah, not me as a citizen to speak for three minutes. Ah, not me as a Board member. You do not believe in it. It sounds nice. You know I can honestly say I agree with you. But I know you don’t believe it.
Ah, as far as police coming to campus,"
[Ortega stands and turns to hand the recording secretary papers]
"You know you have to protect children, and ah, you know sometimes police need to interrogate children to get facts and protect them.
Let me give you a good example, an excellent example, and you were here at the time of this. Ah, when Daniel Ortega was crashing automobiles on the Orange Unified School District, the police came on campus and went to his son’s school. And ah, he told them the truth."
[Ortega stands and leans over to whisper to Kim Nichols]
"Nobody did anything about it and he stayed here until he died."
[Ortega leaves the meeting]
"He was a threat to this District and he died. He was never disciplined."
Board President Kim Nichols: "Mr. Ortega, Mr. Rocco…"
Trustee Steve Rocco: "And his son gave the information about that. If the police were not allowed to interrogate him, we would never know, he would of never been arrested. But he did!"
Board President Kim Nichols: "Mr. Rocco."
Trustee Steve Rocco: "I’m finished that’s all I have to say."
Board President Kim Nichols: "Thank God!"
THE CENSORSHIP ENDS AT THIS POINT as Nichols continues
(The following is the last thing broadcasted to the community and the last thing Nichols said:)
Board President Kim Nichols: "Anything else? Meeting adjourned."
The next OUSD Board Meeting is July 19th, 2007. An unedited DVD can be ordered for purchased by the public at the OUSD Superintendent’s Office for $10.00.
ALSO READ THE ORANGE NET NEWS SITE CLICK ON:
ORANGE NET NEWS /O/N/N/
SPECIAL REPORT
FROM ORANGE NET NEWS /O/N/N/
Is an original news production of Orange Net News /O/N/N/
OrangeNetNews@verizon.net
“Independent, Local, News and Insights”
