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Tuesday, September 24, 2019
OUSD Board tries again & Timeline of a Tragedy The community reactions to student's death
ORANGE Unified Schools INSIDE
Independent insight into OUSD
a news service of
Orange Net News /O/N/N/
Timeline of a Tragedy :
The community reactions to the Emanuel Perez death
Any young person's death is a defining moment in a community.
Below is a 10 day timeline of how the tragic El Modena HS accidental death played out this month and the claims and counter claims in the court case which was filed the same week as Perez's death.
Monday September 9, 2019
El Modena HS student Emanuel "Manny" Perez is fatally injured in a school accident when the severely autistic student gets into a school electric golf cart and crashes into a metal support pole. Perez is transported to the hospital by Orange Paramedics and dies later that day of his injuries.
The student death appears on student social media, then local community social media.
Tuesday September 10, 2019
Orange Superintendent Dr. Gunn Marie Hansen issues a letter to the "El Modena Educational family" on the tragedy.
Click on LETTER
Local media outlets pick up the story. By the evening the story had spread statewide. Social Media posts have unfounded claims and rumors spreading across student and local social media. Social media posts include false information about alcohol and drugs involved in the accident, impalement and a bloody accident scene, and staff assaults. Senior OUSD Administrators struggle with the onslaught of false information, respecting the privacy of the family, possible legal action, media inquiries and responding to the grief needs of the students, staff and greater community at El Modena High School.
District officials start an investigation that includes reviewing the El Modena campus surveillance tapes and conducting a safety audit of district golf carts.
The first Go-fund-me page to support the Perez family is quickly put up by Cristina Sanchez who's connection to the family is not known.
OUSD Staff not at El Modena are getting information from local media outlets and social media.
Wednesday September 11, 2019
The El Modena story goes national.
OUSD issues a short five bullet Press Release on its website (click on): Summary of facts regarding the death of a student at El Modena High School.
Different groups of El Modena students start organizing around ideas of protests and vigils at school and on social media. Tension grows on the highly emotional El Modena campus.
Thursday September 12, 2019
A small group of El Modena students walk out of classes in protest of Perez's death. OUSD issues a terse 1 paragraph Press Release citing " unfounded rumors and misinformation on social media" (click on):
Los Angeles law firm Panish, Shea and Boyle file a lawsuit on behalf of Emmanuel Perez's family. The law firm delivers a copy of the lawsuit and a letter by messenger to Superintendent Hansen's office.
For a copy of the letter and lawsuit click on: OUSD PEREZ LAWSUIT
Death threats and other dangerous and highly emotional situations at El Modena result in OUSD calling in consultants from the Orange County Department of Education to help coordinate the response at El Modena.
In and unprecedented move, the Thursday September 12th OUSD Board Meeting is adjourned after the closed session so the OUSD Administrators and Trustees may attend the planned community vigil for Emmanuel Perez.
A second Go-Fund Me page is set up by Juan Carrerra a Perez family friend. Click on SECOND FUND.
Friday September 13, 2019
The lawfirm of Panish, Shea and Boyle and the Perez family hold a press conference announcing the lawsuit. The lawsuit becomes the leading story across Southern California news media. In the firm's Press Release about the lawsuit it states:
 |
| Press Conference announcing lawsuit photo from Panish, Shea and Boyle |
“You don’t leave a vehicle, whether it’s a golf cart or any other type of vehicle, alone with a young boy like Manny who doesn’t understand and appreciate any danger that he may be in,” Mr. Glassman said as he announced the filing of a Government Claim for Damages against the Orange Unified School District."
OUSD Superintendent Dr. Hansen issues an "updated" Press Release (click on): News Media Update by Superintendent Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D. - September 13, 2019
In the middle of that Press Release, OUSD counters several of the law firms positions on the accident with summary information from the surveillance video in the press release section "Several things are clear from the video of the incident".
In El Modena's away football game that night at Fullerton High School, El Modena H.S. honored Manny Perez with a moment of silence. El Modena won the game 39-27. The OCRegister reported this quote from El Modena's coach:
“This is a huge night for the community after the tragedy,” El Modena coach Matt Mitchell said. “It was a big night emotionally for everybody. It was good to bounce back and get ourselves in the right mindset. It was a rough week for everyone and we battled through it.”
Saturday September 14, 2019
Disability advocates held a "Justice for Manny" rally in Orange at the corner of Chapman and The City Drive next to UCI Medical Center. Disability advocates call for a change in a "no hands" policy for disabled students during emergencies.
Wednesday September 18, 2019
Nine days after Perez's death, OUSD Superintendent Dr. Hansen issues a district wide email to all staff under the subject line:
Update to Staff Regarding Tragedy at El Modena High School Last Week
The email which links to some of the OUSD Press Releases on the accident includes this :
"It was an oversight that we did not send this to you earlier. We want to make sure you have this information as the District navigates through this difficult situation."
OUSD to restart delayed meeting due to El Modena H.S. tragedy
The Orange Unified School Board will meet on Thursday September 26th to resume the regular September 12th meeting. That regular meeting was:
"adjourned prior to regular session in honor of El Modena student and community and to allow the staff and Board of Education to attend the vigil held for Manny Perez"
-OUSD September 26, 2019 agenda
On the original September 12th OUSD Board agenda and now transferred to the September 26th OUSD Board agenda are the items for the proposed Orange County Classical Academy.
Tustin Attorney Mark Bucher and a circus of Machiavellian associates return to Orange Unified with a request for the proposed Orange County Classical Academy with OUSD Board Agenda Action Items 12 A and 12 B.
For more information on the "Bucher and Friends Charter School" please see the ONN report on the forces behind the Orange County Classical Academy (click on):
In February 2018 OUSD Trustees voted $219,424 for a Public Relations contract (Click on):
Here is what spending $219,424 of educational tax dollars on PR buys (For the latest in OUSD News on the web Click on):
NEXT OUSD BOARD MEETING September 26, 2019
Next OUSD Board Meeting -OUSD BOARD ROOM
CLOSED SESSION- 5:30 pm
OUSD Regular Session: 7:00 pm Board Room
For more information call the OUSD Superintendent’s office at 714-628-4040
For budgeting questions call Business Services at 714-628-4015
ARCHIVAL Information and direct news can be found at:
the Greater Orange News Service http://greaterorange.blogspot.com/
ORANGE Unified Schools INSIDE
and the
Greater Orange News Service
are independent news services of /O/N/N/
Orange Net News
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Former Orange Unified attorney behind proposed new charter school for OUSD
ORANGE Unified Schools INSIDE
Independent insight into OUSD
a news service of
Orange Net News /O/N/N/
Former Orange Unified attorney Mark Bucher and religious lawyer behind proposed
new
charter school for OUSD
Tustin Attorney Mark Bucher and a circus of Machiavellian associates
return to Orange Unified with a request
for a proposed charter school called the Orange County Classical Academy
on the September 12, 2019 OUSD Board Agenda Action Items 12 A and 12 B.
For those readers unfamiliar with Mr. Bucher, well hang
on.
Bucher was the mastermind behind the Education Alliance
take over of Orange Unified twenty years ago under the reactionary Jacobson
Board Majority. Bucher then became the Jacobson Board Majority district hired attorney
running up fees paid for by OUSD taxpayers.
The Jacobson Board was recalled in the Orange Recall and then were defeated
a second time when they re-ran for the seats they were recalled from. Bucher handled
the political lawsuits of the Jacobson Board as a hired OUSD attorney.
The Orange Recall was the end of the Educational Alliance,
but not the end of Bucher and friends. Bucher
was instrumental in the founding of the "shell"
think-tank called the California Policy
Center. Bucher serves as the organizations CEO. The Center for Media and Democracy's
corporate watchdog SourceWatch describes
the California Policy Center this way:
"The California Policy Center (formerly
the California Public Policy Center) is a right-wing pressure group based in
California. Founded in June 2010, it is a state affiliate of the $83 million
right-wing State Policy Network (SPN), a web of state pressure
groups that denote themselves as "think tanks" and drive a right-wing
agenda in statehouses nationwide."
For more information click on:
Enter the California Policy
Center puppet group-the Parent Union and the proposed Orange County
Classical Academy,
The first public mention of the Orange County Classical
Academy was on the Parent Union Facebook page and the website events page for a
"Recruiting in Orange" event on Tuesday July 15, 2019.
The information (in both
English and Spanish) states:
Tuesday, July 15, 2019 – Orange,
CA
This week, the Parent Union continues recruiting new
members in Orange, CA and supporting Orange County Classical Academy.
*Priority admission and scholarships to eligible students who graduate and wish
to attend Chapman University.
For more information click on
Parent UnionParent Union Facebook
Yes, a school that does not exist is offering "Priority
admission and scholarships" for
Chapman University.
Santa
Ana Councilwomen Cecilia Iglesias ( a former Santa Ana Unified Trustee) is listed as one of the three leaders of the
Santa Ana based pro-charter Parent Union.
Igeleias and another Parent Union
leader Magda Gomez both have California Policy Center contact emails listed at
the end of their Parent Union bio's.
Gomez is listed on the California Policy Center website as their "Assistant Director of Parent Union".
The Parent Union website domain was
registered by Bucher Palmer LLC - Mark Bucher's business name- and the Orange County Classical Academy was incorporated on
August 20, 2019 with the address of Bucher's law firm:
ORANGE COUNTY CLASSICAL
ACADEMY was incorporated on 8/20/2019. Address:
18002 IRVINE BLVD STE 108, TUSTIN, CA 92780
For more information click on
Not only is the Orange County Classical Academy registered
as a non-profit at the Bucher law offices, but the "agent" named for
the company is Santa Ana Trinity College Professor Myron Steeves-who also
happens to have a law practice called The Church Law Center. Steeves private practice counts as one of
its specialties Church and Religious Law.
For more information click on
Mr. Steeves
Linked-In page describes him as:
Myron's work with the
Church Law Center of California is dedicated to supporting the work of
churches, para-church organizations and other nonprofit organizations fulfill
their mission within the law. The Church Law Center helps ministries carry out
their mission more effectively. As part of the word of nonprofit law, Myron
works with political organizations as well, assuring that they conform to the
highly regulated world of lobbying and political endorsements.
For more information click on
Myron Steeves Linked IN
The Orange County Classical Academy is not the only company
Mr. Steeves has registered. Public
documents show 13 other organizations- mostly religious- that Mr. Steeves is
the agent for including the Newport Institute for Ethics, Law and Public
Policy. He was also the President of the Newport Institute for Ethics, Law and
Public Policy.
For more information click on
The Newport Institute for Ethics, Law and Public
Policy has an FTB Suspension by the
California Secretary of State.
THE NEWPORT INSTITUTE FOR ETHICS, LAW AND PUBLIC POLICY
Corporation No. 2257625 Status: FTB Suspended
THE NEWPORT INSTITUTE FOR ETHICS, LAW AND PUBLIC POLICY was incorporated on 7/27/2000
Address: PO BOX 5199, NEWPORT INSTITUTE, CA 92662
Corporation No. 2257625 Status: FTB Suspended
THE NEWPORT INSTITUTE FOR ETHICS, LAW AND PUBLIC POLICY was incorporated on 7/27/2000
Address: PO BOX 5199, NEWPORT INSTITUTE, CA 92662
For more information click on
The Newport Institute for Ethics, Law and Public
Policy was
another shell entity for reactionary causes including being a proponent
of teaching Intelligent Design (ID) in
public schools. Intelligent Design is a form of creationism that
pretends to be a science. ID uses pseudo-science logic but is not able to
present the needed scientific empirical
evidence and does not present or offer
any testable hypotheses needed to be classified as science.
Intelligent Design defender and author Francis Beckwith acknowledges
Newport Institute for Ethics, Law and Public Policy President Myron Steeves' help with his 2002 pro-Intelligent
Design legal book called Law, Darwinism,
and Public Education: The Establishment Clause and the Challenge of Intelligent
Design.
For more information click on
Steeves also has writings that shed light on his
reactionary far right ideas. In the
Fall 2004 edition of the Journal of Christian Legal Thought his article Healing the Breach Between Law
and Virtue , Steeves begins by calling out the European Renaissance (which
marked the end of the religiously dominated Middle Ages and the beginning of
the current Modern Era) this way:
"the worldview paradigm shifts that
occurred during the 18th century Enlightenment created a fracture between law
and moral reasoning".
Steeves then goes on in the article to connect that European Enlightenment
moral and virtue fracture to the late 20th Century civil rights and women
equality issues than on to the morality of the early 21st Century "Critical
Gay Studies" ( gay rights and marriage equality) and "Critical Gender
Studies" ( transgender acceptance and equality). The Steeves' article then
questions Christians who support those equality issues with this:
"under the
increasingly nebulous heading of “Christian” fall voices from those that are
decidedly postmodern and united with the Critical Studies perspective, o those
for whom “hater” is perhaps an apt description."
Steeves' connects his Enlightenment fracture to the 21st
Century with this:
"The emphasis
shifts from eliminating laws that regulate homosexual activity (for those laws
have been eliminated) to a new charged rhetoric of the Critical Gay Studies
movement toward society-wide endorsement of homosexual activity. That is, it
becomes an increasingly explicit moral cause"
Summary
The
September 12, 2019 OUSD Board Agenda Action
Item 12 A and 12 B are legal requirements concerning an application to
OUSD for the Orange County Classical Academy, That charter is being sponsored
by a front group of parents organized by Santa Ana Councilwomen and former
Santa Ana Unified School Board Trustee Cecilia
Iglesias in coordination the right-wing
pressure group California Policy Center that is affiliated with the State Policy Network.
The
charter proponents have recruited local parents to support the new charter promising
"Priority admission and scholarships
to eligible students who graduate and wish to attend Chapman University."
The
California Policy Center is led by
former Mark Bucher who was the leader of the Educational Alliance that was instrumental
in taking over the Orange Unified School
Board under the Jacobson Board Majority. That majority stated a culture war
against local public education an was ultimately recalled in the Orange Recall
of 2001.
NEXT OUSD
BOARD MEETING Thursday September 12, 2019
CLOSED SESSION 5:30 pm
OUSD Regular Session: 7:00 pm
For the AGENDA-CLICK ON: AGENDA
For more information
call the OUSD Superintendent’s office at 714-628-4040
For budgeting questions call Business
Services at 714-628-4015
ARCHIVAL Information and direct news
can be found at:
the Greater Orange News Service
http://greaterorange.blogspot.com/
ORANGE
Unified Schools INSIDE
and the
Greater Orange
News Service
are independent news services of /O/N/N/
Orange Net News
