“Justice for JUST US”
...the line uttered by an attorney as Doug and I describe our son’s tragic story while sitting in the leather armchairs of his swanky Orange County office. He was attempting to sum up the one-sided morality that exists in our legal system. While we immediately understood what he was insinuating, I don’t think we ever imagined that we would feel the sharp sting of these exact words. After being denied the right to a fair trial,
the “JUST US” part becomes very clear.
When Doug and I decided to go public with our son’s story, we were seeking real change in a broken system. We wanted be the voices for the differently-abled, the less privileged, the at-risk children whose lives and futures were in the hands of adults with different intentions. We started out small and our story went viral, appearing in numerous major media outlets, prompting extensive public outrage.
In an effort to navigate through the dysfunctional relations the Temecula Valley School District has with its special needs students, Jesse always seemed to be their favorite target. His story begins with his mounting disciplinary actions — the result of his unsuccessful attempts to fend off the harsh, nonstop school bullying he is forced to endure, then, a drug-sniffing dog is alerted to his backpack and only finds a cough drop. Next, five months later, after transferring to a new school, he’s entrapped in an undercover drug sting, later handcuffed, arrested, and we are NOT informed. TVUSD tries to expel him, yet, through a due process hearing, a judge orders his return and he ulitmately graduates with a diploma. Although, upon his return, TVUSD creates an after school class for only one student — Jesse. Again, we are NOT informed, and he is marked truant during the time of his court-ordered probationary period. Truancy often leads to arrest.
In fact according to Judge Raquel Marquez, "I have literally sent thousands to prison," said Marquez. "A vast majority of them are not horrific offenders but a high percentile, possibly 90 percent, were dropouts."Read the full story here:
Truancy and Safe Schools Court
Most children don’t intentionally drop out of school. Among many other factors, they are often the at-risk, special needs, low-income, or underprivileged victims of an unfortunate environment. Doug and I always despised this type of child-is-to-blame mentality — treating the symptom not the cause. Throwing them into prison is certainly not a sensible solution.
What is the School-to-Prison Pipeline?
As we previously mentioned, we feel extremely disappointed that Marquez did not allow this matter to be decided by a jury. Read the Judge's Decision. Despite her ruling we felt there existed triable issues of material fact as to Michael Hubbard's involvement with the operation and whether he targeted Jesse, among other triable issues. It seems that the judge weighed the evidence - not the court's role on Summary Judgement. She also seems to justify the ruling based on "police cooperation and discretionary immunities" that we continue to assert do NOT apply.
We firmly believe that Jesse was denied his right to a fair trial. The question remains and many are asking, should this judge have recused herself if she has a relationship with TVUSD, AND a history serving as deputy district attorney, in the Superior Court of Riverside alongside senior deputy district attorney, Blaine Hopp, who - according to published reports - was responsible for training the undercover officers for Operation Glass House, and who left a - what we felt was threatening - voicemail on our home phone after we had gone public with the story? In 2011, Marquez became a senior deputy district attorney, the position she held until joining the court in late 2011.
One might ask, is this at all ethical?
AFTERMATH
Today, Jesse continues to suffer from PTSD, and has developed some additional disorders as a result of this horrific experience. He currently receives private weekly counseling sessions with a therapist, is under the care of a psychiatrist, and has been prescribed a number of mood stabilizing, anti-anxiety medications and is unable to work.
Oh, and did I mention that my other younger son, who has Asperger syndrome and happens to attend Chaparral High School, recently had a drug sniffing dog visit his classroom…
they found nothing.
We know he is TVUSD’s director of child welfare and attendance, but does Michael Hubbard also authorize drug sniffing dogs in classrooms?
Thank You to the orange army and all of our supporters. If it were not for you, we would not have been able to come this far.
And Doug, I promise you...this mission will continue, in your name, for as long as your eternal light glows.
Love, Team Snodgrass
UPDATE: Wendy Housman, our former attorney, will not be representing us in the the appeal.
We do welcome and wholeheartedly appreciate any legal assistance to our team.
Please contact us: info@temeculapost.com
More:
Rolling Stone - The Entrapment of Jesse Snodgrass
VICE - The War on Kids
