Nearly six months ago - 177 days to be precise - when my wife and I first went public about the fact that our autistic son was handcuffed in front of his classmates, taken away, medically probed, interrogated without a lawyer, booked, and incarcerated as part of a drug sting - all without our knowledge - we created a petition. The response was overwhelming, to say the least, as it was signed by 7,670 people, including many of you.
In the petition, there was a demand for a public hearing, so we have an obligation to fulfill.
We are announcing, “Accountability In Our Schools: Is TVUSD Using Your Tax Dollars to Help or Harm Children and Families? A Public Hearing”. This will occur on Monday, August 12th, at the Community Recreation Center in Temecula, CA.
My wife and I will be part of the panel of community leaders and subject matter experts that will speak and then answer questions from the audience. Here is some background on a couple of the panelists.
Stephen Downing, Deputy Chief of Police, Los Angeles Police Department (retired)
Stephen Downing began his twenty-year police career in a squad car and finished as a deputy chief of police. As Commander of the Bureau of Special Investigations at one point, the Administrative Narcotics Division was one of the divisions within his scope of authority. His vast experience in law enforcement has led him to the conclusion that the War on Drugs can never be worth the human and fiscal costs.
Stephen entered the LAPD in 1960 and spent twelve years assigned to operations in South Central Los Angeles. He is a veteran of the Watts riot and its aftermath, which gave birth to the first community-based policing programs in the country. His assignments covered a wide range of specializations including patrol, criminal investigation, narcotics, vice and organized crime intelligence. Among the many commands held in the LAPD, his most memorable include: Captain of Detectives, where he established homicide investigation techniques still in use today; Commanding Officer of Juvenile Division, where he established and published a file that brought an end to abuses in state probation subsidy programs; and Commanding Officer of Southwest Area, where he designed and implemented the first functionally integrated police operation in law enforcement aimed at combating gang activity - a program that became a national model. As a staff officer Stephen was involved in reorganizing the LAPD from a centralized functional organization to a decentralized line organization.
During his final years with the LAPD he was a Deputy Chief in the Bureau of Special Investigations, where he supervised city-wide narcotic, vice and criminal intelligence functions. He was also a Deputy Chief in the Personnel and Training Bureau, where he oversaw operations involving the Police Training Academy, recruitment, personnel management and affirmative action and chaired the Department Shooting Review Board.
Diane Goldstein, Lieutenant Commander, Redondo Beach Police Department (retired)
Diane Goldstein is a 21-year veteran of law enforcement who retired as the first female lieutenant for the Redondo Beach Police Department, (CA). During her career she worked and managed a variety of patrol and investigative units. She is recognized as a subject matter expert and trainer in the area of crisis negotiations and critical incident management. During her career she was one of the original founders of the California Association of Hostage Negotiators, receiving an Honorary Life Member Award in 2007. She is a speaker and Executive Board Member for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), a columnist and has appeared on radio and television as a commentator.
Invitations have also been extended and received by the members of the
TVUSD School Board, Superintendent
Timothy Ritter, Director of Child Welfare and Attendance
Michael Hubbard, and Director of Special Education
Kimberly Velez. We are expecting that they will attend in a spirit of accountability and cooperation, though we have not yet received their responses. However, we will reserve their seats and name placards on stage, with the rest of the panel.
Numerous representatives of the media have confirmed their attendance, including a very well-known national television outlet. This event will also be recorded on video, which we will make publicly available.
Here are the topics currently on the agenda:
- Temecula Valley Unified School District’s use of taxpayer funds.
- The TVUSD authorized undercover sting operation which resulted in the arrest of nearly two dozen students, including a high number of special needs students.
- Proactive strategies for protecting TVUSD’s students from drug abuse.
- How can taxpayers and TVUSD administrators work together to ensure accountability and mutual trust?
We will also have informational material available for attendees from organizations, including the Drug Policy Alliance (who are partnering with our family), and Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.
If you, or someone you know would like to RSVP, you can do this by either of the following methods:
* If you have a Facebook account, click here. Even if you don't wish to RSVP for the event, we will appreciate it if you Like our organization's Facebook page, located here.
* If you don’t have a Facebook account, you can RSVP by clicking here.
We are preparing for our upcoming lawsuit and need to raise funds for some very significant out-of-pocket expenses. Any donation to our legal fund will be immensely appreciated.
Related reading from the media:
ABC NEWS: Parents Claim Calif. School District Failed to Protect Autistic Son in Drug Sting (with video)
ALTERNET: Cops Go Undercover at High School to Bust Special-Needs Kid for Pot: Why Are Police So Desperate to Throw Kids in Jail? (reported to have been viewed by over 300,000 people)
MSN: Cops use autistic teen in undercover drug bust
HUFFINGTON POST: Drug Cop Goes Undercover in High School and Arrests Autistic Student
PRESS ENTERPRISE: Undercover deputy targeted mentally disabled teen, parents say
Related reading from Daily Kos:
Our Autistic Son was Handcuffed and Arrested in School, We Were Not Notified
Our Autistic Son's Arrest in the Press, YOU got the District's Attention, They Freak Out
Our Autistic Son's Arrest: The Judge Has Ruled, VICTORY!!!
Our Autistic Son's Arrest: We're Suing the Bastards
Our Autistic Son: Stunning Claim Alleges School Used 8th Grader as “Bait” in Secret Drug Sting
Our Autistic Son's Arrest: Meet the People Behind the Temecula Special Ed Scandal
Our Autistic Son's Arrest: Some Good News, and Some News That Will Make You Sick to Your Stomach