Felonious Actions By A School Board?

“FRAUD: Wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.” - Oxford Languages

On March 22, 2022, the LAUSD School Board went into a closed session to confer with their lawyers. However, before doing so, the Brown Act requires them to hear comments from the public. This was mine:

As you retreat behind closed doors to speak with your attorneys today, you might want to talk to them about the definition of “fraud.” Personally, I can’t think of a different definition for this board’s refusal to collect on the $13,745,310.09 debt owed by charter schools for over-allocation fees.

Considering that $1,116,305 of this debt was incurred during the last year by schools that already had a past-due balance, it is clear that the management of these schools obtained services for which they had no intention of paying the defined cost. This meets the definition of “theft.”

Considering the fact that these fees are defined in state law, these charter schools have no legal standing for withholding payment. If any of you promised your benefactors at the California Charter School Association that you will not make an effort to collect this debt, then you are an accomplice. You should not only be denied re-election, but you should also join your former ally, Ref Rodriguez, on the list of convicted felons.

Jose Cole-Guitierrez has not updated the public about the balances due since January 17, 2022. If history is any indication, the amount due has not changed much:

Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for students with special education needs and public education. He is an elected member of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council and serves as the Education Chair. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD’s District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him “a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles.” For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.