This just in: SCHWARZENEGGER SIGNS 14 EDUCATION BILLS, VETOES 17

 

from Capitol Alert | SAcramento Bee

October 11, 2009 | As legislative leaders continue talks on a package of water bills, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office released word of the fate of 183 bills.

The governor, who threatened to veto "a lot" of bills if leaders can't strike a water deal, has until midnight to act on the more than 500 bills remaining on his desk.

See the governor's office's list of the 89 bills he signed and the 94 bills struck down with the veto pen after the jump.

EDUCATION BILLS IN RED

Bills Signed:

• SB 19 by Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) - Education data.
• SB 36 by Senator Ron Calderon (D-Montebello) - Real estate, finance lender, and residential mortgage lender licenses: mortgage loan originators.
• SB 48 by Senator Elaine Alquist (D-San Jose) - Joint powers agencies: City of Santa Clara.
• SB 102 by Committee on Local Government - Validations.
• SB 103 by Committee on Local Government - Validations.
• SB 117 by Senator Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro) - Adult day health care services: eligibility criteria: Medi-Cal reimbursement methodology and limit.
• SB 136 by Senator Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) - State real property.
• SB 143 by Senator Gilbert Cedillo (D-Los Angeles) - Hazardous materials: California Land Reuse and Revitalization Act of 2004.
• SB 147 by Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) - California State University: career technical education courses.
• SB 148 by Senator Jenny Oropeza (D-Long Beach) - Mammogram machines: inspection: posting of results.
• SB 149 by Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) - Claims against the state: appropriation.
• SB 150 by Senator Roderick Wright (D-Inglewood) - Sentencing.
• SB 224 by Senator Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) - Housing assistance.
• SB 237 by Senator Ron Calderon (D-Montebello) - Real estate appraisers.
• SB 239 by Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) - Mortgage fraud.
• SB 240 by Senator Roderick Wright (D-Inglewood) - Vehicles: Department of Transportation vehicles.
• SB 247 by Senator Elaine Alquist (D-San Jose) - Instructional materials.
• SB 249 by Senator Dave Cox (R-Fair Oaks) - Vaccinations: meningococcal disease.
• SB 273 by Senator Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro) - Domestic Violence.
• SB 283 by Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) - Department of Water Resources: recycled water.
• SB 285 by Senator Roderick Wright (D-Inglewood) - Disability benefits: attachment.
• SB 312 by Senator Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) - Public meetings and hearings.
• SB 337 by Senator Elaine Alquist (D-San Jose) - Health information.
• SB 357 by Senator Denise Moreno Ducheny (D-San Diego) - Tribal gaming: grants to local jurisdictions.
• SB 412 by Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) - Electricity: self-generation incentive program.
• SB 419 by Committee on Veterans Affairs - County veteran service officers: funding.
• SB 448 by Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) - California State Safe Harbor Agreement Program Act.
• SB 471 by Senator Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) - California Stem Cell and Biotechnology Education and Workforce Development Act of 2009.
• SB 478 Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis) - Employment safety: manlifts.
• SB 481 by Senator Dave Cox (R-Fair Oaks) - Airports: wildlife.
• SB 511 by Committee on Education - Education.
• SB 519 by Senator Roy Ashburn (R-Bakersfield) - Public employment.
• SB 532 by Senator Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto) - State Highway Routes 1, 108, 132, and 201.
• SB 538 by Committee on Public Employment and Retirement - County employees' retirement: mandatory retirement.
• SB 588 by Committee on Public Safety - Sex Offender Management Board.
• SB 592 by Senator Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) - Charter Schools Facilities Program.
• SB 614 by Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) - Vessels.
• SB 619 by Senator Tony Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks) - Flood control: County of Santa Barbara: Lower Mission Creek.
• SB 651 by Senator Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) - Pupil retention.
• SB 680 by Senator Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) - School attendance: interdistrict transfers.
• SB 702 by Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) - Ancillary day care centers: employees: trustline providers. See attached signing message.
• SB 734 by Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) - Transportation.
• SB 744 by Senator Tony Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks) - Clinical laboratories.
• SB 751 by Senator Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) - Teacher credentials.
• SB 792 by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) - Tidelands and submerged lands: City and County of San Francisco: Hunters Point Naval Shipyard and Candlestick Point.
• SB 822 by Committee on Revenue and Taxation - Property taxation: local administration.
• SB 826 by Committee on Governmental Organization - General obligation bonds.
• SB 827 by Senator Roderick Wright (D-Inglewood) - South Coast Air Quality Management District: CEQA: permits.
• SB 831 by Committee on Governmental Organization - California State Lottery: multistate lottery.
• SB 833 by Committee on Natural Resources and Water - Natural resources: mining: conservation lands: Native American historical sites: tidelands and submerged lands.
• SBX3 18 by Senator Denise Moreno Ducheny (D-San Diego) - Corrections.
• AB 14 by Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes (D-Sylmar) - Vehicles: nuisance abatement: impoundment.
• AB 37 by Assemblymember Warren Furutani (D-South Los Angeles County) - Public postsecondary education: honorary degrees.
• AB 66 by Assemblymember Joel Anderson (R-El Cajon) - Pupil work permits.
• AB 73 by Assemblymember Mary Hayashi (D-Hayward) - Marriage licenses: vital records: fees: domestic violence.
• AB 74 by Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro (D-Arcata) - Flood control: Middle Creek and Hamilton City Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Projects.
• AB 92 by Assemblymember Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) - State claims.
• AB 93 by Assemblymember Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) - Claims against the state: appropriation.
• AB 94 by Assemblymember Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) - Natural Heritage Preservation Tax Credit Act of 2000.
• AB 136 by Assemblymember Jim Silva (R- Huntington Beach) - Horse racing: imported harness or quarter horse races.
• AB 154 by Assemblymember Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) - Adoption assistance: federal law.
• AB 167 by Assemblymember Anthony Adams (R-Hesperia) - High school graduation: local requirements: foster children.
• AB 236 by Assemblymember Sandré R. Swanson (D-Alameda) - Employment: car washes.
• AB 242 by Assemblymember Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) - Dog fighting.
• AB 246 by Senator (former Assemblymember) Curren Price (D-Inglewood) - Horse racing: deductions and distributions: trust funds: harness and quarter horse racing.
• AB 262 by Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) - American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan: energy activities, programs, or projects.
• AB 275 by Assemblymember Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim) - Missing persons: DNA database.
• AB 282 by Committee on Transportation - Transportation.
• AB 286 by Assemblymember Mary Salas (D-Chula Vista) - Vehicles: additional registration fees.
• AB 287 by Assemblymember Jim Beall (D-San Jose) - Persons with developmental disabilities: employment.
• AB 292 by Assemblymember Yamada (D-Solano) - Personal income taxes: contributions: Alzheimer's disease.
• AB 293 by Assemblymember Tony Mendoza (D-Norwalk) - Gambling regulation.
• AB 299 by Committee on Insurance - Insurance.
• AB 318 by Assemblymember Bill Emmerson (R-Redlands) - Bureau of Automotive Repair: inspection fees.
• AB 329 by Assemblymember Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) - Reverse mortgages.
• AB 343 by Assemblymember Lori Saldaña (D-San Diego) - Pupils: military families.
• AB 344 by Assemblymember Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) - State highways: relinquishment.
• AB 386 by Assemblymember Ira Ruskin (D-Redwood City) - Public postsecondary education: instructional materials: disabled students.
• AB 399 by Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) - Public employee benefits.
• AB 483 by Assemblymember Joan Buchanan (D-Alamo) - Workers' compensation: Internet Web sites.
• AB 485 by Assemblymember Wilmer Amina Carter (D-Rialto) - Civil Air Patrol: California Wing: employment leave.
• AB 523 by Assemblymember Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) - Hospitals: seismic safety.
• AB 530 by Assemblymember Paul Krekorian (D-Burbank) - Unlawful detainer: controlled substances and firearms.
• AB 547 by Assemblymember Tony Mendoza (D-Norwalk) - Commercial feed: license fee: inspection tonnage tax.
• AB 595 by Assemblymember Anthony Adams (R-Hesperia) - Placement of children: criminal background checks.
• AB 601 by Assemblymember Martin Garrick (R-Carlsbad) - Motor vehicle insurance: special assessments.
• AB 636 by Assemblymember Dave Jones (D-Sacramento) - Charter-party carriers: busdrivers.
• AB 654 by Assemblymember Tony Mendoza (D-Norwalk) - State teachers' retirement.
• AB 665 by Assemblymember Alberto Torrico (D-Fremont) - State adoption services: investment.

Bills Vetoed:

• SB 20 by Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) - Personal information: privacy.
• SB 34 by Senator Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro) - Petitions: compensation for signatures.
• SB 45 by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) - Public works: payment of prevailing wage: violations.
• SB 84 by Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) - Education finance.
• SB 86 by Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) - Public postsecondary education: executive officer compensation.
• SB 109 by Senator Ron Calderon (D-Montebello) - Auctioneers: real estate.
• SB 115 by Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) - Public employment.
• SB 158 by Senator Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) - Health care coverage: cervical cancer screening: human papillomavirus vaccination. .
• SB 161 by Senator Roderick Wright (D-Inglewood) - Health care coverage: cancer treatment.
• SB 172 by Senator Dean Florez (D-Shafter) - Voter registration.
• SB 173 by Senator Dean Florez (D-Shafter) - Food safety: testing and recalls.
• SB 193 by Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) - Class size reduction: Long Beach Unified School District.
• SB 196 by Senator Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro) - Emergency medical services.
• SB 201 by Senator Jenny Oropeza (D-Long Beach) - Vehicles: illegal taxicabs.
• SB 212 by Senator Dean Florez (D-Shafter) - Pupil health: communicable diseases.
• SB 213 by Senator Dean Florez (D-Shafter) - Gambling licenses.
• SB 218 by Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) - Public records: state agency: auxiliary organizations.
• SB 219 by Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) - Disclosure of improper governmental activities: University of California: damages.
• SB 242 by Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) - Civil rights: language restrictions.
• SB 248 by Senator Jenny Oropeza (D-Long Beach) - Educational equity: Title IX.
• SB 257 by Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) - Lactation accommodation: state employees.
• SB 262 by Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) - Coastal resources: California Coastal Commission: meeting.
• SB 272 by Senator Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) - Local government: organization.
• AB 1 by Assemblymember William Monning (D-Carmel) - Teachers: program of professional growth: conflict resolution. See attached veto message.
• AB 3 by Assemblymember V. Manuel Pérez (D-Coachella) - Workforce development: Renewable Energy Workforce Readiness Initiative: local workforce investment boards.
• AB 6 by Assemblymember Lori Saldaña (D-San Diego) - Initiatives: paid circulators.
• AB 8 by Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) - Education finance: working group.
• AB 21 by Assemblymember Paul Krekorian (D-Burbank) - Renewable energy resources.
• AB 24 by Assemblymember Marty Block (D-San Diego) - California State University: feasibility study: Chula Vista.
• AB 43 by Assemblymember Sam Blakeslee (R-San Luis Obispo) - California Earthquake Authority: employees.
• AB 56 by Assemblymember Anthony Portantino (D-Pasadena) - Health care coverage: mammographies.
• AB 57 by Senator (former Assemblymember) Curren Price (D-Inglewood) - University of California hospitals: staffing.
• AB 82 by Assemblymember Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) - Dependent children: psychotropic medications.
• AB 98 by Assemblymember Hector De La Torre (D-South Gate) - Maternity services.
• AB 101 by Assemblymember Joel Anderson (R-El Cajon) - Elections: vote by mail ballots.
• AB 115 by Assemblymember Jim Beall (D-San Jose) - Adult Health Coverage Expansion Program.
• AB 120 by Assemblymember Mary Hayashi (D-Hayward) - Healing arts: peer review.
• AB 132 by Assemblymember Tony Mendoza (D-Norwalk) - School safety: immigration investigations.
• AB 146 by Assemblymember Tony Mendoza (D-Norwalk) - Instructional materials: delivery.
• AB 147 by Assemblymember Lori Saldaña (D-San Diego) - Hazardous waste: electronic waste.
• AB 213 by Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) - Vehicles: parking.
• AB 217 by Assemblymember Jim Beall (D-San Jose) - Medi-Cal: alcohol and drug screening and brief intervention services.
• AB 241 by Assemblymember Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) - Dogs and cats: breeding for sale.
• AB 243 by Assemblymember Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) - Animal abuse: penalties.
• AB 244 by Assemblymember Jim Beall (D-San Jose) - Health care coverage: mental health services.
• AB 245 by Assemblymember Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) - Physicians and surgeons.
• AB 249 by Assemblymember Wilmer Amina Carter (D-Rialto) - Health facilities: marking patient devices.
• AB 261 by Assemblymember Mary Salas (D-Chula Vista) - Pupil records: privacy rights.
• AB 267 by Assemblymember Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch) - Education finance districts: taxes.
• AB 311 by Assemblymember Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) - Property taxation: certificated aircraft assessment.
• AB 320 by Assemblymember Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim) - County jails: reentry facilities.
• AB 322 by Assemblymember Jim Silva (R-Huntington Beach) - Less lethal weapons.
• AB 324 by Assemblymember Jim Beall (D-San Jose) - Aging: Elder Economic Security Standard Index.
• AB 330 by Assemblymember Lori Saldaña (D-San Diego) - Elections: voting devices.
• AB 335 by Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes (D- Sylmar) - Employment contracts.
• AB 337 by Assemblymember Norma Torres (D-Pomona) - Juvenile court records: sealing and destruction.
• AB 338 by Assemblymember Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) - Transit village developments: infrastructure financing.
• AB 358 by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) - Criminal procedure: narcotics and drug abuse cases.
• AB 368 by Assemblymember Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) - State lands: oil, gas, and mineral leases.
• AB 369 by Assemblymember Mariko Yamada (D-Solano) - Adult day health care centers.
• AB 374 by Assemblymember Marty Block (D-San Diego) - Consequences of dropping out notice.
• AB 382 by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) - Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: inmates and wards: classification.
• AB 402 by Assemblymember Mike Davis (D-Los Angeles) - Employment: entertainment work permits.
• AB 423 by Assemblymember Norma Torres (D-Pomona) - Emergency telephone systems.
• AB 429 by Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) - Public school accountability: advisory committee.
• AB 436 by Assemblymember Lori Saldaña (D-San Diego) - Elections: initiatives.
• AB 442 by Assemblymember Juan Arambula (I-Fresno) - Notaries public.
• AB 443 by Assemblymember Cathleen Galgiani (D-Livingston) - Apple pests: pest and disease prevention.
• AB 469 by Assemblymember Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park) - Sales and use taxes: qualified use tax payment.
• AB 472 by Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield (D-San Fernando Valley) - Earthquake and emergency preparedness.
• AB 473 by Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield (D-Woodland) - Solid waste: recycling: multifamily dwellings.
• AB 476 by Assemblymember Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch) - Standardized Testing and Reporting Program.
• AB 503 by Assemblymember Warren Furutani (D-South Los Angeles County) - Battered women's shelters: grant program.
• AB 504 by Assemblymember Warren Furutani (D-South Los Angeles County) - Peace officers: training.
• AB 513 by Assemblymember Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) - Health care coverage: breast-feeding.
• AB 517 by Assemblymember Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) - Safe Body Art Act.
• AB 527 by Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes (D-Sylmar) - Employee complaints: proceedings: payroll records.
• AB 543 by Assemblymember Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) - Perinatal care: The Nurse-Family Partnership.
• AB 1401 by Assemblymember Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) - Transition to Organics Act.
• AB 1404 by Assemblymember Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) - California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006: offsets.
• AB 1435 by Assemblymember V. Manuel Perez (D-Coachella) - Public school accountability.
• AB 1439 by Assemblymember Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim) - Gang and youth violence: prevention.
• AB 1447 by Assemblymember John Perez (D-Los Angeles) - State Compensation Insurance Fund: audits.
• AB 1462 by Assemblymember Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) - Medi-Cal: inpatient hospital services contracts.
• AB 1510 by Assemblymember Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park) - Public schools: parental access.
• AB 1512 by Assemblymember Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) - Food and drugs: sale.
• AB 1527 by Assemblymember Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) - Motor vehicle emission reduction projects.
• AB 1559 by Committee on Labor and Employment - Workforce development: summer youth job training.
• AB 1561 by Committee on Labor and Employment - Occupational safety and health: citation outcome analysis.
• AB 1562 by Committee on Labor and Employment - Employment: garnishment of wages.
• AB 1563 by Committee on Labor and Employment - Employment: contracts or agreements for labor or services.
• AB 1567 by Committee on Veterans Affairs - Employment training panel: 3-year plan: training programs: veterans.
• AB 1577 by Assemblymember Joe Coto (D-San Jose) - Problem and pathological gambling.
• AB 1580 by Assemblymember Charles Calderon (D-Montebello) - Taxation: federal conformity.

ROONEY GOES TO PRISON: Ex-LAUSD administrator pleads out in molestation case

By Daily News wire services

08/27/2009 11:55:05 AM PDT - A former Los Angeles school administrator pleaded no contest today to felony unlawful sex and lewd act counts involving four teenage girls from two schools where he worked.

<PHOTO: LAPD

Steve Thomas Rooney, 40, entered his plea to three counts of lewd acts with a child and one count of unlawful sexual intercourse.

He was was taken into custody without bail after the hearing. He is expected to receive an eight-year prison term when he is sentenced Sept. 15.

Rooney is also expected to be ordered to submit to AIDS testing and to register as a sex offender for life, officials said.

The charges involved two girls he met at Foshay Learning Center in South Los Angeles, where Rooney initially worked as a teacher and later became the dean of students; and two other girls he met at Markham Middle School, where he worked as an assistant principal.

Rooney was initially charged with 13 felony counts involving three teenage girls, including a former Foshay Learning Center student who testified at a May 2008 hearing that she began dating him in 2005, when she was 15, and had a relationship with him that lasted about 1 1/2 years and included a pregnancy that ended with a miscarriage.

At the hearing in which Rooney was ordered to stand trial, the other two girls testified that they met Rooney while he was working as an assistant principal at Markham Middle School in early 2008.

One of the girls, who was 13, testified that Rooney repeatedly told her that he loved her, took her on a motorcycle to his apartment and ignored her protests that she didn't want to have sex.

The other girl, a 15-year-old, testified that Rooney had grabbed her buttocks in his office on one occasion and her breasts on another occasion, and kissed her breasts in another instance.

In June, Rooney was ordered to stand trial on five more felony counts involving a fourth teenage girl, who is now 19.

The girl testified that she and Rooney kissed twice at Foshay Learning Center - including once in an office that didn't belong to Rooney - and that he picked her up by her house on one occasion and they went to a park where they "started making out."

She said "everything was consensual," and that she wasn't sure how old she was at the time, although the criminal complaint alleged the conduct occurred between June 2004 and June 2006, beginning when she was 14 years old. She said the two didn't have sex.

The girl acknowledged that she initially told a police investigator that nothing happened, and that she only spoke up after being contacted by an attorney. But she said she did not want to be a plaintiff in any lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Darkness to Light: CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION TRAINING FOR PARENTS

Dear Parents and School Community members:

We have heard way too much about child abuse at LAUSD recently – We have heard about violations and we have heard about policy.

There can be only one policy: Zero Tolerance. Child Sexual Abuse can be and must be Prevented!

We cannot afford to be complacent. This is unsettling material; this is powerful and empowering stuff.

If you only go to one District sponsored training this year this one should be the one!

Onward! – smf

Be Prepared – More Info

You can download Darkness to Light's 7 Steps to Protecting our Children by right-clicking on the 7 STEPS link above and choosing "Save Target As". You will need the free software Adobe Acrobat to view the file.

Los Angeles Unified School District

Parent Community Services Branch

Registration Form

Parents and Community

The Parent Community Services Branch, is pleased to present:

The Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Training

The Parent Collaborative will sponsor the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Training. The training is an effort to raise parent awareness of child sexual abuse and its prevention, as well as provide information to parents and the community.

Date: Saturday, November 22, 2008

Time: 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Location: Edward R. Roybal Learning Center [map]

1200 W. Colton Street

Los Angeles, CA 90026

Important: Adults only! Sorry, no children.

Send via school mail or fax to:

Parent Community Services Branch

(213) 626-4644

SEATS ARE LIMITED TO THE FIRST 400 PARTICIPANTS

Continental breakfast, lunch, and translation will be provided. Parking will be validated.

This is your confirmation. Please call (213) 217-5272 if you cannot attend.

_______________________________________________

No children! Please return your registration form early.

The registration deadline is Monday, November 17, 2008

Local District _____ School: _________________________________________

Name: _______________________________________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________________

City/Zip: ___________________________________

Telephone: _______________________

Approved: Christopher Downing, Administrator

LAUSD’s MARKHAM ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL SCANDAL: District officials, claiming ignorance, were warned about Steven Rooney

by Tibby Rothman – LA Weekly

published: March 27, 2008 |  photo: LAPD

WHEN LOS ANGELES SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT David Brewer declared recently that top district officials were unaware of the past behavior of alleged Markham Middle School molester Steven Rooney, longtime teacher Mat Taylor* was appalled. He’d known Rooney when they worked together at Fremont High School, and the picture fresh in his mind was an unpleasant one.

According to Taylor, a little over a year ago he filed an official grievance charging that Rooney exhibited violence, shoving another administrator, while he was, ironically, vice principal in charge of discipline at the sometimes troubled Fremont campus.

“They had their warnings,” Taylor tells the Weekly. “There’s no reason why [district administrators] could claim that they didn’t know what was going on — except incompetence. They knew what was going on, they just passed him on anyway. ... Somebody had to call up and say, ‘Put this guy back in a position’” that resulted in his transfer to unsuspecting Markham.

Media accounts have reported that Rooney was investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department for statutory rape at Fremont before being arrested on March 4 for allegedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl who attended Markham.

But according to Taylor, Rooney had well-known anger-management issues at Fremont. Taylor’s allegations dispute Brewer’s premise that district administrators did not realize they had a problem on their hands when they moved Rooney to Markham. In fact, school-district policy calls for a standard of internal investigation that is far more strict than LAPD’s threshold of criminal wrongdoing.

In 2007, as a vice principal in charge of discipline at Fremont, Rooney was investigated by police for alleged statutory rape of a 17-year-old former student and was arrested for allegedly pulling a gun on that teenager’s stepfather. Rooney was removed from his post while the case was investigated, and no charges were filed. He was then transferred to Markham.

But according to Taylor, the teachers union had also filed an official grievance against Rooney after he allegedly pushed a Fremont dean during an argument. Marla Eby, director of communications at UTLA, confirms that a grievance was filed, but won’t discuss details.

“IN ALL MY YEARS OF TEACHING, I’ve never heard of an administrator pushing a teacher,” says Taylor, an outspoken union activist who has taught in South-Central for more than 20 years. “You have somebody who obviously had problems with two previous schools, gun problems, problems with female students, at Fremont — anger issues — and they just pass him on to another school!,” says Taylor, who represents UTLA at Fremont. Both the school district’s legal counsel and its communications office refused to comment.

Taylor contends, “When [Rooney] was an assistant principal at Fremont, more than a few teachers came to me and said, ‘I had an argument with Rooney and he was really aggressive and lost his temper.’” Taylor says he notified Fremont’s principal.

Taylor says Rooney had a particularly challenging job as vice principal of discipline at a campus of about 4,500 students, adding that students there are unfairly stereotyped, and that many teenagers are “desperate to learn ... wonderful, wonderful kids [who] see school as a sanctuary.” But Rooney dealt with the underside of that world: teenagers who got into fights, got caught with guns or were linked to drug dealing or felonies on campus.

It was Rooney’s job to coordinate deans, security personnel and the district’s own police force to make sure the school was safe. So, according to Taylor, when teachers brought Rooney’s anger problems to his attention, Taylor informed Principal Larry Higgins, hoping that help would be made available to Rooney. Taylor says that Rooney did not improve, and he does not know if Higgins intervened. (Higgins declined to comment.)

“Before he was transferred to Markham, someone should have looked at that file,” states Taylor, who holds responsible the local superintendent of District 7, Carol Truscott, who oversees both Markham Middle School and Fremont High School. Truscott’soffice would not comment.

Taylor says Rooney’s arrest at Fremont in 2007 occurred on a street next to the high school where Rooney had parked his car — and that it was carried out in view of students. A second Fremont employee confirmed that students saw Rooney arrested and gossiped about the widely-known arrest incident.

Taylor also says students told him they saw police remove a gun from Rooney’s car, and Taylor passed the students’ comments to Higgins. Says Taylor: “My inquiry was: Was [Steven Rooney] walking around Fremont with this gun?” But, Taylor claims, “I could never get an answer.”

Taylor was concerned enough about the alleged discovery of a gun in Rooney’s car that he spoke to an elected member of the LAUSD Board of Education. Taylor was perplexed, later on, “when I heard that [Rooney] went back to being an assistant principal [at Markham]. I thought, ‘They didn’t find anything there.’” Now, Taylor says in disbelief, “How could they not know?”

Reach the writer at tibbyrothman@gmail.com.

* LA Weekly Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly spelled Mat Taylor's name as Matt Taylor. Also, an earlier headline of the story referred to Steven Rooney as vice principal. He was in fact an assistant principal.

 

COMMENTS FROM LA WEEKLY WEBSITE:

1. Its incidents like this that give school districts a black eye. Afraid of litigation for unlawful termination, they let people like Taylor manipulate the system to protect their benefits and job security while keeping them in a prime spot for preying on their victims.

   Comment by Kim on Mar 28th, 2008, 08:39 am

2. This is poor reporting. Mr. Rooney was not investigated for statutory rape. He was investigated because the stepfather of a student for accused pulling a gun during an argument. During the investigation it was alleged that Mr. Rooney had a year-long affair with a student, which would have made her 17 at the time. There was no evidence of assault with a deadly weapon, only an accusation. The former student did not cooperate. If Mr. Rooney protected himself with a gun, he was not in the wrong, but its just as likely that the charge was made up in revenge against Mr. Rooney. The hearsay and rumors would have been enough of a reason to transfer him, even if he is innocent. Once transferred, Mr. Rooney would have been vulnerable to rumors based on his history form the other school, and would have been easy to set up for a false accusation by students with axes to grind against him because of the disciplinarian nature of his position.
   Ms. Rothman did not disclose that people who did not talk to her are not allowed to talk to her (this is where an unidentified source if appropriate to quote), and basically printed Mr. Taylor's account and opinions. For all you know, Mr. Taylor had an axe to grind because he didn't like Mr. Rooney's aggressive attitude, and did not win discussions or arguments because of his own passive nature. Rooney may indeed be guilty of molesting the Markham student (and kidnapping if anyone can prove they saw her go to his apartment), but you have presented no facts or evidence supporting any claim of statutory rape or molestation. You presented one point of view, and left out the reasons why the other sources and school authorities you contacted would not comment. You are basically greasing the path to prison — at least for your readers — for an untried, unconvicted man. And the Weekly dares to publish criticism of the Times? For shame. Another sacrificial white male gets the treatment

   Comment by LA Weekly Reader on Mar 31st, 2008, 09:08 am

3. I worked with this racist bigot and he had the nerve to make false allegations against me while we worked together at Foshay. Iam more than elated to see the tables turn on "looney Rooney"

   Comment by spin on May 14th, 2008, 23:54 pm

4. I represent three of the minors allegedly molested by Asst Principal Steven Rooney. If you have any information concerning this case and/or Rooney's transfer to Markham Middle School after LAUSD learned of the accusations, please contact me. The information you provide may be helpful to the prosecution of the minors' case. Thank you. Ricardo Antonio Perez, Esq. 626-353-9734

   Comment by Ricardo Antonio Perez, Esq. on May 29th, 2008, 22:11 pm

5. this man makes me sick of the things he has done.

   Comment by juan alvarado on Jun 23rd, 2008, 11:15 am