The shit for the Lunch Teacher just got real. Yesterday, her 3020a hearing started and it got off to a very inauspicious start for the NYCDOE.

No just to update the Lunch Teacher is facing charges because she took her students to lunch at the proper time during testing in April of 2019 (You can read all past posts about the Lunch Teacher here.).

Before the hearing even began, the NYCDOE was desperate. They were in a "Oops, it seems like we really fucked up here," mode and were desperate. An offer was made.

Ready?

The offer was a fine of $5k, no mention of her 3020a in the federal lawsuit (there are other torts besides the 3020a) and enter the world of the ATR's.

Her response she gave to her lawyer?

"Tell them to fuck themselves!" 

The Crack Team has since learned that her lawyer relayed her request using language in a New York State Bar Association approved manner.

The first witness to be heard was a supervisor from the Office of Special Investigation. Why was it a supervisor from OSI and not the investigator himself? Good question. The reason is the investigator is no longer employed by the DOE and, stranger, is he is nowhere to be found. For all intents and purposes he has dropped off the face of the Earth.

Now, he might be in hiding. Seems that said investigator left something pertinent out of his report. When he interviewed the Lunch Teacher, she had told him she was bringing her students to lunch. He left this out.

The Lunch Teacher did not like this. When she found out she filed a report with SCI. The Lunch Teacher doesn't like to be screwed with.

The OSI supervisor couldn't testify regarding the case. All he was able to do was look like a putz and explain the procedure of an investigation. Ooooooh!! Her attorney, reportedly channeled Al Pacino's role in "...And Justice for All," and stood up for her by shouting, "This impedes her due process!" 

Obviously, the NYCDOE got caught with it's knickers down. There was a time out in the hearing while the both sides went to their separate corners.

The Lunch Teacher's lawyer inquired what would how much of a fine would be OK with her. "Not for one fucking dollar," was her reply. 

Round two is this coming Monday. Principal Palpatine and her two Sith apprentices are expected to testify.

How fucked up is this? Why would  the NYCDOE lawyers approve such a frivolous case? There was nothing done here by the Lunch Teacher that warrants the waste of thousands of dollars by the DOE for something that could have been handled at the school level. If there was such an appalling breech of testing protocol why not bring the state into the matter? Principal Palpatine surely has a rabbi within the NYCDOE.

Know what is even worse. The silence coming from 52 Broadway. Here's a question. Is Uncle Mike Mulgrew made aware of each and every 3020a hearing happening? He should be. We pay his salary. I bet Pat Lynch is aware of every cop involved in a departmental trial. Shouldn't the taxpayers hear from our UFT president how the NYCDOE is literally wasting away millions are bullshit frivolous teacher discipline "hearings" Kangaroo Courts?

This does not happen anywhere else than New York City. Not upstate, not Westchester, not Long Island! Only here. It happens time after time after time because the NYCDOE has enablers.

If I was a NYC student, I could do without passes off for food in the cafeterias. However, I myself, have always had two favorite NYCDOE lunches. One, those fish cakes with the cheese under the breading (which I have not seen for a long time) and the pizza. But what do I know? I think the $1.40 pizza at 7-11 and the $1.25 at Kennedy Fried Chicken are good. Oh and I just remembered. Those onion rings are darn good.

I certainly would not like to be tested up the ying yang if I was a NYC student. With my attention span I couldn't deal with it.

But what is a teacher to do when testing comes into conflict with lunch?

The Crack Team has learned that a teacher (tenured with 20 years in the system) in the Bronx had to make a command decision and now she might pay for it with her job.

Yes, I know. You are shaking your had are facepalming right now. I agree. This shit can't be made up.

Before I go on, remember, all tests (ELA and Math) are untimed.

Day 1 of the test. The entire class except one student is finished as lunch time approaches. The students must be brought down to have their federally mandated lunch. Mind you; these are students that this might be their only meal of the day, at the very least their only hot meal of the day.

It is time to go to lunch. Sadly, one student is not finished. Worse, this student is probably feeling the pressure to cram as much as one could into very little time left to complete the exam. Chances are the student knows that there will be time after lunch to finish up. But in the mind of a student under this much pressure they are unable to think clearly.

The teacher tells the student it is time to go to the federally mandated lunch. The student does not stop nor is the test turned over to the teacher. The teacher then gently takes the test off the student's desk and secures the tests with the others.

To make a long story short the teacher is now facing three 3020-a charges. Conduct unbecoming, conduct prejudicial to the good order, and being unfit. Better yet, when we return on February 25 at the end of business the teacher will be suspended with pay. How will this effect the teacher's current students getting ready for the upcoming state exams? No one at the DOE truly gives a fuck.

The teacher already has a letter to the file for this. Got it last month. The OSI investigation began in April 2018 only to be concluded in January 2019.

Here is the damned if you do damned if you don't scenario: what if the teacher let the student finish and miss lunch? What do you think would have happened? Yeah, you are right.

What were the protocols for dealing with lunch during the test? What were the protocols for students that were not done before lunch? Were students that were not finished to have lunch alone, with other students that had not yet finished or did it matter that nothing would be done? Why at the very least could this not be dealt with a simple counseling memo. Shit, even the letter to the file would suffice which in turn could have saved taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars.

I really wish this story could be made up. It's not a dream. It's not a nightmare. It's real fucking life day in and day out at the NYCDOE.

Wonder why ATRs won't go that extra mile or try with all their heart to stay under the radar?

Read on.

An ATR in Queens, and is currently assigned to a middle school, that has had the proverbial DOE bus driven over her several times and suffers from PTSD was given the dreaded white envelope one day in January. It wasn't an envelope filled with fifty dollar bills but rather the "48 hour notice" meeting and to bring along a union rep.

For the next 48 hours, the ATR spent most of the day, both at home and in school, barfing her brains due to the effects of the PTSD and the 48 hours of not knowing what the hell was going on.

The ATR did have the presence of mind to bypass the school's chapter leader and turned instead to her district leader (we here at SBSB highly recommend this route for ATRs unless you have a real all-star as a chapter leader) to represent her in the meeting with the AP.

The day of the meeting came. This is what she was accused of...

Early in January a student meandered into her class along with the proverbial chip on her shoulder happened to be in a feisty mood that period. It so happens that this young lady was looking for an argument and who better to start it with than this ATR who was covering a class.

When the ATR refused to take the bait this student went to plan B. This student then called her a "racist bitch," "you're not my teacher," and the usual early teen anger that spews forth from an early teens mouth

Still, the ATR retained her poise and composure as if she had learned at the footsteps of Emily Post.

The student, ever so frustrated took her anger to the dean and claimed that the ATR purposely hit her in the face with a textbook. This is what precipitated the meeting with the ATR and her AP.

What the ATR did was place four textbooks at the middle of each table for the students to distribute to themselves. At no time were any textbooks or students in danger.

Of the 30 kids in the class, nine wrote statements and only two corroborated what the student claimed. The student and her best friend.

Praise be to some higher deity (be it God or Mulgrew) that this ATR didn't suck down a bottle of Xanax with a glass of vodka or that the students of her class had her back.

Were there any consequences befallen upon this student for taking her tongue and telling a lie? Of course not. Even if the AP or principal wished to there is nothing in the NYCDOE discipline code saying lying and being dishonest is wrong. And just as an aside, nowhere does it say that admins that lie are doing bad. Only teachers. Go figure.

What to do? The Crack Team suggests that this teacher and any and all teachers in the future that are falsely accused by a student is to take them to court. Hire Bryan Glass and sue the parents.Hell, represent yourself if you don't want to hire Bryan. Let the parents pay for their own lawyers or if they fail to show you get a summary judgement.

But thanks to the last 15 years of hatred of teachers in the media, of politicians, and nationwide, students have learned that teachers make inviting targets.

One more thing, OSI and the AP know before hand that the kid is full of shit, Yet they let it drag on. Name them in the lawsuit as well.

A few weeks ago I touched on, and broke down the idiocy, of Chalkbeat's latest ATR missive. In the last few days,  Chalkbeat again showed it's cluelessness as well as the DOE's official mouth piece, the NY Post. The New York Times also chimed in, but it was a little less shrill.

All of these articles came out within the last 3-4 days and I so much wished to comment on them, to break the down the BS and expose the truth. But in a way, it'll be beating a dead horse. There must have been some way I can shed light on the truth without just rehashing the reality yet again.

Arthur Goldstein today helped me unlock what I been wanting to write about for some time but never found a proper segue to put fingers to keypad and share.

Arthur wrote...

It's important to note that any teacher can be brought up on charges at any time, and that even if the charges are nonsense it's likely some minor one will be sustained. Maybe you used your phone in the school, or did something equally inconsequential. That's enough to fine you a few thousand bucks and place you into the ATR. Then you're doomed, if the Post gets its way.

This is every ATR's nightmare. Yes, other teachers have this nightmare as well, but with an ATR it is especially magnified. One thing, one mistake, one act taken out of context can at worst, have charges brought against you or at best, a letter to your file in which no matter how trivial and how much great work you do the rest of the year will bring you a U rating.

This past December, my 3rd day in my assigned school, I was bringing a 5th grade class upstairs from lunch. I had never had this class before. They had no clue who I was. There was one young man you was quite attention seeking and was quite boisterous the walk up four flights of stairs.

When we got to the class I lined the students up and asked for quiet until I would send them in. Most of the class complied as I sent them in four at a time. In the meantime this student, and for the sake of keeping his anonymity will henceforth be known of Shlomo Epstein was getting more and more obnoxious.

With him and three other students the last ones to be asked to go in the classroom not only was his obnoxious level rising, but his obnoxiousness was rubbing off on the other students. Their teacher was in the classroom and she heard and saw of my issues yet did not lift a finger to help. It was her prep. A MADE UP PREP. I was on my own.

I asked Shlomo to step off the line. I walked up to him, whispered in his ear and stepped back. I was about 12-18 inches from him when he finally complied and walked to the other side of the hall. As he walked by me he tripped over his own feet, on purpose, and then threw himself into the wall. He turned around and screamed, "WHY DID YOU THROW ME INTO THE WALL????"

Then the teacher got involved. She asked one of the students if he had seen anything and he feigned ignorance. Great. 

My heart stopped. I knew it was BS and so did he. But, and I heard this later, his mother is a para for the DOE and she sees no wrong in Shlomo. And, I heard from other teachers that he has pulled this fake thrown into the wall act in the past.

At the end of the day the AP wanted me to give a statement. Just the facts. I wanted a UFT rep there with me. Not the one in the school (She was way, way too inexperienced) but I got hold of the Bronx UFT and was told that for a statement I did not need a rep. But I did it anyway.

The AP appeared sympathetic to me, but that could have been a ruse. It seemed that the adminstration was more concerned with mom and wished to share with her what had happened when she came to pick Shlomo up.

I immediately reached out to my District 7 rep and he assured me that when and if I met with the principal he will be there to rep me.

Days went by, I hated the wait. It was about 3 weeks until I got the notice to meat with the principal. At least it seemed that OSI bounced it back to the school. But I was still nervous.

When we met with the principal I signed the waiver to be able to read the statements of the other students. There were 11 statement and every single statement except one exonerated me of throwing Shlomo into the wall. Shlomo's statement was the only one still insisting that I had.

I was fortunate. My DR knew what to do and how to handle the situation. I doubt at anytime the school's CL could've done the same. I got no letter, no nothing. The principal was quite fair to me and treated me with dignity.

I am sharing this for a few reasons. One is how quick something so inane, so baseless can ruin a teacher's career in an instant. Second, that being an ATR, especially when you first arrive at a school you are basically an island onto yourself. You have ZERO support. Nothing, nada, bupkus. You are on your own. At this school there were a few teachers I knew from over the years and this helped. But too many ATR's are left alone and vulnerable in their schools and worse they are ignored and/or chastised.

One more thing. If you go into a discipline meeting, unless you have a strong Chapter Leader, whatever you do go into any discipline meeting with you DL.

Think about this. You need a criminal defense attorney. The best ones out there seem to be those that previously had worked in a district attorney's office. You have a tax problem you find someone who worked at the IRS. Need a security consultant you go with an ex-cop. Makes sense, huh?

So if you're investigated by OSI wouldn't it be best to have someone who was a former OSI investigator who can help you with the ins and outs of dealing with OSI?

It might be a dream too good to be true.

The other day a comment was left on this blog post directing readers to the Facebook page (I deleted the link. You will see why in just a bit) of former OSI investigator Iuliana Celik.

Celik left this on teachers.net...

I am a former OSI Investigator and Supervisor, former
Hearing representative and former law enforcement investigator with over
10 years of investigative experience.
I provide consulting services to teachers, guidance counseled, principals
and other NYC school staff who are or believe they are being investigated
by OSI. I bring a wealth of inside expertise and techniques that can help
you successfully navigate your case with OSI.
Do not hesitate to contact me should you need my services and check out
my page for more useful information!

WOW! I thought to myself. This must be really great. Finally, teachers can get int of the brains of OSI.

I immediately called Chaz the Blogger to share this with him and see what he thought.

He was quite skeptical. Chaz thought that even with all that knowledge to share how do you get around the fact that if you are on principal's good side the investigation goes nowhere and you aren't you are screwed. I tried bringing up the fact that according to Celik's OSI Consultation Facebook page she can be an expert witness in your 3020-a hearings and help your defense as well.

I kinda had blinders on but Chaz was making sense. I guess a little voice in my head was saying the same thing since even before I had called Chaz I was planning on calling Celik to find out more before I would post about her service.

I told Chaz I was going to give her a call and Chaz said one important thing. He told me to ask her how to get around that principal thing. If she had plausible  answer to that he would be more receptive to finding out more.

I called Celik. She answered the phone. I said, "Hi I am Peter Zucker. The reason I am calling is that you left a link in the comments section of a post on my blog, South Bronx School."

She replied, "Yes."

I told her that I wanted to find out more about the services she was offering so that when I share her info on these pages so my writing can be better informed.

Her response, and are you ready for this???

"I only speak to paid clients."

Say what? You are starting a brand new consultative business and you want to be silent? You don't want to get the word out?  She can't be shy. Heck, she has photos of herself all over her Facebook page. I decided to try a different tact.

I told her that I was planning to write about her services and this would be a great way to get clients. I told her teachers should be knocking down her door.

At this point she told me she no long wishes to discuss this and at this point hung up.

Something smells rotten.

After consultation with The Crack Team we here at SBSB are suggesting to all teachers and educators within the NYCDOE to NOT HAVE ANY DEALINGS AT ALL WITH FORMER OSI INVESTIGATOR IULIANA CELIK UNTIL SHE IS WILLING TO BE MORE FORTHCOMING!

Think about this. How can someone, someone that is just starting a business not want to get word out to the very constituency it wants to cultivate? This is why I am writing this post, not because I am feel I was slighted but rather at the strangeness and evasiveness of Celik's responses which totally go against the grain.

But upon further investigation by The Crack Team there were other red flags found. Like here, where Celik is advertising to be a dog walker and this misleading line...

I am an animal lover who has left a high paying law career to start a dog walking and pet sitting business in Westchester.

We here at SBSB did not know that being an OSI investigator was such a high paying career and by "law career" it might make one seem that Celik was an attorney. The Crack Team just to be sure searched and found nothing.

I want to believe that Celik's venture is a noble one. I want to believe that Celik saw the light and having knowledge of the damage that OSI has done had decided to use her powers for good and not evil.

On these pages I have touted the fine legal work of Bryan Glass. There have been readers that have reached out to him. Heck, Portelos has done the same regarding Bryan on his many forums and many readers have reached out to Bryan as well. If there is someone out there who is on the side of teachers positive word of mouth spreads fast. Using Bryan Glass as an example, look at him. He is like Ringo in A Hard Day's Night. Being chased everywhere for his services.

Iuliana, or is it Julie, if you want to do this than you need to be more forthcoming, more transparent. Too many teachers have been burned by too many promising the moon.

If teacher's are going to spend money on the services of Ms Cerlik than teachers have a right to know more. Simple as that.

This story comes from the files of "you can't make this shit up!"

The SBSB news team has learned of one of the most heinous stories of Rubber Room skullduggery ever!

A gym teacher who is currently time in the RR for, are you ready for this? Having the students in gym doing yoga.

I'll wait while you compose yourself from either laughing, crying, or just frozen in wonderment.

OK, got yourself composed?

A young gym teacher (What a shock, someone not over 40 is in the RR) was doing yoga with his class (At press time we do not know the grade of this class). Yoga has many advantages, what can be the harm of yoga? Isn't this great this gym teacher introducing such a wonderful art, exercise of the mind and body to the students of the Bronx?

Even better the teacher having a student in a wheelchair saw to it that the student would not be left out. He adapted, he differentiated, the lesson so the the student in the wheelchair could do upper body exercises so not to be left out.

At the end of the period the teacher decided to entertain the students by performing a hand stand. That, pardon the pun, was his downfall.

Apparently the principal felt that the student in the wheel chair felt bad he couldn't do a handstand and got charges 3020a charges filed against the teacher and off he was shipped to Fordham Plaza.

But it gets weirder.

The teacher, who is not assigned any work to do at Fordham Plaza other than to sit in the cafeteria, decided to make the most of his doing nothing. He resorted to doing some yoga breathing exercises. Sadly this irked someone, OSI was called in, and a letter was put in his file.

It is getting crazy out there. In fact The Crack Team is starting to miss the Bloomberg/Klein days.

But worse, where is the UFT in all this? Where is the UFT in the constant abuse of teachers?

Nowhere, but doing everything to keep those in power at 52 Broadway in power.

Back on September 4, these pages reported on how the fake cops at OSI came to serve some papers on fellow Rubber Room prisoner Colonel Hogan.


The story is that back in the Spring, Colonel Hogan was covering the SAVE Room for one period. In the room that day was a 3rd grade girl and a 7th grade boy (The school is a K-8 school).

The 3rd grade girl claimed that during Colonel Hogan's time covering that day the 7th grade boy walked over to her and whipped out his schlong. Soon after that Colonel Hogan was removed for parts other than the school.

The notice he got was to come down to OSI and speak with them. Colonel Hogan dutifully went along with a rep from the Bronx UFT. The complaint was that he had witnessed the whipping out of said schlong and did nothing st the time nor did he report it. Tito denied ever seeing it happen and since he never saw what happened he can't report what he didn't see.

He was shown the statement by the little girl, but there was no statement from the 7th grade boy.

The OSI meeting ended and several weeks passed. His principal sent him notice to request a meeting with him and a UFT representative to be held within the walls of the Rubber Room.

The meeting came, he again denied ever being aware of any such incident and that it would be extremely difficult to report what he did not see.

The meeting ended and he went back to gen pop and the principal went on her merry way.

Just an aside. This principal is a Leadership Academy grad. She replaced a trusted and beloved principal at her school. Since her arrival she has systematically gone after veteran teachers. Over 40 teachers have left the school either under their own volition or other indignities. A pattern persists, no? Tito is a 23 year veteran teacher on the wrong side of 50 and makes way too much money. Figure it out.

So a few days after the meeting with the principal, the HR person at the Rubber Room has something for Tito. It is a disciplinary letter to the file. But that is not all.

A week or so after that he gets hit with 3020-a charges. Yep, four specifications all related to this incident.

Among the charges are;

Lack of professional fitness.

Violation of Chancellor's Regulation A-412.

Neglect of duties

Poor judgement

Created a situation in which a student can show off his schlong

Failed to supervise the male student

Failed to supervise the female student

Yeah, someone screwed up here and it was not Colonel Hogan.  Anyone care to guess?

The principal is covering her tushy for allowing a 7th grade boy into a SAVE Room with a 3rd grade girl. Who would allow such a thing to happen? Why would it happen? The principal needs a scapegoat and she picked Tito to be the fall guy. This is a man who in my opinion could not and wold not hurt anyone. That if he saw what happened or if it truly happened he would have done all in his power to stop it and/or report it.

Why would he not report it? What advantage would he have to stay silent?

On the other hand, why is this even going to a 3020-a hearing? Is this not an incredible waste of time and money? A letter in the file is not sufficient even when it is just one person's word against another?

More curious, it seems that either OSI felt there was not enough evidence to warrant any further action or that they decided to bump it down to the principal for her to take the necessary steps. If OSI didn't feel it needed further action why then did the principal have to go past a letter in the file.

It is open season again on teachers. We are sitting ducks and there is not one person out there who care. The DOE is running scared from Campbell Brown and trying to prove her wrong.

I have been transferred.

For those that recall, last year I spent my Rubber Room time at 4360 Broadway. Worse, I was held captive alone for over 6 months until I was allowed compatriots. I shared with the readers of this blog my captivity, my friends, and how I acclimated myself to the whims of my captors.

I am now at 1230 Zerega Ave in the Bronx where there not only 3 district offices but about a gazillion networks and other support staff as well. Better, I am no longer imprisoned alone. But the more things change, the more they seem to stay the same.

There are about a dozen or so prisoners there and each and everyone one of us are above 40 years of age. Most are male as well as people of color. What does this tell you? A lot!

Today was a normal day as usual in the Rubber Room. People were counting the hairs on their arms, counting the ceiling tiles, and other assorted time wasting activities when a network HR director came into the cell block with a nerdy looking white guy no older than 27 years old.

They were both standing in the door jam when they motioned for Colonel Hogan. Tito looking confused got up out of his seat and walked towards them.

Looking at the nerdy white guy, I notice something out of place. Well, yes...besides the fact he was nerdy.

He was wearing a dress shirt and tie, but more intriguing was the stenographers note pad and pen he was carrying in his right hand. I smelled the stench of OSI (Office of Special Investigation) and bolted up from my seat.

I whisked myself out of my chair and went out into the hallway where Tito was being led away as a death row prisoner was being led to the execution chamber. My spider sense tingled.

I called out to Tito not to answer any questions from this Nerdy Guy, that he had a right to having someone represent him.

Nerdy Guy, told me several times to mind my business. I told Nerdy Guy that Colonel Hogan had a right to be represented either my a union rep or anyone else with the union. Nerdy Guy was having none of this.

He demanded to know who I am and I introduced myself. He told me his name was Eric Black, OSI operative.

Eric said that he was not going to be asking Tito any questions but again implored that I mind my own business. I again told Eric aka Nerdy Guy that Tito had rights. Besides I thought to myself, if he wasn't planning on asking him any questions, why then was he carrying that notebook and pen?

Eric aka Nerdy Guy won out and Tito went into a room alone with him. Luckily it was over in less than a minute.

All Eric aka Nerdy Guy did was hand Colonel Hogan a letter. Oh, and chastise me by pointing his notebook several times in my face and screaming, "It's your fault this became a bigger deal than it had to."

Who know what could have happened? If no one spoke up to remind Colonel Hogan of his rights or reminded Eric aka Nerdy Guy of Colonel Hogan's rights perhaps there might have been questioning and Tito could have been a witness against himself.

Worse, why would Eric aka Nerdy Guy not only not allow Colonel Hogan his full rights but feel the need to deride anyone who wishes to advocate for Tito?

Perhaps he is making up for some serious Freudian physical shortcoming and the only way he can counter that is by making himself seem like a tough guy by bullying and intimidating others.

We suggest that Eric aka Nerdy Guy treat teachers he deals with in the future with respect. If he is unable to do that The Crack Team suggests he returns his associates degree from the community college from which it was earned post haste as well as returning the magic decoder ring he got in his Cocoa Puffs to the good folks at General Mills in the same speedy fashion.

OSI Investigator Lawrence Scott

Another "Wow! moment" in the annals of the New York Post, the DOE, it's investigative process, and Uncle Mike's Reign of Terror.

The Post outed OSI investigator Lawrence Scott in not only telling Natalya Sokolson Gordon, a computer and fifth-grade teacher at PS 329 in Coney Island, that her;

 “I have the power to get rid of you just like that,” she said he told her, snapping his fingers, “or I can make everything go away.”

Nothing earth shattering really with that revelation. MYy pal and all around first-rate blogger Chaz shared how the investigative process works over 5 years ago.

But worse, even more degrading is that Investigator Lawrence Scott sent Ms. Gordon; scores of X-rated texts, a photo of his penis and explicit demands for sex

Obviously he has some serious Freudian issues here.

Soon Investigator Scott told Ms. Gordon that he "likes it dirty" and to call him when she gets the "courage."

Hey, these are not the best of pick up lines. Might we suggest a book or the old workable line, "Hey, what's your sign?"

But courage for what? It seems to The Crack Team that Investigator Scott lacks some courage in his dealings with women.

Investigator Scott also suggested, we here at SBSB hope it was done politely, that some of the sex positions he has suggested may force Ms Gordon to "scream."

To quote Humphrey Williams from the Monty Python film, "The Meaning of Life," "What's wrong with a kiss? Hmm? Why not start her off with a nice kiss?" But I guess that is not macho and controlling enough, eh?

Gordon also has filed complaints that Scott groped her breasts and put his hand between her legs during a discussion of her case in a closed-door meeting at her school.

But those meetings were recorded and worse, according to the attorney on staff here at SBSB, touching one's bits without permission is criminal.

§130.52 Forcible touching.  A person is guilty of forcible touching when such person intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose, forcibly touches the sexual or other intimate parts of another person for the purpose of degrading or abusing such person; or for the purpose of gratifying the actor’s sexual desire. For the purposes of this section, forcible touching includes squeezing, grabbing or pinching. Forcible touching is a class A misdemeanor.(Eff.11/1/03,Ch.264,L.2003)

As Betsy Combier was quoted in the Post article, "they are still making the victim a culprit" because Ms Gordon did not "report him and that she texted back."

This, is like, and I am sorry for using this analogy, but being raped twice. Once, by Investigator Scott and now a second time by Richard Condon. Condon claims that Ms Gordon did not reach out to to his office and that she apparently was a willing participant by texting back.

Investigator Scott was in a position of power, the same as a rapist. He had power not only over Ms Gordon investigation, but her career and future as well. I guarantee you that Ms Gordon was scared, depressed, anxious, confused, and intimidated. No matter how much one might say she participated by accepting and sending photos on her own volition, no matter how one slices it she was still coerced.

 What Condon and his office are making of Ms Gordon is that she is the "steamy temptress," the perpetrator in this perversion of justice and a woman by Investigator Scott.

We at SBSB are not prudish enough to look down our collective noses at sexting. But, when a person sends unwanted sexts or coerces one into sending sexts then it is a problem.

Why Investigator Scott is not facing criminal charges is beyond the pale. But three other things concern us here at SBSB.

One, are there any other victims of Investigator Scott's perverse proclivities. Second, has he made such "moves" in the past and been rebuffed, and if so, how did this play in his investigations. And lastly, what other improprieties have occurred with OSI over the years?

Oh, and we here at SBSB believe that Investigator Scott has every right to due process. Are you listening Campbell Brown?

Alex Lifeson turned 60 yesterday. Please take time to wish Alex a happy birthday in your own special way.

We've all been told never to speak with an investigator from Office of Special Investigations or Special Commissioner's Office. I suggest we take it one step further. We as teachers need to look to Alex Lifeson on how to actually comport ourselves while being interviewed by NYCDOE
investigators.

I really hope I am not coming across as beating a dead horse. If I am, I apologize, but something is really bothering me.

Right now a friend of mine is sitting in the new fangled Rubber Room accused of corporal punishment. Just one allegation. A bullshit allegation. That is all I can share presently. As of now, I can't disclose any more details.

Now here is where it might seem as if I am beating the proverbial dead horse. As many readers of my blog know I started out writing this blog in August 2008 to keep a journal as to the goings on at my school, PS 154 in the Bronx. I wrote extensively about an assistant principal at the time that I named Numb Nuts. Several months ago I shared his name, Derrick Townsend on the blog, and the fact I went on FOX 5 to out him as a serial physical abuser of students. Back in April when Chaz was being lambasted in the Daily News, I compared the hypocrisy of the DOE vis a vis teachers and administrators. Here is right I had written;

What did Derrick Towsend do? Well we need to go back to January 2007 in which I notified by immediate superior at the time, principal Cynthia Ballard of Townsend's misdeeds. Read on;

On Monday, January 22^nd, 2007 during the extended day program, I heard a commotion outside my office, Room 219, in the hallway. I stepped to the doorway of my office and saw that XXXXX was struggling with Mr Townsend. Mr Townsend appeared to be attempting to get XXXXX inside his office. Mr Townsend then took XXXXX’s right arm, and pulled it behind and up XXXXXX’s back as he was doing this; he slammed XXXXX into his closed office door with XXXXX’s face and chest bearing the brunt of the impact.

On Thursday, January 25, 2007 at approximately 12:20 PM the 3^rd grade was in the auditorium to watch a movie before they ate lunch. XXXXXX had come down with his class, and was not cooperating. XXXXXX had decided to sit in the 2^nd or 3^rd row of the far right (if facing the stage) set of seats. I was standing at the back of the auditorium, and saw Mr Townsend approach XXXXXX. I do not know what was said at first, but Mr Townsend was soon getting very animated. Mr Townsend then grabbed XXXXXX by his upper left arm, and pulled him out of his seat violently. He dragged XXXXXX up the aisle to the last row of seats, and threw XXXXXX into the aisle seat.

   On Tuesday, January 30, 2007, at approximately 12:20 the 3rd grade was in the auditorium to watch a movie before they ate lunch. XXXXXXX was talking to XXXXXX in the last row

   Of seats on the right side of the auditorium. Mr Townsend asked XXXXXX several times come sit with his class. XXXXXX refused, and Mr Townsend walked up to the last row. Mr Townsend walked down the row, grabbed XXXXXX, by his upper arm, yanked him up, and dragged XXXXX into the aisle.

WOW! So did anything happen? Before you answer, think for a moment. What would have happened if pretend Townsend was a a teacher not an AP. Yep, you are right. This was reported to OSI. OSI kicked it back to the principal, the same principal that had just hired him one month earlier, to lead the investigation. The investigation was unfounded. Why? Because in Cynthia Ballard's reports to OSI she blamed the students. Described them as troublemakers and discredited them. There was no recourse.

Flash forward to February 13, 2009. Townsend in a fit of pique because a 3rd grade girl would not follow his directions after sharing with Townsend that she was touched inappropriately by a boy, yanks her out of her seat by the arm, drags her through the classroom, down the hall, all in front of 50 students and at least several adults and leaves bruises on her arm.

The funny thing is Townsend had about 6 open corporal punishment allegations against him that year (2008-2009). One for dragging a 3rd grade boy a good fifty yards from the playground into the school whilst tearing the boys shirt in the meantime, dragging a 1st grader down the hall, punishing another boy who misbehaved at lunch by having the boy clean the cafeteria.

So a sex scandal was announced today. But to the disappointment of Joel Klein it was not a teacher, but a principal, Quintin Cedeno of the High School for Construction Trades, Engineering and Architecture in Queens. A principal that had been in the system all of eight years. Or maybe less. But just hold on, we'll get back to this in a bit because this is just almost as unsettling as what he has been accused of.

According to the Daily News, Cedeno has been accused of asking a 15 year old boy for oral sex, and had the temerity of reminding the boy that he bought him a T-Mobile side kick. But, David Pakter is brought up on misconduct for buying watches for students doing well. Perhaps if the DOE were even handed in who it chooses to screw with, this 15 year old boy never would have been propositioned. Cedeno also sent 100 text messages intimidating the young man. Again, if the wheels of justice were equal, this could have been avoided. Now this poor 15 year old boy has to have a memory of a fat fuck wanting to be blown.

Cedeno has also been accused of touching other students privates and in one instance told a student that he was "only joking." Yeah, sure. He also claimed that any references he made to genitals were done "in jest." Schmuck. Perhaps he used this classic genitalia joke as a proper segueway; My genitals are so mammoth in size, that if inches were words, my member could fill every page of one of Ayn Rand's epic Objectivist tomes!

But what is disturbing is how fast he seemed to go up the DOE ladder. Mr Cedeno is only 33 years old. According to insideschools.org, Mr Cedeno taught at the LaSalle Academy, a selective Roman Catholic school on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, as well as East New York Transit Tech, a vocational program in Brooklyn. He was assistant principal of Automotive High School in Brooklyn. The Daily News also had him at one time teaching math in 2003. I am assuming it was at Transit Tech. So at the very most he has in the DOE is eight years. So how, why, did he move up the ladder so quickly? Is he a product of the Leadership Academy? Did he have genital show and tell with Joel Klein?

But what is disturbing is something the SBSB team found on ratemyteachers.com. A student gave an opinion of Quintin Cedeno while still at Transit Tech on January 9, 2004; "he gets a little to close to the little ones :-0" And the DOE, OSI, SCI, KLEIN never picked up on this?

So Klein and Bloomy like to paint with a broad brush all teachers are perverts, or most are, that are in the Rubber Rooms. So does the media. So why not start using that same brush now on principals, and assistant principals? Tweed still has Mychael Willon on its payroll. Why?

Klein, your slip is starting to show.

Calling OSI is a waste in regards to Numb Nuts continuing habit of assaulting students. I refuse to call it corporal punishment. It is assault. The report will get lost in the labyrinth of OSI.

Call 911. Simple as that. The next time you see a student assaulted or a student reports to a teacher of assault by Numb Nuts call 911. Let NYPD deal with this. Don't think for a moment that the administration will protect you and not call NYPD if the situation ever arises. By having NYPD involved, the parent will be called and best, there will not be the Nixonian cover-up.

I am retracting this post as I had promised. In fact if you had clicked on the link you will have not gotten a thing. The post I am referring to is the one in which parents of a student were pressured into signing a waiver absolving Numb Nuts of any corporal punishment on their son. But, and this is a big but, this does not mean that something un-pareve happened. For you goyem, pareve is Yiddish for kosher.

The young man in question was summoned to the office of the infallible Numb Nuts last Thursday. Numb Nuts instructed the boy to write a statement concerning the corporal punishment allegation. See something a bit amiss here? Numb Nuts was taking part, if not leading the investigation, into charges of corporal punishment levied against him. Is this proper protocol? Does this mean now that any teacher can lead the investigation if they have charges? Is this proper NYCDOE protocol for corporal punishment?

The young man did what he was asked. Or told. He wrote it up at home that night. But perhaps there was a kink in the plans. His parents came in the next day. So did OSI investigators. But from what I have been told it was several hours apart. Now that I think about it and writing this out I still smell a rat, a very stinky rat.

So on that matter I am not retracting the post. Nor am I apologizing. Something is rotten. Is there a cover-up? I don't know, but you know the old saying, "if it walks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck, if it swims like a duck, it must be a duck."

But remember kiddies, what was it Richard Nixon said in 1977?

I just heard something fascinating this evening. It occurred today at my school in which learning and children always come first.

If we can just travel back in time January 5 when I wrote that I had filed an allegation of corporal punishment against the dear assistant principal, Numb Nuts. To refresh those who did not click on the link, Numb Nuts grabbed a boy's arm, pulled him, and when the mother came in to complain directly to him, exalted, "I don't see any marks." Today it came to a head.

Before I continue I must stress my sources are reliable, and I got this information from three different people. If I am wrong, or my sources wrong I will immediately retract and issue an apology.

Investigators from OSI(Office of Special Investigations) came into the school today to meet with the boys parents, and principal John Deacon. I do not know if Numb Nuts was there. In this meeting the investigators pressured and cajoled the boys parents to sign a waiver that Numb Nuts did not inflict corporal punishment. That he was in fact breaking up a fight. They told the parents that if they did not sign the waiver that Numb Nuts would be in danger of losing his job.

If Numb Nuts was breaking up a fight, fine. But the brain dead administrator that he is should know, since he is as he claims an expert at discipline, how to break up a fight. Simple. Just get your body between the two students, keep your arms out to block them and you should be fine. Honestly though, you should call school safety.

But here is what rubs me the wrong way. Was there a true investigation? If these charges were unfounded fine. But why not let the process play out? If it was no big deal why did the parents get such a snarky answer from Numb Nuts? But the bigger question is: will teachers in my school now be afforded the same courtesy from OSI when accused of corporal punishment? Hey we can all lose our jobs if we commit corporal punishment. Will OSI investigators go out of their way to protect teachers jobs into having any and all parents sign a waiver?

Is this a cover-up?