Enemies List Claims
Fleming and CUSD Officials Sued Over Illegal “Enemies Lists” and Sending “Moles” Into Private Homes
Jan 08, 2008
• District Officials Illegally Accessed Confidential Records on Multiple Occasions
• Action Seeks to Hold Wrongdoers Accountable and to “Send Message” to Future Leaders
• Plaintiffs Pledge to Return Net Proceeds to Cash-Strapped School District
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. Today, members of the CUSD Recall Committee – and their children – filed a legal action in Orange County Superior Court against Capistrano Unified School District’s recently indicted former superintendent James Fleming, recently indicted assistant superintendent Susan McGill, and each of the seven elected “old guard” trustees who for years worked with Fleming.
The legal action seeks to hold the defendants accountable for their unlawful actions that violated the plaintiff’s civil rights and right to privacy, including actions related to the creation and use of illegal “enemies lists” and sending moles into private homes to spy on their political enemies.
See copy of Complaint and Press Release. Read More...
Comments
Capo Unified won't pay legal fees of ex-superintendent
Aug 14, 2007
James Fleming has been indicted for allegedly
creating enemies lists to thwart a
recall.
By David Haldane, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
The Board of Trustees of
the Capistrano Unified School District voted
unanimously Monday not to consider a request by
former Supt. James Fleming to pay his legal fees
stemming from an indictment for allegedly
creating enemies lists to thwart a
recall. Read
More...
By David Haldane, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
The Report’s In: Now What?
Jan 11, 2007
Some will undoubtedly claim the findings of retired Judge Stuart Waldrip’s investigation into Capistrano Unified vindicate the district’s leaders.
After all, he finds the only one who might have committed any crime is spokesman turned whistle-blower David Smollar, and all the former superintendent and trustees are guilty of is bad judgment. To me, that’s a stinging indictment. I tend to count on my elected leaders for good judgment, taking it for granted they won’t break any laws. Read More...
CUSD recall mailer
Oct 24, 2006
After the Capistrano Unified School District recall scandal, which drove imperial Superintendent Jim Fleming from his post after it was revealed that the district maintained an enemies' list of parents supporting the board recall, it will be interesting to see how the board elections go on Nov. 7. Here is a mailer from the reform slate.
Posted at 09:50 AM Read More...
Superintendent Fleming’s Real Legacy
Aug 14, 2006
CUSD Recall Committee Demands Fleming Be Removed
Immediately
Rancho
Santa Margarita, CA. CUSD Superintendent
James Fleming has “resigned” in disgrace. “This
moves us one step closer to restoring honesty,
integrity and accountability into our public
school system,” said Thomas Russell,
spokesperson for the CUSD Recall Committee.
A. Immediate Disciplinary Action Must Be Taken.
Very serious allegations involving criminal activity have been leveled against Fleming (and possibly the Trustees). An overwhelming amount
of evidence supporting these allegations has been made public. Given these facts, we believe Fleming cannot be allowed to serve another day as the Superintendent of the Capistrano Unified School District. Read More...
A. Immediate Disciplinary Action Must Be Taken.
Very serious allegations involving criminal activity have been leveled against Fleming (and possibly the Trustees). An overwhelming amount
of evidence supporting these allegations has been made public. Given these facts, we believe Fleming cannot be allowed to serve another day as the Superintendent of the Capistrano Unified School District. Read More...
Good riddance to Fleming
Jul 24, 2006
Capistrano Unified Superintendent James Fleming epitomized the arrogance that comes with excessive power. He stepped down after the Register reported that the district had compiled an enemies list of those who supported a school board recall. Fleming denied such a thing, then later admitted that he had a list, but claimed -- one of the most unbelievable claims I've heard in a long time -- that he compiled the data on parents and their children out of concern that they might be hacking into district computers. Talk about paranoia and deception. Read More...
Superintendent Fleming “Resigns” In Disgrace
Jul 19, 2006
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. CUSD Superintendent James Fleming has “resigned” in disgrace. “This moves us one step closer to restoring honesty, integrity and accountability into our public school system,” said Thomas Russell, spokesperson for the CUSD Recall Committee.
In announcing his resignation, Fleming posted three self-serving, self-aggrandizing and misleading statements on the CUSD official website. In summary, those statements provided: Read More...
Outside investigations in order for CUSD, registrar
Jul 12, 2006
An enemies list at Capistrano Unified
Jul 11, 2006
School district’s Orwellian monitoring of
recall-supporting parents is no small
matter
Editorial, The Orange County
Register The Register reported
on Monday that the Capistrano Unified School
District “kept lists of 150 families who supported
last year’s board recall campaign, detailing such
personal information as where their children went
to school.”
This is a chilling abuse of power that should be thoroughly investigated by the county district attorney. One parent, appropriately enough, called the behavior “Nixonish.” Read More...
This is a chilling abuse of power that should be thoroughly investigated by the county district attorney. One parent, appropriately enough, called the behavior “Nixonish.” Read More...
Fleming should be fired; victims should find good civil rights attorney
Jul 10, 2006
The Register's front-page article today details an outrageous abuse of power that should result in a DA investigation, civil rights lawsuits against the Capistrano Unified School District and the firing of its arrogant superintendent James Fleming.
Read "School district kept tabs on parents."
Posted at 10:32 AM
Read More...
OC Register Plans Story About CUSD "Enemies List"
Jul 07, 2006
CUSD Recall Committee Urges OC Register Not To
Publish Names
San Juan Capistrano, CA. The CUSD Recall Committee has learned that Sam Miller and the Orange County Register plan to publish a story about a database that was kept by someone in the Capistrano Unified School District. The database includes the names, email addresses and some other personal information for people who early on were associated with the recall -- in particular, people who were on the recall group's electronic mailing list.
Read More...
San Juan Capistrano, CA. The CUSD Recall Committee has learned that Sam Miller and the Orange County Register plan to publish a story about a database that was kept by someone in the Capistrano Unified School District. The database includes the names, email addresses and some other personal information for people who early on were associated with the recall -- in particular, people who were on the recall group's electronic mailing list.
Read More...
Waldrip report revealed two enemies lists
Jan 07, 2006
Volzke is the publisher of the Capistrano Dispatch.