Custodian settles suit alleging wrongful firing by charter school group

By City News Service

Aformer custodian who sued a charter school management organization, alleging he was sexually harassed by his boss and ordered to perform personal tasks for her, has reached a settlement in his case.

Virgil Patterson's Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit against the Inner City Education Foundation and his ex-supervisor, Debra PriceMadere, included allegations of wrongful termination, retaliation, sexual harassment, gender violence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and various civil rights and state Labor Code violations.

Patterson's attorneys filed court papers on Monday with Judge Stephanie M. Bowick stating that the case was resolved, but no terms were divulged. The judge canceled the July 16 scheduled trial date in the wake of the settlement.

ICEF operates seven charter schools and was one of the first charter school management organizations in Los Angeles. In their court papers, ICEF attorneys denied Patterson's allegations and said that any damages he may have suffered were the results of his own conduct.

According to the suit, Patterson worked at View Park Middle School and was hired by ICEF in June 2012 as a custodian. He alleged he was told to do other tasks beyond janitorial work, including construction and demolition of ICEF property, rodent extermination and mold remediation, even though he had no training in those areas.

Patterson was not given any personal protective equipment, became sick and went on medical leave, the suit filed in December 2021 stated.

In addition, Price-Madere ordered Patterson to pick up her dry cleaning, run errands for her, set rat traps for her, pick up items from her home and move furniture at her home, according to the suit. She additionally directed Patterson to deliver money to her daughter and assist her son with his car engine problems, the suit stated.

Patterson also was sexually harassed by PriceMadere, who allegedly said she had sexual dreams about him, and he was not paid for any of the additional tasks he performed beyond custodial work, the suit alleges.

Even though Patterson does not have a teaching credential, he was told to instruct middle school students in a gang intervention class as a condition of his employment, the suit alleged.

Other non-custodial duties Patterson was told to perform included attending parent/student conferences, speaking to parents as a liaison between staff and parents, mentoring and counseling troubled students, breaking up student fights and performing security at basketball and football games, according to the suit.

SBA Offers Loans for Businesses Impacted by Monterey Park Shooting Court appoints receiver for Skid Row Housing Trust

By City News Service

Businesses that were financially impacted by the Monterey Park mass shooting and the subsequent investigation can apply for low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, county officials said Monday.

"Following the senseless act of gun violence that took the lives of 11 people, our small business community in the city of Monterey Park continues to struggle," Supervisor Hilda Solis said in a statement. "In challenging times like these, it is important that we come together to help find solutions. To that end, I am grateful that our county agencies and departments are collaborating with our federal partners in assisting impacted businesses with critical resources such as low-interest disaster loans.

I encourage those experiencing hardship to apply and take advantage of the services we have available at the county."

According to the county, the loads have an interest rate of 3.305 for small

By City News Service

businesses and 2.375 for nonprofit groups, with terms up to 30 years. Loans can be used to pay off fixed debts, cover payroll or other bills that can't be paid due to the effects of the Jan. 21 shooting and subsequent weeklong investigation.

Loans are available of up to $2 million, with the application deadline Jan. 5.

Applications are available online at https:// disasterloanassistance.sba. gov/. Information is also available at 800-659-2955 or by emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

Eleven people died when a gunman opened fire Jan. 21 at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park. After that shooting, the gunman went to the Lai Lai Ballroom and Studio in Alhambra, but he was disarmed in the lobby by an employee.

The gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound the following day following a standoff with law enforcement in Torrance.

ALos Angeles Superior Court judge appointed a receiver Friday for the Skid Row Housing Trust, the nonprofit group that previously announced that it is no longer financially able to operate its 29 residential buildings.

In response to a petition filed by the city, a judge agreed to appoint Mark Adams of California Receivership Group, as receiver for the troubled nonprofit to begin addressing dilapidated conditions at many of the buildings.

One of the buildings overseen by the trust was one near Wall and Sixth streets, where three people were found dead this week of suspected drug overdoses and has been the subject of complaints about slum-like conditions.

City officials are hoping the appointment of a receiver will help save nearly 2,000 units of permanent, supportive housing.

"This is a bold and historic step towards making more housing available in Los Angeles, brining more Angelenos inside and saving lives," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. "This action will help us scale our programs to house more Angelenos as we face a crisis of 47,000 people sleeping on the street."

City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto added, "This office is fully committed to bringing to bear every tool in our legal and regulatory toolkit to prevent and reduce homelessness."

City officials said the 29 buildings that were operated by the trust house approximately 1,500 tenants who are among the most vulnerable people in the city. Many of those tenants require health services, security and daily assistants, which the city is working with the county and other government agencies to provide.

Under the receivership, Adams will be able to rehabilitate 500 units under orders of abatement to make those units available for housing.

Public Notices

Notice Of Intent To Circulate Recall Petition

TO THE HONORABLE ESTHELA TORRES DE SIEGRIST: Pursuant to Section 11030, California elections Code, the undersigned registered qualified voters of EL MONTE UNION HIGH SCHOOL DIST, TRUSTEE AREA 2, in the State of California, hereby give notice that we are the proponents of a recall petition and that we intend to seek your recall and removal fron the office of EL MONTE UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEE, in EL MONTE, CA. The grounds for the recall are as follows:

Trustee Esthela Toress de Siegrist placed her own finanical gain above the interet of the El Monte Union high School District; Trustee Torres de Siegrist is advocating on behalf of outside entities instead of the community that elected her;Trustee Torres de Siegrist violated the California Political Reform Act by colluding with Trustees Ricardo Padilla and Qui Nguyen to enter a lease agreeement with her employer, Pasadena City College (PCC), rather than provide appropriate facilities for El Monte Union High School District special education students; Trustee Torres de Siegrist as a faculty member at Pasadena City College may benefit financiallt from PCC entering into a new lease agreement for EMUHSD property; Trustee Torres de Siegrist’s actions are a violation of her duty as a trustee, and they are a conflict of interest under Government Code 1090; Trustee Torres De Siegrist admitted to these actions at the January 18, 2023, board meeting and has refused to rescue herself from discussion and voting on this matter; The above-mentioned actions are sufficient to complet the voters of the El Monte Union High School District to seek Trustee Torres de Siegrist’s removal from the El Monte Union High School District Board of Trustees.

The Printed name, signatures, and residence address of the proponents are as follows: