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F R I DAY, J U N E 2 , 2 023
Sexual abuse lawsuit Running after doughnuts settled for $950,000 Apparel company and club collaborate on special run on National Donut Day
Money granted for victim in case against Santa Barbara Unified School District and former teacher
By ANNIKA BAHNSEN
MORE TOMORROW
NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
There is nothing runners love more than doughnuts, at least according to Monica DeVreese, the co-founder of rabbit. The Santa Barbara-based apparel company is celebrating National Donut Day, which is recognized today, in the way they know best: running. “National Donut Day has become one of our favorite annual celebrations,” Ms. DeVreese told
Additional coverage of today’s National Donut Day run will appear in Saturday’s News-Press. the News-Press. “Among those who hold a deep appreciation for doughnuts are runners, who find them to be the perfect source of replenishment. Please see DOUGHNUTS on A4
Officials discuss La Posada housing site Hollister Avenue project designed to alleviate homelessness By LIAM HIBBERT NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO
Matef Harmachis, a former instructor named in a lawsuit, taught at Santa Barbara High School.
By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
After three years, a $950,000 settlement was granted for a victim in a child sexual abuse case against Santa Barbara Unified School District and former teacher Matef Harmachis. The civil complaint was originally filed on Nov. 30, 2020, by Manly, Stewart and Finaldi. The law firm is best known for representing victims of former Olympics gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. According to the lawsuit, Mr. Harmachis had multiple counts of sexual abuse, harassment and groping of an underage, female student at Santa Barbara High School in 2017. The allegations stated that this behavior happened in public in the middle of his classroom. He was charged, arrested, convicted and received a sentence for misdemeanor battery of a minor. Then, in 2020, his teaching credential was revoked. In the news release given by the plaintiff’s lawyers, the victim’s attorney, Morgan Stewart, said, “I have never seen a case where a school district ignored so many red flags and allowed a dangerous individual to have unfettered access to vulnerable students.” The News-Press reached out Thursday to the Santa Barbara Unified School District, but officials declined to comment.
MORE TOMORROW See Saturday’s edition of the News-Press for a followup story.
The Santa Barbara Unified School District declined to comment on the lawsuit when the News-Press contacted it Thursday.
This incident wasn’t the first time Mr. Harmachis faced allegations of inappropriate behavior with his students. In 2004, when Mr. Harmachis was an economics teacher at Dos Pueblos High School, he was accused of using foul language against brothers visiting his classroom and then forcibly removing one of them for wearing an Israeli police department Tshirt, according to the plantiff’s lawyers. After this incident, more allegations of sexual harassment toward a former female student at Dos Pueblos were revealed. Mr.
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Harmachis was placed on paid leave until 2005, then transferred to Santa Barbara High School. He was put on paid-leave again for four years. There are recorded attempts of termination by the district, which Mr. Harmachis disputed by calling on The Commission of Professional Competence. This panel’s involvement can be requested by a teacher after a school district notifies a permanent certificated teacher that the district intends to take disciplinary action. CPC reported that Mr. Harmachis showed “unfitness
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to teach in some respects, but that the conduct does not show unfitness to teach as to warrant dismissal.” He was then reinstated to teach in 2009. This isn’t the first time behaviors and allegations have arisen in local schools. Sheridan Rosenberg, a local resident who has been following the case, shared an entire document with the News-Press that had a list of 15 misconduct cases at Santa Barbara schools. “The number is truly shocking,” Ms. Rosenberg said.
Leaders from around Santa Barbara County came together this week to take the community’s questions and concerns about the latest proposed temporary housing development for the homeless. Members of the Santa Barbara community raised a variety of concerns about the La Posada Temporary Supportive Housing complex during the meeting Tuesday at Living Faith Church, which is near the housing site. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on May 16 approved the lease to DignityMoves for the Santa Barbara site on Hollister Avenue. Good Samaritan Shelter is also involved. The most common questions at Tuesday’s meeting were about the potential for an increased homeless population and threat of violence as a result of the development. There were also a number of people who supported the expansion, including some people in attendance who had lived in other temporary housing projects in the area. The mix of voices brought on some conversations about finding an understanding, but at times the talk bubbled over into frustration. The meeting was headlined by Sheriff Bill Brown, County Supervisors Laura Capps (2nd District) and Bob Nelson (4th District) and County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig. Armed with powerpoint print-outs, experts from local organizations Dignity Moves and Good Samaritan Shelter helped the county officials’ efforts to convince the community. “It’s not safe for the homeless, it’s not safe for our community. There’s a lot at stake for us as elected leaders, but what we’re looking for is some real solutions,” Supervisor Nelson told the crowd. “The idea is that we don’t want to build a permanent homeless shelter. This is one of the solutions that I believe in.” One of the recurring points made in the meeting was that the
plan would be to cycle people through the La Posada housing development — taking people off the streets, then helping them into more permanent and independent solutions after their time at La Posada. La Posada Temporary Supportive Housing would be located at 4500 Hollister Ave. a former juvenile hall in Santa Barbara, and would host 80 units, housing a maximum of 90 individuals. Current encampments in the area show a few dozen homeless people already living in the area of the proposed site. One frequently asked question at the meeting was on the issue of “nomadic” homeless people — individuals who, when asked or told to move from their site, picked up their stuff and relocated to another spot in a nearby area. Under California law, people have the right to sleep in public if there are no alternatives in the area. Santa Barbara Homeless Assistance Program Manager Kimberly Alberts listened to variations of this concern from audience members throughout the night. “We can’t do it without the beds. We need the beds to proactively and consistently address the needs of the homeless.” The speakers outlined a need for 563 more temporary beds across Santa Barbara County to meet the needs of the growing homeless population. Repeated questions of safety came up about substance abuse, security of the site, and potential threat to kids in the area, among others. The county leaders tried to calm people’s fears about violence brought on by homeless people by assuring that the La Posada development would be secure. “To go off the site, they will need to use the Good Samaritan vans, and there will be a fence,” said Mrs. Alberts. The speakers also noted that the current situation with homeless individuals is less safe. “Encampments are a major Please see LA POSADA on A4
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Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 1-17-21-23-30 Mega: 25
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