Protest planned at California Youth Authority Wards not disciplined, teachers union claims

The California Youth Authority's teachers union plans to picket the Northern California Youth Center in Stockton today, protesting the alleged failure of the Youth Authority to discipline wards for sexual harassment and assaults.

The California State Employees Association alleges that the disciplinary lapse has led to a spike in incidents across the state, exposing teachers to more violent episodes.

Teachers claim that wards have groped them and masturbated in front of them in the classroom. They say they have been hit with rulers, erasers, chalk and clipboards, and wards have spit and thrown urine on them.

It is only a matter of time, said Jim Boyle, chief job steward for the union in the Stockton-Lodi area, before a teacher is seriously injured or killed.

"In their (Youth Authority) own rules and regulations, they have a zero-tolerance policy, but they are not enforcing it," he said.

The teachers are asking the Youth and Adult Correctional Agency's inspector general to conduct an independent investigation of serious-behavior reports, known as Level B's, that have been filed by teachers, Boyle said.

Youth Authority spokeswoman Sarah Ludeman agreed that the agency does have a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment but denied that it is being ignored. All such incidents are investigated thoroughly, she said.

In some of the cases brought forward by the union, Ludeman said, the teachers did not follow procedures by alerting security staff or write follow-up reports, and some teachers were removed from classroom duty because of their inability to properly manage their classrooms.

Six cases of ward misconduct at O.H. Close Youth Correctional Facility, including one involving an education employee, were forwarded last year for prosecution, she said. The Youth Authority operates four schools at the Stockton center on Newcastle Road.

Boyle contends that teachers have been told not to file behavior reports when students act dangerously in class.

An O.H. Close teacher who asked not to be identified agreed that teachers are discouraged from filing such reports.

"They felt that we should seek positive reinforcers," the teacher said. "To me, it came to downright bribery. I don't see any reason to offer positive reinforcers to wards who are breaking the law."

"We give ongoing training on how to write behavior reports and dispense sanctions," she said.

Most of the incidents cited by the union occurred at Johanna Boss High School at the O.H. Close facility, but such incidents are happening statewide, Boyle said.

One Johanna Boss teacher who filed behavior reports charging wards with sexual harassment learned Oct. 1 that three such reports had been dismissed by management. A week later, a ward threw a roll of toilet paper at the teacher's head, and another ward sexually groped her from behind the same day. The next day, a ward walked into the teacher's classroom, took off his clothes and began masturbating in front of the teacher and other students.

The incidents were detailed in grievances the teacher and several others filed this month. The teachers did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation, Boyle said.

At least one teacher has filed a complaint with the state Fair Employment and Housing Department alleging that sexual harassment by wards has created a hostile work environment, Boyle said.

One O.H. Close teacher who was reassigned to an office job uncovered 300 Level B behavior reports that had not been processed, he said.

O.H. Close administrators acknowledged that the reports, 50 of which had been filed by educational personnel, had not been processed by mistake, Ludeman said.

On Oct. 10, the youth prison instituted a new procedure to ensure that no reports fall through the cracks, she said.

The union decided to organize a public protest when it became clear that the teachers' concerns were not being addressed, Boyle said. The employees will picket starting at 4 p.m.

The teachers hope the picketing will draw public attention to "how serious a matter this is," Boyle said. "The teachers are having to decide between their livelihood and their lives."

"Youth Authority spokeswoman Sarah Ludeman agreed that the agency does have a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment but denied that it is being ignored. All such incidents are investigated thoroughly, she said. {...}

One O.H. Close teacher who was reassigned to an office job uncovered 300 Level B behavior reports that had not been processed, he said.

O.H. Close administrators acknowledged that the reports, 50 of which had been filed by educational personnel, had not been processed by mistake, Ludeman said."

Yeah, right... "300 reports not processed... by mistake"... cover-upper's definition of "investigated thoroughly." One or two falling through the cracks is "by mistake", 50 or 300 is deliberate, institutionalized malfeasance in office of those who are charged with keeping discipline in prisons.

I know about this case intimately as someone very close to me is a teacher at the CYA facility. Much of the problem arises from the budgetary cuts made quietly by Governor Gray Davis at every level of state government.

These "Level B" reports are reports of behavior that would be CRIMINAL outside the prison gates. We're talking assault, battery, sexual assault and battery, exhibitionism, etc. This is NOT a inconsequential matter... staff members have been attacked and at least one has been killed in the past... yet the current administration of CYA has been ignoring increasing levels of inappropriate activity and in fact are backing the WARDS over teachers!

At CYA, education has become very difficult. Teachers have been laid off, class sizes are far exceeding STATUTORY limits (keep in mind these are juvenile criminals who are already in prison for violent activities) are now the norm, supplies are non-existent, and bad educational decisions are being foisted on the staff from the ivory towers in Sacramento.

The major problem is that the administration has become so ACCEPTING of the anti-social activities from these wards that the the worst behavior has become the norm! The level of criminal activity in the classroom and residence halls has escalated in the past year as more and more cuts come down from the governor.

One of the wards who was the subject of one of the dismissed "level B" reports was returned to the teacher's classroom who had made the report the NEXT DAY. He sat at his desk, smirked at her and said: "I can do anything I want and they won't do nothing to me!" This teacher is now out on stress leave, fearing for her life.

Thank you, Governor Davis...

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