By Kathleen Acuff
When new Los Altos School District Superintendent Tim Justus reported for duty July 7, the district was involved in lawsuits brought by the town of Los Altos Hills and Bullis Charter School last September. The day after he claimed his office, it was facing involvement in a third suit, this one from a private citizen, Peggy Sakach. The district had not received a summons by press time.
District business manager Randy Kenyon said that through April, the district had spent $42,500 defending itself in the town’s lawsuit and $89,000 in the charter school’s suit. Billing Kenyon has seen since April brings the total for the charter school case to more than $100,000.
The case brought by the charter school is scheduled for a jury trial Aug. 15 in Santa Clara County Superior Court. Attorneys for the school and the district did not return phone calls by press time.
The district and Los Altos Hills agreed to stay litigation for four months. Town attorney Steve Mattas said a temporary stop on litigation is in the best interest of the school district and the town.
“The town is aware that the school district has proposed and means to implement the kindergarten program at Bullis,” Mattas said Friday. “Both sides thought that a period of four months was appropriate.”
Justus said the stay “means the district has part of a public school program slated to begin (at Bullis).” He added, “The lawsuit will be dropped by the city council when that program starts Aug. 24.”
The new superintendent is enthusiastic about the extended-day kindergarten.
“I do think it’s a good program. Other districts I’ve worked with, we’ve moved to extended-day kindergarten with good results,” he said.
Justus also has headed a district with a charter school and is focusing much of his attention in his first weeks in LASD on issues surrounding the charter school under its sponsorship.
“Coming in from outside, you don’t have some of the emotional baggage that’s always around a case like this. It’s very common for a district and parents to have these kinds of feelings - it’s not unique to Los Altos,” Justus said.
He added that he doesn’t have any answers yet but is hoping to take some positive steps.
Sakach filed suit against the district July 8 on behalf of her son, Elliot, who was a sixth-grader at Santa Rita School in 2003-2004. Sakach’s attorney, Jeffrey Janoff, said the child was bullied repeatedly during the school year, apparently because he was new to the school and smaller than the other boys. The bullying culminated in an incident in which Elliot’s clavicle was broken, June 3, 2003.
“More than one kid bullied him,” Janoff said. “Complaints were made to the school before the collar bone incident.”
Principal Steve Peck was not available for comment. Patty Boettcher, assistant superintendent for instruction, said, “I am not aware of the basis of the suit. I handle complaints, and it is not a case with which I remember dealing.”
Kenyon said the Sakaches sent a claim letter to the district in December 2004 for the June 2003 incident for damages for the cost of treating a child for a broken clavicle.
“We sent this to our insurance carrier. We haven’t heard one word since from anyone. The claim was unusual in that it came directly from their attorney,” Kenyon said.
He added that “no one” has asked the district for any facts concerning the suit.
