Helix High board calls for trustee to resign

Union Tribune (2008-10-31) Leonel Sanchez

This Page: https://copswiki.org/Common/M670
Media Link: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20081031/news_1m31helix.html
More Info: Grossmont Union High School District, Local Politics

Helix High board calls for trustee to resign

Grossmont leader alleges misconduct

By Leonel Sanchez
STAFF WRITER

October 31, 2008

LA MESA – Helix High School officials yesterday demanded the Grossmont high school district apologize or censure board member Jim Kelly for his public allegations that Helix is covering up employee sexual misconduct.

The Helix High board also called for Kelly to resign. Kelly refused.

“Mr. Kelly has made outrageous and libelous statements which cause unnecessary fear, disruption and harm to the charter school, its community and its servants,” Helix High board chairwoman Cathy Singer said.

Kelly, reached by phone after the meeting, said the Helix board was trying to intimidate him.

“If they choose to practice bullying techniques to get me to back down, bring it on,” he said.

The Grossmont Union High School District has limited oversight over Helix, a charter school in La Mesa where four former teachers have been convicted of sex crimes involving students in two years. Kelly and two candidates he's supporting for the Grossmont governing board, Meg Jedynak and Gary Woods, have said or strongly implied at public meetings and at a news conference Kelly called last week that six cases have occurred and that Helix High officials are hiding information and refusing to cooperate with a district investigation. Helix officials insist the school is cooperating and that they know of only the four cases.

The Helix board held a special meeting yesterday to consider legal action but decided instead to send a letter to the Grossmont board demanding an apology if Kelly was speaking on behalf of the district, or to censure him if he was speaking as an individual trustee. Helix also will ask the Grossmont board to seek Kelly's immediate resignation.

A few parents at the meeting urged the board to take any action necessary to protect the school against false allegations.

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Leonel Sanchez: (619) 542-4568; leonel.sanchez@uniontrib.com

Helix High board calls for trustee to resign

Union Tribune (2008-10-31) Leonel Sanchez

This Page: https://copswiki.org/Common/M670
Media Link: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20081031/news_1m31helix.html
More Info: Grossmont Union High School District, Local Politics

Helix High board calls for trustee to resign

Grossmont leader alleges misconduct

By Leonel Sanchez
STAFF WRITER

October 31, 2008

LA MESA – Helix High School officials yesterday demanded the Grossmont high school district apologize or censure board member Jim Kelly for his public allegations that Helix is covering up employee sexual misconduct.

The Helix High board also called for Kelly to resign. Kelly refused.

“Mr. Kelly has made outrageous and libelous statements which cause unnecessary fear, disruption and harm to the charter school, its community and its servants,” Helix High board chairwoman Cathy Singer said.

Kelly, reached by phone after the meeting, said the Helix board was trying to intimidate him.

“If they choose to practice bullying techniques to get me to back down, bring it on,” he said.

The Grossmont Union High School District has limited oversight over Helix, a charter school in La Mesa where four former teachers have been convicted of sex crimes involving students in two years. Kelly and two candidates he's supporting for the Grossmont governing board, Meg Jedynak and Gary Woods, have said or strongly implied at public meetings and at a news conference Kelly called last week that six cases have occurred and that Helix High officials are hiding information and refusing to cooperate with a district investigation. Helix officials insist the school is cooperating and that they know of only the four cases.

The Helix board held a special meeting yesterday to consider legal action but decided instead to send a letter to the Grossmont board demanding an apology if Kelly was speaking on behalf of the district, or to censure him if he was speaking as an individual trustee. Helix also will ask the Grossmont board to seek Kelly's immediate resignation.

A few parents at the meeting urged the board to take any action necessary to protect the school against false allegations.

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Leonel Sanchez: (619) 542-4568; leonel.sanchez@uniontrib.com