School District "Enemies List," Part 2

Orange County Supervisors are planning to investigate why the registrar of voters disclosed names on recall petitions to San Juan Capistrano School District employees. The disclosures have led to allegations that the SJC District kept an "enemies list" of parents and teachers who supported the recall of the District's board.

The SJC superintendent, James Fleming, who weakly protested last week that he didn't know about the lists ("It doesn't sound familiar, like anything I know about at all") now says that he didn't realize reporters meant spreadsheets he had "listing parents, teachers and others who received e-mails from pro-recall activists."

Fleming insists that his lists were simply an innocent part of an effort to investigate possible hacking into the district computer system.

But that doesn't explain why three spreadsheets disclosed by the Orange County Register last week also contained notes about the people on the list, including such adjectives as "outspoken" and "NIMBY." Today's L.A. Times (subject link) doesn't address this angle, but the question is raised in the Register.

The Times reports that a former district employee says he was told by an employee at the registrar's office that letting district employees view the petitions was "improper" but that the registrar was making an exception.

Parents told the supervisors that the registrar put their children in danger of retaliation.

Everyone involved, at both the district and the registrar's office, seems to have forgotten who they serve...parents and taxpayers.

Our Orange County tax dollars at work.