My Legitimate Questions to Judith Penchansky

Here is the most recent email I sent Assistant Dean of Judicial Affairs Judith Penchansky on April 17, 2006. In her response to me, she indicated the following: "I am not going to have a written dialog with you." [emphasis added]. Obviously, Santa Monica College doesn't want any paper trail in Penchansky's recent retaliatory threats of suspension. To date, Dean Penchansky has not answered my legitimate and pressing questions. What is the true purpose of her alleged meeting this coming Friday at 2 p.m. with Vice-President of Planning and Development Robert Sammis? Is Dean Penchansky still "running the show" as she blared at me on or about May 6, 2005?

I find it interesting that Penchansky fires off a barrage of emails to me today, threatening this same suspension on groundless charges, most of which stem from AET Professor Jim Keeshen, on the same date that the District's attorney, Joshua Morrison, writes to me the following in response to my Litigation Proposal: "Having looked at your proposal, I've got some thoughts about getting this matter settled. Let me know by email when you can be available to talk, and we can set up a time. Or just give me a call." Why does Jim Keeshen refuse to apologize for his March 1, 2006 hate speech against the disabled? Why have the SMC Board of Trustees turned a stone cold ear to our cries for help?

If SMC thinks that Penchansky's blackmail threats will force me to "settle" this matter, they are wrong as it is having the opposite effect on me; it is motivating me even more to stand up for both my civil and student rights. By standing up for my rights, I stand up for the rights of all students at Santa Monica College and its vocational satellite campus, the Academy of Entertainment and Technology. For a thorough background of Judith Penchansky's prior blackmail threats, please refer to our blog article entitled, "Anatomy of a Blackmail Attempt." Also of particular note is our blog article, "Violation of My Civil Rights by Santa Monica College." Santa Monica College seems to be driven by fear and force, both of which are not conducive to an academic environment that allegedly fosters learning, academic freedom, non-discrimination, goodwill, and mutual respect.

-- Des Manttari,
Editor-in-Chief,
Phoenix Genesis

(c) 2006: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP


--------------------MY EMAIL TO JUDITH PENCHANSKY------------------------

Dear Ms. Penchansky,

I am in receipt of your two written email responses, both dated today, April 17, 2006. Accordingly, I have forwarded my original April 4, 2006 email to you for your reference as you allege you never received it.

I find it disturbing that you are threatening me with suspension on the same date that Mr. Joshua Morrison has emailed me about a possible amicable resolution to the California Public Records Act case with Santa Monica Community College District, of which you are a named Defendant.

Again, I see your insistence to meet with me in person as serving no purpose other than further harassment of me and disruptive of my valuable time, time better spent on working on my web design midterm due next week in class.

In the spirit of compromise, and to thwart your blackmail attempts of unwarranted and impending suspension in retaliation for my legitimate redress of grievances, I am willing to meet with you this Friday, April 21, 2006 in the afternoon. Please email me with a time that is convenient for you.

Prior to your forced meeting, I am asking that you provide me the following information, via email, to effectuate any meaningful communications on the pervasive and ongoing disruption of my learning environment at SMC:

1. Please indicate when and where I will be able to pick up my student files, including any alleged disciplinary files and police incident reports, maintained by you in the Office of Judicial Affairs, by and through Mr. Robert Sammis' care and custody.

2. Please set forth any and all alleged facts and documentation that you may have in your possession upon which you base your false and premature findings that "It has been reported that you disrupted the Game Club Meeting on March 24, 2006, refusing to leave until the meeting was disbanded and Campus Police were called."

3. Please set forth any and all alleged facts and documentation that you may have in your possession upon which you claim that it is an act warranting suspension from SMC because I emailed Professor Jim Keeshen on or about March 15, 2006 to cease and desist his harassment of me and other students at SMC.

4. Please indicate any and all alleged facts and documentation that you may have in your possession upon which you claim that I have harassed Professor Keeshen at any time at SMC.

5. Please indicate any and all alleged facts and documentation that you may have in your possession citing why it is an alleged crime warranting suspension to document, via photographs, non-students using the AET computer lab when I was wrongfully denied access to this publicly funded facility and was currently enrolled as a student at AET.

6. Please indicate any and all alleged facts and documentation that you may have in your possession citing why I am being penalized by your office for Pat Green informing both Mr. Dustin Curran and myself to "turn our asses around" or words to that effect when he sought to obtain vital public records from the District and why campus police were allegedly summoned by her.

7. Please indicate any and all alleged facts and documentation that you may have in your possession citing why I am being penalized by your office for alleged disruption of the office of Judy Fritz on August 19, 2005. I find it curious that you are making these allegations given the fact that I never met with Ms. Fritz on this date and, as such, could not possibly have done anything warranting your attention and false allegations.

8. Please indicate what your office and SMC is doing to investigate and reprimand Professor Jim Keeshen for his hate speech and threats against his ET 18 Storyboarding students, under the guise of school policy, on or about March 1, 2006.

9. Please indicate what your office and SMC is doing to investigate and reprimand Thomas J. Baker for his hate crimes and threats against me and other members of the SMC Gaming Club, under the thin veil and erroneous authority of being the official spokesman for the club on or about March 24, 2006. Please further indicate in writing what your office is doing to investigate and reprimand Brian Puschell and Thomas J. Baker for their online terrorist threats, via the SMC Gaming Club Yahoo! Group, to "throw a military coup against the A.S. [Associated Students of Santa Monica College] and install a puppet leader." I find these terrorist threats alarming, especially given the fact that these SMC students are advocating such violence as members of the SMC community. Is this not a serious threat warranting their suspension from the college?

10. Please indicate why you are attempting to reopen issues that you have previously closed and resolved in my favor pursuant to your letter to me last June 2005. Specifically, why you are pumping every bit of mileage out of Jim Keeshen's blackmail threats regarding AET employees and why Mr. Keeshen is allowed to continue to spread these rumors in light that they are thoroughly documented as being blatantly false.

11. Please indicate what the purpose of this meeting with you is and what you hope to accomplish by forcing me to attend against my will and in violation of my civil rights.

12. Please indicate what purpose you are accomplishing by copying your letters and emails to me to SMC Campus Police Chief Miller, AET Dean Katharine Muller, VP Robert Sammis, Attorney Joshua Morrison, Robert Adams, and the new President and Superintendent of the school, Dr. Chui Tsang. By copy of this email, I do not appreciate these false allegations being forwarded to Dr. Tsang's attention as you are wrongfully discrediting my good moral character to him.

I eagerly look forward to your prompt response.

Very Truly Yours,
Des Manttari


Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

Technorati Tags: Santa Monica College, Academy of Entertainment and Technology, public schools, vocational schools, civil rights, Jim Keeshen, Judith Penchansky, Robert Sammis, lawsuit, blackmail, News and politics, harassment, California Public Records Act