Ongoing Harassment at SMC

Here is an email I just sent Joshua Morrison, the attorney for Santa Monica Community College District. I will be curious to see his response. When will the harassment cease at SMC?

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

(c) 2006: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

---------------------MY EMAIL TO JOSHUA MORRISON---------------------

ATTENTION: ATTORNEY JOSHUA MORRISON
RE: SMCCD AND ONGOING HARASSMENT
APRIL 26, 2006

Dear Mr. Morrison,

As you are well aware, Mr. Dustin Curran and I met with you and Mr. Robert Sammis last Friday, April 21, 2006, in an attempt to amicably resolve this matter. At this time, Mr. Sammis indicated that I would not be harassed by either Jim Keeshen or Thomas J. Baker. Despite these assurances, I have since been harassed by both.

I find it curious that Dean Judith Penchansky feels that it is a violation of student conduct for me to email Mr. Keeshen to cease and desist his harassment of me and other students, yet Mr. Keeshen is allowed to harass me, via U.S. mail, with falsified IRS filings. Since Ms. Penchansky feels it is her role to punish me if I were to contact him to dispute these false allegations, SMC is leaving me no choice but to directly take this matter up with the IRS Criminal Investigation Unit. Since this falsified information was mailed to me, I consider this mail fraud and will take this up with the appropriate federal agencies in charge of investigating this matter.

I am curious why Jim Keeshen is allowed to use the resources and facilities of Santa Monica College for his own personal benefit, to wit, Jim Keeshen Productions, Inc., and having knowledge of such, SMC has done little or nothing to rectify this situation. Additionally, by falsifying IRS information in his Studio Animatics consultant contracts with the District to fraudulently obtain tens of thousands of dollars from the U.S. Department of Education by and through SMC, and now falsifying IRS information using my name, SMC is opening itself up to a potential IRS audit to fully resolve this matter.

Additionally, to make matters worse, Thomas J. Baker is being allowed, even after our meeting and a recent email to you regarding his harassment of me via the Internet, to continue to repeatedly harass me. Not only have I received two additionally harassing, if not threatening, Internet communications by him, or an agent acting through him, I received a letter on Monday from SMC Assistant Dean of Student Life, Deana Hearn, in which Mr. Baker not only insisted on a meeting with Ms. Hearn, but he made numerous false representations to her. Although Mr. Baker holds absolutely no legitimate officer position in the SMC Gaming Club, he falsely represented himself as such to Ms. Hearn, the SMCPD, and other SMC students to gain an advantage as such.

Additionally, Ms. Hearn is misinformed when she states that "you have been summoned by the college's disciplinarian and that you have not responded." I have retained numerous email correspondences between Ms. Penchansky and myself as well as our correspondence, so this statement is patently false. Based on Ms. Hearn's misinformation, she is now attempting to "restrict" me "from participating in any student related activities" until I meet with Ms. Penchansky "and your case has been resolved." Given the overwhelming evidence of harassment against me, and Ms. Hearn's misinformation, I do not agree to be restricted from any activities at SMC and see this as a clear violation of my student rights and civil rights if SMC were in fact to wrongfully enforce this mandate.

I am informed and believe and thereon allege, that Mr. Baker has caused Ms. Penchansky to circulate a student petition against me in order to wrongly justify her personal vendetta of having me suspended from SMC. I remind you that the role of a campus disciplinarian is to be just and impartial. Given the fact that Ms. Penchansky is a defendant in this matter, that we have agreed to set aside her threats of suspension, and that she is now acting on her own accord to interfere with due process requirements and to tamper with witnesses, I ask that this petition be destroyed forthwith and that Ms. Penchansky cease her threats of suspension. I allowed Ms. Penchansky to open the lines of communication in writing and she has refused my offer in writing.

I ask you now, is your client, Santa Monica Community College District, going to intervene to stop this harassment or do I need a restraining order against Mr. Baker and a civil rights lawsuit to make myself heard? Are you going to allow your client, and its agents and employees, to frustrate our progress in amicably resolving this matter? May I remind you that the California State Bar Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 5-100 (a) states: "A member shall not threaten to present criminal, administrative, or disciplinary charges to obtain an advantage in a civil dispute." Clearly, by the actions of your respective clients and their agents, I am being threatened with these various types of charges to settle this civil dispute between the District. However, I will not stand by idly and be threatened, but will take the legal action necessary to defend myself accordingly.

Thank you for your prompt attention to the foregoing.

Very Truly Yours,
Des Manttari

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