SMC Gaming Club Exposed

Here is the recent correspondence I just sent Santa Monica College Assistant Dean of Student Life, Deyna Hearn regarding the SMC Gaming Club. I also copied my email to the president of the school as well as to the Vice Chair of the SMC Board of Trustees. Hopefully, SMC will finally take action and defend the rights of its diverse student community against such threats and hate crimes now and in the future. I have added these screenshots for this article. They did not appear in my Adobe PDF attachment to Ms. Hearn.

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

(c) 2006: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

--------------------------MY EMAIL TO DEYNA HEARN--------------------------

Dear Ms. Hearn,

Attached in Adobe PDF format is my statement regarding the SMC Gaming Club that you requested. In case you are unable to open this attachment, I have posted my statement on my SAVE SMC Blog found at savesmc.blogspot.com.

Additionally, I have attached two SMC Gaming Club messages. The first regards the proposed military coup against the SMC while the second deals with Mr. Baker's attempt to procure confidential student information via Drivers' Licenses. As I stated to Mr. Robert Sammis on April 21, 2006, when students turn over their drivers' licenses that include their date of birth as well as their student identification numbers, this essentially allowed Thomas J. Baker to wrongfully have enough information to access and potentially alter confidential student information through SMC's online login and student self-serve system.

Thank you for your prompt attention to the foregoing.

Very Truly Yours,Des Manttari

cc: President Chui TsangSuan Aminoff, SMC Board of Trustee Vice Chair




------------------ HERE IS THE STATEMENT I WROTE TO MS. HEARN ------

To: Denya Hearn, Assistant Dean, Student Life
Santa Monica Community College District
From: Des Manttari

May 8, 2006

Dear Mr. Hearn:

Pursuant to your request on or about May 4, 2006, I am submitting this written statement regarding the SMC Gaming Club and Thomas J. Baker. Since you indicated to me that you wished to have this for your review by 2:00 p.m. today, I reserve the right to supplement this statement with additional information and evidence. Here is an overview of the background of the specific SMC Gaming Club members and their misuse of the campus club as well as their threatening behavior against us.

BRIAN PUSCHELL

Brian Puschell is a member of the SMC Gaming Club. He is a 19 year-old male from Hermosa Beach, California. He was a student in AET Professor David Javelosa's ET 13 Game Authoring I course allegedly last semester. Puschell also is a staff writer on Baker’s Game Review Net fraudulent website.

His MySpace profile loudly proclaims: "I kill [virtual] people for fun." This statement is accompanied by a very threatening photograph of him.




In fact, he made such terrorist threats in writing on or about February 15, 2006 when he posted a message on the SMC Gaming Club Yahoo! Group advocating terrorism against the Associated Students of Santa Monica College. He wrote the following: “Bah, we should throw a military coup on the A.S. and install a puppet leader.” On this same date, Thomas J. Baker ratified this alleged terrorist threat and found it humorous.




I read these Yahoo! Group messages and made screenshots on or about March 23, 2006. At the time these messages were posted, there were approximately 51 members who belonged to the group, including AET Professor and club co-advisory David Javelosa and "The Kid", a 14 year-old impressionable minor whose name I have withheld to protect his identity given his underage status. At the time these messages were posted online, this group was open to the public and could be read by other impressionable minors.

THOMAS J. BAKER

As previously indicated, in response to Brian Puschell's terrorist threats against the SMC Associated Students, Thomas J. Baker flippantly responded on or about February 15, 2006, "lol you can be in charge of that one."

In a February 14, 2006 message from Brian Puschell to the SMC Gaming Club Yahoo! Group, he mentions the following: “I agree, I have started work for the podcast for thegamereview.net already.” On this same date, Thomas J. Baker also urges group members to go to http://www.thegamereview.net/. At all relevant times, Thomas J. Baker was registered as the owner of thegamereview.net, registered on or about November 11, 2005. He is listed in the whois register as the registrant contact, administrative contact, technical contact, and billing contact. His information is provided as follows:

Thomas J. Baker
613 1/2 Washington Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291 US
310-578-8474
thomasjbake@yahoo.com






On this website, there is a section of the podcast fraud scheme that was being perpetuated by Thomas J. Baker in order to misrepresent himself and others as qualified media for the upcoming E3 Expo industry event held in May 2006. This webpage uses layers in its source code whereby a visitor to the site can place his or her mouse over certain text and a message pops up. I have made screenshots between March 24, 2006 and March 26, 2006 for the webpage, the messages, and the source code. At all relevant times, by inclusion and reference to this website in the SMC Gaming Club and the participation of the members, a reasonable person could construe that this site was part of the SMC Gaming Club and should have been monitored by the faculty club advisors, to wit, David Javelosa and Howard A. Stahl. On this website, there is a section of the podcast fraud scheme that was being perpetuated by Thomas J. Baker in order to misrepresent himself and others as qualified media for the upcoming E3 Expo industry event held in May 2006. This webpage uses layers in its source code whereby a visitor to the site can place his or her mouse over certain text and a message pops up. I have made screenshots between March 24, 2006 and March 26, 2006 for the webpage, the messages, and the source code. At all relevant times, by inclusion and reference to this website in the SMC Gaming Club and the participation of the members, a reasonable person could construe that this site was part of the SMC Gaming Club and should have been monitored by the faculty club advisors.

On the podcast page, there is a reference to the podcast that Baker was involved in and supervising and referred to as “potato-cast.” This podcast was a fraud scheme that excluded certain members of the club, including myself, and was perpetuated by a handful of SMC Gaming Club members. One message on this page reads: “DEATH TO ALL NON-POTATO LOVERS.”



Another message reads: “Screw you you potato hating bastard!” Since certain members of the SMC Gaming Club were not allowed to participate in this podcast advertised on the Yahoo! Group and on this site, one could construe that the alleged death threats were directed at these excluded members. Additionally, these threats on the website go hand-in-hand with the terrorist threats of throwing a military coup on the Santa Monica College Associated Students (who is in charge of the SMC Gaming Club and who allegedly enforces its bylaws and constitution). At the time these messages were posted on the gamereview.net website, they were made public and could be viewed by impressionable minors who play video games.



On or about March 24, 2006, during the first meeting of the SMC Gaming Club, I and several other students inquired about who the president of the club was. Mr. Baker indicated that it was “complicated” or a statement to that effect. We additionally inquired about the E3 event that Mr. Baker had put together through the SMC Gaming Club Yahoo! Group that excluded members of the club. Additionally, Ms. Wick had inquired to Mr. Baker why she was not listed as an officer of the club despite the fact that she had met with Mr. Baker previously pursuant to his request and he had obtained her confidential student information, including student identification number for that purpose.

Mr. Baker became upset and eventually asked me to step outside where he made false allegations that I had “threatened people inside the library.” At the time Mr. Baker made this statement, he knew it to be false and it was done for the purpose of harassment and to exclude me from participating in the club. Mr. Baker claimed that he had a report of this alleged threat. I have never received any such report by the school. At this time, Mr. Baker had obtained keys to the room and had locked the other members of the SMC Gaming Club inside without their knowledge or permission. I returned back inside the classroom as I felt threatened by Mr. Baker and did not wish to remain alone with him.

Both Ms. Wick and I asked the meeting to be called to order. Mr. Baker shouted to us the following, or words to this effect: “This isn’t a f--king open-air discussion for you to air your grievances and whatever personal matters you have. We don’t care about your problems.” To further discredit me, Mr. Baker disrupted the game club meeting by stating in front of my friends and fellow students and club members that I had threatened people’s lives, that I had “problems,” and “issues.” At the time Mr. Baker made these statements, he knew them to be false and they were done with the specific intent of causing me pain, suffering, humiliation, and to exclude me from the club. At the time Mr. Baker made these statements, he was acting as the leader of the club despite the fact that he was neither the president nor vice-president of the club. At no time did the alleged president of the club, Cesar Portillo, inform me that I had to leave to club nor did he intervene in this matter. In fact, there was no faculty advisor despite the fact that there was a 14 year-old minor in attendance who should have been supervised.

Mr. Baker falsified information to the SMCPD to further disrupt the SMC Gaming Club meeting. I am informed and believe and thereon allege that he made misrepresentations to the SMCPD officers who arrived on the scene that I was not authorized to be present on campus. At the time he made these statements, he knew them to be false and these statements were allegedly done to have me removed from campus. Based on Mr. Baker’s false statements and actions, I suffered interrogation and detainment by the SMCPD for approximately twenty minutes.

To further harass and discredit me, Mr. Baker filed a written falsified statement with the SMCPD, a copy of which was provided to me on or about April 21, 2006 by Mr. Robert Sammis. Mr. Baker made numerous statements that he knew to be false and defamatory for the express malicious purpose of causing Ms. Judith Penchansky to initiate a wrongful disciplinary hold on my student records and to attempt to have me wrongfully suspended from SMC. For example, Mr. Baker refers to Lindsay Berkovitz as a “severely disabled girl” and Mr. Curran as “a guy who I don’t immediately remember the name of.” At the time Mr. Baker made these statements, he knew them to be false. In fact, Mr. Baker had acting as the official spokesperson of the club in order to obtain personal information in writing from Ms. Berkovitz and Mr. Curran including, but not limited to, their student identification numbers, AS sticker numbers, and personal email addresses. Despite obtaining this information, Mr. Baker has not contacted either club member as to meetings nor has he contacted Ms. Margaret Wick regarding meetings of the club.

Mr. Baker makes further written false allegations, done with malice, to paint me in a false light. Specifically, Mr. Baker indicated in writing that I had “ranted” and “refused to leave” and “even followed us around” during the “Trade Show E3” last year. These statements are patently false. To the best of my knowledge, I have never spoken to Mr. Baker until the incident on March 24, 2006. Given the ongoing threats by Mr. Baker by and through his friends and himself, his falsified information to SMC, the SMCPD, and to the E3 Expo, Ms. Berkovitz, Mr. Curran, and I do not feel safe around Mr. Baker. Accordingly, I have reported Mr. Baker to the officials in charge of the upcoming E3 Expo and have obtained Court orders for myself and my family and staff members to temporarily restrain Mr. Baker from stalking, harassing, or threatening us. Ms. Berkovitz has also obtained a temporary restraining order to protect herself from Mr. Baker.

Mr. Baker’s written statement to the SMCPD is filled with hearsay, false allegations, and innuendos done for the purpose of discrediting me and to falsify evidence and to tamper with witnesses for the purpose of obtaining a false suspension against me. Mr. Baker has stated that I have been arrested at SMC. I have never been arrested, handcuffed, or charged with a crime by the SMCPD. Despite this, Mr. Baker has spread these rumors to others on campus to cause fear, hatred, animosity, and to foster an overall hostile educational environment for myself and other students.

Additionally, Mr. Baker made false representations to Mr. Howard Stahl, the SMC Gaming Club advisor and Ms. Deyna Hearn, the Assistant Dean of Student Life, in a meeting he requested with them on or about April 4, 2006. At this time, Mr. Baker allegedly called this meeting to further his false and malicious statements and to justify his misuse of the SMCPD. Had Ms. Hearn not received this false information, she would not have acted to restrict my participation in student activities at SMC. Had Mr. Baker not made these false statements, Ms. Penchansky would not have caused to be circulated a petition from students to have me suspended. Clearly, Mr. Baker is not acting in a professional, honest, and fair manner nor is he acting for the best interests of the SMC Community. Rather, Mr. Baker is acting for his own self-serving interests to convolute the club for his own fraudulent purposes with his allegedly online business dealings on the Game Review Net. Accordingly, Mr. Baker is in violation of SMC’s written policies pertaining to academic honesty and regarding hate crimes and hate incidents against students on campus.

LUIS B. MUNOZ

An article on Baker's website written by Luis B. Munoz, who I am informed and believe and thereon allege is a member of the SMC Gaming Club and an SMC student, pertains to “violence in video games.” He alleges that these military simulation games are educational.

MARIO ALARCON

As shown in the SMC Gaming Club Yahoo! Group posting, Alarcon was actively involved in the group postings and was allegedly the president of the club, although he is listed as Vice-President according to the ICC. Although Alarcon was not present on March 24, 2006 when Thomas J. Baker performed his hate crimes against us, he still plays an active role in Baker's life and in the club. According to Baker's website, Alarcon is the Editor in Chief with Baker as his co-editor. Both individuals allege to be owners of the Game Review Net.

On or about March 29, 2006, around 12:11 p.m., I was in the AET computer lab uploading my homework assignment in my ET 14 Web Design class, taught by Zeny Baduel. When I was attempting to leave the computer lab, SMC Student Mario Alarcon was standing in front of the door. We then had a conversation in which he indicated that he was in fact the president of the SMC Gaming Club. During this conversation, Mr. Alarcon condoned any and all acts by Thomas J. Baker, including those on the Yahoo! Group threatening the “military coup” against the SMC Associated Students as well as the use of violence and police threats on or about March 24, 2006. Mr. Alarcon stated that he has essentially transferred power to Mr. Baker and that he authorizes him to act as the official spokesperson for the club. Mr. Alarcon indicated that the SMC Gaming Club is the school’s club and not his personal club.

Furthermore, Mr. Alarcon indicated that I was not welcome at the SMC Gaming Club, based on the fact that I am “against the school,” or words to that effect. He indicated that he did not want me at the SMC Gaming Club, that I was not welcome there, and that if I were to attempt to show up to another club meeting on campus, that campus police would be called. Mr. Alarcon further indicated that Professor Keeshen had one day showed up unannounced to his ET 19A Animation I class, despite the fact that Professor Steve Brown is the instructor of record. Both Mr. Alarcon and Gabriel Quinteroz are both enrolled in this course. Mr. Alarcon indicated that Professor Keeshen is making it very hard on them. He repeated this statement twice. Based on Professor Keeshen’s alleged harassment, Mr. Alarcon begged me not to show up to the SMC Gaming Club.

GABRIEL QUINTEROZ

Gabriel Quinteroz is a student at SMC's Academy of Entertainment and Technology as well as being a staff writer on Baker's sham website. He is a member of the SMC Gaming Club and has taken an active role in perpetuating the E3 fraud scheme. On or about March 21, 2006, Quinteroz wrote on the SMC Gaming Club Yahoo! Group: "Well, since I am making all of the business cards, I am going to need the name of the people attending E3. The name has to be spelled exactly as it appears on your Drivers License / Passport. And prepare to hand Thomas a copy of your License/Passport. The mail registration is April 7 People!! We got to get all of our stuff ready." [emphasis in the original].

Two days later, on March 23, 2006, Brian Puschell responded, "Ok, Gabriel, I'm also going to need a company letterhead since the podcast will fit under broadcast journalism and those in the podcast will be needing a letter from the producer/editor of the show (aka me) saying that they are being sent to E3 on assignment." Mr. Quinteroz played a key role in falsifying documentation alleging that Baker's "The Game Review.net," supported and allegedly funded by SMC's Gaming Club, was a legitimate company warranting qualified media status at E3.



Quinteroz also wrote in response to the SMC Gaming Club's purchase of an XBox 360: "bouncing boobs!!" He was allegedly referring to the anticipated purchase, via school funds allocated to the club, of the "Dead or Alive Beach Volleyball" game.

CESAR PORTILLO

Cesar Portillo is another member of the SMC Gaming Club. He alleged that he was president of the SMC Gaming Club on or about March 24, 2006. Despite these allegations, he did nothing to prevent Thomas J. Baker's violence directed against us. Despite two of us repeatedly requesting that the meeting come to order, Portillo stood by idle, powerless over the control that Baker had wrongfully assigned to himself. Portillo is an alleged staff writer on Baker's website.

DUNG "DAVID" TRINH

On or about March 8, 2006, Dung “David” Trinh wrote the following to the SMC Gaming Club Yahoo! Group: “I know I will regret this but hey why not I am in. Just need a little more info and what not.” Trinh, a 22 year-old male, also maintains a MySpace Profile in which he describes himself as "Gamer Proud." Also on this page, he states: "Death is funny." In his August 14, 2005 blog entry entitled "Knifes are the same as games," he writes in relevant part:

It just blew my mind though that people like Jack Thompson and his lot are so flawed in their logic. I mean seriously think about it. They say that videogames promote violence and lead to violent action and that the videogame industry is responsible for all that happens around their products, including user created mods. Thats just plain silly. With that logic I could sue a knife company that made the knife that was used in a murder. What people do with a product after its shipped is not the responsibility of the company but the user. It is DAMN near impossible for a company to ensure that its consumer base will use the product they produce exactly as it was meant to be used. A company making knives is not responsible if their knife is used in a murder, that same should be said for user created mods in videogames. Once any product leaves the shelves it is the resposibility of the user to use the product unless there is a serious defect in the product. Also as for the violence, I know where the lines of reality and fantasy lie.

On Trinh's MySpace profile, he is shown with two Gun "booth babes" from a past E3 Expo. In his MySpace photo gallery, he reveals an enlarged version of this photo with the caption: "Me at E3 with the real attraction." One of his alleged friends posted the following comment in response: "yup, always the real attraction for any event!" Trinh has another similar photo of two E3 models with the caption: "More of the E3 T&A." T&A stands for "tits and ass," a very derogatory view of women. Still a third photo of a model in a hot pink revealing article of clothing states: "Fun times at E3."



Mr. Trinh has willingly participated in Mr. Baker's sham website as a staff writer in order to get into the upcoming E3 Expo. In an email dated April 24, 2006 to me, Mr. Trinh wrote the following: “For a person like me, who is flaky at best, Tom trust me and allows me to do as I will.” It is clear by this statement that Mr. Baker is using the club and his influence over it, to control other members.

RICARDO GALINDO

Like several other members of the SMC Gaming Club, Ricardo Galindo maintains a MySpace profile. In a March 15, 2006 blog entry entitled "Why I act the way I act!!, Galindo writes: "I shy away, because I f--king hate people. I do not trust people, yeah, I trust my friends. But I kind of wonder if they talk behind my back. I look at girls as being people you can not trust." He describes himself as a "loser" and blames "the stupid females who made me not be able to show my true feelings." His animosity against women continues as he adds: "I can't, you f--king do not know me!! you have to realize that I can't, since you fucking shallow females were the ones who made me the way I am." He closes his MySpace blog entry with the following message: "I can't trust girls. Because a lot of you are just ass holes. yeah, I am a nice guy, but I am nice because I f--king have to be."




On March 7, 2006, Galindo wrote another MySpace blog article entitled "Getting something off my chest!!" He continues with his angry tirade against women, stating: "I mean, every f--king time is the same shit!!! THE SAME SHIT!!" He elaborates: "Why not be honest you f--king bitch!! say that 'no, you are too ugly...you are just good enough for a friend, that's all!!' Shit!! I may sound like I am down, which I kind of am, but damn it!! some of you girls do not even know the kind of harm you do to nice guys, like me. I am single!! if I am so "nice" why am I not hooked up yet?? Riddle me that Batman!!" He adds in response to his question that a special someone might be searching for him: "F--k that shit!! some of you girls are mean asses!!" Again, he emphasizes: "don't say because I am f--king nice!! I am so f--king tired of that shit!!"




These MySpace blog entries, within a few weeks prior to the hate crimes of Thomas J. Baker on March 24, 2006 are quite disturbing. Mr. Galindo indicated that he did not trust the SMC Gaming Club and we wanted to go to the upcoming E3 Expo with me, not the club members. In fact, on or about January 10, 2006, Mr. Galindo wrote the following to me: “I kind of do not trust the SMC video game club, I don't know why.” This is not the Ricardo Galindo I know and whom I have spent much time on and off campus.

Perhaps Galindo's MySpace blog entry for February 23, 2006 sheds some light on his recent negativity and animosity. In this entry entitled "Correctin something that was directed towards me ^^", he writes that someone he knows insulted him as follows: "Richi takes things up the ass...lol. when will Richi ever light up.... uh never...." Could this someone, who Galindo is protecting, be connected to the SMC Gaming Club? In all the years I have known Galindo, I have never heard him speak in this manner about me or other women. In fact, on March 24, 2006, he was particularly friendly with me during the SMC Gaming Club alleged meeting. Despite this, something and someone has triggered this recent negative disposition in him.

"THE KID" (A 14 YEAR-OLD MINOR, NAME WITHHELD)

Although I know his full name, I have withheld the name of this minor who is currently enrolled at SMC due to his age. As such, I am simply referring to him as "The Kid" to protect his identity. The Kid is a member of the SMC Gaming Club. He was a student along with John Klauschie and myself last semester in AET Professor Jeannie Novak's ET 42 Game Development course. On Sept. 26, 2005, The Kid discussed his violent third-person shooter game with a “action-adventure/fear” genre he was developing in our ET 42 Game Development course entitled “Reflex Mission.” Professor Novak thought this idea was “very cool” despite that fact that The Kid is a 14 year-old minor. I was also present during this class session.

At this time, The Kid described his game as follows: "You’re basically part of a government agency called ‘Waste’ to specialize in weapons and tactics. The weapons, artillery, special tactical elite." He added: "You discover that there’s a secret facility on them where someone is making a robot army for world domination… like some industries or, ah, politicians are involved…. And then you basically have to sort of take down the entire, ah- facility."

The Kid described the infiltration techniques in detail, including "finding prototype weapons to add to your arsenal." I inquired if there were non-violent stealth aspects to his game, in which he responded that it was "mostly action." His most alarming remark, coming from a minor's lips, was: "You can do a head-on assault. You can find safe places to shoot from."

The Kid was unsupervised at the SMC Gaming Club. There was no faculty advisor during the events of March 24, 2006. Furthermore, this room was locked and in a remote location far removed from any faculty supervision unlike AET where I held the club. At this club, these adult males, including Thomas J. Baker, age 25, played violent video games, including those with guns that advocate killing such as Counter Strike and Battlefield 2. These games are military in nature. Baker advocated with Puschell a “military coup against the SMC Associated Students. These games are mature and not meant to be played by a 14 year old. Various legislatures has been recently submitted or passed to protect minors from video game violence.

The Xbox was not appropriate for the club as it has primarily mature violent games. The Kid is playing violent military games and is reading this SMC Gaming Club Yahoo! Group about the military coup. He is also reading Thomas J. Baker’s website about death and other threats. The Kid could construe this as ratifying violence against the school and as such, making good on such terrorist threats. The SMC Gaming Club Yahoo! Group was open to the public with approximately 51 members, including at least one minor on the date of the hate crime on campus on March 24, 2006.

Video game violence is a serious threat to children and they tend to repeat this violent behavior at school. I have countless hours of class time with The Kid and John Klauschie in the classroom in the ET42 Game Development class prior to this March 24, 2006 incident in the SMC Gaming Club. Has The Kid’s violence increased as a result of Baker and the violent games? Were his parents monitoring his video game activities and purchases? Was the club faculty advisor monitoring the games he was playing?

JOHN KLAUSCHIE

John Klauschie is a 19 year-old male from Omaha, Nebraska was attends SMC's Academy of Entertainment and Technology and is a member of the SMC Gaming Club. Klauschie posted extensively on the SMC Gaming Club Yahoo! Group. Klauschie also maintains a MySpace Profile. On his profile, his background shows a skull with the large letters "Killswitch Engage." He states: "I am in my 2nd semester of college at SMC. I play drums and lesson [sic] to music most of the time." His MySpace profile describes him as follows: "A complete lunatic, you're operating on 100% animal instincts. You thrive on uncontrolled energy, and you're downright scary. But you sure can beat a good drum. "Kill! Kill!"

Klauschie's MySpace page blares music from the song "Animal I Have Become" by the group "Three Days Grace." The song shouts at the visitor as follows:

I can't escape this hell
So many times I've tried
But I'm still caged inside
Somebody get me through this nightmare

I can't control myself
Someone if you can see
The dark inside of me
No one would ever change this animal
I have become

Help me believe, It's not the real me
Somebody help me tame this animal
(this animal x's 2) I can't escape myself

So many times I've lied
But there's still rage inside
Somebody get me through this nightmare
I can't control myself
Somebody help me through this nightmare
I can't control myself
Somebody wake me from this nightmare
I can't escape this cell

Under "What 311 Song Are You?" Klauschie lists "F--k the Bullshit." Directly under this is the statement: "I adopted a cute lil' death fetus from Fetusmart! Hooray fetus!" There is an image of a dead fetus in a jar as a sort of demented prize.

On Klauschie's MySpace March 17, 2006 blog entry entitled "bored and can't sleep," he writes about the SMC Gaming Club as follows: "I think I had to [sic] much soda so I can't sleep. I hope the game club stars soon we are a club now but it takes 5 days for us to get a room to have are club in its kinda dumb that is a college for ya. I hope we can get to do the podcasts it would be fun and a way to get in to E3. I hope that some of my stuff can get started soon so im not bored all the time." Well, exactly one week later, participating in the SMC Gaming Club's Spring 2006 semester debut with Thomas J. Baker's hate crimes, I'm sure Klauschie was not bored.



KURT PETERSON

Kurt Peterson is allegedly a recent member of the SMC Gaming Club. On or about May 4, 2006, Mr. Peterson was acting in his capacity as a representative of the SMC Gaming Club for the purpose of securing public funds for said club. According to the Associated Students of Santa Monica College Finance Committee Meeting, held at 2:30 p.m. in Cayton Center room 206, Mr. Peterson presented a proposal as follows: “Game Club, Funding to have a game club tournament with prizes (ICC $450.00)." At this time, Ms. Margaret Wick and I both opposed this request for funds during public comment at this meeting. The request for funds was subsequently set aside.

During this meeting, I received a copy of minutes, dated April 7, 2006, from the SMC Game Club. I am informed and believe and thereon allege that these minutes are fraudulent and have been deliberately falsified to obtain funds from the school. According to Ms. Margaret Wick, she went to the designated location and time of the SMC Gaming Club meeting on campus and found no one present. Therefore, based on this observation, the club allegedly held a secret meeting not authorized by the school that violates SMC’s policy pertaining to the holding of Secret Organizations on campus. As such, this meeting was held secretly, at an unauthorized location for the alleged purpose of excluding SMC students from participating in the club activities and voting decisions.

After Mr. Peterson made his presentation to the A.S. Finance Committee and after we made our public comments, Mr. Peterson asked me to come into the hallway to speak to me. Margaret Wick also followed us into the hallway for a brief period. During my conversation with Mr. Peterson, he indicated that the SMC Gaming Club was not only keeping me out of their meetings, but that they were hiding their meetings from me. Mr. Peterson also indicated that he had read my blog and that I was allegedly being expelled from the school. Mr. Peterson stated in a very threatening voice to me the following or words to this force and effect: “Miss, why do I have an entire club that's willing to testify against YOU? Why do I have an entire club willing to try to get YOU?” I find these statements particularly disturbing given the fact that I have never met Mr. Peterson before and have had no written or oral communications to him prior to his request to speak to me in the hallway.

Given Mr. Peterson’s unwarranted animosity against me and Mr. Baker’s falsified statements both orally and in writing, I feel that Mr. Baker has been allowed to create a hostile environment both in the SMC Gaming Club and on campus that is in violation of SMC’s goals and mission of fostering a community of mutual respect, goodwill, diversity, and tolerance. Given the admissions by Mr. Peterson that the SMC Gaming Club is acting in secret, without faculty supervision and in violation of the ICC’s constitution, the club should not be allowed to receive public funds and should be uninstalled forthwith. Given the violent nature of Mr. Peterson’s demeanor and statements, I feel that to allow the club to continue in their present state may lead to physical violence or harm against myself or other students at SMC.

Thank you for your prompt attention to the foregoing.

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, Associated Students, public schools, SMC Gaming Club, Game Review Net, Thomas J. Baker, Brian Puschell, death threats, terrorist threats, fraud, News and politics, discrimination, sexual harassment