Request for Further Documents to Robert Sammis

Here's an email I just sent Santa Monica College Vice-President of Planning and Development, Robert Sammis.

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

(c) 2006: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

-------------------------- MY EMAIL TO ROBERT SAMMIS -----------------------------

ATTENTION: ROBERT SAMMIS, SMCCD

JUNE 13, 2006

RE: SUSPENSION APPEAL HEARING AND REQUEST FOR FURTHER DOCUMENTS

Dear Mr. Sammis,

I received your package of documents on Monday afternoon at my P.O. box. As to the appeal hearing, please be advised that I did not hear from you until last Friday. This was the first day of my attorney's summer vacation and I am informed and believe that he will not be returning to the office until after June 19th. Accordingly, I will attempt to contact him as soon as possible so that I may review these documents with him and forward your request for setting up the dates and times for the suspension appeal hearing. To give you a tentative date, I would suggest sometime around the first week of July, although I do not know his court calendar at this time. I feel we will need more than one day for the appeal hearing and would like you to please provide some tentative dates that would suit your calendar. Do you wish to have my attorney contact you directly when he returns from his vacation?

Additionally, I have asked in writing repeatedly for the names and titles of the members of the appeals hearing committee and have yet to receive a response. Please provide this information to me as soon as possible.

As to the documents you provided, I am wondering why any and all written statements in my support were not included in the documentation you sent me? These are part of my disciplinary file as they were allegedly sent to Dean Penchansky and should be promptly disclosed. Furthermore, I have asked repeatedly for the petition that was allegedly circulated by Ms. Penchansky and Thomas J. Baker, yet that was not contained in your packet. As to the SMCPD reports, there are still some outstanding that were referenced in the suspension letter that were not included. Am I to assume that these reports do not in fact exist and, as such, will not be produced? Please let me know.

Additionally, I have only received the first page of an email dated Tuesday, February 28, 2006 sent allegedly from Judith Penchansky to you, cced to Jim Keeshen and Katharine Muller, entitled "RE: Des Mantarri History part I." Please send the remainder of this email to me.

Furthermore, there is a two-page undated and unsigned statement by Jim Keeshen to "Judy Penchansky" in which at the right top corner there is a handwritten comment which appears to have Ms. Penchansky's initials which states "received via email 8/23/05." Please provide the original email to me. Also, in the last paragraph of the first page, there is a statement that reads: "Subsequently it was discovered that without my permission or knowledge, Des Mantarri [sic] continued to enter into my classes even after the semester had ended. Julie Yarrish has a log of all these entries." Please provide me with a copy of this alleged "log." Additionally, Mr. Keeshen makes references to several emails between us on page 1, paragraphs 5 through 6. These alleged emails should be promptly disclosed.

Nowhere in the documents you provided me were there any formal investigations or reports prior to my wrongful and immediate suspension. To the best of my knowledge, there were no letters or statements or emails from SMC President Chui Tsang or SMCPD Chief of Police Eileen Miller. Am I to assume that none of these documents exist? Please let me know.

Also, there are two email solicitations from SMC student Thomas J. Baker to SMC employees Stu Seldon and Jim Keeshen. Accordingly, any email or other written responses from them should be disclosed, as they are part of my student disciplinary files.

I reserve the right to further comment or correct any of the information you provided me until I have had ample opportunity to discuss such with my attorney.

Again, I have requested repeatedly in writing to inspect my student records, including disciplinary records maintained by Dean Penchansky. Despite my requests, I have not been afforded an opportunity to physically inspect these files. Please let me know when I can inspect my files.

Additionally, I have asked in writing for a list of witnesses that the school plans to call at the suspension appeal hearing. Please provide this list to me as soon as possible so that we may properly gage the length of time needed for the appeal hearing and so that I can prepare my case.

Thank you for your prompt response to the foregoing.

Very Truly Yours,

Des Manttari /s/

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