Search This Blog

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE HARTFORD SCHOOLS? CHAPTER 2

The flood gates are opening

After I posted last night with some information I had received from a source, I have received numerous e-mails and phone calls regarding terrible conditions for staff members and students inside Hartford Schools , all apparently being ignored by Superintendent Leslie Torres-Rodriguez and members of the Board of Education.

One caller advised me about a teacher who was assaulted in her school by a parent on December 23, 2018. The parent was eventually arrested and charged with numerous crimes, including the assault  on the parent for Assault 3rd Degree, Disorderly Conduct and 19 other counts of Risk of Injury to a Minor.

I was able to readily confirm that information through the State of Connecticut Judicial website and I am awaiting more information from the arrest reports. This is only  the beginning, please keep this information coming so that we can continue to expose the dangerous conditions for staff and students alike, within the Hartford Schools.

As a reminder DO NOT e-mail information from the Hartford Schools internal networks, that can all be tracked by  the Superintendent and her staff. Contact me on your own phone, block the number if you feel more comfortable to talk to me anonymously or text or e-mail me with information.

Thank You for doing your part to expose problems within the Hartford Schools.

I was also told by a High ranking Hartford Police official that the investigation with Jose Colon-Rivas is close to becoming a criminal matter. Does anyone have any more information on this? Is the accusation legit or is it another possible smear campaign to discredit someone that stopped playing ball in the Central Office?
SCN_0012  on Scribd

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE HARTFORD SCHOOLS?

Someone needs to take a serious look at this operation at the Hartford Schools. Sadly we know it won't be any of the puppets on the Board of Education.

When I start receiving numerous documents  regarding school operations, I know things are acting up. Last week I received several documents from a source including e-mails and internal memos detailing poor, dangerous conditions at schools, including Hartford High School.

One teacher I spoke with said that Hartford High is a "powder keg" ready to explode. The teacher detailed assaults on other staff members , teachers and security officers. They even related details about a student that was injured after they were thrown down a flight of stairs at Hartford High

Another of the documents I received was an e-mail a teacher had sent to other teachers detailing an assault on him as well as describing dangerous conditions throughout the school by students loitering and threatening teachers. Rather than the Administration address the concerns, they responded by threatening the teacher with discipline for using the network  to send the message,  in an e-mail sent by Hartford High Principal Anthony Brooks to admonish the teacher

Apparently , staff members have also recently had a meeting with the Superintendent to detail their concerns, but little or nothing has changed. Drug use in the hallways is apparently a regular occurrence and clouds of marijuana smoke are overlooked , all apparently part of the education process in Hartford.

Now today I received a call regarding the Chief Operating Officer Jose Colon-Rivas. The caller was suspicious because they had called the COO's Office and received cryptic responses as to his whereabouts and the caller got the impression that he was gone or had been terminated. After some checking, I found that Colon-Rivas has apparently been placed on "administrative suspension" for undisclosed reasons, possibly missing computers and equipment.

In addition, it appears that the Executive  Director of Security and Internal Investigations for the Hartford Schools, retired Connecticut State Police Major Alexander Rios, has also abruptly left his position and now, according to sources has started a new job with CREC.

Here is one of the memo's I received detailing problems in the Hartford Schools, more to come on this. If anyone has further information, please feel free to contact me. All information is kept confidential.
SCN_0011 by on Scribd

Monday, February 25, 2019

A WORTHWHILE EVENT




On Tuesday, February 26th from 5:30-7:30 p.m., Hands On Hartford’s Faces Of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau will present “Where the Heart Is: Four Journeys Through Homelessness”, at the Hartford Public Library, 500 Main Street. The four outstanding speakers will share their stories and experiences: Where they came from, what happened in their lives that caused them to become homeless, what they learned on their journeys, and where their lives are today. This is a candid, open, honest presentation of mistakes, missteps, domino effects, and valiant efforts to regain control of their lives. It is also an eye-opening view into the bureaucracy of government at all levels, the pitfalls within the shelter system, and the struggle against the myths and misconceptions that stigmatize those whose lives have taken unexpected turns. The stories will surprise and shock, and will move many to tears and, in some cases, even laughter. No one will leave untouched by the power of their words, and will leave knowing this: Homelessness can happen to anyone.

The event—the first of its kind available and open to anyone in the city—is sponsored by the Hartford Public Library, Hammond Realty, and Pepsi, and is free and open to the public. The presentation is also appropriate—and educational—for youth ages 12 and up. The evening will begin at 5:30, allowing a half-hour for free refreshments and social time before the program begins at 6:00 p.m. with a stunning short video filmed in Hartford, followed by the speakers. The final 20-30 minutes will be devoted to an open mic question-and-answer session between the audience and the speakers.

Faces Of Homelessness has been invited to present more than 200 such speaking events, reaching thousands of audience members, all over the state of Connecticut for the past six years, and the requests continue to stream in from middle schools, public and private high schools, colleges and law schools, medical schools, faith groups of all religions, corporate groups, community, professional, and senior organizations, and government agencies at all levels. "

YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE CITY HALL. THE BAERGA TIMELINE IS COMING OUT

Hartford City Hall has been pretty silent over the sexual harassment complaint by Hartford Officer Kelly Baerga. There may very well be a good reason for it.

Part of it may be the unspoken support for the alleged  abuser, Hartford Police Sergeant Andrew Rodney. Rodney is also a member of the Hartford Democratic Town Committee from the 7th District, as well as a visible supporter for the re-election of Mayor Luke Bronin.

THE FULL BAERGA COMPLAINT MEMO IS BELOW AT THE END OF THIS POST

Although some, including LGBTQ activists, are attempting to portray the Hartford Police Department as a "toxic" environment, unsafe for female employees, the documents portray a different picture. The heavily redacted documents obtained by We the People through a Freedom of Information request paint a timeline for Baerga's complaint, much different  than we would be led to believe by City Hall..

Officer Baerga is also HPD's liaison to the LGBTQ community,

The heavily redacted documents  will be the subject of an FOI complaint I am filing challenging the City's claim that the redactions are legal, but in the interest of revealing information now, I am posting the heavily redacted pages.

Although we have been led to believe that HPD sat on Baerga's complaint for over half a year and did nothing, that is not true and the dated documents prove that is untrue.

Baerga's complaint was originally made to her supervisor , Lt. Paul West on or about May 28, 2018. Almost immediately Chief David Rosado instructed IAD Lt. Brandon O'Brien to open an immediate investigation into Baerga's allegations

SCN_0005 by on Scribd
In addition, the alleged abuser, Sergeant Andrew Rodney was immediately transferred out of the Recruiting Division to avoid contact with Officer Baerga. This was carried out by an order from Assistant Chief Ralph Medina on the same day he was made aware of the allegations. Medina's transfer order was carried out through an internal e-mail sent by Sgt. Brian Bowsza
SCN_0006 by on Scribd
Due to some strange City policy, the Baerga investigation was taken away from the trained investigators at the HPD Internal Affairs Division as Chief Rosado had ordered and instead was turned over to Cherese Chery, the city's Director of Human Resources. I am not sure what Chery's background is investigating similar complaints, but none the less, that is the City way.  The investigation sat in the HR Director's Office for roughly five months until on September 28, 2018, a report was forwarded to Assistant Chief Medina with her findings.

Despite most, if not all of Baerga's allegations being substantiated through the HR Director's "investigation", the  only recommendation was that " the results of the Investigation indicate an opportunity for sexual harassment prevention training" for Sergeant Rodney and Lieutenant West.

That's it,  a slap on the wrist and "retraining" for the abuser.
SCN_0007 by on Scribd
On December 21, 2018, HPD Assistant Chief Jason Thody referred the matter back to HPD internal Affairs Commander Lt. Kevin O'Brien for further investigation , above and beyond the recommendations of the HR Director. O'Brien was instructed to fully investigate the matter  for potential Code of conduct violations. This, in my opinion, is where the investigation should have resided from the start instead of the delays caused by City Hall intervening and adding an undue delay to Baerga's complaint
SCN_0008 by on Scribd
I am not clear why the policy requires the matter to be referred to the HR Director rather than the investigators at HPD actually conducting an investigation. This would seem to cause an undue delay to the facts actually coming out or more likely is it a way for City Hall to control the outcome?

More to come on this I am pretty sure as more layers of the onion get peeled back
Baerga Complaint by on Scribd

Sunday, February 24, 2019

REALITY CHECK

This is just an example of how fast these situations can go bad.

 Luckily with body cams it is much easier to get the full perspective. This is the unsanitized version  of an Officer  Involved Shooting from Napa Valley California, all over a routine traffic stop, if there is such a thing as routine any more.

 I can't believe how calm the Officer remained, but I guess  that says a lot about her training. Stay safe Officer's



MAYOR BRONIN AND THE HARTFORD DEMOCRATIC TOWN COMMITTEE, DISCRIMINATION IN ANY FORM IS NOT A HARTFORD VALUE

The Officer Baerga sexual harassment complaint has brought a sudden case of laryngitis to Hartford City Hall.

It is not unusual that many have lost their voices in a building that is quick to comment on everything else. Maybe it is an election year and people are worried about losing votes if they call out the accused offender. Maybe it might be because the complaint sat in City Hall for months with no action. Maybe it is because it involves a LGBTQ person and that is not as big of a deal and won't get the same headlines as if it were a racial issue.

Whatever the reason, wrong is wrong and the fact that  Mayor Bronin and the Hartford Democratic Town Committee has chosen to remain silent when the accused harasser is also a member of the Democratic Town Committee is also wrong.

I recently questioned a member of the Democratic Town Committee as to their silence and the response was that "Marc Dibella is the Town Chair"

Well let me ask , do Town Committee members answer to Marc Dibella or does he answer to them?

I think we all know the answer to that question.

Below is the list of current Hartford Democratic Town Committee members by District. If you can , message them through Facebook or call them and let them know  any form of discrimination can not be tolerated and we expect them to exercise their voices and stand for something.
Hartford Dtc List by on Scribd