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Posted Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 1:20 pm
Under LAUSD rules, CBMWD special daytime meetings constitute a second job, which could result in felony fraud charges filed against Roybal, as well as immediate termination by the LAUSD.
Video of HMG-CN catching Roybal attending noon special CBMWD meeting appears at the end of this article.
By Brian Hews
Central Basin Water District President James Roybal in Commerce on Wednesday. Randy Economy Photo
A Hews Media Group-Community News undercover investigation has revealed that embattled Central Basin Municipal Water District President James B. Roybal has been removed from his teaching responsibilities and has been placed in Los Angeles Unified School District‘s infamous “Teacher’s Jail.”
Sources have given HMG-CN specific details that claim that Roybal is attending the controversial program at LAUSD’s Local District Five Offices on Soto Street since approximately March 2013. Roybal was a special education instructor at Wilson High School at 4500 Multnomah Street in El Sereno.
Beginning in the mid 90’s, teachers accused of misconduct have been removed from their teaching assignments and held in district offices while administrators and law enforcement agencies investigate allegations. The process typically drags on for months, with teachers collecting their full pay – an average of $6,000 a month, plus benefits – until they’re returned to work or fired.
Under written rules, teachers in jail are to check in at a designated location every day for 2 hours and then go back to their home. They are not to seek a second job, take a day trip, or enjoy outside entertainment, such as, going to the movies, sporting events, shopping, etc.
On Wednesday, HMG-CN took a video camera inside the embroiled water district offices in Commerce and confronted Roybal about the situation while he was attending an Administrative Committee Meeting that started at noon.
Roybal was directly asked if he is enrolled in Teachers Jail and he quickly acknowledged that he goes “to the building” where Teacher’s Jail is held, but quickly ended the interview by saying “this conversation is over.”
HMG-CN asked him if he thought he was breaking the rules by working when he should have been home and Roybal again said “this conversation is over.”
In a January 15, 2013 televised statement made by LAUSD Superintendent John, only teachers accused of “egregious acts” are housed. They are returned to their classrooms only after being cleared by law enforcement.
Deasy went on to characterize actions that would land a teacher in teacher’s jail as “molesting a child and acts involving prostitution.”
A HMG-CN source inside teacher’s jail could only confirm that “allegations had been made” about Roybal but could not be specific regarding the case.
According to information provided by LAUSD, teachers are pulled from their classrooms only after credible allegations of misconduct are made. Figures provided by the District as of September 2013 indicate that 280 teachers are currently being housed costing the struggling school district upwards of $2.2 million a month in teacher’s salaries while the District also pays for substitutes to actually teach students.
Roybal was elected to the five-member CBMWD Board in 2012, and has only been in office since January of 2013. In his campaign, Roybal boasted on his campaign literature that he has earned two Master’s Degrees in Education.
One former LAUSD administrator also confirmed to HMG-CN in an interview that Roybal was indeed enrolled at Teachers Jail.
“How can we have a guy like this elected board member overseeing a water district for God sakes? If you are in Teacher’s Jail, you cannot just come and go at your pleasure,” the source said in an interview.
Roybal has openly discussed his teaching career with colleagues at the water agency during the past several months, and sources tell HMG-CN that the elected official “moves between schools quite often” and has recently taught at Garfield High School and Griffith Middle School before landing at Wilson High.
HMG’s sources at Teachers Jail noted that Roybal was seen wearing a CBMWD logo shirt.
During the course of the HMG-CN investigation, a document was received listing the rules for those held in teacher’s jail. The one-page rules document is an interoffice correspondence entitled Procedures/Protocol During Reassignment.
The document lists stringent rules prohibiting all electronic equipment and a direct order to “refrain from speaking to, contacting, emailing, intimidating, or retaliating against students, staff, or parents at your school.”
According to the HMG-CN source, the rules prohibiting contact is strictly enforced and monitored by the District.
Roybal’s regular attendance at CBMWD meetings, maximized as a result of his position as Board President, could be a felony and grounds for dismissal according to the rules document obtained by HMG-CN.
The document refers to a teacher’s assigned hours and work hours when a teacher may be reprimanded to home assignment.
The policy states that, “you are to remain at home…you are assigned no duties while at home.” The policy continues to state…”you are not to seek a second job, take a day trip, or enjoy outside entertainment, such as, going to the movies, sporting events, shopping, etc.”
According to CBMWD on-line documents, Roybal attends upwards of seven daytime meetings monthly including committees, caucus, board and frequent special meetings, while earning an LAUSD teacher’s salary that averages $67,000.
Each of these meetings render financial payment to CBMWD Directors with Roybal having received $28,856.61 since being was sworn in January 7, 2013.
Such payments would constitute a second job by LAUSD’s definition according to a HMG-CN source familiar with school district policy which could result in felony fraud charges filed against Roybal and as well as immediate termination by the LAUSD.
Is this guy for real? Did this a-hole really think it was appropriate to conceal the fact that he was a teacher facing potentially serious discipline, receiving his full teacher’s salary and benefits all while living the life of a high and mighty elected water board “President”?? The community has had enough of this joker and he needs to resign just like Ron Calderon needs to resign. Haven’t we waited long enough for the District Attorney or the FBI to prosecute him?
As an educator myself, there is no greater shame than being held in LAUSD’s Teacher Jail. Much has been said about how unfair teacher are treated while being detained in Teacher’s Jail, but from first hand experience, it not true. Typically, those facing allegations taken seriously enough to be removed from the classroom are most likely guilty.
James Roybal thinks of himself as quite the ladies man. He has been assigned to roughly two dozen schools in his career. For one reason or another, he runs afoul of school administration and is quickly reassigned. Given his constant movememt, the only classroom assignments he can hold down is teaching special education students which he hates.
At Wilson High, Roybal was laughed at by his fellow educators. His “checkered” history follows him at this stage of his career and administors all want him to disappear. As a result, he’s a loner who is an outcast. Hopefully, this story will give LA Unified cause to terminate him and nullify his pension. The fraud that he perpetrated while drawing a second income from Central Basin clearly provides just cause to boot him once and for all. This guy’s arrogance finally caught up with him!
WE are dancing in the halls at Central Basin..PARTY TIME! This arrogant bas%^$ is going to get what he deserves. He preaches BS and demands that people bow to his ass. We HATE the pr%^% and he knows how much we can’t stand him. Our poor General Manager is tormented by this little terrorist and we’ve never seen him more happy Wednesday when the reporters ambushed him. Roybal and Apodaca went up to Tony’s office after the meeting and cried the blues to him…nice! Hopefully Apodaca and Vasquez are next. Stay tuned and THANK YOU Los Cerritos News:)
He needs to be tarred/feathered and ran out of town on a hand cart! Or strung up by his ass! More arrogance by typical liberals- sorry folks but MOST all teachers are libtards..
This guy has been a train wreck since he was first elected, and I could have predicted it would happen. I’ve had the misfortunate of meeting Roybal years ago when he first became active in Pico Rivera politics. Back then he never knew how to work with people, still doesn’t. He was judgemental and arrogant and everyone hated working with him. He’s the perfect example of that wanna-be person who resents and begrudges everyone who succeeds. No one is as smart as him and anyone that he perceives as smarter is immediately criticized behind their backs obviously. He is a horrible human being.
In my opinion, the one aspect of James Roybal that people need to realize is that he is a miserable alcoholic. His alcoholism is what drives his anger and resentment towards everyone and everything.
I have heard that a recall movement is in the works and I encourage everyone to give serious consideration to the idea. Roybal is the problem. He has created problems that didn’t exist before at Central Basin, and that’s really saying something. Some people should not run for elected office and James Roybal is at the top of that list. Call James and ask him to save the community of Pico Rivera the embarrassment of the another recall and JUST RESIGN. He is toxic.
Has anyone heard whether this scumbag has resigned or been terminated by LAUSD? I would have to imagine that he’s been cut off from being allowed home privileges? Has LAUSD issued any statements? This joker can’t be let off the hook! He’s pulled way too much crap to skate by on this one. This clown is a train wreck!
Guess what? The Dictator showed up here at Central Basin just after 8am Friday! We would never see him before 10am at the earliest before, so something changed? Looks like either he quit or was fired. In any regards, the little man is walking around a changed man now. He’s seems to have lost his cockiness and thug-like demeanor. I think this revelation is going to hurt him financially so kudo’s for whoever discovered he was a bad apple teacher.
Along that like, isn’t it ironic that this “know-it-all, I’m smarter than you, you don’t deserve to breath the same air as me” Roybal character was in teacher jail! What a low life. Mr. Professional is a scumbag himself. Yeah! Talk about what goes around comes around. This guy is a disgrace, as a teacher and as an elected official. We need him OUT of Central Basin and many employees here would gladly contribute to a Recall Campaign to bounce this dog.
Nicely put Mike. Bravo!!
I am so happy the truth about Jim has come out. He’s a drunk who many of his neighbors dislike. He has preached to all of us the gospel according to Jim for decades. He always knows best and if we’re not as interested as him, he tells us we get what what we deserve.
He doesn’t take care of his home and his home brings down the values on the block. I hope he leaves this cityn in disgrace.
This guy is getting everything he deserves. He talks so much sh–t behind everyones backs and just uses people, including his so-called friends. I’ve known this clown for a few years now and and he is nothing but a condescending idiot who thinks he’s better than everyone else. I hope he ends up being prosecuted once and for all. Happy Thanksgiving!