Barbara Boxer Asked LAUSD to Violate the Law

According to the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association, representatives of the Barbara Boxer for Senate Campaign sent a letter to LAUSD teachers asking them to recruit students to serve as volunteers for her campaign.

This is a big violation of the California Education Code which states:

California Education Code, section 51520: “During school hours, and within one hour before the time of opening and within one hour after the time of closing of school, pupils of the public school shall not be solicited on school premises by teachers or others to subscribe or contribute to the funds of, to become members of, or to work for, any organization not directly under the control of the school authorities, unless the organization is a nonpartisan, charitable organization organized for charitable purposes by an act of Congress or under the laws of the state, the purpose of the solicitation is nonpartisan and charitable, and the solicitation has been approved by the county board of education or by the governing board of the school district in which the school is located.

Press release and doc below:

Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Tells L.A.U.S.D. and Los Angeles Board of Education:

“Barbara Boxer Asked LAUSD to Violate the Law”

Boxer campaign solicited Teachers to get students to volunteer for Campaign work

 Sacramento --- The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA) notified the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles Board of Education today that, in abject ignorance of California state law, the political campaign of Senator Barbara Boxer has openly solicited teachers employed by LAUSD to urge their students to volunteer for her campaign.

HJTA's letter to the school district urges LAUSD to immediately inform all its personnel, credentialed or otherwise, that it would be a clear violation of law for teachers to recruit their students on school property during school hours to volunteer for a specific political campaign.

“This is open and shut,” said Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.  “Pursuant to both case law and a specific provision of the California Education Code, what Boxer wants would leave LAUSD subject to both civil and potentially criminal sanctions.  Common sense should also tell her that seeking public resources and classroom time from teachers to do her political bidding is just wrong.  Barbara Boxer should know better.”

A copy of the letter was faxed to both the school district and the Board of Education this morning, and is attached here in PDF form.

A copy of the letter which was sent from Boxer’s office to teachers is also attached here.

   

For more information about the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association or for an online copy of the letters, visit: http://www.HJTA.org.