Rialto >> After repeated criticisms over the failure to release documents explaining the genesis of an assignment that asked the school district’s eighth-graders to argue whether or not the Holocaust occurred, the school board replaced its legal team on Saturday night and pledged to release documents “as soon as possible.”
After the revelation in May that the district’s 2,000 eighth-graders had been asked to argue for or against the existence of the Holocaust in an assignment developed by district teachers, media organizations, the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles and private citizens filed public records requests, attempting to learn how the assignment was developed.
Despite legal requirements the district respond to those requests after 10 days, Rialto Unified has failed to release the documents three months after the first requests were made.
On Saturday night, interim Superintendent Mohammad Z. Islam said that responding to the records requests “has been beyond overdue.”
To rectify the situation, he said he made a “9-1-1 call” to Los Angeles-based law firm Fagen, Friedman and Fulfrost.
“They have an expertise in this type of area,” Islam said.
The firm’s nine attorneys “offer extensive legal experience across all areas of education law,” according to its website.
Partner Chris Keeler told the school board his firm is experienced in handling document requests under the California Public Records Act.
“We’ll do it fast and we’ll do it right,” Keeler said.
The board voted to hire Fagen, Friedman and Fulfrost by a 4-1 vote, with board member Joseph Martinez dissenting without explanation.
Keeler was immediately put to work — he and the board moved behind closed doors to discuss four cases of anticipated litigation, according to the meeting agenda.
During their time behind closed doors, school board members directed Keeler and his firm to expedite the public record requests and release the requested documents “as soon as possible.”
The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, starting at 7 p.m., at the district’s offices at 182 E. Walnut Ave.
