LAMB Sued for $20M by 2 families of sexual abuse victims

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems that the last thing anyone should be worried about is this non-profit school closing because of a lawsuit. A quick glance at the 2015 and 2014 budgets for LAMB suggests that the school's finances are not structured in such a way that a lawsuit could touch the bulk of their operating expenses. In 2015, about $7.3 million of the schools $7.5 million budget came from revenue sources that cannot be touched by a lawsuit -- the DC per capita student money, after school care fees, and federal grants. (See page 6 of this document-- http://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/report/FY15%20Audited%20Financial%20Statements%20-%20LAMB.pdf)

So long as the DC govt doesn't close the school, which it wouldn't given the shrieks of anguish they'd have to deal with from the 350 students' parents, the school will continue to receive almost all of its usual revenue regardless of how the lawsuit turns out, which means they wouldn't be forced to close for financial reasons. Sure, they may have to tighten their belts if enough donors and others decide they aren't interested in being associated with the school anymore and cut back on donations. And their insurance premium will likely go up after this. But they have an untouchable and steady revenue stream, so they aren't going to close even if there is a judgement for many millions of dollars.

Typically what happens when a jury awards a plaintiff more than the defendant can pay is that the court places something akin to a lien against future assets. In theory, if a billionaire gave the school $100 million in unrestricted funds down the line, the plaintiffs could go after that money in an effort to satisfy their jury award claim. But no donor would ever give a non-profit money in that way, assuming they aren't total idiots.

Do not know where to start. Guessing you are a 3-5th year at a law firm who thinks you know what you are talking about. I dare you to sign this. Please, I'm begging you! Let's see who the bigwig on DCUM is. How many hundreds of these trials have you first or 2nd chaired? Please tell us oh wise legal scholar.

The think about seasoned lawyers is that the more you learn and see, the more you realize there are no certainties. Please do not confuse your T-25 law school education and 3 years doing doc review at BigLaw with actual legal experience. I'm reminded of the people who just knew that Big Tobacco wouldn't lose the state lawsuits. Everyone knew it. Some states knew it so much that they allowed Peter Angelos to take the case with a 25% cut of recovery. He cashed a $1 billion check (with a B).

What a bizarre response. Of course there are no guarantees. That cuts both ways.

-“Seasoned lawyer”

Again, Mr "Seasoned Lawyer," what makes you think those revenue streams are immune from collection? Maybe they are, but just because they're not literally in back accounts doesn't mean they can't be subject to a judgment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is my guess about why those LAMB revenue sources would likely be "judgement proof"--

The 6.3 M from per pupil fees is money the school would only receive if it actually enrolls and teaches students. I can't imagine that the District's Treasurer gives the schools the entire 9 months worth of money for each kid at the beginning of the school year and then allows the schools to spend it as they like on things unrelated to teaching those students. That would be way too tempting to those school leaders who like to mismanage public funds. But then again, this is DC. So maybe it's possible.

There is about half a million in fees for the Extended Day Learning Program (aka after school care) from parents whose kids are enrolled in the program. Not sure what parent would keep paying the monthly cost of after school care if the school ceases to provide the care. I certainly would not.

The federal grants are about half a million. In general, federal grants restrict the use of the funds for things unrelated to the grant, like paying a legal judgement against the grantee for allowing child abuse. It's pretty obvious why that would be their practice. (That said, it did turn out that the US House was using our tax dollars to pay off victims.) Also, fed grant money is usually distributed in installments after the grantee meets benchmarks. So if the grantee were to use the money for a different purpose than intended, they'd be cut off from receiving future installments.

What does any of what you wrote have to do with garnishing money in LAMB's bank account? If LAMB thereby violates its agreements with 3rd parties by allowing funds to be garnished, then that's LAMB's issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unpopular opinion: I think LAMB should be shut down. Sorry not sorry.

Because there were bad actor administrators who have since been terminated? Really? Should we shut every school down that has a bad principal?

We should shut down any school that has turned their head from child abuse. Still sorry not sorry

A couple bad administrators and one evil teacher aren't LAMB.

I wonder if you'd say such horrible things to my innocent child, who loves LAMB and loves their community.

I'm sorry...did you really just type that? Your poor innocent child is harmed by people who are disgusted with LAMB? That's not harm you self centered nitwit. But, sure. Bring your kid over here and I'll tell them what happened when the kids were molested, how the admin did nothing to stop it or prevent future occurrences, forced the victims to go back to the same teacher, tried to create a culture of fear of silence and then had parents like you defend the school because it is really hard on you that kids got molested. Bring them here!!!

You sound deranged. Get help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LAMB parent posting for the first time.

If there are LAMB families posting (over and over again) on here, I really wish you would move to the school forum and post there and sign your name so that we can have a real dialogue. It's hard to know if people posting here are LAMB families or not. This is a very tough time for the school, but so many of us want the school to survive and thrive. I think if families do not want to be part of helping the school move forward (while certainly acknowledging the pain and tragedy of what happened), then they need to consider pulling their children out after this year. I cannot imagine staying if I had so much ill will towards the school.

I am really glad the three individuals responsible are gone. They should have been fired long ago. With them gone, I feel comfortable staying at the school and being part of helping move forward. I cannot imagine staying if I didn't feel that way.

I doubt many people here are lamb parents. This thread is bringing out the crazies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems that the last thing anyone should be worried about is this non-profit school closing because of a lawsuit. A quick glance at the 2015 and 2014 budgets for LAMB suggests that the school's finances are not structured in such a way that a lawsuit could touch the bulk of their operating expenses. In 2015, about $7.3 million of the schools $7.5 million budget came from revenue sources that cannot be touched by a lawsuit -- the DC per capita student money, after school care fees, and federal grants. (See page 6 of this document-- http://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/report/FY15%20Audited%20Financial%20Statements%20-%20LAMB.pdf)

So long as the DC govt doesn't close the school, which it wouldn't given the shrieks of anguish they'd have to deal with from the 350 students' parents, the school will continue to receive almost all of its usual revenue regardless of how the lawsuit turns out, which means they wouldn't be forced to close for financial reasons. Sure, they may have to tighten their belts if enough donors and others decide they aren't interested in being associated with the school anymore and cut back on donations. And their insurance premium will likely go up after this. But they have an untouchable and steady revenue stream, so they aren't going to close even if there is a judgement for many millions of dollars.

Typically what happens when a jury awards a plaintiff more than the defendant can pay is that the court places something akin to a lien against future assets. In theory, if a billionaire gave the school $100 million in unrestricted funds down the line, the plaintiffs could go after that money in an effort to satisfy their jury award claim. But no donor would ever give a non-profit money in that way, assuming they aren't total idiots.

Do not know where to start. Guessing you are a 3-5th year at a law firm who thinks you know what you are talking about. I dare you to sign this. Please, I'm begging you! Let's see who the bigwig on DCUM is. How many hundreds of these trials have you first or 2nd chaired? Please tell us oh wise legal scholar.

The think about seasoned lawyers is that the more you learn and see, the more you realize there are no certainties. Please do not confuse your T-25 law school education and 3 years doing doc review at BigLaw with actual legal experience. I'm reminded of the people who just knew that Big Tobacco wouldn't lose the state lawsuits. Everyone knew it. Some states knew it so much that they allowed Peter Angelos to take the case with a 25% cut of recovery. He cashed a $1 billion check (with a B).

What a bizarre response. Of course there are no guarantees. That cuts both ways.

-“Seasoned lawyer”

Again, Mr "Seasoned Lawyer," what makes you think those revenue streams are immune from collection? Maybe they are, but just because they're not literally in back accounts doesn't mean they can't be subject to a judgment.

I’m not the attorney who wrote that. I’m a different attorney who thinks you sound nuts.

[Anonymous]

A third attorney (and yes, I'm also 'seasoned") jumping in to say that the more LAMB parents jump in to attack those who think that that the parents of the victims deserve a monetary relief from the school, the more they make their own school look terrible.

Some of the most selfish people I know happen to be parents of PK3 students at LAMB. Wonder if they are the ones jumping in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems that the last thing anyone should be worried about is this non-profit school closing because of a lawsuit. A quick glance at the 2015 and 2014 budgets for LAMB suggests that the school's finances are not structured in such a way that a lawsuit could touch the bulk of their operating expenses. In 2015, about $7.3 million of the schools $7.5 million budget came from revenue sources that cannot be touched by a lawsuit -- the DC per capita student money, after school care fees, and federal grants. (See page 6 of this document-- http://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/report/FY15%20Audited%20Financial%20Statements%20-%20LAMB.pdf)

So long as the DC govt doesn't close the school, which it wouldn't given the shrieks of anguish they'd have to deal with from the 350 students' parents, the school will continue to receive almost all of its usual revenue regardless of how the lawsuit turns out, which means they wouldn't be forced to close for financial reasons. Sure, they may have to tighten their belts if enough donors and others decide they aren't interested in being associated with the school anymore and cut back on donations. And their insurance premium will likely go up after this. But they have an untouchable and steady revenue stream, so they aren't going to close even if there is a judgement for many millions of dollars.

Typically what happens when a jury awards a plaintiff more than the defendant can pay is that the court places something akin to a lien against future assets. In theory, if a billionaire gave the school $100 million in unrestricted funds down the line, the plaintiffs could go after that money in an effort to satisfy their jury award claim. But no donor would ever give a non-profit money in that way, assuming they aren't total idiots.

Do not know where to start. Guessing you are a 3-5th year at a law firm who thinks you know what you are talking about. I dare you to sign this. Please, I'm begging you! Let's see who the bigwig on DCUM is. How many hundreds of these trials have you first or 2nd chaired? Please tell us oh wise legal scholar.

The think about seasoned lawyers is that the more you learn and see, the more you realize there are no certainties. Please do not confuse your T-25 law school education and 3 years doing doc review at BigLaw with actual legal experience. I'm reminded of the people who just knew that Big Tobacco wouldn't lose the state lawsuits. Everyone knew it. Some states knew it so much that they allowed Peter Angelos to take the case with a 25% cut of recovery. He cashed a $1 billion check (with a B).

What a bizarre response. Of course there are no guarantees. That cuts both ways.

-“Seasoned lawyer”

Again, Mr "Seasoned Lawyer," what makes you think those revenue streams are immune from collection? Maybe they are, but just because they're not literally in back accounts doesn't mean they can't be subject to a judgment.

I’m not the attorney who wrote that. I’m a different attorney who thinks you sound nuts.

Above the Law is leaking...don't you guys have some billing to do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a LAMB parent, I am horrified by the negligence that occurred under the leadership of Diane C and Cristina E. At the same time, I can see how their judgment was clouded by personal relationships and inexperience with child molesters. That is why they should have had better protective policies in place, which they didn't. Again, negligence. It's awful. I feel so horrible for the victim families.

But to add to already strong emotions on the topic, I am now a little bit angry at the individuals who are suing the school. I realize that something horrible and unimaginably traumatic happened to their kids. It is awful.

But LAMB as an institution does so much good for the children that it serves in Washington DC. Why insist on suing for so much money that the school might go bankrupt and stop all of the good work that it does? (Recognizing again, that the school was a nightmare experience for those families).

I have no ill will at all toward the families filing. Because I understand that they will not receive this amount, what they receive will be from insurance, and will not bring down the school by fact of this lawsuit (or shouldn't). And they do deserve some compensation.



Yes, LAMB is the true victim here. If insurance pays, fine. But LAMB should not be held to account for their actions.

But I do have ill will now toward a lot of people on this thread who seem to be gleefully hoping the school closes down.

Former LAMB parent here. My child was taught by Fernandez. Please don't imbue LAMB with humanity. It is a system, a school more specifically. It is not a victim. The victims are human beings, innocent chiildren violated by a broken system. "LAMB" facilitated that. If the end result is its closure, so be it. Parents can find and cope with other means of educating their children. They are free to move on. No matter what the victims do- they will not be able to move on. They can heal with proper care, but this will be a facet of their lives. My child has a sense of insecurity and mistrust that we, as a family, have worked very hard on so we all can feel empowered in this horrific matter. It is a part of our daily bread. No amount of money makes that okay, but we will perservere. May the plaintiffs prevail handsomely. Not, so they may be enriched. Money could never provide that. But, to send a message that many will only respond to- a hit to their pocket books. And as far as the Board "firing" the culpable admins, that only happened after a force of parents that would go to the end of the earth for their children forced the board's hand. Their was a culture of cover-up, downplay, feigned ignorance and an attempt to instill in the children that they should not speak about the situation and go about things as normal. They were mislead that Fernandez was on paternity leave (yes, this disgusting "human being" just had a baby with his wife) and it would go on indefinitely. Because the kids are smart and knew Fernandez was in jail (never underestimate the power of brilliant and intuitive kids), I had to explain to my child the abhorrence of that behavior and that there was no need to along that BS. Rightfully so, my child questioned me why the school would act this way when this horrible man hurt so many children. I had to have a frank conversation with my child about how terrible adults can be, even unintentionally. This was right along with the conversation about men and women who sexually abuse children. I swallowed lumps in my throat articulating this to my young child. I know it will never be forgotten. I know I will never forget. "LAMB" needs to do what is right by these families.

[Anonymous]

It seems that other families are willing to negotiate with LAMB instead of suing the school. The 2 families who has sued LAMB don’t have kids in the school any longer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A third attorney (and yes, I'm also 'seasoned") jumping in to say that the more LAMB parents jump in to attack those who think that that the parents of the victims deserve a monetary relief from the school, the more they make their own school look terrible.

Some of the most selfish people I know happen to be parents of PK3 students at LAMB. Wonder if they are the ones jumping in?

I doubt that most people posting here are LAMB parents.

[Anonymous]

Chiming in to reiterate what a previous poster said:
1) Please move to the LAMB listserve and sign your name.
2) If you hate LAMB so much, the parents, admin that remains, board, PTO, etc. please leave the school. You do not need to stay. You do not need to move to Kingsbury if you don't want to. I understand your other choices might be limited, but you do have a choice. Exercise your right to choose. Do not stay and spread your misery to what's left of the community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chiming in to reiterate what a previous poster said:
1) Please move to the LAMB listserve and sign your name.
2) If you hate LAMB so much, the parents, admin that remains, board, PTO, etc. please leave the school. You do not need to stay. You do not need to move to Kingsbury if you don't want to. I understand your other choices might be limited, but you do have a choice. Exercise your right to choose. Do not stay and spread your misery to what's left of the community.

What does Kingsbury have to do with any of this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What good does shutting down the school do when the principal, executive director and school psychologist have all been fired?

I know right? Hello! So crazy.

First off, few have advocated for closing the school. As to your actual question about what good would it do, that has been answered by several posters but I will happily answer again. The idea here is that the world is bigger than you and your kid. If a school was penalized so heavily that it could not continue as a going concern then the next administrators and BOD that are faced with having to deal with credible allegations will understand that they must err on the side of protecting children, not favored molester staff. It would put everyone else in education on notice that failing to act to protect children has very real consequences. It is known to those of us who are not self centered, myopic, me-monsters as a "deterrent".

I would be able to tolerate people like you and the person to whom you provided the amen chorus if you had taken issue with whether the school being sued out of existence was a proportional response. I happen to think it is, but it's a fair point to argue. But your pure ignorance in failing to understand how anything is accomplished by the school going away is both astounding and an indication of how very self centered you truly are. I sincerely hope that neither you nor anyone you love is ever victimized by such a predator. What we are all learning right now (see, #METOO) is that structures and institutions have enabled these types of behavior for a very long time. And until those structures change how they operate, very little can change. If there is no true cost to bad behaviors then behaviors don't change.

Amen. I don't know if LAMB will be forced to close, but speculating about whether or not it will isn't the same as advocating for that to happen, or hoping that it happens.

And if the school closes, that sends a very strong message to every other school that tolerating the abuse of children has serious consequences. Because too often, the people in power choose to protect the abuser, for a variety of reasons. It's gross that financial incentives mean more to some people than moral obligations, but that's the way it is.

I don't have a dog in this fight--I don't have a kid at LAMB, I never wanted my kid to go to LAMB, I don't really care if LAMB closes or not, so long as the school and the officials are held accountable in a meaningful way--but I have seen the way that other institutions and their supporters use the "we do so much good" line to justify and excuse their complicity in child abuse. It's not a pan scale, with the good you do and the harm you inflict weighed against each other.

[Anonymous]

But those responsible are GONE--fired and imprisoned, thank God.

What's left are incredible, passionate educators who put their hearts into their work. They are not abusers and molesters. They are excellent teachers who have endured so much during this terrible ordeal. Closing the school would hurt them and the hundreds of children who are at the school now and the thousands more that will go to LAMB in the future. And while many on here say there are lots of high SES kids at LAMB who have options, there are plenty of families for whom LAMB is indeed winning the lottery and they do not have a great alternative. And for middle class and high SES students, they too love LAMB and deserve to stay in their school.

Advocating for closing the school is like saying the Catholic Church should be shuttered and Penn State should close. The school is so much more than the 4 individuals at fault. They should be punished, not the entire community (and generations of LAMB students to come).

[Anonymous]

Well, those institutions should close because there were many who fostered a culture that tolerated the abuse. But, there aren't many on here who are calling for the school to close. LAMB parents -- calm down. You're not doing your school any favors. You should be ticked at your board for not doing anything sooner. Dont be mad at people on a forum who are wondering what the impact a potential large judgment would have on the school.

Yeesh.