Labels - How Good are They?

Labels are important to have in our world. At least, labels of products, houses, types of animals, diseases, germs, bacteria, vitamins etc., assist us in making choices about life, health, and happiness. The basics.

Sometimes, people deserve to be labelled "criminal", "corrupt" or "child abuser", and there are many examples recently in the news of these convicted individuals. The key word here is "convicted." There are facts which show to a jury of his/her peers that the person is guilty of a crime. Works most, but not all of the time.

Convicted:

con·vict

  (kən-vĭkt′)

v. con·vict·ed, con·vict·ing, con·victs

v.tr.

1. Law To find or prove (someone) guilty of an offense or crime, especially by the verdict of a court: 

The jury convicted the defendant of manslaughter.

2. To show or declare to be blameworthy; condemn: His remarks convicted him of a lack of sensitivity.

3. To make aware of one's sinfulness or guilt.

v.intr.

To return a verdict of guilty in a court: "We need jurors ... who will not convict merely because they 

are suspicious"(Scott Turow).

n. (kŏn′vĭkt′) Law

1. A person found or declared guilty of an offense or crime.

2. A person serving a sentence of imprisonment.

Then there are opinions of people who give a label which has been "proven" in a person's mind. An example is my opinion that Francesco Portelos (UFT Solidarity) is a "cyberbully". This is my opinion, and I stand behind the label because of his actions and emails to me.

 The NYC DOE are quick to label GROUPS of people, and it is permanent, more or less. If you have the label "tenured teacher", this means that you have certain privileges as well as rights to your job and to benefits. You are supposed to be targeted for being tenured, so there is a spot on your back for made up charges. Watch out, be vigilant.

If you are a "probationary teacher", "paraprofessional", "secretary", even "Assistant Principal" or you have worked for the DOE for three years or less and do not have tenure, then you have no property right to your job, and that label means that you can be displaced easier and are probably easy to order around, because you have no job protections. You are expected to go after anyone targeted in the "tenured" group.

"ATRs" are, according to the DOE, people who have been discarded from their full-time employment as classroom teachers or Guidance Counselors for some reason - which no one at the DOE is going to try to figure out. This is when labels get slippery. There is a new policy invented by some nameless DOE chief of something who made it impossible for an employee to go back to his/her school or position after not being terminated at 3020-a because "that is the way it is". Thus all teachers who are not terminated at 3020-a become ATRs and are still tenured. There is still no category for these people to be contractually evaluated. No one is talking about this, and the UFT is not fixing it, either.

The label that is extremely outrageous is the "problem code". This label can be a verb, "did you get problem-coded?" Or, an adjective: "has your file been problem-coded?" No matter which way you use it, this label says you have been charged with something. No one checks what, when or why. Except people like me, who help people get off of this label. The UFT has done nothing to get this removed from members' files.

A few days ago I heard a DOE Attorney say that "if the teacher settles for the suspension before the hearing begins (i.e. there is no testimony by any witnesses) we will remove the problem code. If the teacher does not settle, then the problem code never goes away. Period." The teacher remains tainted, discarded, guilty of something, too bad....

Creepy. What if all the charges are false, have no proof, and an arbitrator makes a bad decision? The teacher is problem-coded and bears this burden forever? This is not good public policy.

So, I just want to vote for a review, on a case-by-case basis, for the "rapists","armed robbers","drug dealers", and other people labelled in Obama's sweeping cleanup described below. Let's get all those people who do not deserve to be placed under these labels a second chance to be full citizens and productive members of society, just like "problem-coded" teachers. Let's clean this mess up. Now.

Betsy Combier
betsy.combier@gmail.com
Editor, NYC Rubber Room Reporter
Editor, Parentadvocates.org
Editor, New York Court Corruption
Editor, National Public Voice
Editor, The NYC Public Voice

Obama doesn’t think rapists, armed robbers, drug dealers are criminals

By Kyle Smith

, LINK

It’s only May, but I think I’ve found the euphemism of the year: According to Team Obama, criminals should now be declared “justice-involved individuals.”

The neo-Orwellianism comes to us from the bizarre flurry of last-minute diktats, regulations and bone-chilling threats collectively known to fanboys as Obama’s Gorgeous Goodbye.

In another of those smiley-faced, but deeply sinister, “Dear Colleague” letters sent to universities and college this week, Obama’s Education Secretary John King discouraged colleges from asking applicants whether they were convicted criminals.

An accompanying pamphlet was called “Beyond the Box: Increasing Access to Higher Education for Justice-Involved Individuals.”

So rapists, burglars, armed robbers and drug dealers aren’t criminals anymore. These folks are simply “involved” with “justice,” according to Obamanoids.

Maybe they’re right: “Criminals” is an inherently disparaging term that leads to stigmatization and decreased access to Eugene O’Neill seminars. But don’t we need to retroactively reconfigure how we think of those unfortunate souls who found themselves pursued by harsh enforcers of restrictive behavioral norms?

When you think about it, Jack the Ripper was merely a “cutlery-involved individual” while Jeffrey Dahmer was simply a “unconventional dietary-options-involved individual.”

Colleges generally ask whether applicants have criminal records, and for excellent reason. Parents probably don’t want their eager young freshperson daughter Molly living across the hall from a rapist — I mean, sexual-justice-involved individual.

King notes that when you ask college applicants about whether they brutalized, mugged or otherwise committed outrages against their fellow human beings, the ugly specter of “disparate impact” arises. The black crime rate is higher than the white crime rate, so the “Are you a criminal?” question is bound to do injury to blacks, or so goes the reasoning.

Obama is fighting the war for criminals to get closer to you on several fronts. Last month, through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, he went after landlords, threatening them with penalties if they barred criminals from living in their buildings.

In November, Obama unilaterally ordered federal agencies to strike the box asking applicants whether they had committed crimes and referred to criminals as “folks.” This would be the same president who on Oct. 25, 2010, referred to Republicans as “enemies” and suggested voters should “punish” them. Convicted rapists? They’re just “folks.”

It’s fair to argue that the criminal justice system, and society as a whole, have a strong interest in rehabilitating criminals in addition to punishing them. And Team Obama argues innocently that (the people they refuse to call) criminals deserve to get their foot in the door before the step where they are asked about their criminal history.

But this is just a step in a long-term strategy pursued by progressives, who love criminals the way little girls love Disney princesses. The goal is to sneak criminals into your apartment building or workplace or campus.

Just glance at the Web site of one Ban the Box advocacy group, the South Dakota Peace & Justice Center. Its stated goal is to put off questions about criminal behavior until later in the game: “Only during the interview process will a criminal background check be completed if it is relevant or required for the position.”

In other words: Enforcers will tell you whether an applicant’s criminal background is relevant to a particular gig and order you not to ask about if they deem it irrelevant.

Yet there is no job on the planet in which your criminal background is automatically irrelevant. Employers can weigh how much importance to assign to which crimes and judge for themselves whether a criminal has reformed.

Bringing up “disparate impact” is a way to change the subject between who you are and what you did. One is about characteristics you were born with; the other is about bad choices you made. One is a terrible reason to discriminate you; the other isn’t.

King says that there is no evidence that questions about criminal backgrounds have any impact on campus safety. How hard did he look for such evidence? Because I’m pretty sure that one reliable predictor of crime is the presence of criminals.

Colleges find themselves at a point in time where debates about, say, whether rape is spiking on campus (it isn’t) are treated as so imperilling that they require the establishment of alternative “safe spaces” such as the rubber room established at Brown in 2014 and “equipped with cookies, coloring books, bubbles, Play-Doh, calming music, pillows, blankets and a video of frolicking puppies,” according to The New York Times.

Yet these colleges are now being nudged not to ask a potential student whether he’s a rapist, or an assailant or a heroin dealer, with the implicit threat of the administration’s power to launch civil rights investigations lurking not far behind.

University donors, and parents of matriculating students, should be eager to ask college admissions officers how far they are willing to go to comply with Team Obama’s wishes: Exactly how many convicts are going to be housed in Molly’s dorm?

The 3020-a Arbitration Newswire: Digging Up The Garbage on The XEROX Machine

49-51 Chambers Street

The buildings above are the buildings in which 3020-a arbitration did occur (49-51 Chambers Street, until September 2015), and continue (100 Gold Street, 3rd Floor present location).

100 Gold Street, Manhattan

See previous articles in this series:

The 3020-a Arbitration Newswire: Digging Up The Garbage on the Vouchers Paid To Arbitrators

The 3020-a Arbitration Newswire: Digging Up The Garbage on the Rubber Room

The 3020-a Arbitration Newswire: Digging Up The Garbage on the DOE Lawyers -Shareema Abel

As anyone charged with 3020-a misconduct/incompetency, files a grievance or assists in these hearings as well as those individuals who have any arbitration/Special Complaint hearings know, the location of the hearings has moved from 49-51 Chambers Street  (darn, I loved watching Law and Order filming at the end of the street!!) to 100 Gold Street, 3rd floor.

One of the many things which has NOT changed is the use of the tax-payer-paid-for-XEROX-machine stationed beside the receptionist desk in the waiting room at 100 Gold, 3rd Floor. This machine is to me a constant reminder that the NYC Department of Education is in CONTROL (key word) of all that occurs in the hearing rooms, unless you can overcome this by an effective defense, which is what I hope I and the lawyers I work with, do. You cannot simply go to this very big, all purpose machine and copy papers you need for your hearing. You must ask, beg, give your first-born child, and maybe you will be given the code, or an arbitrator will ask/demand that the NYC DOE taxpayer-paid Attorney will copy the docs for you. Depends on who your arbitrator is.

The NYC DOE taxpayer-paid-attorney in the re-post from my blog in 2011, Victor Muallem, (see decision in that case) is no longer working for the DOE - in fact, I believe he moved on soon after my post below, posted on this blog on May 10, 2011.

The Respondent whose hearing was on that day was given a $1000 fine and sent right back to his school. We won.

Betsy Combier
betsy.combier@gmail.com
Editor, NYC Rubber Room Reporter
Editor, Parentadvocates.org
Editor, New York Court Corruption
Editor, National Public Voice
Editor, The NYC Public Voice

TUESDAY, MAY 10, 2011

The XEROX Machine Incident at The Gotcha Squad

The picture above is a copy machine. This particular copier is located in the left corner of The Gotcha Squad's sixth floor waiting room, right behind the receptionist where people arriving for grievances or 3020a arbitration sign in. Today, May 10, 2011, about eight people were sitting in this room in addition to me and the respondent of the case in which I am assisting the private lawyer as his paralegal, when an incident involving this very machine occurred that is too good not to pass on.

The backstory is, as I have written previously, since 2003 how I have sat in on public hearings of tenured teachers when asked by the respondent tenured employee to do so, and I have observed the lawyers, witnesses, arbitrators, and guests. No one has ever paid me to be there, so my mountains of material written about the 3020-a process in New York City is my material and mine alone.

I have helped teachers calm down - teachers should be in the classroom and not on trial - and helped investigate Principals, Assistant Principals, and any other administrator as to what they are doing in their schools - for example, complying with federal special education laws, financial recordkeeping, harassment, etc. Someone has to do it and hold these people accountable for their actions. I do that. I look at their collaborators too (non-administrators who help the bad guys/gals) .

The personnel of the New York City Department of Education Administrative Trials Unit and TPU hate me for my diligence in appearing 2-4 times per week, and staying all day until the last word has been said. Almost all NYSUT Attorneys no longer speak with me even to say hello, because of my research into cases they have lost. In fact, when I worked for the UFT part-time, (I no longer work for the UFT) Leroy Barr, Ellie Engler and Gary Sprung told me to stop attending hearings at 51 Chambers Street because "this was bad for them". As I had a clause in my agreement to continue doing whatever I had done in the past in my own time, I gently told the UFT that as the members were being tortured at the 3020-a, someone had to be there to protect the members' due process rights, so I just kept going whenever asked. The issue that I will be addressing in the future is the possible collusion of the UFT and NYSUT with The Gotcha Squad at 3020-a hearings. But for now, I have my trusty disposable pen (at TD Bank, they are free!), and I like pads that have graph paper instead of lines. Why, I dont know. And no, Theresa (Europe), I never have brought a tape recorder to the hearings even though in New York State it is legal to  secretly tape anyone with whom I am in a conversation.

I am, of course, writing a book.

All the people who work for the Gotcha Squad now or in the past have a very good chance of appearing in my book, but one person is definitely going to be in there: NYC Department Attorney Victor Muallem. I have sat in on several hearings where Victor was the DOE Attorney. In my opinion, he is one of the most incompetent attorneys I have seen, and the DOE does dig their attorneys up from the bottom of the barrel. I have asked many people why Victor acts like he owns the place, and everyone there simply shrugs and says that that's the way things are. Same with Ms. Sylvia Cheeks, who assigns hearing rooms. If she catches you in a hallway and you look like you dont know what is going on, Sylvia will tell you you have to sit in the waiting room (see picture above), sorry. According to sources she has no title, but took on this role because she can now tell people where to go. Literally.

So, lets get back to this morning, May 10, 2011. I arrived early like I usually do, around 9:30AM for a 10 o'clock start time for the teacher's hearing. The teacher showed up and we, I as the paralegal,  started going over the documents that were going to be used in the hearing at which Assistant Principal Francine Palmer-Mullings would be testifying today about how this math teacher was criminally incompetent and must be terminated. About a month ago more than half the school walked out in protest of this teacher's removal Fordham Leadership Academy For Business and Technology located in the Bronx, but AP Palmer-Mullings remembered none of that. She did not see all the students wearing t-shirts with this teacher's name on them, either. Nope, totally zoned out of everything except that this teacher must be terminated. Palmer-Mullings has quite a few skeletons in her closet, but the DOE Attorney on this case, Ms. Dilia Travieso, objected strongly to Arbitrator Roy Watanabe whenever any of that was brought in. (In Watanabe's favor, he did allow testimony about Palmer-Mullings being found guilty of pocketing $7000 that belonged to the robotics club, substantiated by Special Commissioner of Investigation or SCI. (Now we'll see whether Watanabe allows the issue of her taking excessive per session pay or not, and whether she was on more than one budget line at the school, and even whether she has a green Card).

So, there I and the teacher were, looking through documents in preparation for cross examination of Palmer-Mullings by the teacher's Attorney, who put me in the record as his paralegal, and Watanabe accepted this. The teacher needed a few pages copied, so I went over to the copy machine (the one in the picture at the top) and put the papers in the feeder and pressed start.

The new receptionist (she has been in her job a few months, Monday-wednesday) came up behind me and told me that the copy machine was only for lawyers, and I could not use it because I am not an attorney. I asked her if this was a new policy, and if it was written down, but all she knew was that I had to move away, pronto. That was news, as I and everyone else have used this machine since it appeared  I believe in September. I nicely told her that I was assisting the attorney in the 3020-a as his paralegal, and he needed the papers. She left the room, I finished one set, and went back to the far end of the room to sit down next to the teacher.

Suddenly, everyone in the room jumped out of their chairs as round little Victor Muallem came running into the area screaming at the top of his lungs (well, I dont know that for a fact, but he was VERY loud),
"if THAT woman (pointing his outstretched arm and finger at me) uses the copy machine, or tries to use it, I will call security and have her escorted out of the building."

He was so mad that he was shaking with rage. The room was completely silent (although I admit to  giggling). If I had not been part of the teacher's team at the 3020-a hearing on for today, I would have possibly told Victor that I saw no written policy, and therefore would use the machine until a written policy was produced. But I knew that Victor would escort me out with security and then I would have some media coverage for being thrown out of 51 Chambers street for using - or attempting to use - the copy machine on the sixth floor (is it public funds that pays for the upkeep and buys the paper???), but I'll have to get thrown out on another day - specially set up with the proper cameras outside to catch everything.

Victor is serious about throwing people out. The teacher whose hearing was today wanted to talk to his previous attorney at the beginning of his hearing, and they both went into an empty small room to discuss the case. Victor found them and screamed that they must leave immediately, the rooms belong to the Department and cannot be used by anyone else (the teacher is still an employee). The lawyer said that he wanted to stay, to discuss the case, and Victor called security and had the lawyer escorted downstairs and out of the building. From that day on, the Attorney was not allowed upstairs to the sixth floor without a security guard with him. He withdrew from the case and told the teacher to resign.

This is how they run things at The Gotcha Squad.

Gary - thanks for your help.

Betsy Combier

EDNotes Online Discusses Getting The Vote Out For MORE

What I Learned at GOTV at Francis Lewis HS - 90% of UFT Members Probably Have not yet voted

LINK

Arthur Goldstein: cookie for Ballot

When MORE got only 1200 elementary school votes in the 2013 election Julie Cavanagh was incredulous. "Everyone voted in my school," she said. My response today would be - did you actually see their ballots? Did they send you a selfie of them putting the ballot in the mailbox? I would bet that at this point - halfway through the election that 90% of UFT members have not yet voted and only a small portion of these people will end up voting at all - except in schools where people go through a major GOTV effort. I would also bet that thousands of people did not get a ballot but because UFT election are so low on their radar they do not even know it -- unless there is someone to remind them. Or maybe, seeing URGENT which appears on so much junk mail, they just tossed it.

James Eterno writes about such an effort at ICE - where he goes door to door with an organization sheet checking off names and found loads of people without a ballot - our suggestion is to have the AAA number in your phone and call right there and have them ask for a ballot to be sent. Read about his effort: GETTING OUT THE VOTE IN THE UFT ELECTION.

As far as I know James is the only one who does this which he calls Pol Sci 101. GOTV is a face to face process. In big schools getting allies to carve up the school makes this feasible. I bet almost everyone in James' school will vote MORE because he has their admiration and respect. Same with former Jamaica HS UFTers who are now scattered all over the place. 

Unfortunately few MORE supporters do much more than vote themselves and maybe tell a few others to vote - and they never find out how many people in their schools did not get a ballot or if they did did not toss it as junk mail.

I got an education as to why vote totals in the UFT elections are so low. And especially why the opposition has done more poorly than they expected based on what people were telling them. After my visit to Francis Lewis HS on Thursday at the request of FLHS Chapter Leader Arthur Goldstein who blogs as NYC Educator I am more concerned than ever that not enough people in their schools are doing what Arthur did at Francis Lewis High School, where even with an extraordinary effort more than half the staff brought in their ballots with another 10% saying they already had mailed them or were going to. Arthur will not let up and will keep urging people to vote. By the end of the day I imagine that 80% of FLHS people will end up voting, hopefully most of them for MORE.

If you support MORE get an organization sheet and ask every UFT member if they voted.

I do want to point out that most ballots returned to us were already sealed, many of them with the entire booklet enclosed. Since most people vote slate and not for individuals I was curious why they didn't tear off the top sheet. The response was they voted slate but didn't realize they could tear off the sheet so they sent in the entire booklet.

Arthur put in an extraordinary effort to make this happen writing letters to the staff like this: Staff Letter 3. He put out instructions on voting and most of them will vote for MORE not because of the platform or because they love Jia Lee but because they love and trust Arthur - just spend some time with him and see how he interacts with people. He has enormous respect as a teacher, a chapter leader and as a person of integrity. MORE could put out blank pages and people will vote MORE because of Arthur.

Arthur sat there with his cell and had several people call the number. There were those who had crumpled their envelopes and had to go and retrieve them. There were two who had inadvertently tossed them and several who had never received them. These few represent many citywide. 

And that is a lesson. We could stuff mail boxes numerous times and it will barely make a dent -- what is needed are people on site who can advocate - now if a person is viewed as a lousy or lazy teacher or someone who is dishonest, people will not vote for MORE. The same with Unity - someone I know from the theater had no idea what MORE was but said she would not vote for any party her Unity CL was connected with. I informed her.

Given the low turnouts of 17% in UFT elections it is quite an achievement to get 60 or more % to vote but I am a perfectionist and hoped for even more, especially since this school has 250 UFT members, of which about 200 are teachers whose votes may be the deciding ones in winning the high school seats. Below I'll review some of the problems we found for those still doing GOTV campaigns - which I urge people to do right up to the last few days of the election - ballots must be in by May 25 (count is the next day).

people didn't get ballots - we called AAA right there and gave them a cookie anyway.

people threw away the outer envelope thinking all they had to do was drop the Secret ballot inner envelope in a ballot box.

people were confused as to how to vote by the large booklet - not understanding the concept of checking the box to vote for an entire slate.

many checked a box on the front but didn't tear off the front sheet, thus the entire booklet goes in -- not that consequential but doing so delays the counts as each booklet has to be torn apart and scanned.

We hung out in the teacher lunchroom from 9:30-12:30 to collect the ballots in exchange for a giant cookie baked by a teacher on the staff who has a bakery business based in Rockaway - which I didn't find out until reading about him in The Wave. When people told us they had voted or would on their own we told them we wanted a selfie showing them putting the ballot in the mail box. But we gave them a cookie anyway.

I put the over 100 ballots in a bag and took them to the post office in Rockaway on my way home.

Having never participated in such a GOTV campaign I learned a lot about what doesn't work in the UFT election balloting process.

Arthur had worked diligently on this event - sending emails, putting instructions in mail boxes, etc. What became clear was that most people don't have the time or patience to read in depth, which made the "give me your sealed ballot and we'll mail it for you and you get a delicious cookie big enough for a meal."

The entire concept of a booklet and individual voting for up to 800 people for each slate is confusing to people and suppresses the vote. I don't have easy answers - here's one -- just vote for officers and Ex Bd and not for individuals for AFT/NYSUT and apportion to each caucus the percentage their caucus got. After the election they choose who their delegates will be. But that would actually make the election fair by breaking the Unity Caucus block and that is the last thing they will do - unless forced to by enough outrage coming from the rank and file.

Even though we know we can only win a few crumbs, the larger the vote for MORE/New Action the more pressure we can put on the UFT leadership.

So get out those organization sheets and go to work this week. I bet you will be surprised at how many people you work with did not get ballots or tossed them. And have that AAA number handy. 1-800-529-5218.

OP-ED: Why Cyberstalker Francesco Portelos and His Bully Mob, UFT Solidarity, Failed

Francesco Portelos

EDITORIAL: Cyberstalker Francesco Portelos and His Blame Game Must Be Stopped

by Betsy Combier, Editor, NYC Rubber Room Reporter

Since I posted this article on my website and blog NYC Rubber Room Reporter, I have received many anonymous comments which are too insulting to post, but from the comments which are NOT anonymous, the members of Francesco Portelos' gang have threatened and debased my existence.

Robert Provenza, a firm supporter of Francesco, wrote: "I believe you were playing mean ------ it 's not nice to fuck with Bobby ! ( or mother nature )." (Huh? I don't get it-B).

Claudia Giordano Lasky, also a firm Francesco clone, wrote: pot/kettle, etc. (meaning I am the same as Francesco?)

Another Francesco follower - whom I have never met, Christina Vickers: "you are, in fact, an evil f..king c.nt. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with that statement"

and Lucio Celli told the EEOC to put me, his former attorney Steve Morelli, and PERB ALJ Blassman as Defendants in his EEOC Complaint:
Lucio email May 10 2016

This is UFT Solidarity.

Betsy Combier

From Parentadvocates.org:
This post is my opinion, and mine alone. If any reader agrees with me, all the better. But do not attack me for writing about the facts that have threatened me and my work for the past 7 months, all because of a bully by the name of Francesco Portelos. In my opinion, his actions are harassing and defamatory.

To Francesco Portelos:
Since September 20, 2015, you have sent out an internet video which called me a homophobe, and you have allowed your supporters to call me a thief, liar, evil fucking cunt, old vicious woman, and more. You have denied me any due process and have encouraged Lucio Celli, to send more than 30 emails to 100+ people stating my alleged "misconduct."
Please stop telling people that I stole money from teachers. I work 24/7 to help anyone who needs to resolve problems such as false charges, arbitration, medical emergencies.  These are my sole focus, so I need you to prove your claims, whether they be yours alone or your gang's. And please stop your ridiculous claims that Randi hired me to work with her to destroy you, and all ATRs through her and Mike Mulgrew. Truly outrageous. Randi hired me in 2007. I work for myself now, and I am backed up with super lawyers who have seen all your posts.

I request that you apologize for members of your group - you are their leader, after all - and stop lying about my so-called stealing, taping everyone, abusing teachers, and being an evil fucking cunt and a vicious evil old woman, in writing, and please send your apology to me no later than June 10, 2016, or I will seek appropriate legal remedies.

I believe that all persons targeted by bullies must expose the bullies for who they are. Bullies want to control other people, the environment, their - and everyone else's - future and thoughts. They are willing to defame, lie, harass, mentally and/or physically harm and extort in order to "convince" their target that the only way to do or to see things, is THEIR, the BULLY's way. "Or else".... you will be sorry. The definition of "blame game" is "A situation in which people attempt to blame others rather than trying to resolve a problem."

Please read my prior articles:

Francesco Portelos and NY StateTenure Law

Editorial: Is Francesco Portelos a Danger to Tenure Law? by Betsy Combier

The Francesco PortelosMob: Who Are They?

The UFT Solidarity Brand is Not What UFT Members Need

Another term used for this type of destruction is "Victim Complex".

Francesco Portelos' way is to mob people. He is the workplace bully that he pretends to fight against. Here is the definition:

Definition: "MOBBING IS...EMOTIONAL ABUSE in the workplace. "Ganging up" by co-workers, subordinates or superiors, to force someone out of the workplace through rumor, innuendo, intimidation, humiliation, discrediting, and isolation. Malicious, nonsexual, nonracial, general harassment. Other expressions for MOBBING are: Bullying, psychological terror or aggression, hostile behaviors at work, workplace trauma, incivility or emotional violence. We consider MOBBING an emotional injury that impacts a target's mental and physical health. MOBBING is a workplace safety and health issue." N. Zanolli Davenport, G. Pursell Elliott, R. Distler Schwartz

http://www.mobbing-usa.com/

This is Francesco Portelos' and UFT Solidarity's way. It's their highway: according to them, they "did nothing, everyone else is guilty of wrong-doing, and they are going to 'get' those other people for you." This is not good leadership, but an appalling way of dealing with conflict, especially in a public school setting.

The picture above shows eleven (11) people who proudly stand behind defamatory comments such as: Pauline Shakespeare (a black woman and a principal) should have their faces on bottles of syrup (as in Aunt Jemima); Pauline Shakespeare's face also should be on a bottle of poison, with the poison control telephone number next to it...etc. I printed out almost 200 pages of insults about her alone, on Francesco's libelous website DTOE and A.N.O.I. These eleven people believe that calling a woman an "evil fucking cunt" (see emails below) is ok. Read the 3020-a decision given to John Silvers, to see who he is.

Lucio Celli and Francesco Portelos' emails 1

Lucio Celli and Francesco Portelos emails 2

Lucio Celli and Francesco Portelos emails 3

UFT Solidarity supporter Orlando Cole thought this was funny.

I do not know Orlando, but does he have a wife, daughter, girlfriend, female friend who will agree with him, that it is funny to send an email to many people calling a woman he does not know an "evil fucking cunt"?

Lucio (celliglipp@gmail.com)
When confronted with his insulting emails, Lucio Celli sent this (his comments are in blue):

The point is, why would the NYC Department of Education want to hire ATRs who play this blame game?

They don't. See the transcript of a Court appearance of Francesco's Attorney, Bryan Glass, and New York City Law Department Attorney Jessica Giambrone on Dec. 15, 2014. Attorney Giambrone described the Portelos-UFT Soldarity modus operandi and told the judge that Francesco even went after a parent at IS 49.

Danielle Kushner, loyal member of Francesco's gang, sent out an email urging all uncertified teachers to be exposed so they could be removed:

Danielle Kushner

December 30, 2015 · 

Facebook Groups for iOS

 Any parents willing to help and speak out or call 311 and complain about how their are uncertified teachers teaching in NYC schools illegally!!! Teaching fellows that didn't pass tests and did not get licenses yet!!! I have a list of at least 5 schools!!! Have contacted 2 Different media outlets the post and chalkbeat with no responses!

Francesco's digital media expertise has spread the word that ATRs are insulting, harassing people who will torment any enemy until the enemy surrenders. I would not want to be an ATR right now as defined by Francesco in the emails he and his loyal supporters have sent out to all of NYC. I spoke to several people who received these emails, and they are all disgusted, and believe as I do that this is cyberstalking.

Cyberstalkers are just like physical stalkers, except they stalk through the Internet and email rather than in a face to face environment. datehookup.com

What is Cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place using electronic technology. Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles.

ATRs, or Absent Teacher Reserve teachers are in a horrible no man's land, truth be told. But Francesco Portelos is giving these educators a definition that may not be good for them in the future. ATRs, defined by Francesco, are attack dogs who will go after anyone who does not do what they want; anyone who stands in their way will be bullied,  libelled and defamed.

Jim Geist is an example.  Jim Geist was terminated and then he sent out a post to his new colleagues, Francesco's UFT Solidarity, that he lost his job because of me. I don't believe you are correct, I had no input into your 3020-a even though I was there. So, please send me proof of your claim. Here is what Jim sent my blog in 2013:

A recently terminated teacher at 3020-a called Solidarity's Lydia Howrilka several months ago, and asked Lydia to put the name of her Principal on the ANOI list. The principal told her two weeks later that she would "get" the teacher for doing that, and sure enough, 3020-a charges were filed three weeks after that last word. Principals are targeting ATRs because of their allegiance to Francesco's belligerent way of doing business. Trying to create fear never works, Mr. Portelos. For whatever it is worth, I believe that your strategy will continue to fail.

Then Francesco decided he would put me out of business, because I refuse to use the blame game/victim complex in my advocacy:

None of our clients at ADVOCATZ are/were perfect 100% of the time, but all were given charges that did not reach the standard for Just Cause for termination and we fight to keep termination out of consideration.(We have the best success rate of any legal team working on 3020-a).

UFT Solidarity Council member Lucio Celli

Francesco Portelos and his gang, UFT Solidarity, have attempted to de-stabilize public school education in New York City by defaming the character and reputation of anyone who says "No, don't do that", or, "You are wrong". Any person who believes that cyber bullies are guilty of harassment are attacked. Francesco believes that everyone BUT him are bullying teachers, ATRs, and parents. This is a symptom of the syndrome called the blame game. Harassment which is continual or which pervades the work environment is actionable.

I believe Francesco and his supporters are angry, bitter employees trying to get administrators to hit them with some kind of misconduct (or they have already done that) so that they can be the heroes who swoop in and save the day. Sometimes I think I am seeing a labor-caused Munchausen by Proxy: make up lies about principals, then go in, and take credit for any trouble the principal gets into. So what if teachers are fired, discontinued, removed along the way? Francesco's goal is to torture principals and the principals' friends, not help teachers. This is not the way to help anyone. As far as I know Francesco and UFT Solidarity have not successfully completed a single case or resolved a single issue for a teacher, parent, or any person in need. Please email me proof if this is incorrect.

Victor Jordan

I remember very clearly discussing with Solidarity "attorney" (did he ever get admitted to the Bar?) Victor Jordan ( see my blog post as well) about working together on 3020-a cases, and he told me that he wanted to learn the process so he would do the first hearing for free. I brought a teacher who was going to fire her NYSUT attorney to meet with us, and  I told her Victor would not take a fee, only whatever expenses he paid during the hearing. When we met, Victor told her he was charging $3750. I and the teacher were shocked,  she left. I spoke to Victor, and he said of course he had to charge half of what he would normally charge, and he forgot to tell me. The teacher was terminated at the 3020-a after she hired a private attorney who said he had done these hearings. After this, I did some research on Victor, and found out that he had passed the bar, but had not been admitted to the Bar and was not able to practice Law. We never worked together.

Solidarity Council Christina Vickers' Comment to me:

Why the attacks on me? Francesco has never assisted at a 3020-a. We are not in competition. I am not a UFT member, I do not work for the Department of Education (never have), and I am not running for any office in any caucus against Francesco or his mob. I am an independent paralegal/reporter. Why me?

Lydia Howrilka

You should also read the libel-line, the comments sent to his Dont Tread on Educators (DTOE) website and his A.N.O.I. list of principals. No one is safe. I find the slinging of dirt on someone appalling, unless I have seen the proof of the misconduct.  Francesco's lack of respect for anyone, his dislike of confidentiality of anyone's records, his willingness to go after someone's life and career, as well as that of a friend or family member of someone he doesn't like, is disturbing, at best, but definitely astonishingly inappropriate for a public school teacher working as a role model, supposedly, for children. Kids should not be told to respect a teacher who is, at the same time, on the internet saying women are evil f...ing c..ts and the like, violating the public trust by their own actions.

Surprisingly, Gregg Morris, an Assistant Professor at Hunter College who wants to burn something after the harassment conference on May 14, 2016, (do his administrators at Hunter know he is sending this stuff out?) worships the ground Francesco and UFT Solidarity members walk on, and does not see that Francesco is doing exactly what Mr. Morris is fighting against:

Gregg Morris	Jan 26
to me

1) New York State Senator James Sanders Jr has introduced the bill in the
Senate and it is now in both bodies of the legislature. This is really good
news about getting the bill passed this year. The Bill numbers are S6438
and A3250

Important Reminder: February 8 is significantly important lobbying session
organized by the New York State Healthy Workplace Advocates. It's focus is
teachers. Many are planning to go to Albany, joined by several activists for
change.

2) UFT Solidarity Caucus supports the NY Healthy Workplace Bill. Text of UFT
Memo follows:

"UFT Solidarity Memorandum of Support for NY Healthy Workplace Bill S6438 (James Sanders Jr.),
A3250 (Assemblymember Steve Englebright).A mission of UFT Solidarity is to defend all UFT members from workplace bullying, which is defined as “a repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one  or more  persons (the  targets)  by one  or  more perpetrators and  creates a harmful work environment.”  We  will provide  legal incentives for employers to prevent and respond to mistreatment of employees at work. UFT Solidarity supports the New York State Healthy Workplace Bill.The Healthy Workplace Bill would amend the New York State Labor Law because the “State is dependent upon healthy and productive employees.” See, S6438/A3250. The bill recognizes that abusive behavior in the workplace is a problem for employees and employers alike. 

While employees enduring  bullying  may  suffer from  a  host of  physical  and  emotional  ailments, employers are burdened by reduced productivity  and  morale, increased absenteeism, and  high turnover  rates.
Thus, the aim of the bill is to protect both parties.UFT Solidarity  opposes all  forms of  discrimination, the  law  has protected categories  of people whohave  been  mistreated on the  basis of their status in a protected group—whether it be  their  race,national  origin,  religion,  age,  disability, gender, or on  the  basis  of  sexual preference. However,despite all of that  legislation to protect minorities, the  law in the  United States — and  in New  York State — still  fails  to  protect  workers from  being  mistreated  in the workplace where  the mistreatment is not based on a protected status.   UFT Solidarity urges our New York State elected officials to support,bring to a vote, and pass the Healthy Workplace Bill S6438/A3250 in the current legislative session.In Solidarity, UFT Solidarity“ Building a stronger union.”

Best,
Gregg Morris
Hunter College/CUNY

For 13 years I have written about,investigated and assisted employees of the New York City Department of Education as they fight for due process rights. I fight for right and rights as an investigative reporter, paralegal and advocate. I worked for the UFT from 2007 to 2010 as a special representative, and my duties included visiting all the NYC rubber rooms, and assisting members. I have met  wonderful, caring, professional teachers, Guidance Counselors, principals, and staff of the NYC DOE - current as well as retired and former employees - who are now, I am proud to say, my friends.  We believe that Portelos and his UFT Solidarity broadcast negative, destructive propaganda, and we want nothing to do with him or anyone who associates with him. I include in this conclusion the support of all the  attorneys I work with. 

I am not, and never have been an employee of the NY City Department of Education, nor am I a lawyer. I am President of a company called ADVOCATZ which assists people in having a voice in what I call the "rubber room" process.  (Facebook page.) My advocacy business is my sole source of income; I do not work for any other organization or private corporation. I also have a 501(C) 3 not-for-profit foundation, The E-Accountability Foundation, which accepts donations and gives grants to people who need to fund their journey through the court system or proceedings, arbitration, or whatever. We have a Facebook page. Neither my consulting business nor my Foundation will work with or support people who bribe, extort, harass, defame, slander or libel anyone. Therefore we will not assist anyone associated with Francesco Portelos or his mob groups or websites such as DTOE and A.N.O.I..(See the Pauline Shakespeare posts, for example).

CSA General Counsel David Grandwetter: where are you?

David Grandwetter

We really need you to step in and mark the line between a first amendment right and defamation, as to the anonymous emails sent to A.N.O.I about your members.

 My friend Laurie, an ATR, asked Francesco whether he got permission to send out a letter to a principal citing this principal's abuse of the teacher, before he sent it. What did Francesco Portelos do? He immediately sent to everyone on the facebook page a post about Laurie's confidential medical information as well as her current ATR status. He thought he taught her a lesson. She took Francesco off of the closed facebook page, and Francesco was so angry, he started his own facebook page which he closed to anyone who was friendly with Laurie.

Lucio Celli: a close member of Francesco's inner circle.
UFT Solidarity Council


Francesco's sidekick Lucio Celli attacked me after Laurie complained about Francesco. Lucio was blocked by the admins of Laurie's ATR facebook page, and then Lucio sent out emails to all of NYC blaming me, a "liar", "thief", "evil f...ing c...t" for doing this. As if.

And then there is the case of Osman Couey, arrested and charged with alleged corporal punishment of a student in his 2nd grade class. When I read about this in the Daily News, I immediately called Osman, and we met for several hours. He is not guilty of the charges brought against him, and will prove it. Did anyone from UFT Solidarity call Osman? No.

Next is Francesco's website suggestion to send him your child's IEP. That's outrageous, especially with his record of not keeping anything confidential. I am a parent advocate and do Impartial Hearings, and my oldest daughter had an IEP. I keep each case I do, confidential. Francesco's approach would worry me.

Lucio Celli

Lucio Celli is currently in Federal Court -see his First Complaint, then his Amended Complaint.
He asked me to assist him by reviewing his writing in his PERB complaint and emails to the principal of his school. I edited the papers and met him countless times for as long as he wanted, throughout 2015. Suddenly, immediately following the video incident with Francesco, when I was called a "homophobe" and I asked Francesco to take it down and he said "No", Lucio sent me a check for $1000 to thank me for my help. I never asked for this money, never created or sent an invoice. never. I gratefully thanked him for the gift. At the same time, teacher Jonathan Hinesley was given 3020-a charges, and we met to discuss. I gave my opinion and experience in the process of the 3020-a hearings, for free. Jonathan settled his case at 3020-a but sent me a check for $500 for my time. I thanked him for his gift. He told me he did not want the money back when I offered.

Jonathan Hinesley

However, suddenly both Jonathan Hinesley and Lucio Celli called me a thief for taking their money, and Francesco sent out a series of emails announcing to all of the teacher listservs and websites that I abused teachers and stole their money. Then Francesco created a poster with my face at the top, and sent it out to all teachers in NYC and the world, telling everyone to demand their money back because I was a criminal, practicing law without a license. I have never, ever represented anyone in court or stated to anyone at any time that I am an Attorney. I am NOT an Attorney. If I billed anyone for the hours I spent on their case, no one could afford me. I barely cover my expenses.

Francesco, Lucio, Jonathan and Lydia Howrilka were delighted to learn that I was working with Steve Morelli  on a Federal case and a 3020-a, because when the media did the story that Steve was arrested for taking his client's money, therefore I stole money too, Francesco told his followers. Steve Morelli never told me anything about his other cases, and I never knew that he was being investigated for anything. Nonetheless, Steve's arrest meant I was "guilty" and should also be arrested, according to Francesco.

So, again, why did Francesco, starting in September, vow, on the internet, to end my business and my existence as I know it?

Why did he accuse me of joining up with Randi Weingarten to hurt him and UFT Solidarity, accusing me of setting up the ATRs, and secretly being paid by her to do this, then refuse to believe Randi when she told him that I did a good job for the UFT and was never fired (like Jim Callahan was)? Why did he threaten Randi with "secret recordings" if she did not order me to take down the article about how him? Why did Francesco call me an evil f...ing c..t? 

Why did Francesco send out a poster with my face on it, accusing me of criminal misconduct for assisting teachers with their cases, urging all my clients to demand their money back - and then calling me a thief?

I believe Francesco and his gang have so viciously attacked me because when Francesco Portelos edited the video with the speech  by Jim Callahan on September 20, 2015, and sent it out across the internet, he , Lydia Howrilka and Jonathan Hinesley thought that I would not find out that they created the video so that Jim called me a "homophobe". They thought they would get away with this. But I found out, and I wanted to discuss with Francesco about his taking it off the internet after he told me everyone "knew" it was not true - but Francesco refused.

In my opinion - in fact all of this post is my opinion - Francesco Portelos is an angry, bitter megalomaniac who felt wronged by the New York City Department of Education after he brought attention to the misappropriation of funds at his school IS 49R in District 31 (Staten Island) by the principal, Linda Hill and instead of being rewarded, he was charged with 3020-a misconduct charges. 38 of them. See the decision ofArbitrator Felice Busto, May 2014.

Of course it is natural to feel angry when you are accused of something and put into a hearing where you are criminalized for your alleged "misconduct". It's embarrassing. Francesco cooked up his strategy to pay the DOE back when he was given a $10,000 fine but not terminated for his sustained charges.

 I believe he is a bad influence on schools, kids, parents, teachers, staff, and the NYC DOE. Francesco's charges and Arbitrator Felice Busto's decision finding him guilty of many of them give a very clear and frightening picture of a man who has the mind of a two-year-old denied a swing in the playground. He will "get you" for whatever he feels you did to him, and he will make you say you are "sorry" or he will make you "sorry" by terrorizing you or your nearest family member or friend. Take a look at Specification #36 below. Francesco was charged with harassing the  chapter leader of  IS49, Richard Candia, and his girlfriend, after Candia would not help him get rid of Principal Hill. 

I have seen this anger many times,  but what I have never seen is the poison that he spreads, in particular the lies which he knows are lies, to bully someone to do something for him "or else" be punished for tainting his hallowed earth. Let's look at the sustained 3020-a charges for a minute:

SPECIFICATION 6:

During the 2011-2012 school year, Respondent disclosed confidential Department information, including, but not limited to, witness statements, on a non-Department website, including, but not limited to, protectportelos.org.

SPECIFICATION 8:

During the 2011-2012 school year, Respondent inappropriately accessed and/or retrieved Department information, including, but not limited to, a Department email account and/or email messages of another Department employee.

SPECIFICATION 9:

During the 2011-2012 school year, Respondent inappropriately accessed a Department email account and/or email messages of another Department employee.


SPECIFICATION 25:

On or about January 28, 2012, Respondent, without consulting, notifying, and/or seeking authorization from Principal Hill or the I.S 49 administration, accessed the school website, www.Dreyfus49.com, as a site administrator and manipulated the settings to revoke the administrative rights and/or privileges of all individuals previously granted such administrative access.

SPECIFICATION 28:

On or about February 2012, Respondent refused to transfer control and/or ownership of the school website, www.Dreyfus49.com, to Principal Hill, I.S. 49, and/or the Department after agreeing to do so at a meeting with Principal Hill and Superintendent Erminia Claudio.

SPECIFICATION 29:

On or about November 2012, Respondent, without consulting, notifying, and/or seeking approval from Principal Hill or the I.S 49 administration, altered the website www.welearnandqrowtoqether.com, which Respondent had created for the school with Principal Hill's approval, to automatically transfer visitors to his alternative website, https://sites.qooqle.com/site/occupywarrenstreet/, which contained derogatory information about I.S. 49, Principal Hill, and/or the Department.

SPECIFICATION 31:

During the 2012-2013 school year, Respondent, without consulting, notifying, and/or seeking approval from Principal Hill and/or the Department, altered the school website, www.Dreyfus49.com, to automatically redirect visitors to his website, protectportelos.org, which chronicled his issues with various groups including Principal Hill, I.S. 49, and the Department.

SPECIFICATION 33:

During the 2011-2012 school year, Respondent recorded a video in a school facility, namely, I.S. 49, of a student during school hours, without permission or authority.

SPECIFICATION 34:

On or about December 12, 2012, Respondent notified I.S. 49 Superintendent Erminia Claudio that he showed the video referenced in Specification 33 to parents, without permission or authority.

SPECIFICATION 36:

On or about and in the month of September 2012, Respondent:

A. Sent an email message to a parent without permission or authority stating, in sum and substance, that the teacher who sent their son to summer school was not certified to teach and that this message identified the teacher and indicated that her teaching certification had expired.

B. Failed to notify and/or confirm with I.S. 49 administration that the teacher referenced above lacked certification prior to contacting the parent.

SPECIFICATION 38:

By committing one, some, or all of the actions described in the above Specifications, Respondent's actions:

A. Had a disruptive and/or negative impact on students, staff, and/or administration at I.S. 49 and the Department.

B. Caused negative publicity, ridicule, and notoriety to I.S. 49 and the Department."

All these charges Francesco was found guilty of, and he paid a penalty of $10,000.

On August 25 2015 Francesco had lunch with former UFT President Randi Weingarten, now President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). He told everyone that he was going to get a job at the UFT (like I did). But he did not get a job at the UFT. Randi told me that she would not offer him a job, it doesn't work that way.

On September 20, 2015 Francesco held a meeting for 50 teachers to let them know that UFT Solidarity would defend their rights. The speaker of the evening was my former colleague at the UFT, NY Teacher Jim Callaghan. Ironically, Jim made my life torture at the UFT, because he could not stand the rubber room teachers, all of whom, he believed, were guilty of what they were being charged with, and he wanted no part of it. He would not go to the rubber rooms. However, Mike Mulgrew divided up the rooms after I had been visiting all of the rooms for two years, and gave Jim two rooms to visit, at least once in a while. Jim tried to stop me from visiting the rooms, then asked for meetings with Ellie Engler and Leroy Barr to force me to stop. He failed, much to his dismay. I visited the rubber rooms every day, and ignored him.

I was supposed to be at this meeting in Queens on September 20,but never made it. Several days later Lucio called me to tell me that a video had been sent out where I was called a "homophobe", and he told me that he had sent it to me. I was shocked, and called Francesco to take out the parts about me, because I am no longer working for the UFT and am President of an independent company. Francesco refused. The onslaught began. I was now, without knowing it, The Enemy. 

After seven (7) months of lying about me, saying I was a thief because I took money from him for doing nothing to help him, sending more than 25 emails to 100+ people throughout New York City saying I taped 3020-a hearings (NEVER) and stole money just like Steve Morelli (NEVER) and abused teachers (lies, see my comment on Jim Geist, above), Lucio demanded an Invoice for the work I did for him so he could get the IRS to go after me:

On Wed, Apr 20, 2016 at 4:54 PM, gilpp celli <celliglipp@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Ms. Combier:

I informed you months ago that I need a receipt. Please send me a letter that I paid you to be my paralegal:

2743 Seymour Avenue
Bronx, New York 10469

If I do not receive a receipt from you, I will inform the IRS of your refusal.

I prefer that you do not answer this e-mail and just send a letter with an invoice. If you do not, I will provide the IRS the e-mails and recordings to proof that I paid you and the type of work you did for me. Then, this would become the IRS' problem.


Thanks,
Lucio

On Apr 20, 2016, at 7:36 PM, Betsy Combier <betsy.combier@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Lucio,

Huh? you make no sense. I never charged you, you never hired me and I am not an attorney. You asked me to edit some papers, which I did for free, and you gifted me. I reported your gift to the IRS when I did my taxes and thanked you. Then you told me and 100+ people how you are going to destroy the DOE and hurt everyone, including me,  calling me an evil fucking cunt to extort money from me? 

No good deed goes unpunished, I guess.

Betsy

On Apr 20, 2016, at 9:19 PM, gilpp celli <celliglipp@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Ms. Combier:

There is a cancelled check that I paid you and for what reason, but thank you for this email.

I hope this person also told you that I sent out a recording of you, as well. I never said that I would destroy the doe, which is a pure lie by whomever told you that information. More importantly, I never said that I would destroy you. I wrote "God bless Betsy Combier and her ego because she LOVES to speak." To my knowledge, I did not bad mouth you on my NYC DOE email. 

Unlike you, I am not a liar and I have recordings to prove what you said to me and that you are a liar! 

I have you recorded and you threatened my lawsuit in writing and in a recordings. 

I appreciate the information that you. It is my current understanding that you lied on your Federal income tax return--- you forgot an email you sent me and what you said over the phone.

Again, I do not need for you to respond to this e-mail because I do not want anything to do with you. I wish you the best at your evil deeds to harm your clients! 

Thanks,

Lucio Celli 

I'm done with this post. But I'm whole, and standing on my principles of advocacy, decency, fighting the good fight the right way, as a professional. I request that the NYC Department of Education look into the people on this blog post and remove them from public service. 

Please give my tax money to make New York a safe place for kids far from teachers described in this post and any of their supporters.

Betsy Combier

betsy.combier@gmail.com
Editor, NYC Rubber Room Reporter
Editor, Parentadvocates.org
Editor, New York Court Corruption
Editor, National Public Voice

Editor, The NYC Public Voice

COMMENTS

Robert Provenza

1:35am May 10

Hi Betsy , , who says Portelos failed ? The election has just started ( by the way ----saw that Callahan video four times with Grace ---the word homophobe was never even said . I believe you were playing mean ------ it 's not nice to fuck with Bobby ! ( or mother nature ).

my answer: the video with the "homophobe" statement was finally changed, but you can hear the original on my blog. Bob, you are quite a follower, agreeing to blame and attack me for writing about Francesco's insults

Claudia Giordano Lasky 1:40am May 10 Pot/kettle etc. please. my answer: Claudia, I would expect nothing else from you but to blindly agree with Francesco. Sad.