News Release
San Diego Unified’s Interagency Task Force to Hold Summit
SAN DIEGO (Oct. 16, 2019) – Members of a new task force established by the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education met for the first time today to discuss how law enforcement and other agencies can better collaborate to protect children from sexual harassment and abuse.
Following a robust conversation facilitated by Rabbi Laurie Coskey, members of the Multi-Agency Task Force for the Protection of District Students agreed to hold a summit to further discuss how to coordinate strategies and necessary actions to create a comprehensive interagency protocol regarding the reporting, response, and prevention of sexual harassment and abuse of students.
“I am proud to be part of this important work and collaboration that will have a lasting effect in our community,” said San Diego Police Chief and task force member David Nisleit. “I look forward to continuing this meaningful conversation for the protection of children.”
During the unprecedented meeting convened by Superintendent Cindy Marten, Chief Nisleit, District Attorney Summer Stephan, Chief Deputy City Attorney Nicole Crosby, and San Diego Unified School Police Chief Michael Marquez, chair of the task force, shared their agency’s role in the protection of students to improve interagency collaboration. Student and parent members joined the conversation, as did experts from San Diego Unified, the San Diego County Office of Education, and San Diego County Child Welfare Services, among others.
“This is an extremely important conversation to take on,” said Superintendent Marten. “I am incredibly proud to see this level of collaboration among agencies and individuals that share a common mission.”
The fall summit will be open to the public. The date, time and location of the summit will be announced in the coming weeks.
“I am inspired by the collective compassion and dedication the task force members have shown for the children of San Diego,” said San Diego Unified trustee Richard Barrera, who was instrumental in establishing the task force. “Our schools and our community will be better for this collaboration.”
Established at the direction of the Board of Education in September, the task force is charged with identifying potential areas for improvement regarding collaboration between the various agencies working to protect children from sexual harassment and abuse. Superintendent Marten and the task force will present its preliminary findings and recommendations to the board by the end of January.
The task force includes:
· Convener Cindy Marten, San Diego Unified Superintendent
· Chair Michael Marquez, San Diego Unified School Police Chief
· District Attorney Summer Stephan
· Chief Deputy City Attorney Nicole Crosby on behalf of City Attorney Mara Elliott
· San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit
· Margo Fudge on behalf of Kimberly Giardina, Director, San Diego County Child Welfare Services
· Rickeena Boyd-Kamei, San Diego Education Association member
· Loxie Gant, parent/advocate
· Rebecca Mendiola, San Diego County Office of Education Assistant Superintendent of Student Services
· Bryce Benavente Pablo-Cook, Student, School of Creative and Performing Arts
· Derby Pattengill, parent/advocate
· Jolie Pickett, Administrators Association San Diego President
· Jay Sieber, Student, San Diego High School
· Dr. Suzanne Starling, Medical Director, Chadwick Center for Children and Families, Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego and Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics, UCSD School of Medicine
· Mahogany Taylor, parent/advocate
· Charles Wilson, Senior Director, Chadwick Center for Children and Families, Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego
· Dr. Abby Brewer-Johnson, Chair, San Diego Psychological Association Child, Family and Youth Committee
· San Diego Unified Board Vice President John Lee Evans
· San Diego Unified Board trustee Richard Barrera
CONTACT: Maureen Magee, Communications Director, (619) 381-7930, mmagee@sandi.net .
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