Dear Community Members,

In our last update we had mentioned we would share with the district our parameters and expectations concerning the Independent Investigation.

Below is the letter we sent to Superintendent Sanderson and CCed the board of LGSUHSD trustees

Dear Superintendent Sanderson

Att: Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District Board of Trustees

Parent representatives are still looking to secure a meeting you had originally agreed to have back in December. Instead, your office took a very tactless strategy to attack the very community you serve and to treat our concerns as baseless rumors by denying the existence of a resignation email and creating a divide between you and this parent body. Naturally your actions have garnered a lack of trust. For this reason and on this matter, any ‘agreement’ coming from the district involving our music directors moving forward must be made public and co-signed by all interested parties.

Your second response was to call for an independent investigation and quite wisely your tone toward your community did start sounding reasonable but there still remains a problem of broken trust.

In regards to the independent investigation we do support the proposal of how to proceed with it as indicated in the open letter written by Dave Holt. Given your past actions and misleading statements we do not feel it is appropriate that you oversee or be involved in this process in any way. We ask you to remove yourself entirely from the process and we expect the board of trustees to request the same. We would like Principal Greg Louie to be empowered to lead with any dealings required by the independent investigator and be the official channel of communication in regards to this subject.

We are adamant that a third party oversee the independent investigation too.

Continuing with the recommendations listed above we:

• Request that the District clarify the scope of the investigation. It appears unusual that a dispute with a senior administrator resulted in tendered resignations of two highly dedicated directors, and your response resulted in the hiring of a third party investigator. This stance seemed excessive and indicated there is an underlying issue that requires such a measure. 

          Naturally, the community now too believes that indeed there are larger issues at play, including but not limited to, a hostile work environment, abuse of power, and potential violations of labor laws by said senior administrator. Therefore, we expect the scope of the investigation to focus on the root causes that led to a full blown crisis in our Music Department, affecting the leadership of Saratoga High School and the District.

• We would also like to understand the expected timeline for this investigation, as the timely completion of this investigation is in everyone’s best interest. We are concerned that this will continue to distract educators from delivering on their mission and further create anxiety and uncertainty to the student body. We understand, as documented by the petition update, that the timeline for its completion is around the end of January but this was based on a district spokesperson sharing information during a preset gathering and not through any official channel.

• We would also like to understand the qualifications and experience of this investigator and ensure that they are indeed a neutral party and have no other conflict of interests in the conduct of this work. Please identify the investigator and their experience and qualifications.

• Keeping present at all times privacy issues and confidentiality, the community requests a redacted version of all findings and recommendations. This shall include the plan of action moving forward on how recommendations will be addressed by the District to prevent future crises from occurring again. 

          The plan of action should list: (1) the policies and procedures governing the investigation process; (2) the substantive law or policy alleged to have been violated; (3) the time period under consideration; (4) possible witnesses; and (5) relevant documents and other physical evidence.

• The investigator should be mindful of the standard of proof applicable to the investigation. We expect the application of the “preponderance of the evidence” as the standard of proof as that is the standard used in most civil proceedings. 

• A redacted version of the Investigative Report should also be handed over to the third party and it should detail:

1. Scope and manner of investigation;
2. Summary of the allegations;
3. The response to the allegations;
4. Summary of the evidence, including witness interviews;
5. Credibility determinations;
6. Findings of fact; 
7. Legal conclusion (but only if called for under the applicable procedures).

• Upon learning the allegations against our Music Directors are false, we request you strike any such allegations from their personnel files. 

• Retaliatory actions against witnesses, employees or others will not be accepted.

Board members, may it be clear that the parent body will not be pleased with any provoked departure of our music directors due to any abuse. If this is the case, we will take this as an unwillingness to serve and represent the community that elected you. We recommend all votes on this issue be roll-called and made public.

Regards,

Los Gatos-Saratoga Community Members

Timeline of community action: 

12/06/2022 Requested an in-person audience with District Leadership. Still waiting to secure a meeting time/date.
12/09/2022 Petition was launched.
12/13/2022 Community members attended the LGSUHSD Board Meeting.
12/15/2022 Community members attended the SHS School Site Council
12/16/2022 Community members attended the SHS Friday Family Time Meeting with SHS Principal
12/18/2022 Released first petition update.

01/09/2023 Sent email to Superintendent Sanderson and CCed LGSUHSD Board of Trustees addressing our parameters and expectations regarding the Independent Investigation.