L.A. Unified official pleads not guilty in conflict of interest case
April 29, 2010 | 4:26 pm
A top Los Angeles Unified School District manager accused of funneling business from the district’s massive school building effort to a company he co-owned pleaded not guilty Thursday to conflict of interest charges.
Bassam Raslan, 52, was indicted last month on nine felony counts. In its indictment, the grand jury also took the school district to task for failing to prevent the alleged crime even though it knew of Raslan’s interest in the company, TBI Associates.
Raslan worked for years as a subcontractor overseeing a portion of the district’s $20-billion school construction program.
The indictment accused him of recommending hiring TBI employees for the program without telling his supervisors about the conflict.
L.A. parents criticize pending special ed cutbacks [Updated]
April 29, 2010 | 3:39 pm
The effect of looming budget cuts on disabled students dominated a Thursday morning hearing at the downtown headquarters of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
About 200 parents attended the morning portion of an annual hearing required under a 1995 legal settlement over deficiencies in the district’s special education services. The purpose is to help inform an independent monitor who tracks district progress. Over time, he’s reported inconsistent but measurable steps forward.
Testimony on Thursday, however, suggested that budget pressures threaten to turn back the clock. The district has had to offset a $640-million deficit for next year.
