Full Disclosure Network

Orange County, CA: Parents, taxpayers and Americans who have been frustrated with the leadership of their local School Boards, can look to South Orange County California for what will surely be a text book case for how to conduct a complete political revolution, using the democratic process. The Full Disclosure Network®(FDN) presents a FREE eight minute Internet video preview of the two latest episodes (Part 5 and 6) of an on-going cable tv series covering the real life grassroots campaign to recall or replace all seven of the elected Trustees within the Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD).

While the CUSD recall petitions were disqualified from the ballot under unusual circumstances, the organizers and citizens went on to defeat three of the incumbent Trustees in the next regularly scheduled election. The Trustees were replaced by candidates supported by the Recall Committee. However, the four remaining “Old Guard” Trustees are now being accused of undermining the efforts of citizens and the new Trustees to truly reform the District and restore accountability

These episodes present an historical overview of the entire conflict. The recall leaders are now joined by elected officials from small cities in the District who describe their own horror stories of dealing with the former Superintendent James Fleming who recently resigned. A short time after his resignation, he was then indicted by the Orange County Grand Jury for alleged use of taxpayers funds to prevent the recall petition from qualifying for the ballot.

The FDN series on CUSD documents the historic battle to reform the District starting in 2005 up to present. In all there are six, half-hour Full Disclosure® programs and three Video News Blog on the Internet each reporting step by step, the citizens struggle to regain control of their school district.

• Mayor Pro-Tem Gary Thompson, City of Rancho Santa Margarita
• Tom Russell, CUSD Recall Leader
• Mayor Tony Beall, City of Rancho Santa Margarita and CUSD Recall Leader
• Mayor Carmen Cave, City of Aliso Viejo
• Councilman Mark Neilson, City of San Juan Capistrano & Recall Leader
• Trustee Anna Bryson, Vice Pres. CUSD Board (newly elected)
• Mayor Gail Reavis, City of Mission Viejo
• Trustee Ellen Addinizio, CUSD Board (newly elected)
• Councilman Lon Uso, City of San Juan Capistrano
• Councilman Steve Knoblock, City of San Clemente

One of the major obstacles encountered by the recall leaders was the difficulty in gaining media attention to the problem due to refusal of the District and the Trustees to be interviewed. Indeed, the Full Disclosure Network® encountered fierce resistance as well, when the CUSD Administration and Trustees steadfastly denied interview requests. This fact is documented in previous FDN episodes and in correspondence posted on the CUSD FDN website page and most recent email rejecting our requests for interviews from the new Director of Communications.