Berkeleyside » Berkeley High School

Berkeley school district settles sexual harassment case

Tracey Taylor — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:45:31 +0000

The settled case centers on a Berkeley High counselor accused of sexually harassing a 16-year-old female student in the 2009-2010 academic year

The Berkeley School Board last night voted to approve a settlement in a federal sexual harassment lawsuit against the Berkeley Unified School District, which includes compensation of $57,500 and conditions imposed on Anthony Smith, the Berkeley High counselor at the center of the case. BUSD has also committed to revising its training and policies on sexual harassment as part of the settlement. BUSD denies any liability in this case.

Lilah R. (the fictitious name under which she sued) was a 16-year-old junior at Berkeley High in the 2009-2010 school year when she, she said, she was subjected to persistent and pervasive conduct of a sexual nature by Smith, her academic counselor.

Lilah R. reported that Smith caressed her inner thigh and made unwelcome comments, such as he wanted to “share feelings” with her, asked her if she slept naked, and asked to work out together. Although Smith denied the charges in Lilah R.’s complaint, an initial BUSD investigation found that Lilah R. was the more credible witness and that Smith’s conduct was “inappropriate and unprofessional.” Lilah R. sued after BUSD rejected the family’s suggestion to remove Smith from the high school campus.(...)

Read the rest of Berkeley school district settles sexual harassment case (270 words)

By Tracey Taylor. | Permalink | 47 comments |
Post tags: Anthony Smith, Berkeley High School, BUSD, Superintendent Bill Huyett

Berkeley High renames, revamps a small school

Lance Knobel — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:00:34 +0000

Berkeley High School. Photo: Lance Knobel

Berkeley High School is renaming and reconfiguring one of its so-called small schools, the Community Partnerships Academy. From next September, CPA will metamorphose into the Academy of Medical and Public Service (AMPS).

CPA’s current program is distinguished by internships with local non-profit organizations, engineering, biotech, IT, government and health institutions. AMPS will also have an intership program. The revised course offerings include a renewed focus on science with Forensic Science, Chemistry, Biological Health Science, and either an AP science elective, ROP Sports Medicine or Emergency Medical Careers. The Public Service pathway will have a new elective offering, Psychology/Sociology.

“We are extremely pleased with the evolution and new direction of one of our schools and the new pathways that the Academy of Medicine and Public Service will provide,” said Principal Pasquale Scuderi in the statement announcing the change. “With multiple analysts projecting the most notable job growth to be in health care fields over the next decade, we believe that our efforts will yield a curriculum that is relevant and applicable to the world our students will enter into upon graduation.”(...)

Read the rest of Berkeley High renames, revamps a small school (100 words)

By lance. | Permalink | 5 comments |
Post tags: Academy of Medical and Public Service, Berkeley High School, Principal Pasquale Scuderi

A “funeral” for a much-loved Berkeley swimming pool

Guest contributor — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:00:59 +0000

Berkeley’s Warm Pool at the Old Gym on the Berkeley High campus filled with swimmers Wednesday night for probably the last time ever, as scores of pool loyalists gathered for a mock funeral. The Old Gym is being shuttered and is slated to be demolished in 2012. Above is a video shot last night, which includes some images taken of the pool in use on other days. It is by L.A. Wood. Robert Collier, Co-Chair of the Berkeley Pools Campaign, filed the report below:

After nearly three decades of being a lifeline for many disabled and elderly residents, the decrepit yet much-loved facility at Berkeley High School is closing forever.

Wednesday’s ceremony was a very Berkeley event: Rabbi Sara Shendelman played Tibetan bells and read prayers from several different world spiritual traditions. A symbolic coffin was carried alongside the pool, as participants held candles and mourned the loss of the Warm Pool as clouds of steam rose from the water.(...)

Read the rest of A “funeral” for a much-loved Berkeley swimming pool (287 words)

By guest. | Permalink | 16 comments |
Post tags: Berkeley High School, Berkeley Warm Pool, BHS Old Gym, Measure C

Cases of BHS-related teen prostitution misreported

Tracey Taylor — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:00:12 +0000

Reports about teen prostitution locally have been exagerrated

A number of stories in the media this week suggesting that teen prostitution was on the rise at Berkeley High School has prompted both the Berkeley Police Department and Berkeley High to hit back with evidence to the contrary. Principal Pasquale Scuderi also expressed his disappointment with some of the coverage and its potential impact on the school’s reputation.

A December 8th piece on KTVU Channel 2, headlined “Reports of teenage hookers rock Berkeley High” spoke of “high school girls pacing the blocks of San Pablo Avenue for sex” and said the Berkeley police were receiving one to two referrals a month from Berkeley High officials about suspected student prostitution.

BUSD spokesperson Mark Coplan told Berkeleyside there have been “zero” referrals from BHS about juvenile prostitution. And, in a release put out on Thursday, BUSD Superintendent Bill Huyett said: “We have reviewed the two years referred to, and have confirmed that there have been no referrals for prostitution of any kind from Berkeley High School in 2010 or 2011.”(...)

Read the rest of Cases of BHS-related teen prostitution misreported (339 words)

By Tracey Taylor. | Permalink | 11 comments |
Post tags: Berkeley High School, Berkeley Police Deparment, Commission on the Status of Women, Teen prostitution

Berkeley High sexual harassment case close to settling

Tracey Taylor — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:53:15 +0000

Berkeley High School where counselor Anthony Smith works

Update, 4:40 pm: In a release issued at 4:16 pm, BUSD Superintendent Bill Huyett states: “As a school district, we take this kind of allegation very seriously. We do a thorough investigation in all cases, and we take the appropriate action when it is warranted, and furthermore, the school district does not admit to any wrongdoing in this case.” The statement also confirms Berkeleyside’s reporting that the case has not yet been settled.

Original story: The sexual harassment lawsuit against Berkeley High School counselor Anthony Smith is close to reaching a settlement, subject to the approval of the Berkeley school district board.

According to a story today in the Chronicle, the district has been ordered to pay $57,500 to the family of a former BHS student, known as Lilah R. (a pseudonym) who filed suit against Smith for inappropriate touching and suggestive remarks in the 2010-11 academic year. Smith, who continues to work as as counselor at BHS, must also keep the door to his office and blinds open when counseling female students in future.(...)

Read the rest of Berkeley High sexual harassment case close to settling (285 words)

By Tracey Taylor. | Permalink | 13 comments |
Post tags: Anthony Smith, Berkeley High School

Berkeley High concerned about Civic Park Occupy camp

Tracey Taylor — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:40:47 +0000

The Occupy Berkeley encampment at Civic Center Park has grown over the past few weeks. Photo: Arturo Snuze

Berkeley High School Principal Pasquale Scuderi says supervising BHS students during the lunch hour and after school has become more challenging for the school with the growth of the Occupy Berkeley tent-city in Civic Center Park.

In a letter to the BHS community sent out by email Wednesday, Scuderi noted that the burgeoning camp has made it more difficult for school administrators and safety staff to keep an eye on and visually identify students among the settlers in the park, a number of whom “may not be connected to or interested in the advocacy being conducted by the actual Occupy Berkeley movement”.

Scuderi, who estimates there are now around 90 tents in the park, says there have been no negative interactions with the campers. The school currently has two administrators monitoring the park during the lunch hour.(...)

Read the rest of Berkeley High concerned about Civic Park Occupy camp (334 words)

By Tracey Taylor. | Permalink | 42 comments |
Post tags: Berkeley High School, City of Berkeley, Occupy Berkeley, Occupy movement, Principal Pasquale Scuderi

Berkeley filmmakers shine light on American story

Guest contributor — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:00:50 +0000

By Nathan Pensky

Berkeley filmmaker Ben Schuder is looking to shine a light on a wholly unique American story, that of the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem. Schuder and his crew are midway through the production of Village of Peace, a film about a group formerly hailing from a Chicago-based church that emigrated from America and settled in Israel during the late 60s.

Schuder said he and his brother, Sam, were inspired to make the film after going on a Birthright Israel trip, following Ben’s recent graduation from Berkeley High.

During this trip, the brothers were introduced to the African Hebrews in Dimona, Israel, a tightly knit, self-governing community of 500 people living on a compound the size of a city block.(...)

Read the rest of Berkeley filmmakers shine light on American story (579 words)

By guest. | Permalink | 3 comments |
Post tags: African Hebrews, Ben Schuder, Berkeley filmmakers, Berkeley High School, Tribe of Judah, Village of Peace

Photo gallery: A week of high spirits at Berkeley High

Tracey Taylor — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:00:02 +0000

Monday of Spirit Week was "Nerd Day". All photos: Mark Coplan

Spirit Week at Berkeley High was, well, as spirited as one would expect. Students put their all into the daily costume themes, and the red and gold hued Friday finale of Spirit Rally included performances at the community theater and two special tributes to friends who passed away recently: Malik Grayson and Tim Moellering.

The week was topped off by the football team’s 41-7 thrashing of league rival Pinole Valley. Yellowjackets kicker Sam Boyden had two field goals, including a 51-yarder. The Yellowjackets are undefeated in league play with two games left in the regular season.

Update, 9:22am: The photos shown here are just a tiny selection taken by BUSD Public Information Officer Mark Coplan. To see the full collection (and try to spot you and your friends) visit these six galleries: Monday/Nerd Day, Tuesday/Tie-Dye Day, Wednesday/Toga Day, Thursday/Pajamas and 70s-80s Day, Friday/Senior Spell, Friday/Spirit Rally.

Day two, Tuesday, was Tie-Dye Day

(...)

Read the rest of Photo gallery: A week of high spirits at Berkeley High (64 words)

By Tracey Taylor. | Permalink | 4 comments |
Post tags: Berkeley High School, Berkeley High Spirit Week, BHS

Rotary Club builds new play structure for homeless kids

Frances Dinkelspiel — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:30:12 +0000

Mayor Tom Bates and kids cut ribbon on the new play structure at the Ursula Sherman Village on Harrison Street. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel

For more than two years, the homeless children at the Ursula Sherman Village on Harrison Street in West Berkeley only had an empty lot to play in. The decrepit play structure that had stood in the yard for years was shut down because it was no longer safe.

“It was old,” explained Boona Cheema, the Executive Director of Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency (BOSS) which was founded in 1971 and runs the village. “It wasn’t safe, so we took it down.”

Thanks to the intervention of the Rotary Club of Berkeley and assorted affiliates, the 24 children at Ursula Sherman Village now have a state-of-the-art play structure and playground to play in. Officials from the Rotary, BOSS, and the city of Berkeley gathered Monday afternoon for the official ribbon cutting ceremony of the playground.

“It’s already made a huge difference,” said Cheema. “The kids feel it’s their place, that it was done for them. They are so excited.”

Evidence was everywhere Monday that the kids were enjoying the structure. As adults mingled around chatting before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the children ran all around the play structure, climbed up its stairs, and played on its bars.(...)

Read the rest of Rotary Club builds new play structure for homeless kids (260 words)

By Frances Dinkelspiel. | Permalink | 3 comments |
Post tags: Berkeley High School, boona cheema, BOSS, Cal Rotaracts, Don Melandry, Grier Graff, Rotary Club, Tom Bates, ursula sherman village

BUSD addresses concerns over BHS campus construction

Tracey Taylor — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:00:13 +0000

Berkeley High's old gym is slated for replacement with Measure I funds. Photo: Tracey Taylor

Earlier this month, the Berkeley Unified School District abruptly closed Berkeley High School’s Old Gym citing the unsafe condition of the building. The lack of warning meant that several of the school’s sports teams, including its football squad, had no place to store equipment. The rowing team abruptly lost access to its ergometers, the football team lost its weights room, and the wrestling team lost its practice facilities.

Superintendent Bill Huyett apologized for the disruption, but staff, students, and parents have expressed concern over both the handling of that case and a variety of issues related to construction at Berkeley High. BUSD last week responded to these issues in an email to the school community:

A plan for communication regarding construction projects at Berkeley High

• Weekly Wednesday communications sent via e-tree with updates directly from both the Berkeley High site and the District Facilities Department.(...)

Read the rest of BUSD addresses concerns over BHS campus construction (388 words)

By Tracey Taylor. | Permalink | 15 comments |
Post tags: Berkeley High School, Berkeley schools, BHS Crew, BHS football team, BUSD