Burbank, CA, July 30, 2024 – The Center for American Liberty (CAL) filed a lawsuit today against the Burbank Unified School District (BUSD) to enforce its rights under the California Public Records Act (CPRA). This action stems from multiple CPRA requests made by CAL, which BUSD has failed to adequately respond to, thus violating CAL’s statutory rights to obtain public records.
“The Center for American Liberty is actively exposing extreme plans and policies in California School Districts through public records requests,” Harmeet Dhillon, CEO & Founder of the Center for American Liberty, said. “The Burbank Unified School District’s inadequate response to our lawful CPRA requests undermines parents’ right to access information about what’s happening behind closed doors at their children’s schools. This, all in the wake of AB 1955 where Governor Newsom is pushing parents’ rights out of the picture. We are committed to holding BUSD accountable and ensuring they fulfill their obligations under the law.”
Background:
On May 23, 2024, CAL submitted a comprehensive CPRA request to BUSD, seeking access to various documents, policies, and communications related to pupil records, compliance with state education laws, gender support plans, and other relevant materials. Despite a statutory requirement for a timely response, BUSD has not provided a complete or satisfactory disclosure of the requested records.
Chronology of Events:
– May 23, 2024: CAL issued a CPRA request to BUSD for multiple categories of public records.
– May 30, 2024: BUSD acknowledged receipt of the request but requested an extension due to staff shortages.
– June 20, 2024: BUSD provided a partial response, which CAL determined to be incomplete.
– June 20, 2024: CAL’s counsel sought clarification from BUSD regarding the scope and completeness of the response.
– June 20, 2024: BUSD confirmed the response as complete, despite evident gaps in the disclosure.
Legal Action:
With BUSD’s failure to fully comply with the CPRA requests, CAL has been compelled to file a lawsuit seeking:
1. A Writ of Mandate compelling BUSD to conduct a thorough search and disclose all responsive records.
2. Declaratory relief affirming BUSD’s violations of the CPRA.
3. Injunctive relief to prevent BUSD from charging excessive fees and to ensure compliance with public records disclosure requirements.
To schedule an interview with The Center for American Liberty, please contact Daytona Everett at Daytona@PraetorianPR.com