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Time to fire SLO High School officials who covered up misconduct

December 14, 2023

Jeff Brandow

OPINION by AMBER WILKERSON

As I reflect on the past 14 months, I have so many emotions. Anger, sadness, anxiousness, disbelief, and confusion. As my daughter’s story becomes public, and so many other stories related to San Luis Obispo High School have and continue to come forward, I am hopeful there will be change.

Recently, on the Dave Congalton show, I was asked, “What do I want to happen?” I thought an answer would just slide out of my mouth, but I actually hesitated for a second. When asked if I wanted Dr. Eric Prater to be fired, I didn’t answer yes right away. I have spent the last few days examining why I couldn’t blurt out, “Yes!”

Here is what I have come up with:

I am human and I know that my family, and my daughter are not the only victims. SLCUSDs administrators have families. Most, if not all, have children. Jeff Brandow, as much as his behavior sickens me, has children. They are victims, too. Perhaps that’s why I hesitated. For every person we want held accountable, there are innocent people attached.

For the record, I am now ready clarify what I want as a necessary outcome in this lawsuit and for our community.

First, a policy change to the parent/admin/teacher communication. No child should ever be in a room with administration for a nonacademic conversations without a parent being notified. Not after, not during, but prior. My daughter was not equipped to handle this communication and it has changed her to this day. We were never contacted. Ever.

I do not think any of the administrators at SLOHS would have been okay with this if it was their child in the situation.

Secondly, an enforcement of current policies. No teacher should personally text or be inappropriate on social media with students. This is a policy and it was in effect when my daughter was in high school, however, it was not enforced.

Even with the inappropriate texts between Jeff Brandow and my daughter, the school, specifically Dr. Prater, stated in the Tribune that “We provided no factual evidence” and “Very weak evidence” regarding our allegations. If a policy states a teacher should not be texting, and a teacher repeatedly does, and still has his job, what good is the policy?

Next, I do believe any administrator who knew, or ever took a verbal or written report from a parent, student, or colleague, regarding Jeff Brandow’s behavior, or other adults,  should lose their job.

This was not a single complaint but a decade of concerns. Concerns expressed to Leslie O’Connor, Rollin Dickenson, and Human Resources were documented. The adults and children involved have shared their stories and verified they met with SLCUSD administration. Additionally, every school district employee is a mandated reporter.

Lastly, money changes policy. Unfortunately, this employee and any leaders who dismissed or covered for him will cost the district money. Taxpayer money. There is no amount of money that seems reasonable when I look at my daughter and think about the last 14 months of her life.

Her senior year, once filled with plans, dreams, and excitement, was lonely and isolated. Her friends either didn’t understand or chose to leave her standing alone. She is changed. Twenty years from now, this is what she will remember about high school. I’d like to think it hasn’t changed her trajectory in life, but honestly, I don’t know. And although I know we will move forward as a family, this experience has devastated so many parts of our lives that are invisible to the public.

I ask you as a community, please write to SLCUSD Board Members.

Email Dr. Prater: eprater@slcusd.org

Email the Board Members:

Ellen Sheffer  esheffer@slcusd.org

Eve Hinton:  edoblerdrew@slcusd.org

Brian Clausen: bclausen@slcusd.org

Mark Buchman: mbuchman@slcusd.org

Chris Ungar: cungar@slcusd.org

Robert Banfield: robertbanfield@slcusd.org

Marilyn Rodger: mrodger@slcusd.org

Email Dr. Brescia at San Luis Obispo County Office of Education. jbrescia@slocoe.org

Speak up. Be part of the solution, not the problem. It’s time for change in SLCUSD.

Amber Wilkerson is the mother of one of the students who is an alleged victim of Jeff Brandow.

 


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This is a powerful, thoughtful and lucid expression. Amber has the moral authority to demand justice, yet recognizes that there are victims all around. Just “firing” everyone accomplishes NOTHING if the foundational dysfunction of the system is not changed. This has happened too, too much at SLOHS. It’s a culture there. I know of unreported teacher-student sexual harassment that occurred there 25 years ago. Everyone knew, no one did anything. This evil must stop.


12

I hear you Amber. As the parent of a girl who experienced sexual harassment from other students in middle school in a different district I know this territory with district admin. They gotta go or change will not happen. I know first hand. I’m writing my emails to your school board now. I support you and your cause.


Here you go friends of Amber — Copy paste – edit your own letter

esheffer@slcusd.org, edoblerdrew@slcusd.org, bclausen@slcusd.org, mbuchman@slcusd.org, cungar@slcusd.org,  robertbanfield@slcusd.org,  mrodger@slcusd.org,  jbrescia@slocoe.org


Dear SLCUSD Superintendent Brescia and SLCUSD Board Members


I demand that you fire all district employees in SLCUSD/SLOHS who took part in the Wilkerson case.  It is evident that many poor decisions were madeby district superintendent, principal, HR admin and others in the way they handled this case. This was an intentional and ongoing attempt to cover up for a bad apple teacher Jeff Brandow at SLO HS. Our students deserve better. We have lost faith in the administrative leadership of SLCUSD. 


18

Fire Supt. Eric Prater, scumbag so-called leader ignored harrassment of underage female students


15

Prater must go!


8

I would like to thank Mrs. Amber Wilkerson for speaking truth to power, and I agree with her assessment that heads need to roll in the SLO Coastal school bureaucracy. If SLO Coastal Superintendent Eric Prater is left employed by the district, it will be a statement of the school board’s contempt regarding public and parental input into decision making. District Trustee’s like Marilyn Rodger need to explain why they are permitting Supt. Prater to stay on the job despite his failure to enforce district policies and procedures, he has failed in his core responsibilities to create and maintain a safe learning environment for students, and he should be fired.


From public release of information under the ‘freedom of information’ act, we now know the extent of the effort made by Supt. Prater, Principal Leslie O’Connor, Principal Rollin Dickinson, and the HR people under Prater to COVER for the sexual harassment proclivity of coach/teacher Jeff Brandow. Despite having plenty of knowledge of Brandow’s behavior, the district chose to dismiss the claims of abuse and to cover for Mr. Brandow. These adults are mandated reporters under the law and yet not one of them met their legal responsibility to contact Child Protective Services to report the abuse the female student was suffering at the hands of the teacher/coach.


The bottom line in all of this has been that it is now apparent that SLO Coastal, under the failed leadership of Dr. Eric Prater, has become a place where sexual harassment and abuse is both tolerated and swept under the rug. In this case, an underage female student was the victim of both the abuse of a teacher/coach, and also the highly paid administrators who are supposed to be protecting her. No student should ever have to be victimized and then revictimized by the process, and all residents of SLO County have an obligation to use the provided email addresses to make it abundantly clear about what needs to be done to rectify this cancer growing on the SLO Coastal school district.


If you need any inspiration to join in the condemnation of Supt. Eric Prater, just imagine it was YOUR daughter in this situation. Would you want the situation swept under the rug and your daughter’s abuser promoted up the ranks as your daughter’s educational experience was diminished?


Speak truth to power, it’s our only hope.


15

I see you, Amber. And am so sorry that your family has had to go through this because of the complete ineptitude of SLOHS and the SLCUSD administration. They should be held accountable. I hope others will have the guts to come forward.


38

It’s totally a good-old-boys racket here. Prater should be the first to go, as the buck stops with him. Then go down the line. If they were in the private sector, they would all be gone. And if Prater goes, the District should call due his million-dollar 2% interest-rate loan on his house in Avila Beach. That money could sure help with the lawsuit the District faces as a result of his misconduct.


47

From the top down, all board members, administrators and teachers that knew of these reported activities by Brandow and did not act on them with urgency, should step down or be fired. Period. Time to clean house.


68

Around 15 years ago or so there was another Basketball coach at SLO High that was fired because he was accused of stalking an assistant female coach… I was surprised when it never made the news… maybe if it had we wouldn’t be here again….


51

The basketball coach of 15 years ago wasn’t reported locally because CalCoastNews was founded only 14 1/2 years ago.


8

You send your children to school which is supposed to be a safe place but as we all know kids can be cruel and are vulenable at this and unfortunately you are seeing to many bad teacher problems in our schools and it goes thru the college yrs also. This country has the worst education system for the money spent in the world so things have to change and if there is a bad apple in the tub it needs to go immediately


45

Your comment tends to support the conclusion that we have “the worst education system.”


-41

Not worst, last report had California 48th out of 50, i think Mississippi was worst


21

California public school test scores are in the lower tier of performance when compared to other states. Further, it isn’t about the money spent per pupil, it is about the lack of discipline ( at home and at school), prioritization of learning objectives, and teacher quality.


My kid is now an adult but if I had a school age child now I’d give serious consideration to private or home schooling.


18

Discipline, sure. Simple. I guess t doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that 40% of California students live in a household where English is not the first language.


-21

Good point, that is why I support complete immersion in English fluency ( including summer school) for ESL youth.


Travel to Europe and see how much emphasis is placed on English competency. Especially in Norway. They get it, like it or not. English is the one language of international business and success.


I know an airline pilot that told me when flying into Katmandu or Mongolia the ATC staff speak fairly proficient English. Just a fact.


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