Chapter 12: Looking at the Laws

Returning from Los Angeles, Lennie and Lara became permanent residents together in Lennie’s large bedroom. Dad offered no objection. By this point, he was absolutely convinced that Lennie and her father had saved his daughter from a lifetime of disability. Further, that L & L (as they were now known) might someday become lifetime partners, i.e., married.

Eventually, the high school noticed that L & L, and Dan and I, hadn’t been showing up. When they sent Dr. Pereira a truancy notice, he called Dad. (I was listening in.)

“Yes, Dee and I got notices for Dan, E, and Lara. Do you have a plan?”

“Tim, I have a good friend who is an injury lawyer. She could really help you and Lara get beyond this terrible event. With your permission, I want to get her involved. I’ve made a vow, none of our teenagers are ever going to be forced back into that school. But the three that are age 15 have to go somewhere, somewhere else, and that school and district is going to pay for it. Do you agree?”

“I do. And so will Dee. Fuck ‘em all.”

I gave Dad a big squishy hug for that.

The lawyer was Sandra Echevarria, and when we met her, we liked her at once. All nine of us gathered at Lennie’s on a Friday night for, first, one of her screamingly delicious dinners and gourmet ice cream, and second, plotting our legal assault on the Inland School District (ISD).

Our new lawyer took a dollar from Dad and wrote him a receipt. “OK, now we have a formal relationship, including confidentiality, so your secrets are safe with me. I gather there’s some complexity in your family situation, it should not matter for our work together. Call me Sandy, please.”

“I understand Lara was attacked twice on school grounds, the second time sustaining severe injuries. Before we get into that, I need to bring up something else. I have another client from your school, her name is Tania Candelotti. She was battered so badly by some aggressive girls that her leg was permanently damaged. She will limp for the rest of her life.”

“Just for inside this room, I will tell you that Tania’s ignorant parents took her to the Catholic Hospital which didn’t have a good ortho. Ronaldo here would have fixed her up perfectly, I am sure. But it’s too late now for that. And poor doctoring doesn’t excuse ISD from their liability for Tania’s injuries.”

“I believe you will tell me that teachers and administrators never impose discipline on the violent female students and never intervene in fights. The record shows they have only acted in the most severe cases, such as when the police or ambulances are called to the campus. Or, when teachers or staff are injured, since they are protected by their unions.”

“If this continues, there will be more violence, more injuries, possibly deaths. I was already preparing a suit on Tania’s behalf, adding yours strengthens both cases substantially. So let’s begin with the first time Lara was attacked.”

Ninety minutes later, Sandy said, “I think I have everything I need for now, including Dan’s video. Well, done, Dan, and including that time stamp was brilliant. Lara, we need to go to the station and file a police report with the evidence and the abstract of your medical records. And their two names. I will have a restraining order on them, and a peace bond on their parents. If they try and retaliate on you, I’ll take their houses and cars, and I will make sure they all know that.”