Recent hazing and violence lawsuits against Mater Dei have alerted a lot of noses to a stink that has been brewing for years: decades of child sexual abuse, hazing, and cover-up at the infamous high school. The parents of a recent hazing victim remarked to me that they had had no idea about the scandals…Continue reading School for Scandal 101: Santa Ana’s Mater Dei High School
PLEASE LISTEN, SUBSCRIBE, AND SHARE! You asked. I answered. The PODCAST is finally here. Join me at the SpotTheLine table of experts as we talk about Andrew Cuomo, the fascinating history of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and abuse and assault prevention. Two episodes and a preview are up, everywhere you get your podcasts.
Joelle yacks about a lot of stuff in a lot more places than just this blog. So, for those of you who can’t get enough … The San Jose Mercury News interviewed me about J. Patrick Foley, one of the priests in “the San Diego Eight” list. The Pacific Daily News asked me about more…Continue reading Joelle said WHAT?
Yesterday, I was a featured speaker at UCI Law School’s series on the #MeToo movement. Our discussion: Victims of child sexual abuse and sexual assault have been empowered to speak out about what happened to us. But what do we do to change the systemic problem in our institutions that made this abuse and cover-up…Continue reading #MeToo: Making a Movement
It’s time to talk. Those of you who have followed my blog may have noticed that it was dark for much of the fall. There were some good reasons for this. I am on the faculty at the UCI School of Law this semester, co-teaching a course on how to use the legislative process to…Continue reading My own journey
November 3, 2017 To: Dr. Jeffrey Docking, President Adrian College @JeffreyDocking, @AdrianCollege cc: Ms. Bridgette Winslow, Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, Title IX Coordinator Dr. Seth Knox, President, Adrian College Association of Professors The dam has broken: You can no longer blame a fifteen-year-old victim for the fact that one of your professors,…Continue reading My Open Letter to Jeffrey Docking and Adrian College #metoo
In September, I was listening to AirTalk on KPCC, one of LA’s NPR stations. On Fridays, they feature Film Week (one of my favorites), a show where reviewers talk about new film debuts, international film festivals, and DVD releases. On this particular show, the host and one of the reviewers were discussing the Venice Film Festival…Continue reading SPOTLIGHT: It’s not depressing. It’s not icky. Go see it.
Last week, I learned that I have been selected as a 2015 Ambassador of Peace award winner by the Violence Prevention Coalition of Orange County. That’s some pretty cool news! I was nominated by my cousin and friend Darcy Fehringer-Mask*, who won the award herself in 2008 for her work in diversity and anti-bias education,…Continue reading Ambassador of Peace
Katie, bar the door: I have been invited to speak at TEDx PasadenaWomen. To say I am excited would be an understatement. Achieving this kind of goal—speaking in front of engaged and visionary women at a TEDx event—has been mind-blowing. What will I be talking about? Well, that’s a secret. What is TEDx PasadenaWomen?…Continue reading TEDx PasadenaWomen
I just got the cover design for THE WELL-ARMORED CHILD. Everything is on track for my September publication date!
I know that this blog post is totally off topic. But bear with me. Think about this: When you want a hamburger, does an ad for oranges, milk, and yogurt entice you? What if the ad also tells you to exercise? This week McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson stepped down after more than 25 years with…Continue reading McDonald’s Fatal Marketing Flaw and How to Fix It
You’ve been bugging me for years. So now you can all clam up and put your money where you mouth is. YES, MY SON. WINE IS ONE OF THE FIVE FOOD GROUPS, the definitive collection of my humorous Facebook posts, is available for your Kindle (or your ebook reader on your computer) and in paperback. And while I…Continue reading You asked. We listened.
Talking to teenagers about their social media presence can be a drag. But if you have a teen and that teen is online, talking to your kid about his or her “online presence” can make the difference between a free college education and a lifetime of student debt. Don’t believe me? Just ask the high schooler…Continue reading Naughty Twitter Feed? Say Adios to that scholarship, my friend!
** UPDATE: The folks at the Register have fixed the problem. Not just for me (the squeaky wheel) but for the whole neighborhood. Insert Happy Dance *** It had all of the signs of a romance in doom. First, there was The Rush: Despite cutbacks and layoffs and closures at other newspapers across the…Continue reading The OC Register: He’s just not that into me anymore
It’s been an interesting week: Ricardo “Richard” Aldana is goin’ to the pokey Former JSerra High School teacher Richard Aldana was convicted on three felony counts of lewd acts upon a child. The victim was a 14-year-old student. Aldana faces up to eight years in jail. JSerra is an independent (not owned by the Diocese…Continue reading Friday Round-up: Aldana, Adrian, Arizona, and the AG
I am not your friend (either in the real world or in social media), because I agree with all of your beliefs. I am your friend because I DON’T. And that is magic. Our differing beliefs make you interesting, challenge me to stretch my thinking, and make my life fuller. When someone wishes you…Continue reading 2014 Wishes and Observations
It’s too easy to forget that many memories are magic and that a entire lifetime of love can come from something as simple as a Santa Ana neighborhood. This morning, my dad and I went to the funeral of Larkin Bean. He’s the kid in the brown shirt smack in the middle of the front…Continue reading Larkin’s Gift
Thomas Thing, a former Franciscan brother, was recently fired from his job as the student activities director at a LA college when details of two child sex abuse lawsuits against him became public. University of the West in Rosemead also got access to more than 500 pages of Thing’s personnel file (released as a part…Continue reading Adios, Br. Thing!
However, the irony of the name of the brewery will not be lost on some …
Sometimes, I get to be a part of something beautiful. You should come see us (when we are actually wearing make-up and concert dress).
