Posted by ushldcallme on August 15, 2008 at 6:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)

One of the saddest and ugliest parts of divorce is the fight for child custody. Children are torn between parents. They experience mental and emotional stressed. They feel confused on which parent they are to go and live with. Before we go all mushy let us first define what child custody is. Child custody refers to the package of rights as well as responsibilities that a parent holds with respect to his or her child. Child custody covers a wide spectrum of concepts. The basic essence of child custody is to find the best interest of the child and not the individual interest of the parents. In some states they follow a general rule and that is for parents to have a continuing and frequent contact with the child.

http://www.goinglegal.com/article_378...

Had the parents reconciled and placed their full trust and care under our loving Lord Jesus Christ, this wouldn't have ended this way. Jesus Himself said, "... I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing." John 15:5

Posted by FirstAmmendment on August 15, 2008 at 6:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)

What a coincidence...the King family files a lawsuit and the Hueneme School District has already promoted the two administrators who should have stepped in and prevented this tragedy from ever ocurring. The above named Assistant Principal is now an elementary Principal, and the former Principal at E.O. Green is now working out of the District Office. If they had no fault or liability in this issue then why were they moved out of E.O. Green?

Posted by Hueneme1961 on August 15, 2008 at 7 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm not happy they moved one to sunkidst.We always get the worse.we even had Ed Jones so that proves we always get the worse.

Posted by UncleRico on August 15, 2008 at 7 a.m. (Suggest removal)

McInerney's attorney has also argued that the school and/or the school district are at least partly to blame for what happened. Having the King family now make these same arguments certainly can't hurt the defense. Wonder if they thought about that before filing the claim.

Posted by Ms_California on August 15, 2008 at 7:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)

ushldcallme... my parents divorced at a young age, based on the reasons they divorced I would NEVER want my parents to reconcile for the kids... and Jesus could have never helped! Some people are better off being seperated.

This story is more and more tragic every time I read it. After reading the Newsweek article yesterday it makes it all the more upsetting. I think that both boys had very troubled families. Brandon saw the way his father dealt with anger by taking a gun to his mother. Kids are like that old saying.. Monkey see, Monkey do. If that is the way that Brandon saw his parents resolve their issues and breakup, his logical (which is not right) thinking was to take a gun to Larry.

I agree Larry's parents should have been more involved. Even if he was at Casa Pacifica, they should have been involved with that facility as well as the school itself. You can't just give up on your child. I read that they are thinking he had some sort of disability, autisum etc... Children with those sorts of needs do need the extra help by other providers. Especially if they have been undiagnosed. BUT in the same respect parents still need to be parents even if their children are in medical or treatment facilities. I have a very very good friend who has a child with a mental disability and has been in a home most of her life.. her mother is STILL very involved with that facility and her child. She didn't give up on her child, she could't provide the medical care and help that her child needed and it was very taxing on the family at home with other small children. But like I said she NEVER has given up on her daughter!

Posted by RebelGal on August 15, 2008 at 7:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"King's mother had complained to county Child Protective Services that she feared the boy would be hurt because of his appearance, the claim says"

And why did she just sit there? Why didn't she tell her son... hey Larry, dressing like that is not ok? He was still a minor and ultimatly under thier say.

I am assuming that King did not have a job, who bought him the make up and the boots and the feminine clothing?

I don't mean to undermine the serious nature of what happened to King but I pose these qustions to his family.

Posted by daugtherofimmigrant on August 15, 2008 at 7:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)

RebelGal- my exact thoughts, I have said this all along, why didn't she do something? Funny thing is I wonder what they are suing for, $$??
Of course I don't know all the details of what the parents did or didn't do but it sounds like they didn't do much. But I also blame the assistant principal and in some way Casa Pacifica why they did allow him to dress that way, why did the principal allow for Larry to behave in some way. These people are professionals they knew better than to allow this behavior.

Truth of the matter is these four parents let someone else take care of their responsibilities and now look.

Posted by RC on August 15, 2008 at 7:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)

WTF..if my child had death threats I would take more action than just complaining to the school district. The famioy could have been pro-active and could have home schooled him, took him to private school, etc.Sounds to me that these parents are money grubbing jerks.

Posted by pjlove10 on August 15, 2008 at 8:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)

And how is this the school administrators fault? How should they have prevented it? I'm curious. Either way, the PARENTS should have had the boy dress more appropriately. It drives me insane when parents want the schools to "parent" their children. Do your job parents, stop putting the blame on other people. Oh and here's one. The minute the school administration tells the boy "how to dress" I bet the parents would have sued for descrimination.

I'm saddened by this horrible trajedy, but these parents need to take responsibility as well for certain things. And one way to start is to NOT sue the district.

Posted by dc_n_vta on August 15, 2008 at 8:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Low-Life parents; trying to come-up on your own son's tragedy? Tell me please, how is suing the school district going to bring you any satisfaction? Is spending money going to bring back the memories of Larry? Oh wait, your memories are probably those of weekly visits to Casa Pacifica.
Sick, Sick, Sick.
Parents are ultimately responsible for their children's behavior. Had they paid this much attention to their son's needs early on, he would have been properly diagnosed, and treated. Truly loving parents would have coped with the issues their son was dealing with and not just given him to someone else to deal with.

Posted by Amazon on August 15, 2008 at 8:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

When I was in school back in the 1980's, the "new wave" and punk styles were popular and the guy and girls dressed far crazier than anything King wore (Remember Boy George?!!). A lot of kids, including myself, were harassed beyond belief. Everyone did that dressed differently but it didn't escalate to death of any students.
Based on the Newsweek article, this case involved two really troubled youths that butted heads. The way Larry dressed didn't help, but wasn't the root cause of why he was killed. Even if the school made him dress "normally", his actions were way out there and was enough to tick off a mentally unstable boy like Brandon with a dysfunctional family life. Larry would've been a target regardless of how he dressed. Many gay males in my school that dressed normally were harassed and oftentimes, they left school because it became unbearable. I can't imagine their fate among the students if they acted the way Larry did back to the students (blowing kisses, professing his love), as described in the Newsweek article. Of course, no matter how Larry acted, Brandon should never have killed him.

Posted by pjlove10 on August 15, 2008 at 8:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Just read the Newsweek article. Please, stop by and read it if you haven't already:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/147790/page/1

Sad. Just sad.

Posted by opns on August 15, 2008 at 8:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

“Hate to break it to ya: gays are everywhere! We're not going anywhere! And we'll continue coming OUT of the closets, throwing our parades, and "flaunting" it, whether ya like it or not! So either start getting used to it...or dig a big hole in the ground and jump in”. – meatballperson

“At any rate, please try to refrain from your blame the victim mentality here”. graham

Utterly sick.

Posted by MicheleinCA on August 15, 2008 at 9:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

For those of you who think the parents let Larry out of the house dressed like a female, no, they didn't. Larry was not living at home because he was a neglected and abused youth and was taken away from his parents. He was living in a government run center called Casa Pacifica, which is where he started dressing like a girl. He went straight from Casa Pacifica to school and back - never seeing his parents, who abused and neglected him.

The parents of Larry King should be ashamed of themselves for trying to get money from the death of their child that they couldn't be bothered with while he was alive. This article states they never came to see him. So, where was their guidance while he was putting on makeup and wearing high-heels? If they had bothered to visit their son they would have seen that he was behaving in a flamboyant manner that would put him at risk. But, isn't that the way all abusive and neglectful parents behave? Blame it on someone else - blame it on the system - it's the schools fault today, it'll be Casa Pacificas fault tomorrow. No, sorry. You can sue, but in the end you are 100% responsible for putting you son in the position he was in.

In the end the only person who is at fault for the death of Larry King is Brandon McInerey. He thought about it, planned it, brought a gun to school, and lay in wait to shoot Larry, not once, but twice. Where did Brandon learn that the way to settle an argument was to do so at the other end of a barrel? Why, from his father, of course. His father pulled a gun on his mother right in front of him.

So, the way I see it, the parents of both these boys failed them. Not the system, not the government, not the school, the parents.

Posted by grwng on August 15, 2008 at 9:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)

No one deserves to die because of who they are we are all individuals! Suppressing who we really are just to live amongst everyone else is just absurd especially for a young boy who is just beginning to find out who he is. Maybe his parents did try to tell him that he shouldn’t dress the way he did and it might have caused tension and problems in their household. I’m not insinuating that’s what happened but in our early teens how many of us didn’t argue with our parents because of our clothes? Whether it was too baggy, too tight, too revealing, or just plain “out of the ordinary”. Whether anyone allows their children to dress a certain way or not they will do it. As far as the school yes they were negligent, Larry’s family deserves remedies, and it doesn’t mean that they are cashing in on their son. How many of us don’t think that the money that goes into the education should in some part be to secure our child’s education and state of being. The school did nothing but “band aid” a huge problem instead of teaching the students that we are free to be who we want to be!

Posted by VenturaFreak on August 15, 2008 at 9:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Seems like the boy felt freer to express himself when he was placed in Casa Pacifica and none of this should be the schools fault. This all falls on the parenting skills of both parties, Kings parents obviously had issues that cause both of them to lose custody of their child to a place for abused, neglected and emotionally troubled children. Also, just because he was dressing like a girl doesn't make it okay for him to be killed. The intolerance of some people is truly scary. We should all feel comfortable to express ourselves. If you look back in history we as a nation have overcome a lot and become more diverse, but it is situations like this that show that we still have people that do not tolerate others views and differences...it's all very sad.

I couldn't image being persecuted because I was a woman, or because I was particular race and the same goes for dressing differently or being homosexual.

I agree with most of the people who have commented before me in regards to the King family. I can not believe what low-life’s would try and sue the school/county, trying to make it seems like it was their fault! What, did they find out that the parents of the boy who pulled the trigger didn't have any money to take! BTW, how did he get a gun! It seems that it should be a lot harder for a teen to get his hands on a gun then some female clothing.

I hope that the King parents get nothing and the shooter gets prison for the longest amount of time that is allowed, he does not deserve to have is youth!

Posted by Freedom1 on August 15, 2008 at 9:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Couldn't agree with you more "VenturaFreak." Unfortunately teasing and public humulation is not tolerated well by young people, especially those that have low self esteem to begin with. Not to mention when they have no solid family reforcement to fall back on. I hope this lawsuit is dismissed and like you, that the "shooter" gets to spend his youth in confinement. Unfortunately, the parents, who were ultimately responsible for this trajedy, will be allowed to go on with their lives as if nothing happened.

Posted by grammadee on August 15, 2008 at 9:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)

As I posted several days ago, my husband and I attended Larry's funeral, and Steve Pell sat right up front with the family. I thought it wierd at the time, and even said so to my husband ("that's the attorney on the back of the phone book"). Family friend, or had the wheels been set into motion already? I have had brief interactions with both of these boys in the past, and was shocked when this all happened. I am even more shocked that the family is now trying to put blame on everyone but themselves, and to gain financially from this tragedy.

Posted by VOR on August 15, 2008 at 10:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

You people are too much. Why should the school district be held sacred any more then any other group? The fact of the matter is that their incompetence led directly to Larry's death.

When a doctor screws up and takes out the wrong kidney or the surgeon is drunk and kills the patient you bet that the hospital and doctors will be sued by the patients family. This case is no different.

When you drop your child off at school, you are handing the responsibility of that child over to the school administration and teachers, the supposed professionals, not only for the education of your child, but to make sure that they are safe while in the school facility. The parents cannot be there to guarantee it so it is up to the school.

In this case the school not only did not act responsibly in protecting Larry, it appears that certain administrators acted in a way contrary to the school rules that made the problem worse and most likely caused Larry's death.

Not adhering to the school dress code is only a small part of it. How about giving Larry and Brandon pretty much a free pass and not expelling them for fighting or harassment. There were so many problems caused by the staff at EO Green that caused this, they should be sued and sued hard so that they will think twice before they let it happen again.

Perhaps when all of the behind the scenes actions are brought to the surface there will even be some criminal charges handed out to some of the EO staff.

Posted by alex.poet on August 15, 2008 at 10:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)

You know, I did a search on Voracious's claim of Larry having RAD. He's the only to say it! His comments now seem pretty much just one to probe out a controversy then being constructive. Even if he was a psychiatrist (which I doubt) he was definitely not his physician.

I believe that he is also the one who said that Larry's father didn't actually hit him, and Larry was only "acting out."

http://streaming.rememberlarry.com/ga...

This isn't the only way how the King's are trying to make money - supposedly Larry's little brother has started a memorial fund. I called Rabobank to see if I could find out who the beneficiary would be (I have no problem donating to it if it helps with burial, memorial, or his little brother's actual education costs) but Rabobank said it could not disclose that information.

http://www.rememberlarry.com/lawrence...

If I know Californians, and I think you readers do as well, then we are not surprised. It makes me a little sad though - their estranged son gets killed so they start asking everyone for money and go all sue happy.

Posted by chiques on August 15, 2008 at 10:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)

What a mess. This just shows what scumbags the parents are.

Posted by stave1 on August 15, 2008 at 10:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)

My grandkids are now in private school. I would look into it too, if your children have any problems.

Posted by VOR on August 15, 2008 at 10:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)

alex.poet

"This isn't the only way how the King's are trying to make money - supposedly Larry's little brother has started a memorial fund. I called Rabobank to see if I could find out who the beneficiary would be (I have no problem donating to it if it helps with burial, memorial, or his little brother's actual education costs) but Rabobank said it could not disclose that information."

Shame on you. You and others do not know the facts yet you feel very comfortable bashing the Kings and now Larry's little brother.

The fact is that the memorial fund was started by Larry's little brother with $2.35 which he had to help pay for his brothers burial expenses. That is where the funds are going and let me tell you that because of other organizations like the Rainbow Alliance and GLSEN there has been virtually no donations to Larry's fund. What are they doing with the money? Why are they collecting it using Larry's name to which they have no right to use?

The Kings had to take out a loan to bury their child as the school and county paid nothing towards the funeral, as far as I know they didn't even send flowers. So don't try to make something that is clean and good into something that is dirty with your innuendo of wrong doing and profiteering from this tragedy.

Posted by RebelGal on August 15, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)

VOR- If you were being sued would you send flowers, regardless of your condolences?

Posted by VOR on August 15, 2008 at 10:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Oh and one more thing, what did Casa Pacifica do with all of the donations that it took in using Larry's name. It certainly did not go to the Kings to pay towards the funeral. Don't they get enough money bilking the state for each child living there, do they really need to fraudulently collect more money using Larry's name!

Posted by VOR on August 15, 2008 at 10:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)

RebelGal,

The funeral was 6 months prior to the law suit. If I had been responsible for a child that was killed under my care I would darn well do more then send flowers. They did nothing, a real class organization.

Posted by mendozadonna on August 15, 2008 at 10:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I hope this doesn't offend anyone, I am just trying to understand how this works. I have friends that are gay and I don't pass judgement on them.

Does anyone remember the Jenny Jones show? They aired an episode of secret crushes, (someone having a crush on you, but you didn't know who it was until they came out on stage). It so happened that a gay guy had a crush on a straight guy, and they asked both people to be on the show. Jenny knew that the gay guy had a a crush on the straight guy and encouraged the gay guy to let him know on national television. The straight guy was so humiliated & embarrassed because everyone in the audience & his friends back home were mocking & taunting him about the gay guy wanting to be with him. So the straight guy kills the gay guy because of the humiliation. The gay guy is dead, the straight guy is in prison, and Jenny Jones is no longer on. Did this have to happen? NO.
Jenny should have let the straight guy know, but she didn't.

They needs to understand NO, means NO. Why is it that a straight person can make comments or try and hit on someone (blowing kisses, etc, etc)who is straight, and that is sexual harrassment, but if a gay/lesbian person makes a pass on a straight person, (mocking them, blowing kisses etc,etc,) it is not sexual harrassment, but a hate crime??? I am still trying to understand how this works.

No one has the right to take another persons life, and each one will be accountable for their actions. The dress code should have been enforced about the high heels. (What is the height at the middle school)? Where my daughter went to school it was one inch. The taunting/teasing should have been put to a stop immeadiately.

I agree that the school should'nt be sued, they need to be more educated on how to handle certain and special circumstances to avoid this from happening again.

I pray that when the trial begins for the sentencing of Brandon and the lawsuit from the parents, may the jury and judge have the guidance and peace in their hearts they need to get them through each day. GOD BLESS! =)

Posted by grammadee on August 15, 2008 at 10:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Camdad101: No and no
VOR: You wrote "You people are too much. Why should the school district be held sacred any more then any other group? The fact of the matter is that their incompetence led directly to Larry's death."
Gee, I thought that neo-nazi kid was the one and only person to blame. And oh by the way, I never expected the public school system to parent my children. If I was an active participant in their upbringing, I would have taken care of little things like inappropriate dress, etc. Oh, but I guess if my child weren't living at home I would have no idea what he was wearing to school.

Posted by VOR on August 15, 2008 at 10:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)

grammadee,

Brandon is for sure the one to blame for the murder and he should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. But the murder was allowed to happen because of the incompetence and negligence of the school staff. Can you not see that?

It is not a case of the public school parenting the children. It is a case of making sure that the children follow the rules. It is also a case of making sure that the child is safe in the school for which they have total responsibilty. Me as a parent cannot go into school and run things to make sure that things are safe and the rules are followed, that is what they are paid to do and as a parent we trust them to do that in a responsible safe manner.

The Kings protested many times and even Larry's little brother complained to the staff and yet nothing was done about it. In fact the situation was made worse by Epstien in her little social experiment with Larry.

This is the problem and why the school is being sued. It is pure negligence on their part.

Posted by VOR on August 15, 2008 at 10:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Camdad101 do you work for the school district or the county? Why do you harbor such irrational hate. If it was your son you would surely want them to pay some sort of penalty. Unfortunately you cannot shut them down like a company as it is a school and is required but you can make them pay in a punitive way so that just maybe the next time something like this happens they will remember Larry and what they did and not make the same mistakes.

Think on that for a while before lashing out irrationally.

Posted by CharliesMom on August 15, 2008 at 10:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Some people are in complete confusion & total disagreement on why the school administrators should be held accountable at all. They don't think they have any part in this- they think it's only the parents' neglect. I guess they don't know about how the school vice principal Epstein "counseled" Larry about him "expressing himself" & encouraging him to wear what he wants. They LET HIM wear those high-heel pink boots! And makeup! Regardless of their dress code against anything "distracting"...hello, of course pink boots & makeup on a boy is distracting! They excluded him from the rules because of his "sexual preference"? What crap. He wasn't in his private home. He was in a public school funded by tax payers, with rules & regulations. Why should they feel he should've been exempt from the dress code? Ridiculous. They dropped the ball and failed this child, and let things go out of line. Yes, the school has a responsibility too.
I agree with the lawsuit. Not all lawsuits involve money- their sole purpose is to change laws. And something obviously has to change at this school.

Posted by FluffBunny on August 15, 2008 at 11:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)

If a girl wears a skirt that's shorter than dress-code dictates, and she's sexually assaulted... can we sue the school because they didn't send her home to change?

Because... of course... girls who wear short skirts are asking to be raped.

And boys who wear makeup are asking to be shot in the head.

Posted by VOR on August 15, 2008 at 11:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Camdad101 you stated a bunch of "Facts" above which are not actually the facts but your misconception of the truth.

Spout as much as you want but you will look the fool once the "FACTS" are known.

Read the EO Green student manual if you want to see which rules were broken by both kids. It is fairly obvious even to me and should be even to you.

Sorry but the actual "FACTS" contradict all of your arguments. So bitter you are, why would that be? You are blinded by your bitterness and emotion to the point where you cannot see the forest for the trees. Take a chill pill, read the student manual, calm down and think what you would do if it was you in this situation. I know what I would do and it is exactly the same as the Kings.

Posted by CharliesMom on August 15, 2008 at 11:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

FluffBunny- Any logical person knows that no one thinks makeup is a reason to get shot. I in NO WAY believe this homicide was justified.
My point was that the school administrators did not protect this child. They let the whole "situation" get out of hand by their lack of intervention. I read other articles that stated the school faculty was very aware of the harrassment Larry imposed upon other boys, and vise versa. There was one particular teacher (I can't recall her name) that initiated a stop to what was going on, but the higher-ups were against it & did nothing. You can't let children control the school, it should be the other way around, or this is the kind of tragedy that results from that!

Posted by CharliesMom on August 15, 2008 at 11:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Camdad101: There's a big difference here as in we are ADULTS.
And my main point was, that these kids are not in their private home where they can do/wear/say what they please. They are in a public school funded by tax payers, and there are RULES they have to abide by, and the rules have to be enforced. That's where the dress code comes in.
I'm not going to address this again.

Posted by freethought on August 15, 2008 at 11:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Drowning in melted cheese - that's the way I want to go!

Posted by RC on August 15, 2008 at 11:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I don't understnd, if the Kings cared about their child so much why was he in Casa Pacifica? Did they think stangers could care better for him then they could? they could have done anythig possible to get their child back while he was alive but they chose not to.

Posted by CharliesMom on August 15, 2008 at 11:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Camdad: Who in the world is "defending" the Kings, as you say? No one is! It's as clear as day that they neglected/abused their child Larry. They are the reason I believe in sterilization of mentally-unstable people, as crazy as it may sound.
THEY should be responisble for their child, but they gave up that responsibility when they sent him to foster care. Those "parents" were really not parents, and did not really care for Larry as a loving & resonsible parent should.
The bottom line here is that the school admins. knew he was in danger, and they did nothing, so they are ALSO responsible to an extent.
I'm not "defending" the Kings for suing, but I'm standing up for the LIVES of the current and future students of that school; situations like these should be handled in a more appropriate manner by the faculty.

Posted by rebel123 on August 15, 2008 at 11:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Something to think about here: if a girl wears jeans, t-shirt, flannel shirt, boys tennis shoes, cuts her hair short and goes to school, there is no way the school could ever sanction her with a dress code. By the same standards, a boy is free to wear feminine trappings. Think about it....clear double standard. The parents are vultures who failed their child in many ways and are apparently seeking either a large payday or somehow looking to find someone to blame for this tragedy.

Posted by VOR on August 15, 2008 at 11:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Well I would say that you are at fault for drowning me in melted cheese. Oy all that cholesterol! That was your action and way of handling the problem. Just as Brandon is guilty of murder.

This however is where your analogy fails to be pertinent to this case.

1. I was voluntarily working for a company for which I understood the terms of employment before I signed on. This was not the case with Larry, he was assigned to this school by the school district after death threats were made against him at his previous school, he had no choice. (this should have been a red flag)

2. I should have been fired or some sort of action should have been brought against me by the company for wearing a red jacket as it was against company policy.

3. If the rules could potentially violate someones rights then they should be changed. However if the rules are there to promote safety in the workplace then I would think that would trump people rights for freedom of expression. ie (You are not allowed to wear a neck tie when you operate a lathe)

Companies get sued by employees all the time for things just like this actually. Companies not following their own employee guidelines etc...

So if my family had a good lawyer I would expect them to sue not only you but the company that I worked for as they did not enforce their own rules which ultimately led to my death. Silly as it may be, it happens all the time.

Now this is a fairly out there example and it is a reach. But Larry wearing women's clothing and makeup was not the only violation of school rules that were ignored. Apparently the 2 boys got into a fight a few days prior to Larry's death and the administration knew of this. I don't think there is a school in the country that doesn't have a zero tolerance rule for violence on campus. Why was this ignored. Both kids should have been expelled. Had they been, all this would not have happened. There have been reports that Brandon was bullying many people and was sort of a neo-Nazi thug. If this was the case, why did the school turn a blind eye towards him? Seems to me that the school really dropped the ball here. As CharliesMom says above, the school needs to control the kids, not the other way around. Had they followed their own rules and stuck by them, none of this would have happened.

Posted by pjlove10 on August 15, 2008 at 11:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Camdad101, Never thought I'd say this, but I agree with you.

Posted by BeaHappi on August 15, 2008 at 11:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The Kings did not make the choice to send him to Casa Pacifica. My understanding is that Larry claimed abuse and the authorities stepped in and he was sent to Casa Pacifica.

I posted yesterday that the Kings should sue for people to be fired, changes to be made in school policies, etc. if the district is proven to have responsibility.

Other than Brandon's obvious responsibility, this doesn't seem to be a case where the finger could be pointed at just one factor. So many things led each of these boys to that point.

Would it have made a difference if Larry had not been removed from his home? Or would this still have played out the same way? We will never know.

Posted by Janesays on August 15, 2008 at 11:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I also agree with the lawsuit, as Charliesmom states: I'm standing up for the LIVES of the current and future students of that school; situations like these should be handled in a more appropriate manner by the faculty.

Camdad101 - if YOU choose to drown someone in cheese (what a perfectly good waste of cheese by the way) but the company you worked for stated that red jackets should not be worn and didn't uphold that rule then your both at fault in my opinion. You for the drowning and the company for not upholding the rules.

Posted by mrya_99 on August 15, 2008 at 11:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)

daugtherofimmigrant's statement of "Truth of the matter is these four parents let someone else take care of their responsibilities and now look."

Truth is... We as parents have the "overall" Responsibility for our children. But, we have no choice than to put our trust on the administrators and teachers of our schools. We work to provide for our families and must entrust them to take care of our children while we are not with them. With that said, we are ALL responsible for the safety of our kids and blame must be shared with all concerned. A tragey like this must be taken as a "wake up call" for all of us. Our children walk out of our homes dressed one way... and before you know it... they change to something other than what we would like for them to wear. It happens, not saying this is the case here but... it happens.

Posted by RebelGal on August 15, 2008 at 11:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Look, the kings aren't looking to get laws changed. If they cared about thier son he would have been in thier custody.

If you say they just want change, they apparently want to incure a change in a system thier child should have never been in in the first place.

Posted by flbikerchick on August 15, 2008 at 11:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm sorry, but this is just a BS lawsuit. It's terrible what happened to the boy, but suing the school system for the way he dressed is a prime example of what a joke our justice system has become. I am willing to bet that there are other examples of dress code violations at that school every day. If a school has a dress code and the parents do not make their children comply, they should not blame the school.

Posted by FluffBunny on August 15, 2008 at noon (Suggest removal)

If the family sued the school for not enforcing its WEAPONS policy, that would make soooooo much more sense.

Enough victim blaming.

Posted by daugtherofimmigrant on August 15, 2008 at noon (Suggest removal)

CamDad - What? "a victim of public school" Are you serious, like harrasing or negligence only happens at public? I am going to disagree with you there. My daughter has attended private school, and bullying happens at Private as well, with plenty of teachers, principals,and Deans ignoring it. Thinking that it's childs play or kids stuff. Wrong!
My daughter mentioned a kid who was picked on, shoved, called names every day. EVERYDAY! My daughter showed me his my space, and in his profile he asked why people picked on him, he had pictures of cartoons slitting their wrists, talking about how suicide sounded much better everday. I called the school and they were already aware of the bullying, the staff new exactly who the ones picking on this kid were and not one had been talked to. I asked the VP to look at this kids my space and hopefully she would feel a little compassion for him. Sadly to say the school year ended with this boy still being shoved. Only because of his appearance, not the cool kid if you know what I mean.

I am with you that it is the responsibility of the school to educate them, but they are also responsible for our childs safety. They are not to influence/council them like the Epstein was doing with Larry. This lady had the responsibility to let Larry know that what he was doing was wrong and he could certainly express himself by his sense of style or fashion, but distracting or harassing others was not acceptable, explaining to him the importance of following rules, and not making exceptions just because of sexual preference.
Several teachers told Larry what he was doing was not appropriate and at times he did listen, he would come back the following day and dress to code, teachers even complained to superiors, but having the V.P. backing Larry up only made matters worse.

Charliesmom - I agree with you 100% but I feel that these parents are going after money. Hopefully I will be proven wrong, but I don't think so.

Posted by alex.poet on August 15, 2008 at 12:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

VOR - if I didn't know that the King's took out a loan - you know there is no mention of it on the site or on the net - then how do YOU know they took out a loan?

If you have references, please share them.

Shame on me? Like I said earlier, I would donate if I knew where the money was going. But since I don't, I won't. Giving money blindly is like voting for a politician that takes millions from lobbyists.

Posted by pleasantville on August 15, 2008 at 12:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

juniormafia_ny
I have to agree with your comment totaly,

BeaHappi
"Would it have made a difference if Larry had not been removed from his home? Or would this still have played out the same way? We will never know."
Well if he claimed abuse,then who gets to sue his parents?...

Posted by RC on August 15, 2008 at 12:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The Kings may not have made the choice to send him to Casa Pacifica however, they made a BAD choice by abusing him. Children and Family Services must have a very strong case against parents in order to remove a child from their home and if that is the case, there are ways families can reunite by going to parenting classes, psychological evaluations etc. My point is did the Kings try to get their son back or where they just going ot leave him there...if that is the case how convenient for them to sue teh school when it sounds like they were not doing their part as parents

Posted by daugtherofimmigrant on August 15, 2008 at 12:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)

mrya_99 - what I meant is that they all dropped the ball, parents,councelors, and Vice Principal.
The parents gave up their rights, which they shouldn't have, when a child starts to rebel that is when all of your parenting skills should come forth, ask for assistance but don't abondon them.
I don't know for sure but I feel like these four parents did or thought was "oh hell let someone else deal with them, I am done".
Yet now you have the Kings suing. Paaaleease! Hope they are suing to get someone fired, but not for money, money is not going to bring Larry back.

Posted by Ms_California on August 15, 2008 at 12:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well I would have hoped that even if Larry was still living with his parents or at Casa Pacifica, Brandon would have been smart enough to have not SHOT HIM IN THE HEAD! The issue that everyone is skirting around here is not what Larry's home life was like, what color boots he wore, how much make up he wore but that the fact a schoolmate MURDERED HIM! Brandon pulled that gun on Larry because he was being crushed on. I have asked this before and I ask it again... would the circumstances be the same if this were a boy crushin on a girl! If she pulled a gun and killed the boy who liked her and publicly displayed it?

If the parents are awarded for this claim, I hope that they will be smart enough to put it to good use... like I said yesterday donate it to a child advocacy program or even set up some sort of fund for the little brother. You know how messed up this kid is going be! I am sure he was at the school when the shooting occurred. Could you imagine how he felt? I am sure this little boy is equally confused over all of these events. He is the one I feel sorry for now.

Posted by hotwildflower on August 15, 2008 at 12:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Am I correct that the King's were Larry's adoptive parents?

Posted by Ms_California on August 15, 2008 at 12:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I am sure they all knew when Brandon pulled the gun out in class!

Posted by CharliesMom on August 15, 2008 at 12:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Camdad101: The school administrators were aware that Larry had received *death threats* at his former school. It was also common knowledge on campus that he got teased by students, and that he himself teased and sexually harrassed other boys.
Sorry, at this time I can't indulge you with the actual links to the various news articles I obtained this information from. I guess you'll have to research it yourself!
(And also if I may say so, I think it's pretty twisted of you to want to side with the employer who didn't keep the door locked as required, which resulted in another person entering & killing your relative. Wow.)

Posted by BeaHappi on August 15, 2008 at 12:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

WAIT A MINUTE!! If my child had received a death threat at another school there would be no way I would send them to yet another public school. Why would you?

I would figure out how to homeschool them or get them into a facility where their needs could be addressed.

Camdad...so sorry about your family member and I completely understand why you are so passionate about this.

Unless we install metal detectors in every school in the country and have security searches each and every day, there is always the chance that a kid is going to bring a weapon to school.

I still cannot get on board with this lawsuit...

Question: Were Larry's claims of abuse valid or contrived?

Posted by BeaHappi on August 15, 2008 at 1:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Okay...so I guess I resorted to judging a bit after all.

Posted by grammadee on August 15, 2008 at 1:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

VOR: Yes, I can see that. The only problem is, YOU seem to be the only one on this thread that has inside information, such as the King's numerous protests to the school, and the way you state absolutely that Brandon is a neo-nazi. If you know these things to be absolute facts, why don't you share with all of us the source of your information. Maybe then I will give you a little bit more credibility. (Oh wait...probably not). I absolutely agree that the school let BOTH of these kids down, but should they be held monitarily responsible? Perhaps maybe some heads should roll. As for blaming the parents, I have never read anywhere that Brandon's dad left a gun unsecured, but if he did, why don't the King's go after him? Well, I'll tell you. He doesn't have any money.

Posted by freethought on August 15, 2008 at 1:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"Okay...so I guess I resorted to judging a bit after all."

BeaHappi - No worries. We all do it. It's perfectly natural.

Posted by hotwildflower on August 15, 2008 at 1:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Pell's #?? Look on one of his hundreds of ads...

Posted by hotwildflower on August 15, 2008 at 1:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

heck, the back of your phone book...he's right there.

Posted by daugtherofimmigrant on August 15, 2008 at 1:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Camdad - I am sorry about your family member.
Things like this are very difficult, I also lost relative he was killed at his work site.

I agree with the whole law suit but ONLY if they are going to sue, to open the eyes of the rest of the schools and use it as a wake up call. not for money.
Not sure if they can get anyone fired, but don't promote the lady!
School you asked, St. Bony.

Posted by Ms_California on August 15, 2008 at 1:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Yeah well let me tell you, St Bonney has plenty of huge problems of their own that most people would freak if they heard about it. I think that are kids aren't any safer in school than they are in their own homes nowadays. We just need to teach our kids to be respectful, honest and learn how to address peer issues with non violence. Not to mention parent's need to be involved in their lives 100%!

Posted by pjlove10 on August 15, 2008 at 1:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

This story is getting a lot of attention, rightfully so.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26218530/

Posted by VOR on August 15, 2008 at 1:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Camdad101, sorry but there is no physical way that I can show you what I am saying is true although it is and I know this first hand, not from articles. We will just have to wait for the trials to be completed and then look at the transcripts which will verify what I have said. If what I have said is not true, likewise I will issue you an apology but don't count on it as I will be waiting for yours.

Posted by Ms_California on August 15, 2008 at 2 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Camdad.. I think you are the pot calling the kettle black. All of these wonderful ideas of yours sure look great through rose colored glasses. Why don't you really wake up and see how things are with kids these days.

1. after 9/11 the screeners are strip searching little old ladies for bombs and packing knives! The foreigners are walking right on through.

2. behavior issues are not always treated with meds immediately nor should we lock these kids away in a padded room. His behavior was not physically hurting anyone. He was simply confused as to his gender. How many boys do you know that make comments like that to girls and vice versa in middle school? Middle school kids are a plethera of raging hormones and trying to be cool personas. Something meds will not correct I'm sorry to say. If he indeed had a mental illness sometimes it takes a very long time to diagnose. My brother has a mental illness and my parents fought his teachers and doctors for YEARS! over it.. everyone thought he was mentally fine except for his parents who knew him... Come to fine out he had eplilepsy and brain damage from a tramatic child birth. He is pretty normal but has some problems. should he have been witheld from going to public school with his friends? No I think not. Why should he be? Because he isn't like the other kids.. shame on you for thinking that way!
3. How do we know that the father didn't secure the weapon properly? How do we know the father was the supplier of the weapon? How do we know that Brandon didn't steal it from somewhere other than his own home?
4. Is Santa Clause real? Is God real... sometimes you don't need hard proof of things to believe them, circumstances help open our eyes.

Posted by grammadee on August 15, 2008 at 2:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Let'a face it, there are so many "woulda, coulda, shoulda's" in this tragic incident. There were so many break-downs, from the folks at Casa Pacifica, EO Green, The King's, the McInerney's, you name it. Everyone involved let these kids down. I never meant to imply that I don't think the School District and the Staff a EO Green should have no accountability. Quite the contrary. I just don't think awarding monitary damages to anyone is going to change the way things are done. Why should someone be monitarily compensated for this tragedy? Is it going to bring Larry back? Is it going to change the fact that Brandon will probably spend the majority of his life in prison? Will it change the school policies that allowed this to escalate to the point it did? Nope. I'm just sayin'

Posted by daugtherofimmigrant on August 15, 2008 at 2:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Ms_California - about St. Bony I totally agree. This is why my daughter is now going to public school. I tried private, dissapointed and moved on. Point is my kid is going to do good, if we as parents instill goodness, and teach her right from wrong, never drop the ball with them.
I mentioned Bony as an example that not only public schools have issues like Camdad seems to believe.
But I also see his point, I guess when you lose someone you want to find someone to blame, unfortunately the Kings have not realized that they failed this young man, they are more to blame than anyone else.

Posted by mauid2005 on August 15, 2008 at 2:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

FirstAmmendment - Where do you get your information? You posted "...the Hueneme School District has already promoted the two administrators...Assistant Principal is now an elementary Principal, and the former Principal at E.O. Green is now working out of the District Office. If they had no fault or liability in this issue then why were they moved out of E.O. Green?"

Do you really think they were "moved" to get out of anything related to this case? Doesn't matter where they go, if they have fault or liability, they will still have it. Perhaps they each had applied and were granted promotions PRIOR to the February shooting and were completing the school year, as most administrators do change positions during the summer months.

Posted by mauid2005 on August 15, 2008 at 2:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

pjlove10 - "Oh and here's one. The minute the school administration tells the boy "how to dress" I bet the parents would have sued for descrimination."

I totally agree with you. No matter what would have been done, the school administration would be the parents' target.

It's a sad day when education is put on the back burner because no one wants to step on toes! It is time for parents to start being parents and stop relying on everyone else to raise their kids.

Posted by swtnsassy on August 15, 2008 at 2:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I have not read all the posts, however everyone is discussing the "dress code/uniform", however I have friends who have children in the Oxnard/Pt Hueneme schools, and have been told that if you write a letter you can get your child excused from having to wear the "uniform" that is suppose to be the dress code. How is that following a strict dress code?

Posted by magsci on August 15, 2008 at 2:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I blame mostly political correctness (pc) and gay rights run amok, as well as the 14 year old who shot him. 14 year olds do not behave like rational adults. The blame also lies with a foolish and extreme pc approach by school administrators (afraid of being sued by the gay lobby), resulting in extreme pc and gay rights and 'social engineering', that is a symptom of our society's loss of traditional moorings and out of touch with some fundamental truths about human nature and spirituality. Freedom yes, but if God made someone a boy then he is a boy, period. Extensive details of the killing and what led up to it was described in Time or Newsweek a few weeks ago.

Posted by einahpets on August 15, 2008 at 2:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think its important for people to understand that childeren who reside at Casa Pacifica have rights... if staff made clothing an issue for Larry he could have easily call community care licensing to file a complaint, and or the foster care Ombudsman. So its not a matter of Casa Pacifica not "doing anything" I am sure they did counsel him, but ultimately Larry decides.

The area of concern for me was how was his educational needs being met, due to ongoing school issues (threats at previous schools, etc) was there an IEP or student study team meeting to discuss the best educational setting for him? Larry had a "team" of professionals that managed his case...what were there discussions? Was he being protected in that way? Forget the dress code issues, more than half of students who are in public schools do not follow dress codes, and from what I understand most schools do not enforce the issue because a parent can sign a waiver to be exempt from it or because of students rights. We need to focus on the real issues.

I am alittle disappointed the parents choose to pursue. They too, need to admit they left him at Casa. I heard they didn't even visited him in the several months in was there. No matter what you don't give up on your children even if they don't want you in their life. You keep trying, you stay involved in meetings, send letters, etc. For youth in foster care or in residential seetings>> No contact means=another set of adults let me down. Shame on you!

Posted by fungus on August 15, 2008 at 3:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

100

Posted by BeaHappi on August 15, 2008 at 3:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

grammadee...coulda, shoulda, woulda...exactly!

Posted by alex.poet on August 15, 2008 at 3:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)

What about God when makes a boy that feels like a girl? Or when God makes a hermaphrodite?

Conforming to what he's not is not the answer. You know what that leads to? Men who marry women, and yet still sleep with men. Don't believe me? Check the left hands of all the men in the bear traps in the dunes outside the powerplant on Harbor. Read the men for men ads on craigslist. Watch Brokeback Mountain. It disgusts me, but repression only leads to skewed expression.

Back to Larry - One should note that the school was very active with ensuring that Larry had emotional stability, which is very important for children like Larry. Suicide is among the top three causes of death among 15- to 24-year-olds, and gay teens are three times more likely to attempt it, according to the Trevor Project, a suicide-prevention organization for gay teens. It was stated that Larry was speaking with a vice principal on a very frequent basis. I believe that the school was looking out for Larry's best interest and simply did not know that Brandon was going to take its life.

Oxnard and Hueneme both have extensive records on what happens where there is a credible threat on campus. Students found with weapons are expelled and the police are involved immediately. In fact, yesterday I met a girl who went to Hueneme who was expelled for carrying a 1 inch blade on her key chain. When there are credible threats, the administration responds in quick haste! bomb threats, shootings, stabbings, have all been dealt with swiftly.

Posted by Why_Care on August 15, 2008 at 3:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The ONLY way I will support the parents suing the school is if the money went straight to the future education fund for Larry's younger brother. He is the only person who may, in the future, be able to go to school and possibly become the strongest advocate for not only his brother but other students in danger of a similar situation. The parents are disgusting and deserve no blood moeny for the murder of the son they didn't even even care about.

Posted by Rocket81 on August 15, 2008 at 4:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The parents get their lottery shot. Can everyone say cha-ching..............

Posted by Mrxaan on August 15, 2008 at 4:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)

So does this mean the family is going to sue themselfs for allowing Larry to be the way he was? What a crock... This is a sad thing that happened to Larry, but I dont think the family needs to put the blame on the school for allowing Larry to express himself. If the family didn't like Larry being who he was they should have done something. Shame on you Dawn, Gregory, and the family attorney (Steve Pell)who is just trying to make an extra buck. I bet Pell just really is eating this up trying to go after the school so hey can up grade from a Honda to a BMW.

Posted by Will on August 15, 2008 at 5:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

From bad to worse. And we get to pay.

Posted by grammadee on August 15, 2008 at 6 p.m. (Suggest removal)

VOR: You write: "Camdad101, sorry but there is no physical way that I can show you what I am saying is true although it is and I know this first hand, not from articles." So I ask you again, who are you, who do your work for, and what is your connection to this case and this family? It's been asked by several people on this thread, and you come back with all these snappy answers, but you don't answer the question! What is your relationship to this case, and why do you profess to be the only one who truly knows what's going on? Obviously you are on some self-impossed power trip. As far as reading the transcripts from the trial...there won't be any because this case is never going to go to court. If it does, then the complete breakdown of the entire system (school, CPS, child advocacy, the Foster Care System...all of it) will be exposed, and that ain't going to happen. Have a great evening everyone!

Posted by VOR on August 15, 2008 at 6:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

grammadee,

My apologies, you are obviously correct, I know nothing and am on a power trip, what else can I say. All of my insight come from the people on these blogs and what I see on TV. Obviously this is so.

Interesting point your bring up:

"As far as reading the transcripts from the trial...there won't be any because this case is never going to go to court. If it does, then the complete breakdown of the entire system (school, CPS, child advocacy, the Foster Care System...all of it) will be exposed, and that ain't going to happen.!"

Does this mean that you also know how broken the system is? Does this mean that if anything was to be exposed about these agencies that they would be seen as the frauds that they are and how much corruption and collusion there is in the entire system.

School administrators using CPS as their trained attack pit bull maybe? CPS using their absolute abusive power to feed the child protection racket namely Casa Pacifica? Naw it can't be can it? Some would agree, some would disagree. I will watch how this plays out and hopefully justice will be served and the agencies will get back to doing what they are tasked to do, namely looking out for the kids without destroying families or killing their charges.

Posted by grammadee on August 15, 2008 at 7:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)

VOR: In your own words you have stated that you have "first hand knowledge" of this situation. I'm only asking how so? If you choose not to be honest and let us know how you obain your "first hand knowledge", so be it. There is no doubt that the system let both of these boys down, and is it broken? Obviously! I, too, will be watching to see how this plays out, and I, too, hope justice is served and that this is a wake up call to the powers that be that something needs to be done to right this horrendous situation. One last thing. You sound like an extremely jaded individual by the way you attack anybody that doesn't agree with you. Perhaps you have first hand knowledge of this broken system?

Posted by VOR on August 15, 2008 at 7:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

grammadee,

Sorry to be so flippant, you obviously understand that the system is broken. Yes unfortunately I do have first hand knowledge and experience with the broken system and hope that it can be corrected before anyone else dies in its' hands. I guess I am what you might call an old curmudgeon and have very little patience for the idiocy that goes on in these blogs. But then again it is my own fault for reading them. It is kind of like a car crash on the freeway, you just have to look as you pass by.

I do apologize but unfortunately I cannot elaborate at this time on the information that I have or its source as much as I would like to after reading all of the misinformation and assumptions that have been posted here. It shouldn't really bother me because after all this is just a silly blog on a local newspaper site and in the scheme of things it really is insignificant. But I guess being aware of the actualities I find it very disturbing to see just how ignorant the public is in this matter and the level of hate that is generated, only hoping that it doesn't get out of hand.

Well that being said, have a nice weekend and try not to get too intense, these blogs are really not worth it, I know I won't.

Posted by tim_timer on August 15, 2008 at 7:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

There are a few more targets for lawsuits. Please do not forget the parents of the alleged shooter. Go after the administrators of the Casa Pacifica. Find which bureaucrat within the school district or county office recommended King attend the Green School, and go after them, too. Do not overlook ex-Superintendent Weis, bring him down here for a few depositions. And, of course, sue the unlucky driver of the vehicle that transported Larry between Casa Pacifica and the Green school.

Posted by bbofvta on August 15, 2008 at 7:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I agree with the majority...if there is fault, let it begin at home.

What parents in their right minds cannot stop their petty infighting long enough to tell a 15 yr old that dressing in drag is not a good thing. And, when it is shown to be a poor fashion statement, take some steps to assist his wardrobe choices, or to put him in an environment where such stuff is more accepted...not public school in Oxnard!

The parents of both the victim, and the suspect, bear a lot of the blame for this event! Neither child had much going for them in the way of role models at home, for sure.

Why don't the parents just give up, like they apparently did before the shooting, and blame it all on teenaged hormones. That way, none of the adults have to admit what f****ups they are, and have been throughout the life of their respective spawn.

My tax dollars going to compensate the family of a cross dressing adolescent with no parental guidance? I don't think so! Homie don't play that game!

Posted by caokie on August 15, 2008 at 7:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Losers hooking up with losers giving birth to losers , and guess who gets to write the check.
We do kids, maybe Pell will get a ad on the front of the phone book now.

Posted by bbofvta on August 15, 2008 at 7:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Hueneme1961 and RebelGal make my point that public education cannot even teach kids to spell and use proper punctuation. Those two should sue the school system for failing them at the most basic level.

Had the parents felt that poor little Larry was at risk, but still felt compelled to buy him eyeliner, and whatever else...why did they not homeschool him? Maybe they just could not bear to see the kid's behavior, so they just sent him to let the people of California deal with the issues.

Bad choices on the parents part do not make for liability on the publics part! We can barely afford to educate the illegals, why do we have to go overboard on the sexually confused, as well?

Posted by grammadee on August 15, 2008 at 8:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

VOR: It's all good, man. I also have first hand knowledge of the broken system, and that's why my kids and now my grandkids go to private school. Not that that's the answer, just the best I can do. I also understand your not being at liberty to divuldge your information source, I guess I was just trying to stir things up. My bad. I think that you and I may actually agree on a great many issues, and not agree on a great many more. I still think that a 14 year old should be ried as a juvenile. These blogs are all just in fun, right? Just a way to vent how we feel.

Posted by VOR on August 15, 2008 at 9:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)

grammadee,

Sounds good to me, sounds like a cup of coffee and a donut together is in order the next time I get up that way. Take care and have a good weekend.

Posted by grammadee on August 15, 2008 at 10:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Coffee and donut it is. That should make for some interesting conversation! See ya

Posted by Ihateliars on August 15, 2008 at 10:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

On the printed VCS, Larry's picture is on the front page. Pick it up. This is the cutest face in full make-up. He is so threatening. NOT
I miss you Larry.

Posted by Concerned_Parent on August 15, 2008 at 11:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I've known Dawn & Greg for a few years now. My husband and I have known them through sports the kids played together and the schools they went to.

I want everyone to understand one thing. Dawn & Greg love both those boys. Yes, they still love Larry.

I'm torn over this situation. On one side we all saw how much Greg and Dawn struggled with Larry, and the other side, we saw how Greg just couldn't accept Larry's obvious homosexuality. You simply can't force or slap a sexual preference out of a person.

Dawn was much better with Larry than Greg. Greg thought he could make Larry a man.

Larry did have many problems and Dawn did the best she could, but the Kings are not rich and Greg just refused to see the problems.

What disturbs friends and extended family most is that both Dawn and Greg just kind of gave up when Larry hit 7th grade. They were so relieved when Larry found an advocate and confidant in Ms Epstein. Now they want to blame her when they had given up a year before.

I'm sure they are under tremendous mental strain over all of this, but hearing Greg say We're going to sue the very day Larry was shot was deeply disturbing. Instead of being there with his child Greg was on the phone shopping attorneys.

I blame Larry's death for their odd behavior and it pains me to say this, but they can't stop talking about how much money they are going to make and "leave this hell hole".

Ms. Epstein is a wonderful advocate and deeply committed administrator. Most of the parents feel that way and the Kings want to throw her under the bus so they can buy a larger house outside Ventura County.

Talk to any of the students, parents, anyone, there wasn't a single person who imagined this would happen.

You all should know that Brandon was a bully, he did get into trouble often, but he could also be a very sweet wonderful young man. He was mostly well liked by his classmates. If anyone should be blamed other than Brandon it's his parents. They are a study in dysfunction.

I truly hope Greg comes out of this fog he's in and drops this case. He and Dawn know it's not the school's fault. There are so many little and big things that came together to allow this to happen. No one person could have predicted this.

I realize many of you want to blame Greg and Dawn. Dawn is a great mom and Greg tried, but he just didn't know how to deal with Larry's problems and they didn't have the money to do what the school suggested.

Blame, money, hate and anger will not bring Larry back to us. I pray Brandon gets the help he needs. He is to blame, but he had plenty of help getting to where he is today.

Posted by Ihateliars on August 15, 2008 at 11:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Amen Concerned Parent.

Posted by VOR on August 16, 2008 at 12:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Concerned_Parent,

A very nice hatchet job. You obviously do not know the Kings as well as you think if you know them at all. While Greg may have been frustrated with Larry, it was not over his sexuality, it was his erratic behavior related to RAD. It is a shame that you portray yourself as knowledgeable on what went on but you obviously have ulterior motives in trying to hurt their reputation. Both parents loved Larry and they are only guilty of trying to make him understand that there are consequences to ones actions. I am sure that Greg never tried to "slap the gayness" out of Larry. He didn't care if he was gay or straight and told him so numerous times when questions came up. He just wanted Larry to try and act responsibly as he was getting older and needed to grow up.

After reading the comments on this board and others and the feelings of the local people that really don't have any idea of what happened, I don't blame the family for wanting to leave the area, I know I sure would get the heck out.

You obviously have some attachment to Epstien as anyone that knew what was going on would have to laugh at your comments they are so far out there. If Joy Epstien had minded her own business and stayed with the 7th grade class as she was supposed to and leave Larry to follow the school rules instead of pushing her agenda on Larry as some sort of social experiment, I am sure he would be here today. Ask any of the teachers that brought up the problems and were threatened by her if they interfered.

The truth will come out as they say and Ms Epstein will be gone. How she can sleep at night I have no idea.

Posted by handyhood on August 16, 2008 at 7:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Let's bottom line this people! Larry was a screwed up kid who obviously wasn't getting the help he needed. Brandon was another screwed up KID who isn't getting the help he needs. It's too late for Larry and sueing everyone isn't going to remove the guilt the parents should have. Thet need to sue themselves as they share in what happen to thier own son (Daughter?). Let's not forget Brandon, who shouldn't be tried as an adult and should be getting the help he need's! There is still hope for this KID!

Posted by axel718 on August 16, 2008 at 9:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)

As tragic as this situation is........ who is responsible for buying his clothes? Not the school, who was letting him out of the house the way he was dressed? Not the school.......if the parents were so worried about his style of clothing and his appearance then WHY ARE THEY LETTING HIM OUT OF THE HOUSE DRESSED THAT WAY......if the school told this kid that he was out of compliance with the dress code I am sure the parents would have sued over that as well.......Stop blaming everyone else for your lack of parenting and accept your responsibility.

Posted by grammadee on August 16, 2008 at 10:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Wow, Concerned_Parent. With friends like you, who needs enemies? I'm curious if the King family signed off on that blog. (Just kidding, of course they didn't). I believe there are those on this thread who are connected to the King family, but while they state their views, they at least have class enough not to do the hatchet job on their "friends" that you did. I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion, but when you put yourself out there as a friend and then air un-substantiated dirty laundry....I agree with VOR that Ms. Epstein was using Larry to push a gay agenda, and she needs to be fired. She has no business being around our children. This tragic shooting has polarized our county, and while everyone is entitled to their respecive opinions, I can't be bothered with the likes of Concerned_Parent.

Posted by FirstAmmendment on August 16, 2008 at 11:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)

gen,
These administrative moves both took place AFTER the tragedy.
Hueneme1961,
Sorry you feel that way about Ed Jones. If you did a little research you would find that Sunkist's API was at its highest under the Jones administration! look it up at the CDE website.
Everyone else...
the facts will all come out during the trial.

Posted by Concerned_Parent on August 16, 2008 at 1:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I understand your comments and concerns, but you don't see what's been going on day to day with the King family.

I agree that what I wrote isn't flattering or perhaps kind, but it is the truth.

After reading all the comments written here I just felt people needed to know the truth.

Posted by grammadee on August 16, 2008 at 1:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)

TheVeracious1 writes "Larry was under an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) since the 1st grade. Which means a "team" was created that included staff at EO GREEN, his parents, CASA, Ventura County Behavior Health, the school psychologist, special ed teachers, etc. Everyone attending an IEP meeting is there because they have a significant role in defining a childs needs, goals, accomplishments, addressing issues. Various school placement choices are usually discussed at length, since there are so many factors that need to be weighed before placing a child at a school. It is IEP's duty and responsibility to ensure that placement is appropriate". Isn't that proof positive that this system is irrevocably broken? All these "professionals" deciding what's best for Larry, and they are giving him evening dresses and letting him buy and wear stilettos to school? Give me a break!!! Although I do not support a monitary suit by the Kings, I do support their right to challenge the system that let not only their son, but Brandon down as well. Were they apart of it? I have no idea, but this must NEVER happen to another child again. Everyone involved should be ashamed of themselves!

Posted by STARTSTEPPINGUPPEOPLE on August 16, 2008 at 8:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

i USE TO BE PROUD OF WHERE I LIVE , AND CALL THIS MY HOME TOWN, BUT THIS ISNT A TOWN ANYMORE THIS IS A PIT . PEOPLE CANT GO TO SCHOOL ,GO TO THE BANK , OR EVEN GET INTO THEIR CAR TO LEAVE TO GO TO THE STORE WITHOUT GETTING KILLED WHAT THE F---!!! PEOPLE IN THIS TOWN ARE PATHETIC !!!

Posted by VOR on August 16, 2008 at 9:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Camdad101,

I take it you have not read the claims against the school system. There is no dollar amount claimed or any money for that matter. This is purely something that they needed to do as there is only a 6 month window to file a claim or else they will not be able to. They may choose not to sue at all, maybe they will sue to have the system changed or something else, don't assume the worst because that is where your brain is at. The county requires this filing of the claim, and it is not required for suing the other parties. Time will tell what the Kings do, but as of now they have not brought suit against the county or asked for anything at all. This was just a formality.

So chill out a bit, these are the facts.

Posted by VOR on August 16, 2008 at 10:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Just stating the facts Camdad. But I do wonder who pissed in your soup. Such a sourpuss!

Posted by VOR on August 16, 2008 at 11:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well said Veracious1, are you Greg King? If not, you make the perfect case for him following through and suing the crap out of them. Unfortunately that is the only way things change in today's world. You have to hurt them in the pocketbook or they just tell you what you want to hear and then laugh at you as you walk away thinking you actually did some good.

Have a great weekend.

Posted by SCfan01 on August 18, 2008 at 10:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Why was Larry in Casa Pacifica if he had such wonderful, loving parents? So sick! Cannot tolerate a child so send him away and cry foul when something bad happens! Great way to not have to work for the rest of their lives.

Posted by lunachick4life on August 18, 2008 at 3:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Fear the gun, not the ACLU or attorney. The lawsuit will happen, it is only a matter or when. Don't think anyone will disagree that any litigation that saves the life of a child is worthwhile.

And BTW - Casa Pacifica is about as liberal as they come when it comes to enforcing "rules."

The point about where the donation money went speaks volumes.

Clearly the school had a dress code and Casa staff permitted Larry to leave home in violation of that rule.

Posted by kimberapplebaum on August 18, 2008 at 5:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

this is disgusting these people didn't care that their kid was in a group home and now that he's dead they want to get paid! the fact is they weren't taking an active role in their child's life and now he is lost. I'm 100% for gay rights but the way King was acting was too much McInerney too handle. You have to hear all sides of the story and don't be too quick to judge!

Posted by FluffBunny on August 19, 2008 at 6:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

If the parents wanted to squeeze money out of the school system, they should've filed a civil suit because the school didn't enforce its WEAPONS policy, not its dress-code.

Posted by SCfan01 on August 1