Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comments Civic Issues topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public commenters at California forum describe school litigation, elder exploitation and homelessness gaps
Summary
During the forum many public commenters described frequent discrimination in schools, lack of enforcement for elder financial abuse, gaps in shelter accommodations for disabled people and suggested statutory fixes and oversight.
Public commenters at the Aug. 19 joint forum described a range of lived experiences and called for concrete policy fixes.
Multiple parents and advocates said school districts are bringing litigation against students with disabilities—sometimes without board approval—and that the California Department of Education is taking months longer than federal timelines to investigate allegations. Deborah Kim (Southern California chair, OAH Special Education Advisory Committee) said the CDE often takes four to five months to investigate matters federally required to be completed in 60 days, and urged immediate attention from the governor and legislature.
Arabel Malinas (staff attorney, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform) urged changes to criminal law to enable prosecution of financial elder abuse. She recommended amending Penal Code section 368 to add an undue‑influence standard, said victims struggle to find civil counsel and pressed for clarity that elder and dependent adult abuse can be a civil‑rights violation under Welfare and Institutions Code protections.
Speakers with lived experience described how homelessness compounds disability harms. John Brady (Lived Experience Advisors) described shelter overcrowding and enforcement practices in San Diego and said chronic homelessness has risen sharply; multiple callers urged statewide accountability mechanisms and better shelter accommodations for people with disabilities.
Parents and advocates also asked for better access to communication supports and accommodations. Michelle Del Rosario said her adult son who is nonspeaking types to communicate and was excluded from the meeting chat and ASL displays; she asked agencies to prioritize accessible interfaces and staffing so people who communicate differently can report abuse.
Commissioners and council members thanked the public for detailed testimony. No formal action was taken during the forum, but commissioners said they will compile testimony and consider follow‑up recommendations to state agencies and the legislature.
Ending: The commission closed the meeting and encouraged written submissions to supplement testimony and to document the systemic problems raised.
