The Palisades Community Council passed a resolution unanimously last Thursday that calls on the Los Angeles School Police Chief and the Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District to consider reassigning an investigated school police officer based on parent and community concerns. The LAUSD Board met Tuesday in a closed session to examine the record of Officer John Taylor and the LASPD’s refusal to reassign him. The results of that meeting are not yet publicly available. According to District records, the LAUSD has spent more than $152,000 in legal expenses for two existing lawsuits in which Taylor is a defendant. The Community Council’s decision came weeks after parents and community members grew frustrated with the officer’s continued presence in Pacific Palisades despite an ongoing internal investigation. Taylor was involved in a violent confrontation with local youth and adults on September 19 at the Sav-on loading dock on Swarthmore. Two teenagers were arrested and students and adults were pepper sprayed by Taylor during the incident. The L.A. School Police began an internal investigation into his conduct following a complaint of excessive force. The council’s approved resolution will be sent to the Chief of Police and the Superintendent asking that the ‘current atmosphere of tension, upset and concern by parents and students in Pacific Palisades be given due consideration in determining whether Officer Taylor should be reassigned.’ On Tuesday afternoon, the L.A. School Police Department would not comment on the approved resolution because it had not yet received the Council’s letter. The letter was not sent until Wednesday. Janet Turner, a Community Council member, sponsored the original resolution in response to vocal frustration from the community. Her original resolution directly requested that LASPD Chief Lawrence Mannion reassign Officer Taylor based on community concerns. But Council member Harry Sondheim successfully amended that resolution to reflect a less direct tone. Officer Taylor’s long history of excessive-force complaints has been a significant source of concern in the community. In 2002 his superior officer blocked his promotion based on his ‘pattern of excessive force.’ The two current lawsuits allege that he used excessive force. Internal Affairs investigated him three previous times for excessive-force complaints. It is unknown whether he has ever been disciplined as a result of those investigations. The Palisadian-Post’s request for the disciplinary record of Taylor was denied by the LAUSD. For Carolin Herrmann, a Palisades Charter High parent and PTSA treasurer, the council’s decision was a relief. ‘I was on the same page with the council. I want him to be reassigned during this investigation.’ Bruce Ishimatsu, a PaliHi parent, was a vocal supporter of the resolution and instrumental in drumming up support for it. But he was surprised how quickly the council passed the resolution. ‘It articulates a message from our community that the School Police need to hear. It was the right decision,’ he said. The resolution was supported by 18 council members. Paul Glasgall and Susan Nash abstained from the vote. Nash said that she understood both sides of the issue, but she did not want to interfere with Taylor’s right to ‘due process.’ Glasgall said that although the resolution targets this specific officer, it sends a ‘bad message to the police.’ Originally a wary voter, council member Jack Allen eventually voted in favor of the resolution because the issue had become ‘so important’ for community members. At two previous council meetings, parents and students rejected the School Police’s decision to not reassign Officer Taylor out of the area. As a patrol officer, Taylor serves the Palisades’ public schools and areas of high student concentration. He is not assigned to a specific school. ‘We were not taking a position whether he is guilty or not,’ Allen said. ‘And I don’t think it’s a denial of due process. It’s a routine in a lot of police departments to reassign officers during controversial investigations.’ The Palisades Community Council has no legal power, but it is recognized as the community’s only representative political body. Council members are elected from eight geographical areas in the Palisades, joining representatives from a cross-section of civic groups. The internal investigation into Taylor’s behavior could take as long as nine weeks. A large backlog of other internal investigations at the School Police department could delay the investigation further.
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