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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Dear BHS Families:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>In the last few days media items have raised questions about teenage prostitution in the city of Berkeley, and in some cases those stories have contained speculation and/or drawn connections to Berkeley High School. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>This is an extremely serious issue that warrants attention, but I feel that a particular headline released by KTVU this morning on their website and in an accompanying television piece, <i>Reports of Teenage Hookers Rock Berkeley High School</i>, did a massive disservice to the BHS community. >From my perspective, KTVU prioritized the need for a salacious, tabloid-style headline over a thorough, fact-checked report. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>KTVU cites supposedly confirmed reports that Berkeley police are “receiving one to two referrals per month from BHS officials about suspected student prostitution.” This is incorrect and inaccurate, and no one at BHS was contacted for input, confirmation, or comment on the report. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Our current understanding is that the one or two reports BPD receives per month on possible youth prostitution are citywide numbers. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The Berkeley Police Department subsequently confirmed today in both a meeting with myself and via press release, that in 2010 their Special Victim’s Unit investigated three (3) cases that involved BHS students. So far this year, BPD has investigated two (2) cases that they say involved BHS students. None of these investigations involved prostitution on the BHS campus, nor were they centered anywhere within the jurisdiction of Berkeley High School. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>I am grateful for our ongoing collaborative relationship with law enforcement, yet law enforcement agencies are in fact restricted in terms of the information that they can share with us when incidents occur off campus and outside of our jurisdiction. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>In October, the City of Berkeley’s Commission on the Status of Women held a community forum that raised issues about the sexual exploitation of minors within the city. That forum, and a subsequent forum last night, led to the exploration of whether the juveniles involved were connected to Berkeley High School. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Berkeley High supports the stated objectives of the Commission, has spoken with the chair, and plans to have representatives meet with them in the coming days. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Our counseling staff and administrative team both discussed the matter this morning in light of the news reports and recalled no more than one or two cases that came directly to our attention over the past several years. Those cases were referred to the proper authorities and followed up on extensively. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Teen prostitution, or any sexual exploitation of minors is obviously a grim matter, and in my estimation, one of <i>the</i> most contemptible and degrading forms of child abuse. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Berkeley High School administrators and counselors will, if and when cases like this come to our attention, always follow-up on any and all reports with an aggressive package of actions and interventions. Those actions and interventions will include immediate referrals to both Child Protective Services (CPS) and on-site mental and physical health care professionals (BHS Health Center), as well as referrals to school counselors. Our process and response, should cases arise, will also happen in consultation with local law enforcement. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>We are not naïve to the fact that among our 3200 students there are those who are struggling through incomprehensibly difficult issues, and that some of those kids, often neglected and inadequately supported, can end up in appalling situations and circumstances. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>That said, one case of this type of is too many and we will continue to do our best to identify and support all students in any danger of physical or emotional harm by directing the resources we have at our disposal towards them, and by helping them access all of the services available to them via our partnering agencies and organizations. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>I am committed to being open and communicative about both the best and most challenging aspects of this very expansive and most amazing school. As always, my team and I are committed to giving you accurate and unvarnished information pertaining to Berkeley High School both when there are matters relevant to student welfare to be shared and when external reports need to be contextualized, corrected, or put in proper perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Respectfully,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Pasquale Scuderi<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Principal<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Berkeley High School<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>______________<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>Pat Anderson, Diane Douglas, Marguerite Fa-Kaji and Lisa Sibony are the parent-volunteer facilitators of the etree; please direct any questions to them at <a href="mailto:bhs-owner@lmi.net" title="mailto:bhs-owner@lmi.net"><span style='color:navy'>bhs-owner@lmi.net</span></a>. </span><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>BHS etree archives: <a href="http://lists.lmi.net/pipermail/bhs/" title="http://lists.lmi.net/pipermail/bhs/"><span style='color:navy'>http://lists.lmi.net/pipermail/bhs/</span></a>; BHS PTSA website: <a href="http://www.bhs.berkeleypta.org/" title="http://www.bhs.berkeleypta.org/"><span style='color:navy'>http://www.bhs.berkeleypta.org/</span></a>. To unsubscribe from the etree, send an email to <a href="mailto:bhs-request@lmi.net" title="mailto:bhs-request@lmi.net"><span style='color:navy'>bhs-request@lmi.net</span></a> with one word only in the subject line: 'unsubscribe'. To post a message, send to: <a href="mailto:bhs@lmi.net" title="mailto:bhs@lmi.net"><span style='color:navy'>bhs@lmi.net</span></a></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></body></html>