Fell off a 6 foot high ledge at the College of San Mateo in 1992
My life has been adversely affected by this. It was increidble how much the College of San Mateo (CSM) fought against me. And then I looked up in June of 2021 of various highly paid CRIMINAL employees that CSM freely gave big awards to, apparently to just have them go away. CSM does this and when it comes to my situation, they fought tooth and nail against me? Why? Maybe they thought I could sure them for millions of dollars and they figured if they played hardball with me that I'd give up? There was no safety rail at the location that I fell. CSM knew this in advance and to remedy for future possible lawsuits (who knows if any concern was made for PEOPLE getting hurt - most likely just monetary considerations - I base this from my experience with CSM). Well, gave up I did, but I had to endure nearly 30 years of pain and discomfort since. So this is an example of honorable humans that make up CSM? I still want justice, and before I die! I want the ACLU to review this as I am making a case that for any accident that occurs, certainly some fine should be assessed to the guilty party, as in this circumstance, for alowing an unsafe construction stand uncorrected which was paramount in my injury, however, when awards directly for the accident in terms of life-long adversity, some time must pass to make this determination. This period of time may extend beyond usual time limitations in order to keep a case alive. Mind you, I was still communicating with CSM for years afterward, citing in 1995 for example how I was unable to drive safely as I needed to use the clutch with my leg that got hurt the most from the injury.
Years passed by but at no time was this settled in my mind as I suffered ever since. I wanted to write CSM more but one can give up, realizing all the fighting against me would make such effort futile. As an example in recent times and I could prove this, I initiated the letter I finally sent in June of 2021 back in early 2020. I had very little written in the 2020 version, having given up because of "knowing" how I would be ignored/mistreated. Well, I finally finished the letter this year, sent it to the new incoming president of CSM as she was expected to be starting on July 1, 2021. I was wanting my letter to be among the very first ones she received, and in the summer months, so she could have plenty of time to assess the situation. What has occurred was nothing less than expected: NO RESPONSE FOR OVER FOUR MONTHS! Well, I felt I better make some attempt as doing nothing obviously would mean nothing would happen.
What follows here is the letter I sent:
Thomas Blankenhorn 810 Lenella Lane Grants Pass, OR 97526 June 29, 2021 Dr. Taylor-Mendoza College of San Mateo 1700 W. Hillsdale Boulevard San Mateo, CA 94402 Congratulations on your new position as President of College of San Mateo. I'd hope you could spend a few minutes and acquaint yourself with who I am. I will provide my SS # for ease of reference: 547-47-4942. I attended the College of San Mateo for much of the span from Fall 1982 to Spring 1992 as a student, student assistant, and as a classified employee. I did what I could to help CSM. As a tutor I was the one other tutors would go to for help. Being I was financially self-reliant, I had to take on several part-time jobs to put myself through college. I was trying to get the maximum of twenty hours of tutoring in per week in my struggle to live. I received much praise from students. Had things in life aligned better for me, I could have become a teacher as I'm a natural fit for the occupation. While employed in the chemistry storeroom I'd sometimes work overtime to make certain work got done and at no extra charge to the college. Now, the crucial part of this letter boils down to wanting the SMCCCD to be fair with me in regards to a fall I sustained at the rear of the library on 02/29/1992 while in the employ as a student assistant. Upon graduating from UO, I returned to my hometown of San Mateo and while trying to obtain a regular job during the recession of the early 1990's I sought out CSM, a place where I felt I had a strong belonging. I'd sometimes walk around the library, be on the knoll overlooking the SF Bay, possibly having a fruit snack. Well, one lightly rainy day, I was outside as usual and upon walking close to the tutoring area at the rear of the library, I slipped and toppled over from a concrete wall right onto a concrete base. I tried and tried to get the SMCCCD to be fair with me. I was asking at the time for just the means of either converting one of my vehicles to one having an automatic transmission or to help me obtain a vehicle with such a transmission as my vehicles both had manual transmissions. The injury I sustained made it difficult to drive safely. I even informed the California Department of Motor Vehicles about it. Sometime later I discovered that I could retain a lawyer free of charge being it was deemed a Workman Compensation case. By the time I pursued that option being the SMCCCD wasn't trying to be fair, the lawyer I saw said he didn't want to take my case being I wasn't at the height of my pain. Amazing. Well, I'd still visit the district office located at 3401 CSM Drive next to CSM and would have an occasional letter sent to the San Mateo County Schools Insurance Group in attempts to obtain some fairness. Basically, I was wasting my time as the district and insurance group seemed like a beast and I was powerless in making anything happen. And so to this day, my condition, minimally deteriorating, still able to walk, but my left knee in practically a perpetual state of soreness and with discomfort throughout every day, from laying in bed, to getting out of bed, to putting on undergarments and putting on pants, I'd have to endure clicking or popping sensations in my injured knee. With walking I take shorter strides with my left leg than with my right leg. I will sometimes swing my arms to lighten up the stress on my left knee but more so when no one else is around to watch. When walking up or down stairs, I sometimes place both feet on a step before proceeding to the next step. Sometimes I'll press on my upper left leg when propelling myself up stairs. Obviously I cannot ever drive a manual transmission car unless the clutching is easy, unlike for my older Volkswagens I owned at the time. Had I addressed this letter directly to SMCCCD I'd expect them to do nothing as was the situation long ago. I really do hope with your help, you could get the pertinent parties at SMCCCD to finally act reasonably. If I had to boil down a figure, and doing so REASONABLY, I'd say about $10-15 per day or about $300-$450 per month of not just a daily inconvenience, but also as reparations for the harm to me that resulted simply from me walking on the property of the CSM and at an area easily transgressed . This would be for my foreseeable lifetime. The fact that the area posed a great threat of bodily harm makes my sentiments even harder as my lasting injury would not have occurred had the relevant SMCCCD employees did their job to make certain no such hazardous area were present. I know you could easily dish this letter off to the SMCCCD or to the SMCSIG, but I'd hope you could take an active interest in this case. I am truly suffering. I should not have had to fight so hard for fairness with the SMCCCD. To get this going, could you please heavily suggest to the relevant department that a doctor in my area assess me and not just superficially as was done in the past, but this time with more objective measuring including: 1) Stethoscope or other listening device attached to my injured knee in the following conditions: a) under no strain except for the weight of the leg in a sitting position b) lifting up leg as if to put on pants c) in walking on level ground d) in walking up and down stairs. 2) Note my gait in walking on level ground and any other abnormalities seen. With the above information finally gotten, the SMCCCD could then step up and do what is right. Upon looking up CSM, I discovered much in the past few days, with most of the salacious stuff in just the past couple of hours. Being you may not be familiar with the library at CSM prior to the reconstruction shortly after my fall, please see the left-most building in entirety at: https://smccd.edu/photoarchives/exhibit2/e21067b.htm Note also the many people in the area I used to venture while taking breaks from my work in the CSM library: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDhIkpQQLc0p1xukTzaTq9yQ4Qm6law_VO98lE4FAqFgnVZ7kQJsMCb1a7qJxTuGajY3swUImntvZZI5xnRa7CzXoPOa1GPFhyphenhyphen-_hwQqMOTQFa1uTndHK2ofzcsqQTwJ_-jk1wUQhqjom/s1600/IMG_1967.jpeg The rear of the library at CSM may look like the following now but it was different in early 1992: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlHyX0-hVfhdqyi1sh0SUoDn1_8E7Lv321Ro91zH6VU-aR0gFCHtMUIZjr08hUTHeZs1VLJO0K7yOTltvBIKO8XUyQ4MpjHXjL7KVFLm2q2vkAuMhbwozLHp9ZOFo82qEK_ZtLY0JptuF/s1600/DkJ3XJU5TuOOMxJ27IeY2w.jpg The College of San Mateo has stock photos of the rear side of the library, overlooking the San Francisco Bay, with students sitting on the knoll. I recall seeing one such photo in a class schedule about 35 years ago. Surely more exist than just the one I recall. I would sometimes sit out there and others have as well when I was there. To be told by the SMCCCD that the area is not used to having people in that area as an excuse to not compensate me for the hazardous location where I fell is insufficient and really a cop-out. I wish disingenuous people were not in positions where they could abuse others but this is what I was put through. At https://smccd.edu/facilities/projects/csmbld9improvements.php , one may see an alteration of the area which I fell at. Probably some shrubbery exists on the right side to not warrant a safety rail there. What cannot be seen in the image is the left side wall that I fell from that was, at the height of the wall, part of the continuous grassy knoll without any shrubbery present at the time I fell that would act as a barrier from ordinary human movement. The area has been radically expanded at the base so the wall on the left side where I fell no longer exists. Would you really think that when events such as this are held at the College of San Mateo Library, that the administration would be ignorant of all the nearby locations a person may walk at, or do you think that any highly hazardous areas would be identified and remedied immediately? Possibly only after my injury that the SMCCCD got away with in not paying me for damages, they would care about any future radical 5 or 6 foot falls onto concrete (I didn't take a measurement as I wasn't making a court case loaded with evidence). See for example the event depicted here: https://patch.com/california/sanmateo/kcsm-presents-jazz-hill/ . All I ask is fairness. I have given CSM some of my best years of my life. As stated earlier, I felt a belonging, like it was my home. To be mistreated to the extent the SMCCCD did I cannot let go. And then to learn of all the following it makes me wonder why so much fighting was done against me and yet so much unethical behavior and big monetary payments were made to those whom I contend are frauds and are undeserving. Apparently justice is generous for the high and mighty but for the down-trodden, good luck. Here we have Ron Galatolo for many years engaging in unethical activities and still received what would have to be many millions of dollars over his tenure at SMCCCD: https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/02/11/top-paid-san-mateo-community-college-administrator-fired-for-unethical-behavior-accepting-gifts-from-contractors/ And then there's Richard Rojo, spokesman for the San Mateo County Community College District making a yearly salary in the range of $149,112-$188,856 got exposed in engaging in sexual acts with girls of ages 14 and 15. Why he got paid that much is astounding. https://padailypost.com/2021/05/17/college-district-spokesman-arrested-for-lewd-conduct/ And it doesn't end there as https://padailypost.com/2020/09/11/ex-hr-chief-at-college-district-got-2-3-million-to-leave-job-now-hes-helping-the-da-build-a-case-against-his-former-boss/ shows Eugene Whitlock was given $2.28M by the SMCCCD which apparently was being hushed up, and which includes, in addition to a hefty severance of $336K, $972K for an “alleged physical injury”. Well, isn't that sweet?! I'm betting the SMCCCD made the payments without having to go through the SMCSIG (San Mateo County Schools Insurance Group), no doctor involved, no proof, just pay off to quietly exit. Dr. Taylor-Mendoza, what do you think now? Here, I have been suffering for decades of an injury sustained at CSM, and from a hazardous area that should have never been a hazard had the relevant SMCCD staff were doing what they should have been doing: reviewing structural changes to make certain they are safe! I suppose I simply wasn't high enough in the SMCCCD to be treated with respect. Instead, big payments are given to those at the top for specious claims! And also to think with all this and the SMCCCD fought so hard against me as it relates to an episode not of my doing but rather the college's neglect to cause me lasting harm. With the SMCCCD fighting me so much I could have invoked dirty play just as the staff was doing to me: threaten to expose the rampant unethical sexual behavior on the part of CSM instructors. I was around the campus for many years, from 1982 up until 1992, with just a couple years of absence. With the Me Too movement, right now might actually be a better time to get this exposed and maybe the SMCCCD would have to fork out tens of millions of dollars to victims, no matter if they were of the age of majority at the time as anytime a person is in the position of power, particularly as a teacher to student, it would be unethical to be engaging in any sort of sexual behavior. I knew a woman well who's mother worked in the administration of CSM. I discussed with her, among other instructors, one in particular in the Political Science Department, one who was known for coloring his hair orange and from that conversation I discovered the administration was well aware of many of the unethical acts being perpetrated by CSM instructors. That same instructor told me something highly suggestive and I'll never forget it. The one science teacher who'd have pool parties at his house and where some of the young women students would expose their bodies (information gotten from many accounts), I once saw a young woman, stinking of perfume and all dolled up, waiting for him at his office. I was waiting outside an adjacent office for another instructor. What ended up happening was the instructor showed up, not a word said when outside, they both went inside, the door shut, and right after they were in, there was complete silence. You could make an educated guess as to what was going on. There was one woman whom I tutored who let me know of her having an affair with one of the instructors. I was outraged but at my young age of around 20, I felt helpless as to who to go to about it, and with no photographic evidence. Of course the instructor that shared his office would have been able to have given some good information, but even he might want to protect what was going on as it seemed such a practice was rampant. I was given some information about a chemistry teacher doing the same. If it were publicly posted, the various names of suspected teachers for those whom were victims of the power play, to come forward to receive a big monetary award, surely some would step up and let the truth be known. I could name instructors and if a lawyer or team of lawyers decided to take up a class action suit to try to find victims, the SMCCCD may well get what it deserves. However, this is something that wouldn't really be a means for getting what I deserve, but for what should be set right, even if it takes years for it to be accomplished. I feel this other matter needs to be let out to motivate SMCCCD to never again sweep such instances under the rug. Now, was I going to play dirty in trying to get this out in the open at the time of SMCCCD was working so much against me? No. I was so concerned about the many students I was tutoring at the time of the incident. I wasn't planning to work the system to stay home as long as possible, collecting Workman Compensation insurance and working up a case immediately with a lawyer to sue SMCCD. I showed up as quickly as I could, even having a friend drive me to CSM so students expecting me to be present would get their help. I was hobbling with great discomfort to get to the CSM library where I worked. I'd have to grasp the hand rail and excruciatingly go down and up the good many steps that led in and out of the library. I took my job seriously just as I've done everywhere else because that's the kind of person I am. Am I writing this only now, as if aligning with anything in particular? No. My general mood is depressed, a good deal from the constant reminder my leg gives me, however, not this alone. Lacking a better term, the SMCCCD screwed me over, and I am upset to this day about it. I got so tired of dealing with this injury that never had a reasonable resolution that I planned to write this letter (not addressed to you though as I only discovered you a few days ago) in early 2019. And then finally in early 2020 I began writing then gave up, realizing being fair can be asking too much today. It's as if a lawyer or threat of lawyer being involved and then action starts and not before. As evidence per my pc, this letter was started on 03/14/2020, 21:13:00. I cannot let this go on any longer and thus I finally got the strength to make this last appeal. A few scattered notes from long ago of communications with a couple of the staff of the SMCSIG, along with some writing I just made: I made the point that with the damage sustained to me knee from my fall at the College of San Mateo on 02/29/1992 that I was an endangerment on the road as I was having great difficulty clutching my vehicle. I was being told that their hands were tied and they couldn’t do anything to assist. I say that’s nonsense – it’s an unwillingness to assist. I fell at a place on the CSM campus that was constructed with no safety guard, a very hazardous place. Of course I got the lame excuse that people do not ordinarily walk where I did no matter it was only a few feet from a DOORWAY to the library, and no matter it's a place where students would sit in overlooking the San Francisco Bay. The dangerous area was reconstructed soon after, realizing the area was an extreme hazard, and possibly to rearrange it so I'd have less evidence in making a case against the College of San Mateo. And yet what do I get out of it? So far 29 years of pain and discomfort. Letter written to Tina Castro dated Sep 9, 1994 addressing her Aug 19, 1994 letter asking me if I am still having problems with my knee IN SPITE of me telling her a month prior that I was and she wouldn’t consider the need for me to visit a physician – it’s like she only wanted to obtain an answer or hope I wouldn’t respond to close the file. She never was working for my interest, just for her salary and to do as little as possible in regards to my plight. Wrote in April 12, 1995 addressed Tina Castro also telling her my knee was not improving and how she vehemently told me the SMCSIG would not do anything for me. I was taking a large amount of anti-inflammatories at the time. I also made it clear the QME doctor refused to acknowledge a demonstration I wanted to show to illustrate the abnormality of my left knee. I laid off the anti-inflammatories around year 2000 as I was fearful of what the drugs would do to my body, particularly my liver and kidneys. I wrote a letter dated Apr 12, 1994 and cc SMCSIG to Gene K Bruce at 1720 El Camino Real #116 Burlingame, CA 94010 requesting a re-evaluation as I was still suffering from the accident sustained at the extremely hazardous location at CSM where I fell about 6 feet onto concrete. I’ve been going through this, now for 29 years. Often in litigation awards are made with the premise that long-term effects will be the case but obviously many times those long-term effects greatly subside. I'm appalled that this case was never properly dealt with and the sustained injury has not improved apart from the first few month’s time when of course there was a little recovery from the most heightened pain at the moment of my fall. My knee has steadily gotten worse, albeit very slowly. My knee is not completely ruined but is sufficiently damaged to warrant due compensation. I am outraged that I have to live with this ailment and it would not be the case had the pertinent construction at CSM been safe. There is no excuse for the dangerous area to be the way it was at the time of my fall. Anyone overseeing the construction at the time should have noticed there was a high concrete wall near a doorway to the library and without a guard rail. That’s the fault of the College of San Mateo District if relevant personnel would be free from responsibility as is often the case for government. I am having to pay a dear price for it. I say be fair now! I feel relieved that the arduous task of writing this letter is all over now. This will soon be in the hands of the powerful at SMCCCD and Dr. Taylor-Mendoza, for one of your very first letters gracing your desk, I trust you could assist in getting this taken care of the way it should have been long ago. The several highly paid staff members mentioned prior surely didn't have to wait decades. Not just that, but I was the victim unlike these horrible others! I'd hope the highest members at SMCCCD would feel good about getting this taken care of. So let's start with a doctor assessment and work from there. Write me at thomasinventions@yahoo.com and I'll send you a digital copy of this so it'd be effortless to click on the links provided. Thank you,
Years passed by but at no time was this settled in my mind as I suffered ever since. I wanted to write CSM more but one can give up, realizing all the fighting against me would make such effort futile. As an example in recent times and I could prove this, I initiated the letter I finally sent in June of 2021 back in early 2020. I had very little written in the 2020 version, having given up because of "knowing" how I would be ignored/mistreated. Well, I finally finished the letter this year, sent it to the new incoming president of CSM as she was expected to be starting on July 1, 2021. I was wanting my letter to be among the very first ones she received, and in the summer months, so she could have plenty of time to assess the situation. What has occurred was nothing less than expected: NO RESPONSE FOR OVER FOUR MONTHS! Well, I felt I better make some attempt as doing nothing obviously would mean nothing would happen.
What follows here is the letter I sent:
Thomas Blankenhorn 810 Lenella Lane Grants Pass, OR 97526 June 29, 2021 Dr. Taylor-Mendoza College of San Mateo 1700 W. Hillsdale Boulevard San Mateo, CA 94402 Congratulations on your new position as President of College of San Mateo. I'd hope you could spend a few minutes and acquaint yourself with who I am. I will provide my SS # for ease of reference: 547-47-4942. I attended the College of San Mateo for much of the span from Fall 1982 to Spring 1992 as a student, student assistant, and as a classified employee. I did what I could to help CSM. As a tutor I was the one other tutors would go to for help. Being I was financially self-reliant, I had to take on several part-time jobs to put myself through college. I was trying to get the maximum of twenty hours of tutoring in per week in my struggle to live. I received much praise from students. Had things in life aligned better for me, I could have become a teacher as I'm a natural fit for the occupation. While employed in the chemistry storeroom I'd sometimes work overtime to make certain work got done and at no extra charge to the college. Now, the crucial part of this letter boils down to wanting the SMCCCD to be fair with me in regards to a fall I sustained at the rear of the library on 02/29/1992 while in the employ as a student assistant. Upon graduating from UO, I returned to my hometown of San Mateo and while trying to obtain a regular job during the recession of the early 1990's I sought out CSM, a place where I felt I had a strong belonging. I'd sometimes walk around the library, be on the knoll overlooking the SF Bay, possibly having a fruit snack. Well, one lightly rainy day, I was outside as usual and upon walking close to the tutoring area at the rear of the library, I slipped and toppled over from a concrete wall right onto a concrete base. I tried and tried to get the SMCCCD to be fair with me. I was asking at the time for just the means of either converting one of my vehicles to one having an automatic transmission or to help me obtain a vehicle with such a transmission as my vehicles both had manual transmissions. The injury I sustained made it difficult to drive safely. I even informed the California Department of Motor Vehicles about it. Sometime later I discovered that I could retain a lawyer free of charge being it was deemed a Workman Compensation case. By the time I pursued that option being the SMCCCD wasn't trying to be fair, the lawyer I saw said he didn't want to take my case being I wasn't at the height of my pain. Amazing. Well, I'd still visit the district office located at 3401 CSM Drive next to CSM and would have an occasional letter sent to the San Mateo County Schools Insurance Group in attempts to obtain some fairness. Basically, I was wasting my time as the district and insurance group seemed like a beast and I was powerless in making anything happen. And so to this day, my condition, minimally deteriorating, still able to walk, but my left knee in practically a perpetual state of soreness and with discomfort throughout every day, from laying in bed, to getting out of bed, to putting on undergarments and putting on pants, I'd have to endure clicking or popping sensations in my injured knee. With walking I take shorter strides with my left leg than with my right leg. I will sometimes swing my arms to lighten up the stress on my left knee but more so when no one else is around to watch. When walking up or down stairs, I sometimes place both feet on a step before proceeding to the next step. Sometimes I'll press on my upper left leg when propelling myself up stairs. Obviously I cannot ever drive a manual transmission car unless the clutching is easy, unlike for my older Volkswagens I owned at the time. Had I addressed this letter directly to SMCCCD I'd expect them to do nothing as was the situation long ago. I really do hope with your help, you could get the pertinent parties at SMCCCD to finally act reasonably. If I had to boil down a figure, and doing so REASONABLY, I'd say about $10-15 per day or about $300-$450 per month of not just a daily inconvenience, but also as reparations for the harm to me that resulted simply from me walking on the property of the CSM and at an area easily transgressed . This would be for my foreseeable lifetime. The fact that the area posed a great threat of bodily harm makes my sentiments even harder as my lasting injury would not have occurred had the relevant SMCCCD employees did their job to make certain no such hazardous area were present. I know you could easily dish this letter off to the SMCCCD or to the SMCSIG, but I'd hope you could take an active interest in this case. I am truly suffering. I should not have had to fight so hard for fairness with the SMCCCD. To get this going, could you please heavily suggest to the relevant department that a doctor in my area assess me and not just superficially as was done in the past, but this time with more objective measuring including: 1) Stethoscope or other listening device attached to my injured knee in the following conditions: a) under no strain except for the weight of the leg in a sitting position b) lifting up leg as if to put on pants c) in walking on level ground d) in walking up and down stairs. 2) Note my gait in walking on level ground and any other abnormalities seen. With the above information finally gotten, the SMCCCD could then step up and do what is right. Upon looking up CSM, I discovered much in the past few days, with most of the salacious stuff in just the past couple of hours. Being you may not be familiar with the library at CSM prior to the reconstruction shortly after my fall, please see the left-most building in entirety at: https://smccd.edu/photoarchives/exhibit2/e21067b.htm Note also the many people in the area I used to venture while taking breaks from my work in the CSM library: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDhIkpQQLc0p1xukTzaTq9yQ4Qm6law_VO98lE4FAqFgnVZ7kQJsMCb1a7qJxTuGajY3swUImntvZZI5xnRa7CzXoPOa1GPFhyphenhyphen-_hwQqMOTQFa1uTndHK2ofzcsqQTwJ_-jk1wUQhqjom/s1600/IMG_1967.jpeg The rear of the library at CSM may look like the following now but it was different in early 1992: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlHyX0-hVfhdqyi1sh0SUoDn1_8E7Lv321Ro91zH6VU-aR0gFCHtMUIZjr08hUTHeZs1VLJO0K7yOTltvBIKO8XUyQ4MpjHXjL7KVFLm2q2vkAuMhbwozLHp9ZOFo82qEK_ZtLY0JptuF/s1600/DkJ3XJU5TuOOMxJ27IeY2w.jpg The College of San Mateo has stock photos of the rear side of the library, overlooking the San Francisco Bay, with students sitting on the knoll. I recall seeing one such photo in a class schedule about 35 years ago. Surely more exist than just the one I recall. I would sometimes sit out there and others have as well when I was there. To be told by the SMCCCD that the area is not used to having people in that area as an excuse to not compensate me for the hazardous location where I fell is insufficient and really a cop-out. I wish disingenuous people were not in positions where they could abuse others but this is what I was put through. At https://smccd.edu/facilities/projects/csmbld9improvements.php , one may see an alteration of the area which I fell at. Probably some shrubbery exists on the right side to not warrant a safety rail there. What cannot be seen in the image is the left side wall that I fell from that was, at the height of the wall, part of the continuous grassy knoll without any shrubbery present at the time I fell that would act as a barrier from ordinary human movement. The area has been radically expanded at the base so the wall on the left side where I fell no longer exists. Would you really think that when events such as this are held at the College of San Mateo Library, that the administration would be ignorant of all the nearby locations a person may walk at, or do you think that any highly hazardous areas would be identified and remedied immediately? Possibly only after my injury that the SMCCCD got away with in not paying me for damages, they would care about any future radical 5 or 6 foot falls onto concrete (I didn't take a measurement as I wasn't making a court case loaded with evidence). See for example the event depicted here: https://patch.com/california/sanmateo/kcsm-presents-jazz-hill/ . All I ask is fairness. I have given CSM some of my best years of my life. As stated earlier, I felt a belonging, like it was my home. To be mistreated to the extent the SMCCCD did I cannot let go. And then to learn of all the following it makes me wonder why so much fighting was done against me and yet so much unethical behavior and big monetary payments were made to those whom I contend are frauds and are undeserving. Apparently justice is generous for the high and mighty but for the down-trodden, good luck. Here we have Ron Galatolo for many years engaging in unethical activities and still received what would have to be many millions of dollars over his tenure at SMCCCD: https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/02/11/top-paid-san-mateo-community-college-administrator-fired-for-unethical-behavior-accepting-gifts-from-contractors/ And then there's Richard Rojo, spokesman for the San Mateo County Community College District making a yearly salary in the range of $149,112-$188,856 got exposed in engaging in sexual acts with girls of ages 14 and 15. Why he got paid that much is astounding. https://padailypost.com/2021/05/17/college-district-spokesman-arrested-for-lewd-conduct/ And it doesn't end there as https://padailypost.com/2020/09/11/ex-hr-chief-at-college-district-got-2-3-million-to-leave-job-now-hes-helping-the-da-build-a-case-against-his-former-boss/ shows Eugene Whitlock was given $2.28M by the SMCCCD which apparently was being hushed up, and which includes, in addition to a hefty severance of $336K, $972K for an “alleged physical injury”. Well, isn't that sweet?! I'm betting the SMCCCD made the payments without having to go through the SMCSIG (San Mateo County Schools Insurance Group), no doctor involved, no proof, just pay off to quietly exit. Dr. Taylor-Mendoza, what do you think now? Here, I have been suffering for decades of an injury sustained at CSM, and from a hazardous area that should have never been a hazard had the relevant SMCCD staff were doing what they should have been doing: reviewing structural changes to make certain they are safe! I suppose I simply wasn't high enough in the SMCCCD to be treated with respect. Instead, big payments are given to those at the top for specious claims! And also to think with all this and the SMCCCD fought so hard against me as it relates to an episode not of my doing but rather the college's neglect to cause me lasting harm. With the SMCCCD fighting me so much I could have invoked dirty play just as the staff was doing to me: threaten to expose the rampant unethical sexual behavior on the part of CSM instructors. I was around the campus for many years, from 1982 up until 1992, with just a couple years of absence. With the Me Too movement, right now might actually be a better time to get this exposed and maybe the SMCCCD would have to fork out tens of millions of dollars to victims, no matter if they were of the age of majority at the time as anytime a person is in the position of power, particularly as a teacher to student, it would be unethical to be engaging in any sort of sexual behavior. I knew a woman well who's mother worked in the administration of CSM. I discussed with her, among other instructors, one in particular in the Political Science Department, one who was known for coloring his hair orange and from that conversation I discovered the administration was well aware of many of the unethical acts being perpetrated by CSM instructors. That same instructor told me something highly suggestive and I'll never forget it. The one science teacher who'd have pool parties at his house and where some of the young women students would expose their bodies (information gotten from many accounts), I once saw a young woman, stinking of perfume and all dolled up, waiting for him at his office. I was waiting outside an adjacent office for another instructor. What ended up happening was the instructor showed up, not a word said when outside, they both went inside, the door shut, and right after they were in, there was complete silence. You could make an educated guess as to what was going on. There was one woman whom I tutored who let me know of her having an affair with one of the instructors. I was outraged but at my young age of around 20, I felt helpless as to who to go to about it, and with no photographic evidence. Of course the instructor that shared his office would have been able to have given some good information, but even he might want to protect what was going on as it seemed such a practice was rampant. I was given some information about a chemistry teacher doing the same. If it were publicly posted, the various names of suspected teachers for those whom were victims of the power play, to come forward to receive a big monetary award, surely some would step up and let the truth be known. I could name instructors and if a lawyer or team of lawyers decided to take up a class action suit to try to find victims, the SMCCCD may well get what it deserves. However, this is something that wouldn't really be a means for getting what I deserve, but for what should be set right, even if it takes years for it to be accomplished. I feel this other matter needs to be let out to motivate SMCCCD to never again sweep such instances under the rug. Now, was I going to play dirty in trying to get this out in the open at the time of SMCCCD was working so much against me? No. I was so concerned about the many students I was tutoring at the time of the incident. I wasn't planning to work the system to stay home as long as possible, collecting Workman Compensation insurance and working up a case immediately with a lawyer to sue SMCCD. I showed up as quickly as I could, even having a friend drive me to CSM so students expecting me to be present would get their help. I was hobbling with great discomfort to get to the CSM library where I worked. I'd have to grasp the hand rail and excruciatingly go down and up the good many steps that led in and out of the library. I took my job seriously just as I've done everywhere else because that's the kind of person I am. Am I writing this only now, as if aligning with anything in particular? No. My general mood is depressed, a good deal from the constant reminder my leg gives me, however, not this alone. Lacking a better term, the SMCCCD screwed me over, and I am upset to this day about it. I got so tired of dealing with this injury that never had a reasonable resolution that I planned to write this letter (not addressed to you though as I only discovered you a few days ago) in early 2019. And then finally in early 2020 I began writing then gave up, realizing being fair can be asking too much today. It's as if a lawyer or threat of lawyer being involved and then action starts and not before. As evidence per my pc, this letter was started on 03/14/2020, 21:13:00. I cannot let this go on any longer and thus I finally got the strength to make this last appeal. A few scattered notes from long ago of communications with a couple of the staff of the SMCSIG, along with some writing I just made: I made the point that with the damage sustained to me knee from my fall at the College of San Mateo on 02/29/1992 that I was an endangerment on the road as I was having great difficulty clutching my vehicle. I was being told that their hands were tied and they couldn’t do anything to assist. I say that’s nonsense – it’s an unwillingness to assist. I fell at a place on the CSM campus that was constructed with no safety guard, a very hazardous place. Of course I got the lame excuse that people do not ordinarily walk where I did no matter it was only a few feet from a DOORWAY to the library, and no matter it's a place where students would sit in overlooking the San Francisco Bay. The dangerous area was reconstructed soon after, realizing the area was an extreme hazard, and possibly to rearrange it so I'd have less evidence in making a case against the College of San Mateo. And yet what do I get out of it? So far 29 years of pain and discomfort. Letter written to Tina Castro dated Sep 9, 1994 addressing her Aug 19, 1994 letter asking me if I am still having problems with my knee IN SPITE of me telling her a month prior that I was and she wouldn’t consider the need for me to visit a physician – it’s like she only wanted to obtain an answer or hope I wouldn’t respond to close the file. She never was working for my interest, just for her salary and to do as little as possible in regards to my plight. Wrote in April 12, 1995 addressed Tina Castro also telling her my knee was not improving and how she vehemently told me the SMCSIG would not do anything for me. I was taking a large amount of anti-inflammatories at the time. I also made it clear the QME doctor refused to acknowledge a demonstration I wanted to show to illustrate the abnormality of my left knee. I laid off the anti-inflammatories around year 2000 as I was fearful of what the drugs would do to my body, particularly my liver and kidneys. I wrote a letter dated Apr 12, 1994 and cc SMCSIG to Gene K Bruce at 1720 El Camino Real #116 Burlingame, CA 94010 requesting a re-evaluation as I was still suffering from the accident sustained at the extremely hazardous location at CSM where I fell about 6 feet onto concrete. I’ve been going through this, now for 29 years. Often in litigation awards are made with the premise that long-term effects will be the case but obviously many times those long-term effects greatly subside. I'm appalled that this case was never properly dealt with and the sustained injury has not improved apart from the first few month’s time when of course there was a little recovery from the most heightened pain at the moment of my fall. My knee has steadily gotten worse, albeit very slowly. My knee is not completely ruined but is sufficiently damaged to warrant due compensation. I am outraged that I have to live with this ailment and it would not be the case had the pertinent construction at CSM been safe. There is no excuse for the dangerous area to be the way it was at the time of my fall. Anyone overseeing the construction at the time should have noticed there was a high concrete wall near a doorway to the library and without a guard rail. That’s the fault of the College of San Mateo District if relevant personnel would be free from responsibility as is often the case for government. I am having to pay a dear price for it. I say be fair now! I feel relieved that the arduous task of writing this letter is all over now. This will soon be in the hands of the powerful at SMCCCD and Dr. Taylor-Mendoza, for one of your very first letters gracing your desk, I trust you could assist in getting this taken care of the way it should have been long ago. The several highly paid staff members mentioned prior surely didn't have to wait decades. Not just that, but I was the victim unlike these horrible others! I'd hope the highest members at SMCCCD would feel good about getting this taken care of. So let's start with a doctor assessment and work from there. Write me at thomasinventions@yahoo.com and I'll send you a digital copy of this so it'd be effortless to click on the links provided. Thank you,
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