S A N TA M O N I C A
REFLECTING THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY smmirror.com
INSIDE
Best of Santa Monica 2022 PAGE 9
October 28 - November 3, 2022 Volume CLXIV, Issue 168
Ice at Santa Monica Returns After Two-Year Hiatus Grand reopening for 8,000 square-foot rink set for November 10 By Sam Catanzaro Ice at Santa Monica is returning next month after a two-year hiatus for the 8,000-square-foot outdoor ice rink. The rink will once again be set up at the corner of Fifth Street and Arizona Avenue and will be open from November 10 - January 16, 2023. On November 10, Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM) will host a grand opening ceremony featuring free skating, a live DJ, delicious bites and freebies. “We are so pleased to offer to our community our unique Winterlit events and programming, and to welcome back Ice at Santa Monica. These events are beloved. DTSM Inc. takes tremendous pride in making our Downtown a special destination for everyone,” said DTSM CEO Andrew Thomas. The rink’s operating hours will be from noon to 10 p.m. with skate rental and all-day admission for $20.
This marks the first time the rink will be open since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year the rink was canceled due to issues with the electrical infrastructure. Ice at Santa Monica is the Westside’s only skating rink and is expected to generate around $1.3 million in gross revenue this year. It costs the City of Santa Monica and DTSM roughly $1.2 million to produce. The ice rink is not the only holiday programming DTSM has planned. Tens of thousands of colorful lights, decor and garland will deck the Third Street Promenade, 2nd and 4th Streets, Santa will come to the Promenade on December 1 at 6 p.m. for the annual lighting of the official City of Santa Monica 24-foottall holiday tree. Nightly menorah lightings will celebrate the Festival of Lights during the Hanukkah season from Sunday, December 18 through Sunday, December 25. Santa Monica Place will also join in on the holiday festivities with a variety of events, photo opportunities and performances to accompany holiday shoppers. From November 19 through December 24, guests can cozy up next to Santa for photos and experience the brand-new Santa House upgraded with sleek, festive décor. The
Photo: DTSM Ice at Santa Monica.
shopping center will welcome the return of its twinkle lights and larger than life holiday decor along with the iconic 50-foot Center Plaza Christmas tree. In December, the popular dancing Beach Belles, Breakfast with Santa, Pet
Nights, Menorah Lighting and live holiday DJ sets will also take place. For more information on holiday happenings in Downtown Santa Monica, visit downtownsm. com/winterlit.
Jury Awards Family of Special Needs Twins $45 Million in Abuse Lawsuit Against SMMUSD Twins physically abused by behavioral aid, according to lawsuit By Sam Catanzaro A jury last week ruled that the Santa MonicaMalibu Unified School District must pay $45 million to the family of special needs twins who were physically abused by a behavioral aid. The lawsuit was filed in 2019 by plaintiffs Charles and Nadine Wong on behalf of their two sons, who were students at Juan Cabrillo Elementary School in Malibu. The school has since closed after merging with the Point Dume Marine Science School site to accommodate a middle school at the Cabrillo site. According to the lawsuit, during the 20172018 school year Galit Gottlieb, a behavioral aid assigned to the twins, used corporal punishment
on the two boys. Allegations include making the twins – both of whom had “extremely limited” communication capabilities – put hand sanitizer on cuts and grabbing them in a manner intended to inflict pain. The abuse was first reported by a bus driver for the district. The lawsuit contends that the twins suffered damages, including bruising, emotional distress and pain, suffering and inconvenience, in addition to special damages such as counseling expenses, behavioral interventions and increased living expenses. “District administrators failed the twins by allowing them to be abused for months despite clear warnings they were being harmed,” said the plaintiff’s attorney David W. German of Vanaman German LLP in a statement. “Even now, they refuse to acknowledge the extent of the harm their employee caused. Fortunately, the jury saw through their continued attempt to cover-up what occurred.”
Omar Qureshi of Qureshi Law PC also represented the plaintiffs in the case. The defendants were represented by Stephen J. Tomasulo of Hill, Farrer & Burrill LLP and Marlon C. Wadlington of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo. In addition to Gottlieb and SMMUSD, the case names other defendants including the then-principal of Cabrillo Elementary Pamela Herkner, district administrator Elizabeth Sciutto, Special Education Director Pamela Kazee and Assistant Superintendent Mark Kelly. When reached for comment, the SMMUSD provided a statement from Superintendent Dr. Ben Drati “Nothing is – or ever could be – more important to us than the safety and security of all students. Our ongoing dedication to our special needs students is paramount to the success of our district as a whole, and we are committed to making sure that nothing like what has been claimed here could ever happen in the future,”
Drati said. “We must always examine our shortcomings, but we are also determined to protect the well-being of thousands of our future students and ensure that an unduly punitive award cannot impact the quality of education for an entire generation.” “There are still aspects of this case playing out legally and at this moment we cannot answer every question being asked. The District looks forward to sharing its side of the story as soon as possible,” Drati added.