Frequently Asked Questions about Legal Action
1. In simple layman's terms, what are we asking for?
We are asking for Conserve to continue as a four-year college preparatory school and to replace the existing 5-man board consisting of all CS&W Directors, with a real school board.
A copy of the complaint is available at http://documents.conservecommunity.com/
2. What will my financial obligations be as a plaintiff?
Becoming a plaintiff does not financially obligate you. Your contributions to the Conserve Community Legal Defense Fund will be welcomed and Conserve Community will be conducting fundraising activities.
3. What does it mean to be a plaintiff in the case?
A plaintiff demonstrates to the court sufficient connection to, and harm from, the action being challenged, and supports our right to bring the case to court.
4. What is required of us?
To be a plaintiff, all that is required is to fill in the top of the Attorney Representation Agreement (available at http://documents.conservecommunity.com/) with your name, date and sign it at the bottom, and mail it to:
CONSERVE COMMUNITY, LLC
c/o Attorney Lydia Chartre
PETRIE & STOCKING S.C.
Chase Tower
111 East Wisconsin Avenue
Suite 1500
Milwaukee, WI 53202
The Attorney Representation Agreement informs you who your attorneys are, and that you will not be responsible for any attorney fees for this action.
5. What is the most likely outcome or couple of outcome possibilities?
In the next 3-10 days we will get a temporary injunction that requires Conserve to continue in its current form until a permanent injunction is litigated. The permanent injunction is to have Conserve continue as a four-year college preparatory school and to replace the existing 5-man board consisting of all CS&W Directors, with a real school board.
6. What is the difference between the suit filed Feb 20th and the injunction filed Feb 27th? Would I be a plaintiff on both?
The injunction filed on Feb 27 is an emergency temporary injunction and will immediately stop any activities related to the “transition”. The emergency injunction will be granted if the judge feels that there is a case. The January 20th suit is essentially a permanent injunction.
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7. What else might we do to increase the chances of winning?
As a parent, you may sign and file an affidavit. (See further explanation of how to do this at the end of FAQ’s) If you are a business, organization, or ‘friend’ of Conserve, you may file a Friend of the Court brief. This file is available at http://documents.conservecommunity.com/ . It needs to be signed, notarized and mailed to the attorney’s office address on that form. It is also very important that we continue with all grassroots efforts to appeal to the media to cover this story and to the school administration to do the right thing by following one of the honorable paths available to correct a bad decision.
8. What happens after we win?
Conserve continues as is, with a proper school board in place.
9. What is the time frame and how will it impact the next academic year?
The temporary injunction is to bring back some immediate normalcy to the school. The suit (or permanent injunction) is to have the school carry on into a normal year next year, under the direction of a newly created school board.
10. Is joining the suit as a plaintiff irrevocable? Can I change my mind? It is as simple as sending an email to us stating such..
11.Can someone join the plaintiff list at any time? How does that work?
We want to add in batches (i.e. 10 per time) and do so at times when the added publicity is to our advantage. But send your paperwork in as soon as you can and the legal team will manage the ‘batches’.
12. Is there someone I can discuss this with? E-mail your question to, and someone will give you a call. Make sure to include your contact information.
13. Does “continuing in it’s current form” mean requiring they admit new freshman to the 2009/10 school year? Yes
14. What can we do to help?
Contact the Community’s volunteer coordinator Deb Crawford () to see where we could best use your assistance.
15. How does being a plaintiff change our relationship with Stefan and the board? What do we need to know?
We expect and assume that all parties involved will conduct themselves in a respectful and professional manner. Conserve Community’s actions and philosophy are defined by the Conserve School code:
Be kind, understanding, and caring.
Tell the truth.
Uphold what is just.
Respect ourselves, our community, and nature.
Honor our commitments.
16.What are the rules for communication of "insider information"?
Any information you see on one of our web sites or blogs can be shared with anyone. Email communication should be assumed confidential unless otherwise directed.
***In addition (whether or not you are a plaintiff), the Conserve Community is continuing to gather affidavits from teachers and parents that demonstrate the harm that closing the school has had and will continue to have on students. Many parents, in addition to filing an affidavit, have also written letters expressing their hardships.
The signed and notarized affidavit (available at http://documents.conservecommunity.com/) should address any of the following (of course, they must be true):
· Your child has not yet been accepted to another
school next year. Your local public school is not an acceptable option
for any reason (no gifted program/no emphasis on outdoors and
conservation/live in an impoverished area with sub-standard schools, or
any other reason), and/or
· Your child has emotionally had a very difficult time (including
increased absences, decreased grades, etc.) dealing with finding a new
school, dealing with the increased stress levels at the school and
being separated from friends. Your child would be able to deal with the
closing of the 4 year program much more easily if they had a year to
explore other options, and/or
· You as a parent have had a difficult time dealing with the school's closing.
We know that some parents have flown from overseas to help their child
find a new school, at great expense. If the announcement had been made
in a timely manner, they would have been able schedule flights in
advance, visit more schools, and otherwise avoid the hardships this has
created.