Local News Comments

Pendley ought to work for free the next year to pay back the settlement, since he was at much to blame as his kid.

A month ago Pendley and the Columbia School Board gave the staff $100,000 in bonuses, I bet they wish they had that back now. What the new Board should do is tell him to deduct the settlement from his own paycheck or hit the bricks.

I found this whole matter reprehensible. The son should be on trial for statutory rape and the father - assuming he would be ashamed - should have resigned from the school board as a matter of course, if nothing else. One hundred grand is not justice.

Columbia School Superintendent John Pendley needs to open his fat wallet and pay the settlement not the insurance company or the tax payers. Be a man take responsibility Mr. Pendley.

If i was the victims Attorney i would file on Brennan even if you did win and he did not have the money you could always attach his wages were ever he becomes employed plus your the victim Brennan made the decisions let him also pay for his decsions,the Districts insurance already has to a tune of 100,000 just my opion.

Thanks for just reporting this story as is and not blowing it out of proportion like the union Democrat

I still say this was a young man put into a position of influence if not authority over this girl. She was a student at an ELEMENTARY school. I am sure that there were circumstances which have been discussed before, but at the end of the day, it is still wrong and what changes have been made? Dad allegedly asks his employees to write in support of him? Really?

Thanks for bringing objective.

How does this work we pay for what he has done?

This whole mess has been a disgusting look at how unfair the school board has acted in the entire cover up since the rapist was caught. I always thought 20-20 or 60 Minutes should have done a TV story on the Superintendent and his Son. Thanks to the Union Democrat for exposing the truth and reporting the truth about this sad story. Now the worst part is the Pendley's are getting away with the crime for a paltry 100K settlement. I think it was worth a Million in a civil trial.
The story has many guilty criminals the rapist and his father and the gang of people that conspired to keep it all quiet. People of Columbia should demand both Pendley's leave town. A few people stood up to King Pendley at the board meeting's, those are the people with morals and backbone.

I would say $100,000 is getting of cheap. If I were the girls parents I would say John Pendley has to be fired or resign also !!!! I know some will say that the young girl led Pendley on but he was the adult in this situation and was in a position to take advantage of an underage girls ignorance and the fact that his Dad tried to cover it up as did others at the school compounded the issue!!!!!!

Money and a good ole boy as a father can get you out of everything. Now let's prosecute the dad.

What an unbelievable saga from beginning to current...so typical of Tuolumne County, not about the crime but about your name, your position, who supports you, their names and positions. Look at the individuals involved from the son through the court system and acknowledge the real Tuolumne County.

The school counselor, Tina Cruz, wrote a letter to the judge stating not only was the girl "not" a victim, but a willing participant. So how can a willing participant be getting a settlement? This lady is trained and has credentials to be a counselor and advocate of the elementary students, right? Who would know better than her? Also Dan Doane and Kubasik said she was not a victim and she was actually the one at fault. So since our teachers care so much about the kids and think that it's o.k for an elementary student to have sex with a school employee, why the settlement? The school board also thought it was o.k. And these are the best and brightest in the community. Maybe we can
get them more bonuses? I'm just glad we have all these people looking out for the elementary kids. Rest easy.

I don't see how this school board can still think Pendly is so great after illegally hiring his son, moving him to another school after the molestation.
Getting the teachers and school counselor to write letters against the student, and providing a fake degree from a debunked diploma mill,and refusing to talk about anything. Is such a great guy. They are all beholden to the money he brings to the school and the students are nothing more than a $8000 dollar a year check.

After reading the latest info in the Democrat and the little bit of info here, all i have learned is if i want to have sex with an eight grader, the price tag is $100,000 with everybody denying wrong doing. And if my daddy is the boss, the taxpayers pay the tab. The morals and ethics of all parties involved including the DA and courts are disgusting.

ravillata, the punishment was more than that: Brennan Pendley served a year in county jail, is serving five years probation and he must register as a sex offender. It may not change anyone's mind about it being disgusting but I agree I wouldn't want your statement to be true or thought of as true either.

How much time did Brennan Pendley receive?

How is ANYONE ok with Pendly still working in a public school??? How does the state still let him teach? How do parents entrust him with their children?? This county can be embarrassing sometimes!

This is only the tip of the iceburg

Will the Board PLEASE ask for Pendlet's resignation and get the guy out of there and get on with Education !

Well Sabrina Brennan Pendley is not on the Sex Offender site as of 1757 hours 21 December 2012. So part of your commit is not correct as of today.

What Ms. Cruz or anyone else thinks about the morals of the 'victim' in this case is completely irrelevant. Sex with a minor is statutory rape, period. The school was culpable because it happened on their premises and involved an employee of the school district. That was the basis of the claim filed. Personally, I think they got off lightly with the $100,000 settlement (which will be paid by their insurance company, by the way, not out of school funds). The insurance company must have a very aggressive attorney.

I believe this case should have gone to the California State Attorney General. Our local justice system has created an ongoing abysmal failure for all women of all ages as relates to juvenile rape by an older adult man. This case has made me sick because of the multiple rapes and because of the actions of the father and his cohorts in conspiracy of covering up the facts and maligning a juvenile female from our community. To add insult to injury the father has the bold audacity to conduct closed school board sessions to get his son away from the laws we are all supposed to live by.
The 110K settlement is an insult to women victims of child rape. There is sugar coating on this crime. "Hey little girl","Want some candy?" "100,000 pieces" and the attorney gets half,$50,000.

Thanks, cruddy parents!
One Girl emotionally troubled, had long history, needed adults helping, but instead counselor and other teachers defend Pendley, make it her fault totally. Then mom gets rewarded, $100,000, wow.
Other parent also has troubled kid, transfers him instead of firing him and immediately reporting the statutory rape.
Irrational parent thing I guess. See it all the time, protecting young from real consequences, then taxpayers deal with them in the system.
Ask where YOUR daughters are. What your son is doing. Do you buy "pole stripper" outfits for your daughters? Be PARENTS darn it, and stop pretending u r their age.