Chapter 10 - When the Pack Turns
By Thursday afternoon, the collapse of Vance’s support system had turned into an absolute rout.
The Oakridge School Board held an emergency closed-door executive session at 4:00 PM. But I had ensured the doors didn't stay closed for long.
Invoking the State Open Meetings Act and armed with an injunction from Judge Montague, I walked into the board room accompanied by twenty parents from the district, each holding signs demanding the immediate resignation of the entire board.
The board president, an elderly real estate developer named Harold Thorne, slammed his gavel repeatedly. "Order! This is a closed personnel meeting! The public is not permitted—"
"This is no longer a personnel meeting, Mr. Thorne," I announced, walking up to the center podium and dropping a thick stack of certified legal notices onto the clerk’s table. "This is an official notice of joint and several personal liability for every sitting member of this board."
The seven board members looked at each other with mounting panic.
"Under State Educational Code Section 4402," I explained, projecting my voice so the television news crews standing in the open doorway could record every syllable, "any school board member who knowingly conceals reports of felony physical abuse involving minors loses their qualified municipal immunity. That means you are not protected by district insurance. If this matter proceeds to civil trial, my firm will seek damages against your personal bank accounts, your commercial real estate holdings, and your personal assets."
Harold Thorne turned as white as a bedsheet. "Now, hold on just a moment, Mrs. Howard! None of us knew the extent of Vance’s actions! We were misled by Superintendent Sterling!"
"You had three separate written petitions submitted by parents over the last eighteen months complaining of Vance’s violent conduct in the athletic locker rooms," I pointed out, pulling copies of the signed petitions from my folder. "You dismissed every single one of them as 'routine disciplinary disputes.' You chose to protect your sports program’s regional ranking rather than protect your students."
A female board member sitting on the far left, Sarah Jenkins, broke down. "I voted to investigate him last year! I told Donald we needed an independent audit! He told me if I pushed it, he’d pull funding from my district’s elementary schools!"
"Then prove it under oath, Mrs. Jenkins," I responded immediately. "Because as of five minutes ago, the Teachers’ Union has officially revoked Jason Vance’s legal defense fund and terminated his membership. He is standing completely alone. And anyone who continues to shield him will be dragged down with him into the abyss."
Thorne looked around the room. Seeing the unyielding fury on the faces of the assembled parents and the cold, surgical precision of my legal team, he raised trembling hands in defeat.
"I move," Thorne choked out, his voice trembling into the microphone, "that we immediately terminate the employment contract of Jason Vance for gross misconduct and moral turpitude, with zero severance benefits."
"Seconded!" three board members shouted simultaneously.
"All in favor?"
Every single hand on the board shot into the air.
"The motion carries unanimously," Thorne whispered, slumping back into his leather chair. "May God help us."
"God won't be presiding over your trial, Mr. Thorne," I said, gathering my documents and turning toward the exit. "The District Attorney will."
As I stepped out of the municipal building into the brilliant autumn sunshine, my phone buzzed with an incoming call from an unknown local number.
I answered. "Elena Howard."
"Mrs. Howard?" a young, timid voice asked over the line. "My name is Lucas. I’m in eighth grade. I was in fifth-period PE with Lily on Tuesday."
My heart stopped. "Hello, Lucas. Are you okay?"
"I... I have something you need to see," the boy whispered, his voice trembling with fear. "Mr. Vance took our phones before class started, but I snuck my old iPhone into my gym sock. When he locked the doors and started yelling at Lily... I was hiding behind the wrestling mats. I recorded the whole thing. With the sound. You can hear everything he said to her."
A wave of overwhelming emotion washed over me. "Lucas, where are you right now?"
May you like
"I’m at my mom’s house," he said. "We want to give it to you. We want to help Lily."
"I’m coming to you right now," I promised, tears of relief burning behind my eyes. "Thank you, Lucas. You just delivered the final nail for his coffin."
