Robbins Halts Loan to Group Facing State Inquiry

State Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Van Nuys) has revoked a $10,000 low-interest loan from his campaign committee to the Behavior Research Institute of California, operated by the sister of his top district aide, saying he was unaware of a state investigation into its controversial methods of treating autistic children.

Both Robbins and the aide, Sandy Miller, said they did not know that the state Department of Social Services has been trying since December to revoke the operating licenses of Behavior Research, which received the loan to move its school from Tujunga to Glendale.

The institute has been the subject of controversy for the past decade because of its use of a system of reward and punishment to treat autism, a neurological disorder characterized by severe withdrawal among children and young adults.

It was founded by Judith Weber, Miller’s sister.

Demands Repayment

Upon being shown the 26-page accusation filed last year by the state against Behavior Research’s three residential care facilities, Robbins on Thursday chided the institute for failure to inform him about its problems and demanded his money back.

“To seek a loan from my committee at a time when there were accusations of this nature pending and to fail to disclose that to my committee or to me is to have treated us unfairly,” he said. “I would not want them to use the fact that they obtained a loan from my committee to imply that I’ve taken a position on their matter pending before the Department of Social Services.”

The loan was one of five, totaling $66,000, that Robbins reported making in his campaign statement filed this week with the secretary of state. Earlier this year, the state attorney general’s office found no evidence that Robbins broke any state laws when his campaign committee loaned hundreds of thousands of dollars to business associates, staffers and community groups.

Not Facing Election

Robbins, who is not up for reelection this year and whose legislative seat is regarded as secure, reported that his campaign treasury is bulging with $828,000. He is one of a handful of lawmakers who commonly make loans from campaign funds.

After loans to business associates were repaid in January, Robbins pledged to set up a committee to approve loans to nonprofit organizations, Senate aides and supporters. The committee has not been formed.

Weber of Behavior Research said she sought Robbins’ help after reading an article that he loaned money to nonprofit groups, not because her sister is on Robbins’ staff.

“I went to everybody I knew,” she said, explaining the school needed money for fire doors and other equipment at the new location. On May 10, Robbins loaned the money to the institute at 8% interest, with repayment to be made in September.

Abuse Charged

In December, the state Department of Social Services accused Behavior Research of engaging “in conduct which is inimical to the health, welfare and safety of residents in care” at facilities in Sunland and Walnut Creek and Orinda in Northern California. The state alleged that residents were physically abused and improperly restrained and supervised.

Weber denied the charges and pointed out that they were against the residential care homes, not the school.

She added that she didn’t think the accusation was relevant. “We haven’t been found guilty of anything,” she said.

The Department of Social Services has scheduled a hearing in October on the licenses.

Weber described the senator as “furious with me” during a telephone conversation on Thursday night when he requested immediate repayment. Weber said that by late Thursday the money was repaid.

Miller said the decision to give the money to her sister’s group was made by Robbins’ campaign committee accountant. She said she and Robbins were unaware of the accusations against the group.

The 1981 death of a 14-year-old autistic boy at the center, then located in Northridge, prompted a state investigation into its therapy techniques. Although an inquest found that the boy died of natural causes, the state Department of Social Services put the institute on probation for two years.

The largest loan reported by Robbins’ campaign was a one-year, interest-free $40,000 loan to Build Rehabilitation Industries Inc., a nonprofit workshop for the mentally retarded in San Fernando. Isabel Boniface, the workshop’s projects director, in a March letter asked for the money because of a “temporary cash-flow crunch.” Robbins described Boniface, the workshop’s fund-raiser, as a supporter whom he helped get appointed to the San Fernando Valley Fair Board of Directors.

Robbins’ campaign committee also reported interest-free loans of $12,000 to D. Leroy Sanders Ministries of Bell Canyon; $4,000 to the San Fernando Section, Assemblies of God Church; and $10,000 to Behavior Research. He also loaned $24,000 to the North Hollywood First Assembly of God Church, but the check was returned as unneeded, Robbins said.

Robbins said the other churches needed money to cover the rising cost of liability insurance.

Times staff writer Alan C. Miller contributed to this story.