Ex-Principal Wants Job Back, Lawyer Says : Schools: The former head of Brentwood Science Magnet satisfied an auditor about most of the money she could not account for, her attorney says. The district says the inquiry is still open.

An attorney for ousted Brentwood Science Magnet Principal Beverly Tietjen said this week that his client has satisfied auditors’ questions on all but $7,373 of $25,500 in student body funds she could not account for and won’t pay back “a nickel” of that.

“They are asking her to pay back the money just because she can’t account for every penny,” James Chalfant said.

He said the embattled educator, who headed Brentwood for 14 years before the school district yanked her from her post last month on the eve of the new school year, will demand reinstatement and a formal letter of apology.

He also threatened a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District seeking damages for the stress and sullied reputation she allegedly has suffered.

“You can never recork the bottle,” he said, “but apologizing and giving her back her job would help.”

District officials, who Chalfant disclosed also have questions about an earlier $10,000 they say is unaccounted for, disputed the Century City lawyer’s claims, saying the investigation continues.

“We are on hold, pending the district attorney’s decision,” Deputy Supt. Sid Thompson said. “And they tell us (whether criminal charges will be filed) will not be determined for another month or two. Nothing is cleared or uncleared. . . . We have not (yet) demanded any pay-back.”

Thompson said that no one in the district has talked to Chalfant and that all records have been given to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Thompson, who said that “we really hope it all works out,” said the investigation is in the hands of Deputy Dist. Atty. Thomas Wenke of the district attorney’s special investigations division downtown (which handles cases involving public officials), and is to be transferred to its Santa Monica branch.

Wenke did not return repeated calls.

The investigation was triggered by an audit last summer, covering the last two years, that found about $30,000 in student body funds not properly accounted for. District officials said Tietjen made checks out to herself that were not backed by invoices for supplies and equipment she said she bought.

Tietjen was reassigned to the district’s adult division 3rd Street Annex downtown. Her removal from Brentwood resulted in emotional meetings at which some parents wore ribbons signifying their support and threatened to pull their children out of school unless she is returned, while faculty members gave her a vote of confidence.

Tietjen is away from work on stress disability, according to Thompson. Efforts to reach her were unsuccessful.

Chalfant said the school district is being petty. “Ask the district why they feel they need to punish her for giving money to kids to eat lunch, and whether they can afford to lose someone of Mrs. Tietjen’s quality.”

He said that of the $7,373 he believes remains in dispute, “not a penny went into Mrs. Tietjen’s pocket.”

Rather, he said, $1,050 was spent for laser discs, $77 for Santa Claus hats, $1,846 for video discs and English as a Second Language materials such as pictures and books, $2,500 for magazine drive prizes, and $1,300 in petty cash funds for videotapes and money loaned to children who needed lunch money.