Anti-Zeanah Pitch Called a Threat to School Bond

A telemarketing campaign proclaiming educators’ support for the recall of Councilwoman Elois Zeanah has alarmed Conejo Valley school officials, who say the pitch is misleading and who fear it will damage efforts to pass a school bond.

Conejo Valley Unified School District Supt. Jerry Gross said Friday that the district--which is asking voters to consider a $97-million school bond measure on the same ballot as the recall--had been receiving numerous complaints about the telemarketing campaign by a group calling itself “Educators for the Recall.” In turn, he said, he has griped to the actual group behind the calls, Yes! Remove Elois Zeanah.

“We have complained,” an angry Gross said Friday. “We said, ‘You’re damaging us.’ People who support Mrs. Zeanah are going to be offended, and they have a right to be. The district and its employees have not taken any position on the recall.”

Gross said he was concerned that some voters might be swayed by the potentially deceptive campaign and that others--particularly Zeanah backers--might oppose the school bond as a result of the telephone calls. He has asked Yes! Remove Elois Zeanah to clarify in any future telemarketing pitches that the district has taken no position on the recall.

“I think the people in this community understand our needs--the polls show it,” Gross said. “We’re doing very well to get our point across. And this is something that could confuse a lot of people out there. It’s very unfortunate.”

Yes! Remove Elois Zeanah spokesman Peter J. Turpel said the telemarketing pitch in question never mentions Conejo Valley Unified. He believes the complaint calls that the district is receiving are part of an orchestrated attempt by Zeanah and her supporters to mischaracterize the telephone pitch.

“We are not making the phone calls that Dr. Gross refers to,” Turpel said. “None of our phone message refers directly to Mr. Gross, members of the school board or school employees. If Mr. Gross is receiving this type of phone calls, maybe someone else is making them.”

A copy of the short telemarketing pitch states, “Hello. My name is --------, and I’m calling for Educators for the Recall. We are a group of local teachers, professors and county school board and community college trustees who support the recall of Council Member Elois Zeanah [Zeena].”

The scripted telephone pitch goes on to state that Zeanah “has voted against nearly 3 million dollars in improvements to Conejo [Co-nay-ho] Valley schools,” and asks voters, “Can we count on you to join local educators and vote to remove Elois Zeanah from the City Council?”

At the bottom in notes, it states that “if pushed,” telemarketers can tell voters that Ventura County Board of Education President Marty Bates supports the recall, as does Norm Nagel of the Ventura County Community College Board of Trustees. Neither man works in Conejo Valley schools.

“This to me is such a low blow,” Zeanah said. “It signals that they are desperate. People who know me know that there is no stronger advocate of schools and school needs than I. It’s another trick out of their bag of dirty tricks, which seems to have no bottom.

“This hurts me to the uninformed, and it hurts the school district in its efforts to pass a school bond,” Zeanah said. “This kind of negative advertising just breaches all common decency.”

Zeanah and her supporters also lashed out Friday at a mailer by Yes! Remove Elois Zeanah that features a picture of a syringe, pills and drugs and states, “We think Council Member Zeanah should give back the $50,000 she took from the cult attorney who defends money launderers and drug dealers.”

The accusation is a reference to Zeanah’s $50,000 contribution from Thousand Oaks resident and attorney Edward L. Masry, who has represented various controversial church groups and alleged drug dealers in his legal career. Masry is currently representing a group of residents who live near the Rocketdyne facility in Simi Valley.

“I just think it’s really extreme,” said Councilwoman Linda Parks, who is managing the Committee Against the Recall of Elois Zeanah. “It’s dirty politics. The city has been slimed.”

Masry said he will sue Yes! Remove Elois Zeanah if it continues to smear his reputation.

“Tell them to hire a group of Philadelphia lawyers, because I’m going to go after them to kick their butt,” Masry said. “If they keep this up, I’m going to have to file litigation to defend my name.

“I’ve been practicing law for 37 years, I have a clean record, and I’m getting this crap,” he added. “This demonstrates the mentality of this anti-Zeanah group. . . . I think this is so sophomoric.”