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| Jill Marie Poe - Baldwin Park School Police Chief |
On November 1, 1997, former Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Officer Jill Poe saw that Lisa H.'s uniform pants weren't up all the way; so, she gleaned part of Lisa's underwear. Aroused; Poe then grabbed Lisa by her right forearm and forcefully turned Lisa toward herself and said, "You know when you wear those underwear, you know what you do to me. Don't be wearing those underwear around me. They look good." Officer Poe then made a "Hmmmm, Hmmm, Hmmm", remark.
Then just a few days later, which isn't clear in the record why, while Lisa was in the locker room changing, Poe came charging through the door. She pointed a finger at Lisa and said, "You better get your f***ing partner in check. He has f***ing problem with working. He better get his f***ing attitude in check." Lisa told Poe that if Poe had a problem with Lisa's partner, that Poe should bring it up with him. A witness by the name of Officer Rogers confirmed the event.
Then on November 12, 1997, at the West LA Station, Lisa had some saliva glistening on her lips. Poe came up to her and stated, "You know what I could do with that?" Poe's eyes looked her up and down. She told Lisa how she could please another woman. Poe told Lisa: "Let me know when you're ready to be with me."
When Lisa declined Poe, at around 3:00-3:30PM, Poe kicked Lisa on the left side of her buttock, causing Lisa injury. She kicked her in front of several witnesses.
According to Officer Sibayan, Poe kicked Lisa's buttock about five to six times. He thought there may have been more kicks, because he "did not see the initial kick." Sibayan told Poe to knock it off. At that point, Poe walked away.
Sibayan asked Lisa if she was ok. Lisa stayed silent. After Sibayan asked again, Lisa slowly stood up and said, "I've had it. I'm going to do something about it today."
Lisa checked into the medical center and alleges in her report that Poe's "mental state is highly questionable[. She] committed this act of violence in full uniform in front of witnesses on duty." Lisa wrote that she could not "control [the] situation herself any longer."
In her plead to the court, Lisa alleged that "Poe has sexual[ly] harassed plaintiff [Lisa] for approximately (6) months. On November 12, 1997, Defendant Poe kicked [Lisa] on the left side of her buttock (causing injury). . . . [Lisa] is afraid of her safety, and fears Defendant Poe's violent behavior." Lisa adds that "Deft has been disciplined in the past for the same type of behavior / history."
Around December 18, 1997, Poe's then-boss, Sergeant David R. Rossi declared that "Officer Poe has been relieved of duty during the Internal Affairs Investigation of this matter."
On December 19, 1997, with both sides presenting their evidence, Commissioner Martin H. Wegmati found Lisa to be credible and issued a restraining order against Poe that expired on February 20, 1998. On February 19, 1998, Lisa demanded $15,985.00 in attorney's fees and cost from Poe.
It appears a trial for a preliminary restraining order was held between February 20 to February 27, 1998. Lisa's petition was then denied.
On January 7, 1999, probably because Poe spent money on an attorney to defend her restraining order, Poe faked her car being stolen and filed a false police report with the LAPD to defraud her car insurance company. Between March and May 3, 1999, Poe was caught for her scheme and reported to internal affairs.
Nonetheless, adjudication of Poe's sexual harassment and workplace violence didn't end there. Between May 3, 1999 and April 2, 2000, an LAPD Board of Rights convened to adjudicate 17 counts of Poe's misconduct by three officers, including Lisa.
Around April 2, 2000, the Board found Poe guilty of five counts. It found that Poe did (1) make sexual remarks to Lisa, (2) created a "hostile work environment" for Lisa, and (3) Poe kick Lisa in the buttocks. Additionally, (4) Poe also made sexual remarks to an officer Fuller around October 22, 1997. (5) Finally, Poe was leaving work assignments and leaving colleague vulnerable to do personal business on October 12, 1997.
After the adjudication, the Board recommended the Police Chief fire Poe. So; Chief Bernard Parks did just that and fire her.
Then on July 7, 2000 - Poe pled guilty to a felony count of insurance fraud and a misdemeanor count of filing a false police report.
On July 21, 2000 - Poe sued the LAPD to get her job back. Only this time, she didn't have an attorney and represented herself in case number BS064440. Poe was missing her court hearing though, and at one point, the court asked Poe to show cause as to why she shouldn't be sanctioned.
On January 30, 2002 - at the final hearing - which Poe again failed to appear at - the court agreed with the LAPD. Poe lost. She wasn't getting her job back.
So far, four women officers, and counting, have filed internal complaints against Poe. Two have been affirmed by the LAPD Board and the court to have been victims of battery and sexual harassment.
Recently, the Legal Lens put in a records request to the LAPD for evidence of Poe's dishonesty or sexual harassment.
On September 3, 2019, the LAPD responded by saying that: "The Department has conducted a search and has disclosable records responsive to your request in regards to sustained dishonesty[.]" Furthermore, "The Department continues to search for records[.]"
Poe's employment history from 2001 to 2011 have been spotty. One source alleges she worked as a private detective for another disgraced officer. Poe's resume needs to be ordered.
Somewhere between 2011 and 2014 - the Baldwin Park Unified School District hired Poe as a safety supervisor and school police chief and given access to children between age five to eighteen. Sources believe this was so she could evade a background check.
Around September 8, 2014 - Poe was promoted in a 5-0-vote as school police chief. Blanca Rubio, who is now state assemblywoman, cast one of the votes.
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| Jill Poe teaching a class to elementary students on defending yourself against cyber bullying. |
Poe's also been criticized for poor decision making. Around August 19, 2014 - (which is about the same time Poe became Chief) - she ordered semi-automatic weapons for the school. Although Poe alleges that these weapons were returned, especially given her history of dishonesty, proof is still being sought as to where these weapons are.
Furthermore, Poe's been sued as police chief at least twice, civilly and recently. On August 19, 2016, Serene Cottini-Guillot, a former Baldwin Park school police officer, sued Poe.
According to the complaint, Serene alleged that Poe admitted to authorizing Matthew Miedema, around 27 year-old son of the school police sergeant, Carl Miedema, to spy on her and her high school son. Allegedly, Matthew was a drug addict that had mental health issues, and this caused Serene and her son to be afraid for their safety.
The school district settled the case with Serene around January 8, 2018 under a gag order. Because the settlement was done with a public agency, the constitutional legality of its enforcement is questioned by experts.
On September 10, 2019 - the Legal Lens' expose on Poe's sexual predation and felonious history prompted parents to pack the school board meeting. There, community activist Greg S. Tuttle spoke. He said: "My father used to be in sex crimes with Orange County Sheriffs for over 20 years. We don't need to get into details with Poe's sexual history, because children are here. But, I know a sexual predator when I see one. And she has a long history of it. And if you don't get rid of her, we'll have to sue to have her removed."
A woman defending Poe, who some suspect to be Poe's wife, came to her defense and responded. This woman, reading from a pre-written letter, reminded the school board members that Poe had done special favors for all of them. And all of them need to remember those special favors.
On September 15, 2019 - the San Gabriel Valley Tribune published Poe's criminal history on Sunday's front page. Several victims and critics were outraged at the article, because it omitted any discussion of Poe's sexual harassment history or her current involvement with children, some who are as young as five years of age. One critic believed that the article misdirected attention from Poe's current moral character issues and instead pointed to the fact that Poe's convictions were 20 years old, which made it appear that Poe has somehow reformed when she has not.
Currently, the school police chief has been suspended from the school district - pending an investigation. Research has shown that Poe spent considerable amounts of time and money to expunge and destroy her records. Somehow that didn't stop it from surfacing here.
Perhaps Galatians is on point: "Do not be deceived: . . . A [wo]man reaps what [s]he sows." (6:7. NIV.)
Great work. Another reason to bring sheriffs. Now say they do come to the city, does that include replacing the fire dept and cut school police? I have seen the support your fire dept and police dept banner in the city but never understood why they were up. Had to be a reason why.
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