Councilman files complaint against teacher after alleged ‘chest-bumping’ incident

Costa Mesa City Councilman Steve Mensinger has filed a conduct complaint against an Estancia High School English teacher following an altercation between the two at a weekend community run.

The teacher, Joel Ruben Flores, has accused Mensinger of "chest-bumping" him after he confronted the councilman about the city's decision to lay off more than 200 city employees. He filed a police report alleging assault and battery.

Flores' account is that Mensinger boxed him in, yelled at him, and at one point pressed his weight against him. In addition, the teacher said that the councilman "chest-bumped" his right shoulder.

Mensinger said Flores confronted him Saturday on an athletic field at Estancia, boxing him in and making verbal threats. He said the teacher's behavior made him feel uncomfortable and filed a complaint Monday with the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. He denied that there was any physical contact between the two.

Flores is active in Repair Costa Mesa, a group opposed to the layoff plans. He and his wife have also appeared in ads supportive of the city employees. The argument over fiscal reforms has reached a fever pitch, with a City Council majority and employee associations regularly clashing over the plan.

Read the full story here.

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--Lauren Williams, Daily Pilot / Times Community News

Comments

[affableman]

A city councilman that only Costa Mesa could love...

[clem]

I would rather pay teachers than cops and firefighters. If you neglect education, the whole country will suffer.

Have you ever seen a cop preventing crime? Educated kids get into less trouble. Have you even seen a firefighter prevent fire? People educated about fire safety prevent fires. Yeah, I support teachers. They retire at 67, they make a pittance compared to "hero" cops and firefighters. Let's pay teachers and nurses a fair wage and cut back the cops and firefighters to reality.

[JD]

The councilman knows he can exhibit any type of gorilla-like behavior and get away with it while he can file a complaint against a teacher, unfounded or not, and that teacher will be put on admin leave. It is a double standard used against teachers all the time when someone wants to get back at them. One of the many problems in the system.

[mike murray]

Education yes, thugs no. Another tactic by UNION driven bosses to make the people feel they are doing the right thing. Very doubtful someone as well know as a council member would create a scene. Shame on the UNION AGENDA.

[Mark]

Clem: Teachers make a pittance?? Puh-leeze! The average salary at my son's public elementary school is $70K per year! And that is for 9 months of actual work of an 8am-3pm job. Not to mention the outrageous pensions and benefits they get. Teachers, cops, firefighters are ALL overpaid! Benefits are outrageous and well beyond what the average person in the private secter makes.

Cops and firefighters stand around doing nothing 50% of the time. Just check out any accident scene. Why are there always so many cops standing around? They should be out looking for bad guys--but that would mean they have to do some actual work!

I say, lay 'em all off

[Ann Russell]

Clem,

You said it perfectly. Teachers are the REAL heroes. Police and Firefighters? Thanks, but those guys are VERY well compensated.

This councilman should be dismissed from his post. What shameful behavior for a city representative! Of course city councilmembers aren't known for taking the 'high road'.

[ted w]

Celm - next time you are a crime victim or a fire starts - call a teacher!

JD - so you think teachers are picked on and have no job security? Try getting one fired!

Has Flores and his wife offered anyway to help the city out of its financial mess? I doubt it - he probably doesn't care as long as the union people can keep their jobs!

[Victor Dube]

Cops and Firemen know how to milk the retirement system by working tons of overtime in their last year so they artifically inflate their base pay of their last pay year for purposes of retirement. So keep this in mind everytime they want their greedy asses kissed by the public.

[alan hart]

Flores is just another ill behaved union thug. This man is allowed to teach our children. It's a shame that he has never learned to behave himself. Perhaps he should find another profession.

[glenn grab]

the teacher should have punched the idiots lights out, that would have been the "education" he deserved!

[Joe johnson]

Have you ever seen a teacher prevent a rape? Have you ever seen a teacher solve a murder? Me either.

Have you ever seen a cop take a 3 month vacation in the summer and a two week vacation in the winter and a week vacation in the spring? Me either. I have several teacher friends and cop friends... For the amount of time worked, they make pretty similar amounts.

But back to the point of the story... The councilman sucks. As do almost all politicians.

[Valerie Vargaz]

Men? These two sound like a couple of immature, tempestuous, and mean-spirited twelve year old girls.

[ArtVandelay]

"Cops and Firemen know how to milk the retirement system by working tons of overtime in their last year so they artifically inflate their base pay of their last pay year for purposes of retirement. So keep this in mind everytime they want their greedy asses kissed by the public."

Absoultely untrue. Pension spiking has been illegal in both CalPers and CalStirs for over ten years now. Stop listening to John and Ken and do some research on how pensions work before posting.

[DBN]

The topic of pay toward teachers vs. firefighters and cops is ridiculous, plain and simple. Each has a very important position within the community. While true, cops and firefighters don't actually seem to do much, when you need them, they're there for you. Teachers on the other hand generally get my vote. Primarily for caring for our kids, but also for tolerating many of the parents. I have quite a bit, a lifetime of experience with teachers actually. However, I happen to have had two kids go through this particular teachers class and I can tell you that he disgusts me! A teacher, man or woman can have whatever opinion they'd like. This one non-stop preaches/forces his on all the kids in his class, to the point that his opinions are actually embedded in his classroom tests. I have copies from when my son had his class. Both of these individuals have acted improperly, however, I'd tend to believe that the situation was incited entirely by Flores. He's just one of those guys with questionable motives and a big mouth.