Loudoun County Public School (LCPS) Division Counsel William Chapman referenced that “ billing statements also indicate that Mr. Oei was billed for time that the attorney spent in media interviews and dealings with the press.”
Chapman recommended school board members reimburse Ting-Yi Oei, Freedom High School Assistant Principal, $60,000 of the $167,621,64 Oei requested in legal fees he incurred in the almost yearlong defense against the charges filed against Oei by the Loudoun Commonwealth Attorney’s office.
Oei, who was charged in May 2008 with “Failure to Report Suspected Child Abuse/Neglect,” and later charged with “Possession of Pornography,” is seeking reimbursement for his legal fees, as provided under Virginia law, from the Loudoun County School Board. The request for reimbursement is on the board’s Tuesday, June 23 agenda. LCPS counsel Chapman acknowledged in his memo that Oei’s request for reimbursement is valid under the Virginia code, but challenged some of the legal fees.
The criminal changes filed by Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Plowman all related to Oei’s actions in an April 2008 school investigation of “sexting”, involving a student cell phone, one photo on the student’s cell phone, transferred to Oei’s cell phone and the school system computer, three Freedom High School students, the school security officer and the Freedom High School Principal.
Loudoun County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Horne ruled in March 2009 against the Commonwealth’s charges and for Oei and dismissal of all charges against Oei. Oei, who was removed from his position pending the outcome of his defense, returned to Freedom High School in the spring of 2009 and resumed his position as asst. principal of the South Riding high school.
LCPS counsel Chapman referenced the hours attorney Steven David Stone billed Oei for time spent with Loudoun and Washington area media and press. The Stone firm charged $300 per hour. Chapman wrote, “The Stone firm billed a total of 392.75 hours for a total fee of $117,775.00 plus costs in the amount of $17,627.37,” or $135,402.37 of the $167,621.64 represented in Oei’s legal defense fees.
A look at hours billed for and to interviews and telephone calls with news agencies reveals the Stone Firm billed 13.25 hours at $300 per hours or $3,975 for media and press telephone calls and document review:
Loudoun Independent
TOTAL: 5 ¼ Hours $300/ hr. Total: $1575
Leesburg Today
TOTAL: 1 Hour $300/ hr. Total: $300
WTOP
TOTAL: 1/2 Hour $300/ hr. Total: $150
WASHINGTON POST
TOTAL: 1 Hour $300/ hr. Total: $300
LOUDOUN TIMES MIRROR
TOTAL: 1/4 Hour $300/ hr. Total: $75
OTHER MEDIA
TOTAL: 5 ¼ Hour $300/ hr. Total: $1575
Billing statements, documents, memorandums from Oei’s attorneys and LCPS counsel Chapman are available on the Loudoun County Public School website www.loudoun.k12.va.us under board docs, the June 23 school board meeting, action items.
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