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The claim by Pamela Montoya-Schleeter asserts that the district was negligent in hiring a substitute janitor named Alex Dale Thomas, who has been charged with the rape and murder of Montoya. Thomas was on parole for manslaughter at the time and had been allowed to work for the district for about a month, including two days at Rio Linda, even though a criminal background check based on his fingerprints had not been completed. The claim contends that the mother suffered psychological injuries from the death and seeks unspecified damages. Scott Yarnell, attorney for the Grant district, declined to comment on the case. The districts claims administrator, Ron Martin, is advising the board to reject the claim as it does all claims. But Martin also assigned Laurence L. Angelo, a Sacramento attorney who works for the districts self insurance pool, to handle the districts defense in the case and to initiate discussions with Montoya-Schleeter's attorneys to find out how much money the family is seeking and what legal moves are planned for the future. '"I can foresee this being in litigation,'" said Martin, who works for Keenan & Associates, a firm that handles claims for a self insurance pool of 439 school districts, including Grant. "The ultimate goal is to resolve the case. The mother would have six months from the day the claim is rejected to file a lawsuit," he said. The Montoya death has brought ongoing pain and controversy to the Grant district. The district has taken steps to make its campuses safer, but some parents and community members are still calling for more safety measures. The death also has had an impact on statewide school hiring practices. Since the slaying, new state laws have been adopted that prohibit school districts from employing job applicants until background checks are completed and prohibit violent felons from being hired to work at schools.
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