Autistic Student Sues School District Over Drug Sting Entrapment, Judge Dismisses Case

Since being arrested nearly three years ago for buying a half of a joint of pot for an undercover police officer, Jesse Snodgrass and his parents have been waging a legal and public relations battle with the Temecula Valley Unified School District (TVUSD) in Riverside County, California. They sued the school district for its involvement in the undercover drug sting, and claim that Jesse, an autistic and special needs student, was unjustly targeted.

Judge Raquel A. Marquez. dismissed Jesse's case on October 30, 2015, citing that there was no evidence that TVUSD knowingly targeted Jesse. Read the judge's full remarks here. 

The Snodgrass' released this statement in response, asserting that they will appeal the decision:

The plaintiffs in this case feel extremely disappointed and perplexed that the judge did NOT allow this matter to be decided by a jury, adding that there existed triable issues of material fact as to Michael Hubbard's - TVUSD dir. of Child Welfare and Attendance - involvement with the operation and whether he targeted Jesse, among other triable issues. They feel that the judge WEIGHED the evidence which is not the court's role on Summary Judgment and justified the ruling based on "police cooperation and discretionary immunities" that the plaintiffs continue to assert do NOT apply. According to the plaintiffs, there did exist several inconsistencies in the decision and they plan to appeal.

Go here for Reason TV's original coverage of Jesse's story. 

Download Video as MP4