Make sure you send your letter return receipt requested, so you can prove they got it. They seem to try to ignore you, except when it's convenient for them....
I decided to go a different route, after much thought.
I don't have a strong relationship with the nearby attorney relative. Lately I've been reaching out to him and we finally scheduled a lunch. He's been really sweet and considerate, especially considering how valuable his time is, and I'd feel wrong making my contact with him into a plea for help. He's going to assume it's the reason that I've been contacting him.
Meanwhile, the other attorney who has been in contact with me through e-mail is in long beach (over an hour away), so I wouldn't ask him to trek here for a short meeting either.
At most, I was going to have that attorney write a letter to the school, telling them to stop bullying me and that my videos were obtained legally. But guess what? In our most recent e-mail exchange, he actually said that I would probably be found in violation of penal code for posting those videos. I've removed them for now, until I can verify exactly which ones are OK to have up. Very disappointing. I'm pasting the correspondence with the attorney below:
ATTORNEY:
PC 632 (as I recall) deals with recording electronically conversations where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy. This would also apply to electronic eavesdropping where the people who are talking would reasonable expect not to be overheard. The critical element in this statute is one of confidentiality. On the other hand, if one is informed that they will be recorded and they do not object, then PC 632 is not applicable. If the camera or tape recorder is prominently placed and visible, the 632 is likely not applicable. If a conversation or verbal exchange takes place in a public place where there would be no expectation of privacy, then it is okay to record. This section of the penal code does not apply to situations where you take notes and publish them or where you are recalling a conversation. Can you describe the settings in which these exchanges took place?
ME:
Then I think I'm good to go. The conversation took place in the main area of the administration office. Anyone could have walked in at any time and overheard the conversation. In fact, at least 3 staff members were in my line of sight and within earshot during the conversation, and my friend was standing next to me and even made eye contact with Dr. Schwerdtfeger. I can find no reason why the Dr. would assume that our conversation was confidential, although I can certainly understand why he now wishes it was.
As far as all the other videos, those conversations took place in similar circumstances. Public areas of offices or even outdoors, and with my friend present for the conversations.
Thanks for all your advice!
ATTORNEY:
I think a court would find against you on the penal code violation. Even though the office setting in which you met the administrator was somewhat "porous," with many people passing by, it still was more of a private than public place. You should remove the offending recordings from you blog. Please note that when you make an electronic record, the offended party cannot make a claim of defamation since the true has been recorded. The only recourse is to claim an attack on their privacy. Since you had a witness with you when these conversations were recorded, to corroborate your version of events, you really didn't need an electronic record.