State Legislation Targeting Two Boot Camps in Altadena/Pasadena Area

A bill in the state legislature that would result in regulations for military-style boot camps would initially apply to only two organizations, both of which are in the Altadena/Pasadena area, according to the bill's sponsors.

SB 1089 was introduced by Altadena's representative in the state Senate, Carol Liu and its represnative in the Assembly, Anthony Portantino.  The bill passed through a Senate Human Resources Committee hearing on Tuesday and will next be heard on the state Senate floor.

The legislation was introduced after the that took place in the area showing kids doing hard physical exercise while instructors yelled at them.  The videos show one student being forced to drink water and throwing up and another one crying as four instructors scream in his face.

The alleged operator of the boot camp, Kelvin "Sgt. Mac" McFarland, had been charged with  prior to the release of the video. He has since been . McFarland's business had an Altadena mailing address, and he was known to work with PUSD students and other schools in the area.

Liu called the videos "appalling" in a press conference with reporters on Tuesday.

Portantino told reporters that, following the release of the video, staff members from his office and Liu's office contacted several state departments to see if they are responsible for regulating boot camps. After finding nobody claiming responsibility for their regulation, Portantino and Liu decided to introduce the bill, he said.

In researching who it would affect, staff members only turned up McFarland's program and one other in the area, presumably that of Altadena resident Keith "Sarge" Gibbs, who originally employed McFarland in his own boot camp program.

Gibbs has denied any involvement in the boot camp practices shown on the video published by the Star-News and .

Liu said the bill is "narrowly tailored" to fit the boot camp programs in the area and not meant to affect any broader types of programs.

Portantino said their intention is not to shut down the camps and said that for some parents a boot camp program could be a legitimate choice. Instead, he said, regulations such as making sure there is a health care professional or first aid kits will make the programs safer.

Ultimately, he said, it will be up to the Department of Social Services to decide what regulations make sense for the camps.

Whatever they decide, he said, he believes it is essential that the practices carried out in the videos not be repeated.

"There's a line between tough love and abuse and those videos cross those lines," Portantino said.