Mad dad sues for $25 million

A man involved in a custody dispute with his ex-wife has sued the Marysville Joint Unified School District for $25 million because he says he wasn't allowed to pick up his daughter at an elementary school.

"Truly there is no compensation one can measure in value to memories stolen before created," David Hernandez, 43, states in the lawsuit he filed Friday in Yuba County Superior Court.

Hernandez in May had a separate suit against the Yuba County Sheriff's Department also asking for $25 million and involving the same November 2007 incident.

He cited a violation of his rights and "excessive emotional damages" stemming from that day. He said school records did not have a current child visitation order on file.

The Sheriff's Department was called after Hernandez refused to leave the school, according to the county.

Hernandez also contends that he was discriminated against because he is Hispanic and his ex-wife is white.

Attorneys for Yuba County have said that Hernandez refused to provide testimony after being sworn in for a deposition in connection with his lawsuit. He was ordered in August to appear for a deposition in the case with the Sheriff's Department.

Stanislaus County resident Hernandez referred questions about the case to Karen Ring, a friend who was with him at the start of an earlier deposition.

Ring said Hernandez was deposed Aug. 27.

Hernandez seeks $25 million because the figure is "an amount he felt would draw attention to the seriousness" of his lawsuit, Ring said.

His legal action doesn't detail the history of what Hernandez has had to endure, she added.

Gay Todd, superintendent of Marysville Joint Unified, could not be reached for comment Friday. School district officials have said they do not comment on matters involving pending litigation.

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Ryan McCarthy at 749-4707 or rmccarthy@appealdemocrat.com.