Sen. Shannon Grove (R–Bakersfield) is calling on charges to be brought against Kathy Scrivner, the mother of former Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner.
Grove said in a statement that Kathy Scrivner – a member of the Kern High School District Board of Trustees – needs to be charged for telling her grandchildren to not cooperate with law enforcement in their investigation into her son.
The backstory: Last month, a Kern County Judge granted Zack Scrivner’s motion for a mental health diversion in his case, which could see him avoid jail altogether.
Zack Scrivner had been charged with three felony counts of child abuse and two felony counts of possessing assault weapons.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call at Zack Scrivner’s Tehachapi House in April 2024 from Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer, Zack Scrivner’s aunt.
Zack Scrivner had been stabbed in the upper torso by one of his children. Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said at the time that the child stabbed Zack Scrivner in order to protect a sibling from being sexually assaulted.
The case was turned over to the California Department of Justice, which alleged that Zack Scrivner got into bed with one of his children and touched the child inappropriately.
Driving the news: Youngblood appeared on The Ralph Bailey Show on Monday and discussed Kathy Scrivner’s involvement in the April 2024 incident.
According to Youngblood, two of Zack Scrivner’s children were talking to investigators when Kathy Scrivner approached and said, “What is going on here? You guys do not need to say too much, OK. Just keep quiet.”
Youngblood said investigators told her that it is a crime to dissuade people from making reports to law enforcement.
What they’re saying: Grove wrote on social media that it is long past time for the appropriate charges to be filed against Kathy Scrivner.
“The Kern County Sheriff has described body camera footage that outlines the egregious allegations against Zack Scrivner and reportedly shows Kathy Scrivner impeding the criminal investigation and encouraging her grandchildren not to cooperate with law enforcement,” Grove said. “As a mandated reporter and an elected official entrusted with protecting the best interests of children, her actions represent a complete failure of that duty. She must step down without delay to restore public trust.”
Grove continued, “It appears the Attorney General’s office failed to file proper charges in this case, exposing serious flaws in our justice system and raising troubling questions about favoritism toward elected officials. I am working on legislation to address these failures and ensure greater accountability moving forward.”