Child (Custody) School Evaluation Consultants: 4

Dr. Joseph S. Schwartzberg, is an Educational Consultant / Expert Witness who provides consultation and testimony on cases involving students with disabilities.

Dr. Schwartzberg was responsible for developing and administering legally compliant special education programs for the 14 districts of North San Diego County. For 13 years, he served as the Senior Director of the North Coastal Consortium for Special Education for the San Diego County Office of Education. For the 7 years prior, he was the Division Director for the Southern Westchester, NY, Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES).

Litigation Support - Dr. Schwartzberg is experienced and skilled at deposition and trial testimony in state and federal court, broad knowledge and expertise in several areas, including but not limited to the following: matters related to the appropriate programming / services for children with disabilities, standards of care and school district responsibilities, child abuse and mandated reporter responsibilities,school safety, other agency services and responsibilities, plaintiff and defendant responsibilities, family court, civil court and administrative hearings, alternative dispute resolution. 

Areas of Expertise:

• IDEA
• Inclusion
• Mainstreaming
• Standards of Care
• Other Agency Responsibilities
• Non-public Schools
• Appropriate Programming for Students with Disabilities

View Dr. Schwartzberg's Expert Witness Profile.

Virginia Rhodes, EdD has over 35 years experience in Urban School District Policy, School Development, Administration and Teaching. Dr. Rhodes' specialties include persistently failing city schools, new school start-ups, intentional school design 

Consulting Focus:

• District and individual school strategy for equity
• Replacing factory model district & school structures with highly engaging models
• Replacing punitive discipline with developmental systems
• *STEM start-ups and environmental school design 
• Innovative teacher hiring, and teacher-led school models, including in districts with collective bargaining
• Replacing toxic district or school culture with human-friendly models
• Effective school security and safety--beyond electronics to the human side
• Collaborating with community grassroots organizing partners

Background - Dr. Rhodes has provided consulting services to an international firm on certain aspects of U.S. public school practices prior to their exploration of a related market sector. She acted as a consultant to the University of Cincinnati Career Center assisting in the development of pre-service teacher hiring expectations. Dr. Rhodes was retained by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to co-investigate a study for mental health and achievement factors related to excessive student mobility. 

As a consultant on AdvancedEd School Accreditation Teams, she has evaluated high school performance. Dr. Rhodes has researched and written numerous articles on school mobility, achievement, culture, and STEM (NSF). She has conducted numerous training workshops and spoken on urban school district policy and other related topics to various community groups and national educational organizations.

View Dr. Rhodes' Expert Witness Profile.

Jeffrey A. Sugar, MD has been a practicing Psychiatrist for over 25 years. Board certified both in Child and General Psychiatry, Dr. Sugar is the Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Trauma Program at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles, CA.

Dr. Sugar is Attending Psychiatrist in both Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Adult Psychiatry Outpatient Clinics at USC. He teaches child and general psychiatrists-in-training and medical students on topics ranging from Trauma, Adversity, and Dissociation to Psychotherapy theory and methods.

Dr. Sugar was the founding director of the Hathaway Children’s Clinical Research Institute where he performed funded research on the effects of interpersonal child trauma. Dr. Sugar has presented at national and international meetings on child and adolescent Trauma and Dissociation.

Consulting Services Include:

• Effects of Trauma and Adversity on Child Development
• Chronic Physical, Sexual or Emotional Abuse
• Psychological Trauma in the Workplace
• Date Rape / Internet Seduction
• Post-Traumatic Loss, Grief and Depression
• Psychological Effects of Injury to the Body or Brain
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Professional Organizations:

View Dr. Sugar's Expert Witness Profile.

Dr. Jane K. McNaught, PhD is a locally and nationally recognized Psychological Forensic Expert with an extensive background in Clinical Psychological issues. Dr. McNaught works with both adults and children. She specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Divorce related issues. 

Dr. McNaught has treated numerous adult and child victims of sexual and physical abuse. She has also consulted on cases for both the plaintiff and defense regarding the reliability of child and adult statements about sexual assault. She also consults on cases involving delayed reports of sexual assault as well as standard of care regarding interviewing alleged victims of sexual assault. 

Dr. McNaught also specializes in criminal cases where sexual assault is alleged as well as mental health issues that may impact sentencing. In the area of Family Law, Dr. McNaught has a long history of providing custody evaluations in high conflict cases that involve personaltiy disordered parents, allegations of physical and sexual abuse, allegations of Factitious Disorder of Self and Others, and cases involving Parental Alienation. Dr. McNaught also works with adults who are experiencing depression, anxiety, and going through life transitions. Throughout her career, she has also treated children who are experiencing behavioral, academic, and social difficulties. 

Clinical Areas of Expertise:

Dr. McNaught has presented her work at national conferences for psychologists, social workers, physicians, attorneys and judges. Her presentations and workshops have been requested by such organizations as the Criminal Justice Institute, International Symposium on Child Custody Evaluation, Trial Lawyers Association, and many others. Dr. McNaught was one of a few psychologists chosen to be an invited Expert on the Minnesota Supreme Court Task Force on Visitation. She has also been invited to participate in State and County Policy Making Boards related to sexual assault as well as divorce custody issues. She is highly regarded as a state and national expert in the areas of: Sexual Assault, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Parental Alienation, Factitious Disorder by Proxy, and Divorce related issues.

View Dr. McNaught's Expert Witness Profile.