Bay Area parents: Catholic school’s leaders disrupting tolerant atmosphere

Parents in the Bay Area are demanding that two religious leaders be removed for allegedly disrupting the tolerant atmosphere at their Catholic school.

One reason parents at Star of the Sea School are upset is they feel children are being excluded from religious activities. The Rev. Joseph Illo joined in August and determined that girls could no longer act as altar servers during Mass. He also implemented a rule that non-Catholic students could not receive blessings while their Catholic classmates took Communion, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

For his part, Illo says there is tension with the parents.

“It’s important to hear their perspective,” he said.

Here are other California headlines from around the Web:

-- Rep. Adam Schiff is considering a run for the U.S. Senate now that Barbara Boxer is leaving office. “There is a real opportunity for a candidate from Southern California.” Jewish Journal

-- In San Diego County, the state Republican Party is playing favorites in a race for the Board of Supervisors. The party gave $200,000 to state Sen. Joel Anderson, who is challenging incumbent Supervisor Dianne Jacob. Both are Republicans. San Diego Union-Tribune

-- California has experienced an influx of money from China thanks to Chinese residents buying homes in the region and sending their children to local universities. With that in mind, writer Joe Mathews put together a thank-you note for President Xi Jinping. Zocalo

-- In a few years, will drones be a part of everyday life? One developer thinks so. He is installing a drone landing pad on top of a 25-story condominium building under construction in downtown Los Angeles. Curbed LA

-- The architectural style of a Norm’s coffee shop on La Cienega Boulevard is intended to show the promise of the 1950s and 1960s. So it’s no wonder that “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner first sketched out his ideas for Don Draper on a napkin at this location. YouTube

-- Southern Californians know they’re spoiled when it comes to sunny, warm weather, but in case you needed a reminder, here’s a photo gallery contrasting springtime in L.A. and Boston. Curbed LA

-- Scientists found 30 new species of flies in just three months. The flies were all found in the urban parts of Los Angeles. LAObserved

-- The boysenberry will be the guest of honor at a festival that kicks off tomorrow at Knott’s Berry Farm. The boysenberry is crediting from turning a farm and restaurant into a full-scale theme park. Orange County Register

For more headlines from around the Web, subscribe to the Los Angeles Times’ Essential California newsletter.