Memorial Oak Felled in Rash of Vandalism at 2 Schools

An oak tree planted as a memorial to a history teacher was found chopped down when students at El Camino Real High School arrived for classes this week.

Three other trees--30-foot pine trees that had stood on the campus for years--had also been cut down, part of an end-of-the-year series of pranks and vandalism that hit two Woodland Hills schools, according to school officials.

Authorities were investigating the tree-cutting incident, which was discovered Monday, as well as other pranks at El Camino Real and at Taft High School, where staff members found a sheep in a courtyard Wednesday morning and furniture moved and sunflower seeds strewn about in some rooms.

The incidents have largely been chalked up to pre-graduation pranks. “Class of 89” was painted on a banner found at Taft and on classroom windows at El Camino Real. But school officials and students said the felling of the trees was more disturbing than a mere prank.

Seniors Upset

“The seniors are very upset about it,” said El Camino Real Principal Martin King. “They don’t want their class to be identified with this kind of thing.”

The oak tree had been paid for by students and planted in May as a memorial to Maria Shiffrin, a well-liked teacher and former school counselor who died earlier this year. Seniors said they will pass coffee cans around before Friday’s graduation ceremony to collect money to buy and plant new trees.

“It wasn’t a senior prank, it was vandalism,” senior Sally Reulbach said of the tree cutting. “The seniors are really upset because it suggests a message our class doesn’t want to convey.”

“We tried to put our energy into senior events and enthusiasm,” added Danny Raphael, senior class vice president. “This kind of destroys everything we worked for.”

School officials said it was not known who cut the trees down. The incidents at both schools have been referred to school police for investigation.