Lariat Apologizes for Story, Cartoon Deemed Offensive

The editors of Saddleback Community College’s student-run newspaper, capitulating to an onslaught of criticism over an article and political cartoon criticized as being anti-Semitic, Tuesday issued a formal apology to the community.

The three-paragraph apology, issued by staff members of the Lariat, came one day before Jewish and Christian leaders were scheduled to meet with college President Constance M. Carroll to protest the controversial Dec. 7 opinion piece that ran on the newspaper’s editorial page.

Since the publication of the article and cartoon, written and drawn by journalism student Michael S. Boren, the Lariat has been under attack by administrators, faculty, students and community leaders.

Although Boren said that his article was misunderstood, critics, outraged by the tone of the piece, have demanded a retraction and an apology.

“The Lariat has had a tremendously valuable educational experience and is genuinely sorry for any pain that was caused,” read the Lariat statement, which was signed by Editor-in-Chief Steve Sakach.

A week ago, editors refused to bow to pressure from those demanding an apology and retraction and defended Boren’s First Amendment right to free speech.

But under mounting pressure, according to Carroll, student editors “learned a valuable lesson” and reconsidered issuing an apology.

Neither staff members nor faculty adviser Carol Zeihm were available for comment.

“We apologize for any anguish caused” by the article and political cartoon that was written and drawn by journalism student Michael S. Boren,” the staff letter began.

The letter, however, did not include a retraction, and organizers of today’s meeting at the campus of the 23,000-student school said they would not cancel the proceeding.

The 15-member group, organized by Jewish leaders and the Orange County Christian Task Force Against Anti-Semitism, had arranged to meet with members of the Lariat staff, including Boren.

In the piece, Boren criticized Israel for stockpiling nuclear warheads, but also suggested that “God might have made a better choice” than calling Jews the “chosen people.”

A political cartoon that accompanied the article depicted a menorah with a caption that read: “We Wish You a Happy Holocaust,” equating the Holocaust of World War II with a nuclear holocaust.

“The only way I am going to be satisfied,” said Frank Eiklor, founder of the Orange County Christian Task Force Against Anti-Semitism, “is to sit down with (Boren) eyeball to eyeball and talk with him.”

“We choose to believe that the Lariat staff regrets more than the mere public outcry,” Eiklor said. “But we want to know that there is genuine remorse over going beyond the bounds of decency.”

The apology, written by Boren and the Lariat editorial board, essentially reiterated a shorter editor’s note, which appeared in the newspaper’s Dec. 14 issue.

In that note, Lariat editors wrote that they regretted “any emotional distress the commentary and illustration have caused.” Editors at the time denied that the note constituted an apology.

But administrators, including the chancellor of the Saddleback Community College District, said the note did not go far enough and continued to push for a retraction.

“We’re not asking anyone to give up his First Amendment rights,” Chancellor Richard J. Sneed said at the time. “The student made a number of (factual) mistakes. I just want him to responsibly learn from them.”

Carroll, who had called for a retraction, said she was satisfied with the apology and was willing to “put the issue to rest.”