Lincoln High Students Stage Protest

About 500 Lincoln High School students boycotted morning classes Thursday and held a teach-in on the campus football field to protest what they believe is unfair treatment of longtime head counselor Culbert Williams.

Assistant Supt. Al Cook said the students are upset over reports that Williams, who is black, will be demoted to a regular counselor position by Principal Virginia Foster--new to the school this year--and replaced in the head spot by a white woman. Lincoln has the heaviest concentration of black students among city high schools, with 55% of the population black. Foster is also black.

Cook said the students were orderly during the demonstration and that he invited several to join him when he speaks with Foster about the situation today. Cook said he does not know all the facts because Foster was in Los Angeles Thursday.

Cook said Foster has the “perfect right” to decide personnel changes at the school but that she also has a responsibility to explain to students the reasons for moving Williams, who is well known within the Southeast San Diego community for his years of dedication in working with Lincoln students having problems in school.