San Diego

Any repainting of a controversial rainbow mural festooned with the message “Peace Please” will await a meeting of parents, teachers and Harborview community residents associated with Washington Elementary School, San Diego city schools trustees decided Tuesday.

The mural was painted over last week on orders of Washington Principal Cecilia Fernandez after she found graffiti on it.

But artist Mario Torero and several parents told trustees Tuesday that Fernandez had the mural removed because of personal disagreements with Torero and the community.

The mural was completed last winter under the district’s Young at Art program after the design was at first rejected by Fernandez as too political.

The board said mediation between Fernandez and the community is necessary, whether or not the charges made by Torero and others are accurate, because the charges alone will poison the school’s learning climate if not addressed.

San Diego Unified School District Supt. Tom Payzant said a meeting of representative groups might not be possible until late August because many people are away on vacation.