School Welcomes Rodney King for Closed Assembly : Appearance: He lauds Martin Luther King Jr. and education. Problems of Tustin High School talk are avoided.

Rodney G. King spoke Tuesday to a student assembly at Saddleback High School where school officials took steps to avoid the furor that followed King’s first visit to an Orange County school.

The presentation, during which King lauded the civil rights accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr. and urged continuing education, was attended by about 100 students who were required to obtain written permission from their parents to gain entry. The program was closed to the public and reporters.

Following the hourlong presentation in the school’s auditorium, Principal Marylouise Ortega said she thought King’s message was appropriate for all school children “given the appropriate parameters: getting parents’ permission and allowing only students to attend.”

“This gentleman had a very important message to stay in school,” Ortega said, adding that King’s visit had been carefully planned during the past two weeks. “I thought the kids were very receptive. When he spoke about Martin Luther King, everybody was very silent and they listened.”

Ortega said the advance planning was meant to prevent the kind of criticism that followed King’s surprise visit to Tustin High School in November.

On that occasion, Tustin school officials were deluged with telephone calls from irate parents and district residents who said King’s appearance was inappropriate. King, who during that visit also spoke of the importance of education, was brought to the Tustin school by his attorney Milton C. Grimes, reportedly without the knowledge of top school officials.

Some of those who complained at the time accused Grimes of using the appearance as a publicity stunt to benefit his client.

Tuesday, King was again accompanied by Grimes as he walked toward the campus auditorium with curious students in tow. “I’m here to talk to the kids,” King said, declining any further comment.

Inside the auditorium, he was greeted by an enthusiastic ovation from an ethnically mixed audience, many of whom said they came to learn how their guest’s life had changed since his March, 1991, beating by police.

The beating sparked a national debate on racism and police brutality. Four officers were put on trial for the King beating, and their acquittal touched off widespread rioting in Los Angeles last April.

“He definitely has a positive message,” said 17-year-old Tony Cannon after the presentation. “People look at him as a hero, but he is more like a symbol of what racism can do. Just him being able to go on after what happened to him makes him a role model to look to.”

Princess Hollins, 14, said she thought King represented a “brave man” whose experiences have given him a powerful image.

“He can really say something about racism because of the beating,” Hollins said. “I wasn’t able to see Martin Luther King or Malcolm X, but I was able to see him.”

Hollins’ father, Tommy Lee Hollins, arrived early to pick up his daughter and was allowed inside the auditorium for part of the presentation.

“What you guys saw on TV last year,” he said, referring to the videotaped account of the King beating, “I’ve seen all my life. He still seems shook up about it.”

Others said King was greatly restricted in his responses by his attorney. They said Grimes prohibited various questions about the trial last spring and about King’s general feelings toward police.

“I think a lot of people felt some racial tension in there,” said Kim Phan, 17, referring to what she believed were terse responses to questions asked by Asian or Anglo students. “I almost felt like I didn’t belong in there.”

In an interview after the program, Grimes said he was generally pleased with the outcome except for questions from “one or two students” that he described as disruptive.

Grimes said the “disruptive” questions were meant to draw negative responses from King on police-related issues.

“It was as if they (students) were planted there,” Grimes said. “I was offended by that. But 99.9% of the presentation was positive. I just hoped they learned something.”