VENTURA : Meeting on Gangs Draws Over 100

More than 100 parents, teachers and students packed the Ventura Unified School District board meeting Tuesday night to vent their feelings on new anti-gang measures implemented at Ventura High this week.

Several students complained to the school board about the new dress code that goes into effect today, banning all hats, headbands, bandannas and other headgear.

“I completely disagree with the hat rule,” said student Kyle Moneypenny, who was wearing a green bandanna on his head. “If you ban hats, then gang members are just going to start wearing certain kinds of T-shirts. Next thing you know, we’ll all be wearing banana-yellow suits and have bald heads.”

Parent Marianne McCabe told the board that the new security measures only encouraged the perception that the school was unsafe.

“I feel the media has helped to blow things out of proportion. We need to rise above this and continue to provide a safe environment at the school. We also need to let students express their individuality.” On Monday, school officials closed off a section of Poli Street near the campus to help reduce the chance of drive-by shootings. The school also revoked off-campus lunch passes.

The school district’s actions were prompted by the fatal stabbing of Ventura High School student Jesse Strobel on Jan. 29. Police said the attack, which occurred late at night in the Pierpont area, was gang-related.

Since Strobel’s death, residents and business leaders have demanded that school and city officials step up their anti-gang efforts.

Principal Jerry Barshay told the school board Tuesday night that someone had reported hearing gunshots from the school’s football stadium about 3:30 p.m.

He said he and other school officials raced across the street to the stadium, where they discovered the school track team working out. He said the noise had come from a starter pistol.

“That’s the kind of anxiety level that exists,” he said.