Topic / EDUCATION : Officials Assail Decision to Reverse Expulsions : In a letter to county board, Claremont school and city leaders say its action overturning a district ruling to expel three students accused of hate crimes is contrary to ‘the tenets of providing safe schools.’

Claremont school district officials and city leaders this month sent a letter condemning the county board of education’s unilateral decision to overturn a district ruling that expelled three high school students accused of racially motivated vandalism and assault.

The letter, which was sent to the County Board of Supervisors and signed by the Claremont Unified School District board as well as the City Council, mayor and chief of police, said the county’s decision was “diametrically opposed to the tenets of providing safe schools in safe communities.”

This was one of four cases of expulsion countywide reversed this year by the county board.

“We didn’t take it to court and appeal the county’s decision because of our low budget,” said Lissa Petersen, president of the Claremont school board.

The county board reversed the district’s decision in May, but has yet to submit a reason for doing so.

“It’s a really hard thing for me, because I haven’t received anything in writing about why they did this,” said Charles Freitas, director of child welfare and attendance in the Claremont schools. “I’m eagerly awaiting some type of explanation.”

That explanation was delayed by the busy schedule of county attorneys, who must review the letter before it is sent out, said Frank Kwan, the county’s communication director. The letter will be sent to district officials in a few days, he said. Kwan also said the county has not received the district’s letter yet.

The three students remain unidentified because they are minors; they were among 15 to 20 Asian students who reportedly chased a white student into a car in the school’s parking lot. The students hit and kicked the car, breaking its windshield and causing about $2,000 in damage.

An administrative panel, made up of three district principals, recommended that the school board expel five students, but board members felt there was only enough evidence to expel three of the five. The boys’ parents appealed to the county education board.

After the county overturned the expulsions, one student returned to an alternative high school in the district. The two other students, one of whom graduated in June, chose to enroll in schools outside the district.

Five youths were arrested by police after the attack, but neither police nor the school board would confirm whether all or any of these five were among those recommended for expulsion.

Three of those arrested are juveniles, whose names were not released. The two others are Jason Tsai and Luke Chang, both 18, who were charged with assault and vandalism. In a plea bargain, the boys pleaded guilty to vandalism and the charges of assault were dropped. Tsai and Chang are on probation for two years and each must pay $1,000 in restitution.

The problem started in school, when a white boy smeared a banana on an Asian girl’s locker. Although Freitas did not think it was initially a racial incident, he said there were clearly racial divisions later on, in the school’s parking lot.

“We have not had something the size of this incident for as long as I can remember,” Freitas said. “There haven’t been any problems since.”