Review Sought of School Role in Rally

A group of Latino faculty members at Ventura College is urging the Ventura County Grand Jury to investigate the suspension of half a dozen Fillmore High School students involved in a protest last month at a political rally for vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp.

In a letter headed for the grand jury today, members of La Raza Faculty Assn. allege that school officials violated the state Education Code and Government Code by allowing teachers and students to attend the political rally and participate in the event by wearing buttons and carrying signs.

Moreover, the faculty group contends that since students and teachers were allowed to attend, they should not have been punished for exercising their 1st Amendment rights to protest at the event.

“What they did, in our opinion, is illegal,” said Mayo de la Rocha, an instructor at Ventura College. “We think the principal should be held accountable, and the superintendent should be held accountable. At the very least, they should apologize for what transpired.”

School officials say those allegations are baseless. Six students were suspended for failing to return to school when ordered to do so. In addition, Chicano studies teacher Joe Torres faces unspecified punishment for taking his class to the rally without authorization.

Supt. Mario Contini said the disciplinary action had nothing to do with freedom of speech. And he said he saw no problem with allowing students to attend the rally.

“We were not taking them there to participate or express their political views,” Contini said.

“We were taking them to see a historic event.”

The rally--which doubled as a birthday homecoming celebration for Kemp’s wife, Joanne--was attended by about 1,000 Fillmore students.

The event was marred by skirmishes between protesters and Kemp supporters and between protesters and sheriff’s deputies mounted on horseback.