Safety at Schools Discussed
Los Angeles schools Supt. Ruben Zacarias sought to assure San Fernando Valley parents Thursday that district campuses are safe in spite of the attack this week at the North Valley Jewish Community Center.
“The schools are safe,” Zacarias told the 70 parents, educators and others gathered at Porter Middle School, citing the presence of on-campus police and other measures designed to reduce the risk of violence.
Also among those attending Thursday’s meeting were Los Angeles City Councilman Hal Bernson, Assemblyman Tom McClintock, (R-Northridge) and Los Angeles Board of Education member Julie Korenstein.
“We need to get the message out that we’re not going to tolerate hate in our society,” said Jack Mayer, executive director of the Jewish Federation Valley Alliance. “This is a multicultural society. The decent people will prevail.”
The meeting was organized by Jane Lowenthal, a Porter Ranch resident who said the event was designed to provide a forum for those troubled by Tuesday’s shootings of three children, a teenage girl and an adult.
“Some people may not show up because they may not realize they’re under stress,” Lowenthal said before the meeting. “We hope to provide an ongoing safety net” should they decide later that they need help.
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