Latino Parents, Others Protest Outside School

Latino parents and others demonstrated in front of an elementary school Thursday, saying that the uproar over the principal’s report that he was beaten by anti-white assailants has distracted public attention from their complaints of discrimination against Latinos at the school.

The protest by about 20 parents, children and the leader of a Latino advocacy group was also meant to challenge the assertion by some teachers and parents that the discontent at Burton Street Elementary School stems from only five or six Latino parents.

The group demonstrated two days after school district officials held two days of private talks--with outside mediators--between teachers, school administrators and a few parents to ease tensions.

The school has been in turmoil since Principal Norman Bernstein said he was beaten by two men, at least one of them a Latino, as he arrived for work Feb. 1.

Police are investigating the incident as a hate crime because Bernstein said one of the men said to him: “We don’t want you here anymore, principal. Do you understand that, white principal?”

A group of parents from the school, which is 90% Latino, had been trying to remove Bernstein before the attack because he does not speak Spanish, carrying their campaign in letters and meetings to high ranking school officials.

“We believe the attack on Mr. Bernstein is being used to lose focus on the issues here at Burton,” Letecia Robles, who has a daughter in the second grade, said Thursday. “We as parents want the best education for our kids, and they are not getting it here.”