Threats on Educators Targeted

Aiming to protect school employees after two recent incidents, state Sen. Richard Alarcon announced Friday he has introduced a measure to increase penalties for those convicted of making written or verbal threats.

Alarcon (D-Sylmar) also called for a statewide review of how school districts handle ethnic conflicts.

Alarcon’s announcement came a week after the principal of Kester Avenue Elementary School in Van Nuys received a letter authorities characterized as threatening.

“When violence is committed or threatened on school officials it disrupts the educational progress of all the kids in the school,” the lawmaker said during a news conference at the school.

Alarcon’s measure would add one to three years in prison and a maximum fine of $5,000 to the existing penalty for someone who threatens to harm another person. Currently, the maximum penalty for someone convicted of making a verbal or written threat is one year in jail.

Flanked by representatives from the Los Angeles Unified School District, Anti-Defamation League and the Los Angeles Commission on Human Relations, Alarcon said recent changes in state law on bilingual education, immigration and affirmative action may have contributed to recent threats and acts of violence against school officials.

He said there is a built-in tension in schools because parents, especially Latinos, feel their needs are not being met. “I believe that these people perceive that society doesn’t care for them,” Alarcon said.

Last month the white principal of Burton Elementary School in Panorama City told police the two men who beat him unconscious had told him the school needed a Latino principal. The beating of Norman Bernstein caused turmoil in the school, which is 90% Latino, prompting Los Angeles school officials to call in outside mediators to help the teachers, parents and administrators work out differences.

“We had two very serious incidents in this community,” Alarcon said. “We are seeing incidents occurring up and down the state of California.” He cited ethnic tension within the Oakland school district as an example.

“We cannot say for sure if it’s a direct result of recent propositions on the ballot or the implementation of the new rules,” he said. “That is why I say it’s time to ask for an audit to ensure that we are doing everything to remedy the issues of conflicts at schools and violence at schools.”

Alarcon has requested a state audit of how school districts handle and resolve conflicts between parents and school officials. The review would examine whether school districts, including L.A. Unified, comply with federal and state laws and department policies on resolving ethnic disputes, he said.

Alarcon predicted the audit would last about six months. Any school that is found to have poor conflict-management techniques will he held accountable, he said.

*

Police are still investigating the incidents at the two Valley schools and have not identified any suspects, Los Angeles Police Department Det. David Escoto said.

Escoto would not discuss the contents of the letter addressed to Kester Avenue Principal Petronella Montante last week, but did say there was nothing in the letter to suggest it was racially motivated. An LAUSD official said earlier this week that the letter referred to Bernstein’s beating.

Montante, who is white, was born in Amsterdam and immigrated to the United States at age 7. “It was so devastating to see [the letter] because it’s not reflective of our school,” she said Friday. “It’s a sad commentary on our society.” She said campus police have been checking on her regularly.

“I can’t imagine anyone in this world wanting to hurt this woman,” said Brett Aronowitz, who has a daughter at the school.

In contrast with the aftermath of the Burton Elementary School incident, the gathering at Kester Avenue Elementary appeared mostly harmonious with several officials and parents accompanying Alarcon to the podium in support of his proposals.

“The parents [of Burton Elementary] have consistently denounced violence,” said Xavier Flores, a representative of parents at that school. “They are very concerned about what is happening here as well.”

Julie Korenstein, a member of the board of education, said the school district will begin a pilot conflict-resolution program at one of its high schools. “The most important thing we can do is to help ensure that the school is calm and secure for the children,” she said.

“As important as anything that happens in Sacramento is the unified expression of abhorrence at violence and the threat of violence,” said David Lehrer, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League.

But he added that officials should be wary of blaming the recent tensions on any new state law, such as Proposition 187, the measure that ended bilingual education.

“That doesn’t justify in any way, shape or form the threats or acts of violence,” he said.