Alarcon Calls for Action Against School Conflict

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

He also called for a statewide review of the way 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 that 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,” Alarcon said during a news conference at the school.

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

Last month, the white principal of Burton Street Elementary School in Panorama City told police that the two men who beat him unconscious told him that the school needed a Latino principal. The beating prompted Los Angeles school officials to call in outside mediators to help the teachers, parents and administrators work out their differences.

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