Tensions Up Since Attack on Principal, Report Says

Resentment and distrust have increased at a Panorama City elementary school since a February incident in which the principal told police he was attacked by anti-white assailants, according to a county report released Monday.

The increased tensions at Burton Street Elementary School arose because of rumors that the attack on Norman Bernstein was “provoked by racial conflict in a school that has a 90% Latino enrollment whose numerous grievances have gone unheeded by school authorities,” according to the report by the county’s Commission on Human Relations. It is to be presented to the Board of Supervisors today.

“Increased distrust among teachers and some parents has led to low morale, divisiveness and dissatisfaction,” the report said.

The attack is being investigated as a hate crime by Los Angeles police, who said Monday they have not identified any suspects.

With rapidly changing populations in Southern California, the report states, Los Angeles County is experiencing an unprecedented level of tension among various ethnic groups.

The report recommends that school districts form “incident response teams” trained in conflict resolution to head off or minimize crises among ethnic groups.

Xavier Flores, president of the Mexican American Political Assn., an advocate on behalf of the parents, praised the report.

“I thought it was good,” he said. “It acknowledges the problems that exist in that school. It clearly states that parents’ issues have not been dealt with. That in and of itself is a big step.”

Meanwhile, at a private meeting Friday at Burton Street Elementary, a selected group of parents, teachers and administrators agreed to move forward with formal mediation.

No date has been set, but those involved said the process should begin in about 2 1/2 weeks.

Parents who attended the meeting said they believed they were being heard by the teachers and administrators for the first time.

“All these people were meeting to come up with all these plans of action, and parents were not being included in the way they wished,” Flores said. “Promises are being made to include them more extensively. They’ve never been asked to do that before.”