Tolerance Is Stressed, Educators Insist

Huntington Beach school officials bristled Tuesday at suggestions they were not doing enough to prevent students from committing hate crimes, a charge that came after three teenagers were accused of beating a Filipino American man.

The Ocean View School District, whose schools the youths reportedly attended, offers programs on an almost daily basis that teach tolerance and respect for diversity, said Supt. James R. Tarwater.

“We work on cultural diversity from kindergarten all the way through,” he said.

But even with programs such as character education and Project Wisdom, which includes weekly readings and daily quotes about diversity and tolerance, “we always have some that we can’t reach for various reasons,” Tarwater said. “And when you’re offering some counseling ... you can’t force a parent to get involved with that if they don’t want to.”

The three youths arrested Saturday allegedly confronted Aris Gaddvang in the rear parking lot of a 99 Cents Only store in Huntington Beach.

Gaddvang, the store manager, was unloading merchandise when the boys allegedly shouted racial slurs and “White power” before beating him with metal pipes.

The three were arrested nearby and taken to Orange County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats and interfering with an individual’s civil rights. Because they are juveniles, officials would not release information on whether they have been charged.

Two Local Officials Respond to Incident

On Monday, Huntington Beach Mayor Debbie Cook and Rusty Kennedy, director of the Orange County Human Relations Commission, responded to the incident, saying schools could do a better job of teaching respect for diversity.

But Tarwater and the principal of a middle school in the district challenged that assertion. They said district students have daily instruction and guidance in tolerance and respect for others.

They added that whenever a student or group of students is involved in incidents that suggest prejudice, the district and school react swiftly with discipline, counseling and intervention efforts that include the parents.

“We don’t ignore it, and we’re disappointed any time students we’ve worked with in the past take a wrong turn. But given what I’ve done, I can’t beat myself up for a kid who goes the wrong way,” said Cameron Malotte, principal of Spring View Middle School.

“The overwhelming majority of our kids are wonderful, productive, responsible citizens, and when you have some kids who do something wrong and then people focus on the schools, I just don’t think it’s fair,” Malotte said.

Tarwater said the youths are no longer enrolled in the district.