Santa Ana School Foes Outraged by Racist Label

Re “Tustin Marine Base Fight Proves to Be a Learn-Learn Situation,” Dana Parsons, May 15:

Did Santa Ana Unified School District learn from its contentious negotiations with Tustin? Recent activities suggest the district is still using the same unfair and shameful techniques that prompted all the contention with Tustin. As Dana Parsons’ column points out, Tustin officials were offended and hunkered down in the face of allegations of discrimination orchestrated by the district.

We are longtime residents of an ethnically diverse neighborhood of Santa Ana, and when we first read of the Tustin debate, we ignorantly sided with the schools. We since have witnessed district techniques firsthand, and now empathize with Tustin officials. Along with many of our neighbors, we recently attended a district board meeting about the use of eminent domain to acquire property for a proposed elementary school.

Our neighborhood is against putting a school on this property. The major objection is that it will cause major traffic problems in an isolated neighborhood. We don’t want the extra traffic. But we recognize that Santa Ana needs more classrooms.

We want to see a sensible plan. We want to know why other, more-suitable sites are not being pursued. We want to know why the current schools, many of which are in terrible condition, are not being upgraded.

If the plan shows that this school makes sense, our neighborhood will pull together to make it happen. But the board, by its own admission, hasn’t done a good job of involving the public. Instead of using the board meeting to inform and unite the community, the meeting eroded into a racially intoned bully pulpit. During public comments, speaker after speaker accused those against the school of being racist.

We were offended, saddened and outraged with the racist labels we were given that evening. Half of our neighbors are of Latino descent, and many other nationalities are represented. Our neighborhood is unanimous against building a school, but we are not racists.

Dave Hoen

Darren Shippen

Santa Ana