June 19, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Information: Reform AUSD [email protected] ALHAMBRA COMMUNITY DEMANDS SCHOOL BOARD AND PRINCIPAL RESIGNATIONS, TRANSPARENCY MAN COMES TO PROTEST San Gabriel, California - June 19, 2015 After Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD) administration ignored the public’s concerns regarding the abrupt dismissal of a popular teacher and violated several students’ First Amendment rights, community members will be holding a large-scale protest on June 23 at 5:00 p.m. at the AUSD office located at 1515 West Mission Road, Alhambra, CA 91803. Community members will also speak at the school board meeting at 6:00 p.m. to express their grievances and demand accountability from the district. This protest will be a first-time experience for many students and their immigrant parents, and will feature hero “Transparency Man.” Transparency Man, crafted by award-winning artist Alex Luu, demands transparency from AUSD and the AUSD Board of Education. The AUSD community is a majority minority community comprised of Hispanics and Asians; most students in the district receive reduced price or free lunch and are the first generation in their families to attend college. Schools in AUSD receive Title 1 funding. Several people will be speaking at the board meeting, including journalists from The Matador, students from San Gabriel High School, Transparency Man, and concerned citizens from Rethink Education. An ACLU representative is also scheduled to speak as are other prominent advocates. The Matador intends to address the district’s use of intimidation to silence students and teachers; school and employee bullying condoned by administration; the lack of transparency in regards to district records; First Amendment violations; and press rights . The students from San Gabriel High School, who have been working with a veteran strategist, will be speaking about the board’s responsibility to the community and how poorly it has treated its staff. As his name implies, Transparency Man will be emphasizing the importance of transparency and trust. Concerned citizens will also be speaking from other high school(s) in the
June 23 Board Meeting Press Release
Dec 12, 2015
This is a press release sent to media outlets on June 19 regarding Alhambra Unified School District's June 23 board meeting.
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June 19, 2015FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Information:Reform [email protected]
ALHAMBRA COMMUNITY DEMANDS SCHOOL BOARD AND PRINCIPAL RESIGNATIONS, TRANSPARENCY MAN COMES TO PROTEST
San Gabriel, California - June 19, 2015
After Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD) administration ignored the public’s concerns regarding the abrupt dismissal of a popular teacher and violated several students’ First Amendment rights, community members will be holding a large-scale protest on June 23 at 5:00 p.m. at the AUSD office located at 1515 West Mission Road, Alhambra, CA 91803. Community members will also speak at the school board meeting at 6:00 p.m. to express their grievances and demand accountability from the district.
This protest will be a first-time experience for many students and their immigrant parents, and will feature hero “Transparency Man.” Transparency Man, crafted by award-winning artist Alex Luu, demands transparency from AUSD and the AUSD Board of Education. The AUSD community is a majority minority community comprised of Hispanics and Asians; most students in the district receive reduced price or free lunch and are the first generation in their families to attend college. Schools in AUSD receive Title 1 funding.
Several people will be speaking at the board meeting, including journalists from The Matador, students from San Gabriel High School, Transparency Man, and concerned citizens from Rethink Education. An ACLU representative is also scheduled to speak as are other prominent advocates. The Matador intends to address the district’s use of intimidation to silence students and teachers; school and employee bullying condoned by administration; the lack of transparency in regards to district records; First Amendment violations; and press rights. The students from San Gabriel High School, who have been working with a veteran strategist, will be speaking about the board’s responsibility to the community and how poorly it has treated its staff. As his name implies, Transparency Man will be emphasizing the importance of transparency and trust. Concerned citizens will also be speaking from other high school(s) in the district regarding the district’s use of retaliation and its lack of concern for students.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:This whole issue originated on May 22 when first-year English teacher and Speech & Debate coach Andrew Nguyen was notified that his teaching contract would not be renewed for the following year. When students sought a reason for his dismissal from principal Jim Schofield and AUSD, both claimed that they could not discuss personnel matters in the interests of Nguyen’s privacy despite Nguyen’s written statement allowing “all interested parties to discuss whatever they feel is appropriate about [his] time at San Gabriel High.”
The issue gained traction when Schofield attempted to censor The Matador’s coverage of Nguyen’s dismissal and students were threatened with arrest upon planning a peaceful protest on the day of graduation. In light of these First Amendment violations, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) threatened AUSD with a lawsuit. In response, Superintendent Laura Tellez-Gagliano said that the district
would conduct an investigation of the censorship, neglecting to address their threats to the student protesters.
Because of the district’s lack of transparency and inadequate responses to the community, many citizens believe that the district and the principal must be held accountable, even if that entails calling for a new administration and Board of Education.
KNBC Coverage:http://thematadorsghs.com/2015/06/knbc-runs-news-report-on-andrew-nguyen-dismissal-first-amendment-violations/
Pasadena Star News (3 articles and counting):http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/search?text=alhambra+unified+school+district
Student Press Law Center coverage:http://www.splc.org/article/2015/06/california-students-allege-teacher-firing-story-censored
The Matador Newspaper:http://thematadorsghs.com/Board meeting coverage:http://thematadorsghs.com/2015/06/june-2-school-board-meeting-coverage-by-the-matador/Transparency op-ed:http://thematadorsghs.com/2015/06/transparency-brings-trust-my-odyssey-trying-to-get-a-tape-of-an-ausd-board-meeting/
The Matador Newspaper censorship statement:http://thematadorsghs.com/2015/06/statement-from-the-matador-regarding-english-teacher-debate-coach-bids-farewell-to-san-gabriel/
Alhambra Source:http://www.alhambrasource.org/news/students-protest-teachers-dismissal-claim-violation-first-amendment-rightshttp://www.alhambrasource.org/news/alhambra-unified-school-district-investigating-censorship-claims
San Gabriel High School Speech & Debate team with Andrew Nguyen in the front.
(Photo courtesy of Chris Lew)
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