The San Fernando Valley Sun has been raising a public debate between us, the principal of Cleveland High, and LA School Police Dept Interim Chief Bowman.

They've already written 3 pieces in a series. We need you to send letters to the editors editor@sanfernandosun.com. Please send us a copy as well to info@communityrightscampaign.org.

It's so rare for a small local paper to give such a strong, sustained focus to one issue and we want to support that. But we also need to respond to what's being said.

The last word?

Right now the last word is with the principal and the police. The last two articles quote them

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talking about how Community Rights is exaggerating about racial profiling and unequal treatment

Racial profiling is an issue cited by both students and Strategy Center organizer
Criollo as a problem at Cleveland with police coming down hard on students of
color while turning a blind eye to the activities of the mostly white Magnet
students. 'From my point of view, I don't see that as the case,'
[Principal] Clay said."

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justifying the police role by asserting that truancy is a “gateway” to gangs and serious crime.

"'We arrested truants who broke into a house because they were bored. And we've found a young girl in a public bathroom who had been gang raped. So there are
consequences.' Not every truant becomes a criminal, but Officer Delgado
maintains out that 'almost every inmate in prison today started out as a
truant.'"

Bring our voices

There are some nuanced points, too, in what they say--even Interim Police Chief Bowman
is quoted saying that "the first intervention in student discipline should be the teachers and the school administration." So please read the articles carefully before responding. We need folks to be informed about what they say.

Here are the articles:
A Day of Action at Cleveland High School (Jan 28)
Cleveland HS Principal Responds (Feb 3)
Policing the Schools of LAUSD (Mar 3)

Please send your letters to their editor at editor@sanfernandosun.com and send
us a copy so we can follow up info@communityrightscampaign.org