When the pandemic began and the majority of important meetings and events turned virtual, a phenomenon began as people crashed the meetings and posted prank messages, or in some cases, more nefarious words.
The tactic hasn’t gone away, as San Francisco Unified School District officials learned Wednesday during an Equity Audit and Action Committee meeting.
On Thursday, San Francisco Board of Education President Gabriela Lopez condemned an attacker that crashed the meeting, which was held over Zoom and open to the public, in a statement.
The anonymous poster allegedly spammed meeting attendees and committee members with racial slurs and pornographic imagery.
"What we experienced during the first SFUSD Equity Audit and Action Committee meeting is a clear indication of the hate we are combating," said Lopez.
"We cannot be okay with racist slurs and pornographic images being shown during any meeting, especially one that is formed to combat this for the betterment of our students," she said. "For all of the people who were present who had to witness this and who endured further harm, I am sorry."
"This committee has been attacked since its inception, down to the applications sent in. But this will not stop the crucial work that will occur and the inclusive, clear process we have built throughout," she said. "We will be sure to include increased protections and make certain our work is not derailed."
The committee was made this year as part of a district-wide strategy to promote equity, after Lowell High School’s admissions system was accused of being racist, using grade point average-based exams to accept applicants. This was changed this year to a general application.
The decision was made after allegations of racism came out about the school. "Over the years, Board of Education Commissioners, superintendents, scholars and community members have consistently cited Lowell’s selective, exam-based enrollment system as a major contributing factor which perpetuates the culture of white supremacy and racial abuse towards Black and Latinx students," stated a February resolution in regards to this decision.
Lopez and two other members of the board are facing a recall next year, set for Feb. 15.
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