During a Los Angeles Unified School District school board meeting Tuesday, Muslim families said the school’s statement regarding Israel has made their kids feel unsafe in school.
On Oct 7, following Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho issued a statement that read, “We stand in unity with the UN and many other nations in repudiating the recent attacks.”
Samaya Basrati, president of the Muslim Parents Association, called into Tuesday’s meeting. She said that she was worried about the safety of Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab students.
“We are documenting hate incidents coming from our LAUSD families, and they pouring in,” she said, adding that over 500 LAUSD families have direct ties to Gaza.
She called Carvalho’s statement “one-sided” and that educational intuitions should be places for discussion on world conflicts and current events.
One of the parents who called in said her son, who attends one of LAUSD’s charter schools, cited one incident in which a teacher told the students Israel has the right to defend itself and that upset her son.
She also cited an incident in which she said a child from the same school was “ganged up on by some mothers” for posting Pro-Palestinian content on his Instagram and got the police involved.
“This is harassment and bullying and I won’t allow my child to experience this on a daily basis,” she said.
After hearing from other parents, school board President Jackie Goldberg called Carvalho to issue another statement.
“I'm not suggesting we take a position on anything except that all children, all faculty, all school employees are to be safe to be treated without discrimination based on who they are,” she said. “Because of the events in the Middle East, that should have been the first thing that went out and I hope it will go out as soon as possible.”
Shortly after the meeting, Carvalho issued a statement via email that L.A. Unified is committed to providing a safe learning environment, free from bullying, discrimination, and harassment.
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