CULVER CITY – After a recent racial and homophobic hate crime occurred at a Culver City school, a coalition of elected officials and local leaders are sending a clear message Friday that hate has no place in schools or elsewhere.
In a joint news conference Thursday, the Culver City Unified School District and the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations addressed the crimes and galvanized support to stand up to hate as the new school year approaches.
Officials say that suspects, believed to be minors not associated with El Marino Language School, trespassed onto campus and tagged racial and homophobic words.
According to county officials, Culver City Police Department officers received reports of vandalism at El Marino Elementary School. Officers discovered a broken classroom window and graffiti in several areas of the campus, including hate speech targeting the Black and LGBTQ+ communities. An investigation was launched, leading to the identification of two juvenile suspects, who were arrested and later returned to their parents’ custody.
“This is what happens when elected officials at every single level of government together with everyday neighbors with our teachers, our students, our faith-based organizations and community partners to tackle the very pressing issue of hate at our schools,” Triston Ezidore, vice president of Culver City Unified School District, said. “It has no place in our community and it has no place in our society.”
Robin Toma, executive director of the county’s Human Relations Commission, said this “ugly incident” was made into something “beautiful,” where the community came together to condemn bigotry.
“This is not an isolated incident, and we are in a special period in which we have not seen a decline in the number of hate crimes reported in many years,” Toma said. “Since 2014, when we started to see the rise that has gone pretty much unabated.”
County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, who represents the 2nd District, which includes Culver City, said “hate is a learned behavior and it starts at home.”
“No matter who you are, you have a fundamental right to be safe and welcomed in any part of L.A .County,” Mitchell added.
Culver City Mayor Yasmine-Imani McMorrin believes Thursday’s action will provide students with a safer and more inclusive environment this school year.
The county’s Commission on Human Relations leads the LA vs Hate initiative, and its anti-hate system that is intended to track, prevent and provide help for all acts of hate in the county. Resources are available in multi-languages for residents and schools at LAvsHate.org or calling 2-1-1.
Additionally, residents can obtain access to a case manager, referrals to mental health, health and advocacy services, and assistance with civil and human rights legal remedies.
“I hope the young people who are here understand that there grownups who are standing in front of you to acknowledge that behavior was unacceptable,” Toma said. “We as a community aren’t going to stand for it.”
Tony Thurmond, California Superintendent of Public Instruction, also joined local leaders, and highlighted the state’s efforts to combat hate. He noted some $20 million in grants that have been made available to school districts for anti-bias education.
“It is sad that we have to come together around these circumstances, but I want to give props to this district for being courageous to say, `Let’s talk about it,”‘ Thurmond said. “When hate occurs … people want to sweep it under the rug, and it must be addressed directly.”
