School board reiterates need for communication
A school board member who visited Santa Monica High School with two men appearing to be gang members, blames miscommunication for the resulting controversy, but stands by his methods to assuage campus violence.
Oscar de la Torre was publicly criticized by the Santa Monica Police Department at the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified District’s April 21 school board meeting for a visit earlier that week in which he brought along two Latino men — at least one of whom police believed was a gang member as recently as a year ago. The two men, tattooed and wearing baggy clothes, arrived with de la Torre during the lunch period in an effort the school board member has since said was intended to detract youth from participating in violence and the gang lifestyle.
Meanwhile, police and administrators at Samohi were unaware of the visit and concerned it might escalate to a riot since the unexpected arrival clearly seemed to upset some black students at a school still recovering from a series of fights that broke out April 15 between blacks and Latinos.
The SMMUSD school board addressed the issue formally at Thursday’s meeting, reiterating the need for board members to clear visits with administration.
De la Torre acknowledged there may have been some miscommunication regarding the incident, but he looked forward to continue inspiring students having trouble by providing presentations from those who have overcome similar obstacles in their own lives.
A00,“The people I brought on campus have valuable lessons for people who have a hard time growing up,” de la Torre said. “They are peacemakers. Labeling them as ‘gang members’ does not address who they now are. At the same time, I need to take responsibility for the miscommunication that occurred and plan to use the appropriate protocol in future visits I plan at Santa Monica High School.”
On April 21, Santa Monica Deputy Police Chief Phil Sanchez presented a letter to the school board on behalf of Police Chief James Butts, Jr. The letter inquired as to the nature and appropriateness of de la Torre’s visit.
The letter details how de la Torre and the two other men entered Samohi during lunch. Police on the scene said one of the men was “Big Lucky” from Santa Monica’s 17th Street Gang. According to Sanchez, the police department had specific information they received last year about “Big Lucky” being a “shot caller” for the gang, ordering young gang members to go into other cities and commit assaults. The police were not able to identify de la Torre’s other guest, but he is said to have been wearing a blue “Joker” tank top and blue jeans with several tattoos on his body which identified his gang affiliation.
De la Torre said one of the guests was Steven Luciano, owner of a successful clothing apparel store celebrating hip-hop culture, a man who represents a positive alternative to the gang lifestyle Samohi youth can identify with.
Luciano was signed up to speak at Thursday’s school board meeting to share his thoughts on the incident, but he was not available when his name was called. The meeting began at 5:30 p.m. and did not end until 1:15 a.m.
Ron Wilkins — a professor of Africana studies at California State University in Carson, Calif., who has known de la Torre for nearly 10 years — said he has was outraged by the way in which he felt the police department attempted to demonize de la Torre, his guests and their efforts in the letter.
“Not only is Mr. de la Torre fully committed to establishing and sustaining collaborative efforts between black and brown youth, but he continues to be one of the most genuine, sincere and hard-working role models and leaders the Santa Monica community ever had,” Wilkins said.
Representatives from the Santa Monica Police Department said they needed to confirm facts of the meeting before commenting.
School board members said they were glad to discuss the issue formally and hear de la Torre’s comments regarding his needing to communicate better with school administrators in the future.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 7, 2005. Read the original PDF.