By Lori Emerson Santa Monica
(Editor’s note: This letter was originally written to John Deasy, superintendent of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.) Editor: As parents of two students attending Santa Monica High School, we found your news statement (on 1070 AM radio) Friday, April 15, 2005 to be dangerously irresponsible. Your statement that “some fights broke out and that no one was hurt” was not truthful. Since the fighting broke out at lunchtime, most of the students at Samohi were in the location of a fight area. Children were hurt. What would possess you to say something so untrue?
Additionally, your statement that the school day resumed as normal was also not true. Normal school days do not end with a lockdown, police helicopters, handcuffs and police officers all over the campus. My children’s normal school day is not interrupted by fear, resulting in them running home as fast as they could.
Your deliberate attempt to cover up and downplay the situation that occurred Friday, April 15 is not only outrageous, it tells us and other parents that you do not put our children’s safety at the top of your list. When can you guarantee that my children will be safe to return to the Samohi campus?
Please advise.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 19, 2005. Read the original PDF.