Leaders condemn recent racist, homophobic graffiti at Culver City elementary school
As a new school year approaches, a coalition of local leaders and educators in Los Angeles are sending a clear message: hate has no place on campus or elsewhere.
At a press conference Thursday, parents, officials from the Culver City Unified School District, and other elected leaders denounced recent incidents at El Marino Language School in Culver City.
The elementary school on 11450 Port Rd. was the site of recent hate speech and vandalism targeting Black and LGBTQ+ students, officials said.
County officials said that the suspects — believed to be minors and not associated with El Marino Language School — trespassed onto campus and tagged racial and homophobic words in late July, according to reports.
Culver City Police received reports of vandalism and discovered a broken classroom window and graffiti on several parts of campus, officials said — including hate speech targeting Black and LGBTQ+ groups. Other details were not known.
Officials launched an investigation and identified two juvenile suspects, who were arrested and later returned to their parents’ custody.
On Thursday, Culver City Unified trustee Triston Ezidore joined L.A. County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, local and state educators to condemn the incidents and all hate. They stood in front of a “Unity Through Language” backdrop and diverse signs that said “Words Matter.”
“Hate has no place in our schools, our community, or our society. Our youth are particularly vulnerable to adopting hateful ideologies, yet they experience the most adverse outcomes when exposed to hate. When every level of government unites with our community partners around a shared concern, there is no challenge that can’t be overcome,” said Ezidore in a news release.
“Together, we are leveraging county and state resources to set a model for hate prevention and promote a culture of inclusion and acceptance in our schools.”
Supervisor Mitchell said that hate is a “learned behavior (that) starts at home.”
“We have a shared responsibility to end all forms of hate by making it clear that it will not be tolerated in our homes, schools, or any facet of our community. I am proud to serve a diverse L.A. County; our strength comes from our diversity,” Mitchell said. “No matter who you are, you have a fundamental right to be safe and welcomed.”
Robin Toma, the executive director of L.A. County’s Human Relations Commission, said that an “ugly incident” was made into something “beautiful,” where the community came together to condemn bigotry, creating a safe, welcoming environment for students to return.
“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. “By all of us supporting one another, we can reverse the rise in hate and discrimination so that our wonderfully diverse communities feel a sense of belonging.”
Tony Thurmond, the state’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, highlighted California’s ongoing efforts to combat rising hate. He said that around $20 million in grants that have been made available to school districts for anti-bias education.
“It’s 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 itunder the rug, and it must be addressed directly.”
Officials also lauded L.A. vs. Hate, a community-centered campaign under L.A. County to stop hate crimes and attacks, report when they happen, and provide effective anti-hate resources — including case managers and mental health services. Recent public campaign efforts include murals honoring L.A.’s diversity and public service announcements featuring victims.
L.A. vs. Hate’s free, multilingual reporting hotline — 211 — has received over 2,000 reports of hate since its launch in 2019.
For more information and to report acts of hate and discrimination, visit LAvsHate.org.
City News Service contributed to this report.