Los Angeles Daily News

10/14/03

Romer lashes out at student speaker

By Helen Gao

Los Angeles schools Superintendent Roy Romer lashed out Tuesday at a Fairfax High School senior for criticizing academic and hygienic conditions at the school, reducing the girl to tears but drawing a public reprimand from embarrassed school board members.

Gina Park, the student body president at Fairfax, was invited along with other students to address the school board at its biweekly meeting and was even encouraged by school board member Marlene Canter to bring up problems. But when Park complained about rodent infestations, a lack of counselors and inadequate parking space, Romer grew defensive.

Romer rebuked Park, calling her comments "unbalanced" and saying that many positive things were happening at Fairfax High and throughout the district.

"One of my roles is to continue to tell the story of the district so I can continue to get support," Romer said. "I am concerned about nobody defending this district. I want this district defended when it deserves to be defended."

His conduct stunned board members and left Park, who was sitting with Romer and the board on the dais, in tears.

"Was I not supposed to say these things?" Park asked later in a telephone interview.

"I was telling (Romer) the truth. Literally, I go to school at 7:30 in the morning and I come home at six, so I get to see a lot more than what he gets to see," said Park, who stays after school at the Westside campus for volleyball practice.

"I don't know if he ever comes to our school. I don't know if he sees what I see."

Fellow students and board members were quick to rise to Park's defense.

"On behalf of the school board, I apologize to you," said board member Marguerite LaMotte, who comforted Park with a hug and complimented her for speaking "articulately and bravely."

"What students have to say is so important," LaMotte said.

Canter scolded Romer, saying his behavior was unacceptable. She said that before the meeting started, Park consulted her on what she should say and that Canter herself had assured the student it was OK to bring up problems.

"There are breakdowns in communication (between schools and the district), but to take it out on a student is not acceptable," Canter said. "I am upset."

Park was one of three student leaders invited by the board to speak at the meeting in a time-honored tradition of students giving input to elected officials.

In the past, Romer has pounced on the board for what he has called undue interference in his running of the district. But the former governor of Colorado never publicly criticized a student in such a stinging manner.

Under pressure from the board, Romer apologized to Park.

"I've obviously caused some concerns here," he said. "If I was too strong in my statement today, I apologize."

But Sophie Korn, student body president from the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies, was not satisfied.

"I am disgusted," Korn said. "It's very difficult to be told you are wrong when you are right. It's a big risk to go against a politician and full-grown adult."

Park said she had hoped speaking out would help her school. Tuesday's meeting was her first appearance at a formal board meeting. Not knowing in advance that she would be speaking at the dais with officials, she was nervous to begin with.

She started her speech to the board, which was recorded for public access television, by noting some of the good things happening at Fairfax. She said campus restrooms were now much cleaner than they used to be and that classrooms were now equipped with computers.

Then she listed a number of deficiencies, including a lack of textbooks seven weeks into the school year in her Spanish and physics classes. She also complained that students have to wait weeks to make class changes because there are not enough counselors.

Romer promised to look into each one of those issues.

After the episode, a parade of senior district officials spoke with Park individually to assure her that problems at her school would be investigated and fixed.

"I was addressing the problems. How the superintendent came out, I was very hurt," said Park.