I. Background
On February 23, 2019 during the boys’ CIF Southern Section championship basketball game between La Canada High School (LCHS) and Ontario Colony High School at Azusa Pacific University in Glendora, La Canada Outlook newspaper publisher Charlie Plowman, who was in attendance, alleged that several LCHS student fans shouted racial and homophobic slurs during the game1. Further Plowman alleged that LCHS administrators failed to respond to or discipline the offending students at the time, and intentionally blocked his attempt to videotape the behavior. A subsequent investigation by LCHS administrators could not verify Plowman’s allegations of racist and homophobic comments being yelled, but some students were disciplined for unspecified behavior. To specifically address the issue of fan misconduct at LCHS sporting events, the LCHS staff implemented a student fan code of conduct and game management protocols at all LCHS sports events.
This was not the first allegation of racist remarks made by La Canada High School students at a sports competition. On January 11, 2017 during an earlier boys’ varsity basketball game between LCHS and Blair High School at La Canada High, it was reported that LCHS student fans yelled racial slurs and insults at the Blair players, who were predominantly black. The LCHS Principal at the time -- Ian McFeat -- investigated the allegations but could not verify them. However, he apologized to the Blair players in their locker room immediately after the game. Adjustments were made to student fan seating following the incident and the school and district issued statements condemning racist student-fan behavior and pledging a commitment to positive sportsmanship.
Following the second incident in 2019, LCUSD Superintendent Wendy Sinnette launched a district-wide initiative on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), pledging to include DEI within one of her annual superintendent’s goals on Social Emotional Learning/Wellness Initiative for the following school year. It should be noted that the allegations of racial slurs shouted by students at the two basketball games were not the only reasons cited by Sinnette in launching the DEI initiative. Other incidents involving student safety, bullying, and a pattern of the lack of empathy and inclusion demonstrated by some students also contributed to the decision.2 Sinnette recommended and the Board approved hiring an outside Equity & Inclusion Officer consultant for the 2019-20 school year to conduct research and surveys, oversee training to district teachers and staff, implement a Family Learning Series on DEI, and present a report on her findings as well as recommendations at the end of the 2019-20 school year.3
The district’s DEI efforts began at the end of the 2018-19 school year with professional development on the topic of diversity, equity and inclusion for the LCUSD Governing Board and leadership team. Other efforts included the development of a commitment statement and definitions of DEI; organizing a “Speak Up Against Bias” program for students; implementing a student steering committee on DEI as well as a student DEI book club; commemorating months on LCUSD campuses recognizing marginalized communities (e.g. Black, Latino, women); and extending the district's restorative justice practices.4
II. DEI Consultant’s Efforts During 2019-20
Recall that included in the Superintendent’s goals for the 2019-20 school year was the recommendation to hire an outside Equity and Inclusion Officer. To achieve that sub-goal, Christina Hale-Elliott was hired in September of 2019 to fill the Diversity and Inclusion Officer consulting position on a contract valued at $95,000. During the 2019-20 school year she “collected and analyzed data to determine the current ways in which the district is supporting diversity, equity and inclusion as well as the ways that it could improve to experience greater success in those areas.”5
Among other efforts, Hale-Elliott organized surveys of students and staff, conducted interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders, and analyzed quantitative data provided by the district and the California Department of Education. She developed and hosted a family learning series that included a parent workshop on “Cultivating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” in November 2019, “Talking With Young Children About Race” in January 2020, “Bringing Race, Diversity, and Inclusivity Home” also in January 20206, and “Creating Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive Learning Spaces” in February and March of 2020. Hale-Elliott’s professional development sessions included training for elementary teachers at each of the three LCUSD elementary sites in February of 2020, and secondary school training on “Responding to Hate at School Online” and “Speak Up At School” in February and March of 2020.7
Hale-Elliott presented the findings of her work to the LCUSD Governing Board at its Aug. 11, 2020 meeting in the form of a Strengths and Needs Assessment Report, as well as a “Recommendations for Sustainability” report.
Hale-Elliott’s presentation to the LCUSD Governing Board may be viewed here:
Advance to the 22m 40s mark to see her presentation.
In her written report, Hale-Elliott summarized her findings as follows:
“While the district continues to be ranked academically in the top 5% of public schools in California based on state testing (Sinnette, 2019), recent reports within the past several years of students using racist and/or homophobic slurs at sporting events have shed a light on the need for more intentional and systemic efforts to be made around fostering an appreciation for diversity, supporting equitable student outcomes, and cultivating inclusive environments in which everyone feels a sense of belonging (Cardine, 2019). Being such a highly acclaimed public school district, which has already been an innovative leader in the promotion of students’ social and emotional well-being and growth, LCUSD has a unique opportunity to be a forerunner in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion as well. This report is intended to serve as a first step in that process.”
It is important to note that Hale-Elliott’s process and final report were not without controversy. The two most prominent areas of contention were the accusation that LCUSD should “formally acknowledge, reckon with and work to heal from the role of ‘White flight’ and systemic racism in the district’s founding” 8, and the failure to adequately survey parents about their perceptions and attitudes.9 Also drawing criticism was the consultant’s curated set of DEI Resources published on the district’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion web page here:
Critics noted that the links were entirely one-sided in point of view, committing to the Critical Race Theory ideology and conception of DEI. A longer discussion of the perceived problems with Critical Race Theory and the resources curated by Hale-Elliott are discussed in section VI of this page.
III. Superintendent’s Goal for 2020-21 School Year
After Hale-Elliott’s presentation to the LCUSD Governing Board on Aug. 11, 2020, Superintendent Sinnette discussed future possible actions on DEI at the Governing Board’s next meeting on Sep. 08, 2020. Sinnette and the Board agreed to make DEI one of the Superintendent Goals for the 2020-21 school year. The goal, presented to the Board at its next meeting, is stated thusly:
“Work with the LCUSD Leadership Team to formalize and continue the implementation of the District’s work to promote and sustain school cultures which foster alongside academic excellence the core values of student wellness, safety, inclusion, diversity and equitable access to programs and services. The next phase in this work is to develop and implement an LCUSD 3-Year Implementation Plan for our work to foster culturally relevant and responsive educational programs and practices within our school campuses in order to promote a culture of continuous improvement. Target actions for the 2020-2021 school year include:
Review in detail the findings from the DEI assessment report
Ensure deeper on ongoing engagement of the community in regards to LCUSD's DEI efforts
Finalize and communicate the LCUSD DEI implementation plan
Secure incremental resources as warranted (e.g. consultants, training, services, etc.)
Establish, monitor, and achieve outcomes related to DEI Leadership
Team goals;
Explore synergies/integration opportunities between DEI efforts and other district initiatives (e.g. Challenge Success, Developmental Assets, Wellness Center programs, Peer Support courses and student leadership, etc.) as well as other community programs (e.g. find opportunities to collaborate with LCF private schools, the LCF Faith Leaders Group, and others)
Commence implementation of the DEI plan (i.e. activities called for in the 2020-21 academic year)
Celebrate student success surrounding all facets of the Wellness Initiative.'“10
IV. Superintendent’s Special Committee on DEI
Superintendent Sinnette’s first steps in pursuit of her DEI goal after Board approval were to form a Special Committee on DEI that included all major district constituencies (i.e. students, parents, teachers, staff/administrators, and the public) and to hold two parent DEI listening sessions, which were held on Nov. 9th and 12th, 2020.11 The announcement to the community for application to be selected to the Superintendent’s Special Committee was sent via email on Oct. 30, 2020, and the committee selection was announced on Dec. 02, 2020. Sinnette noted that 69 community members applied to be selected to the committee. 37 parents, teachers, students, administrative staff, and community members were ultimately selected.
The Special Committee on DEI met for the first time on Dec. 14, 2020 and continued meeting in the December 2020 through March 2021 timeframe. It should be noted that a handful of parents, teachers, and students were added to the special committee on DEI after the official announcement on Dec. 02, 2020.12
At its first large group meeting on Dec. 14, 2020, the Special Committee on DEI agreed on its purpose, objectives, timeline, and participation norms. In addition, Superintendent Sinnette, who chaired the committee, revealed that the committee would divide itself into five subcommittees, following roughly the five key areas described as essential supports for systemic change in Anthony Bryk’s “Organizing Schools for Improvement” (2010) research paper as suggested by DEI Special Consultant Hale-Elliott. The five subcommittees were:
District and School Leadership – Chaired by LCUSD Superintendent Wendy Sinnette
Members: Ethan Angold (alumnus), Sunyoung Fahimi (parent), Jonathan Grabel (parent), Ahee Han (parent), Kim Hershman (community member), Joe Radabaugh (Governing Board member), Todd Reynolds (parent)Human Resources: Policies and Practices – Chaired by Debra Cradduck, LCUSD Executive Director of Personnel Services
Members: Eric Fan (parent), Hannah Lee (parent), Kevin Martin (parent), Joe Radabaugh (Board member), Sara Sadhwani (parent), Taku Taira (parent)Professional Development and Parent Education – Chaired by Anais Wenn, Associate Superintendent of Educational Services
Members: Tess Elconin (community member), Valerie Gochez-Frasch (LCHS 7/8 teacher), Sharon Kunde (parent), Kaitzer Puglia (Governing Board member), Shanti Rao (parent), Christy Suh (LCE, PCR school psychologist), Nellie Yeretsian (parent)Student Services and Climate of Care – Co-chaired by Jason Ito (Assistant Principal at LCHS) and Karen Hurley (LCUSD Director of Progams and Services).
Members: Bryce Louie (alumn), Joe Radabaugh (Board member), Tina Singh (alumn), Krysti Teng (alumn), Chloris Turner (PCR paraprofessional), Charlotte Wells (parent), Patty Whong (parent), Rachel Zooi (LCHS counselor)Curriculum and Instruction – Co-chaired by Emily Blaney (LCE Principal), Jarrett Gold (LCHS 7/8 Principal), Jim Cartnal (LCHS Principal)
Members: Shreya Anand (student), Hilary Dancsecs (parent), Noelle Kim (student), Kaitzer Puglia (Board member), Smitha Ravipudi (parent), Jack Schadel (parent), Tamar Tujian (parent), Hugo Tzec (parent) Whitney Worster (LCE teacher)
Each of the five subcommittees held meetings from January through March 2021. In addition, the larger Special Committee on DEI met three more times between Feb. 01 and Mar. 31, 2021. The Special Committee on DEI wound up modifying the district’s Framework & Guiding Principles for DEI Initiative, and a DEI Commitment Statement and DEI Definitions. The final versions of these guiding documents were presented to the LCUSD Governing Board at its regularly scheduled meeting on Mar. 09, 2021 and may be accessed below:
DEI Framework & Guiding Principles: https://agendaonline.net/public/Meeting/Attachments/DisplayAttachment.aspx?AttachmentID=1281632&IsArchive=0
DEI Commitment Statement & Definitions: https://agendaonline.net/public/Meeting/Attachments/DisplayAttachment.aspx?AttachmentID=1281528&IsArchive=0
The Special Committee on DEI also developed a three-year plan, which will be presented to the LCUSD Governing Board at a special Board Retreat meeting on Apr. 19, 2021. A draft of the three-year plan may be viewed here:
V. Forging Ahead at LCHS
While the district leadership team focused its efforts in the 2020-21 school year through the Superintendent's Special Committee on DEI, and parents awaited the presentation of the three-year plan on DEI, the high school had already forged ahead with several of the recommendations and initiatives created the previous year during the Special Consultant's tenure at LCUSD. As mentioned previously, La Canada High School formed a student steering committee called the Principal's Steering Committee on DEI. The committee’s areas of focus were defined as:
To work within the LCUSD framework for the advancement of initiatives associated with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
To discuss, determine, create, and implement a DEI Action Plan for LCHS for 2020-21 and beyond.
To work in partnership to implement a plan which focuses on areas students can act, faculty and staff can act, and areas where students and staff can act together.
Students from grades 9-12 and select staff met once a month during the 2020-21 school year over Zoom to forward the goals of the committee.
In addition, LCHS Principal James Cartnal helped to introduce an Ethnic Studies/ Sociology of the African-American elective course to the LCHS catalog for the 2021-22 school year through the school’s dual enrollment program with Pasadena City College (PCC). The two-semester college-level course will be taught on the LCHS campus in Fall 2021 and offers 10 units of credit per semester. The course description is as follows:
“PCC course title, SOC 014 INTRODUCTION TO ETHNIC STUDIES is an interdisciplinary course with focus on the sociological analysis of racial/ethnic relations in the U.S. It introduces core concepts, it explores the social, historical, economic and political construction of race and ethnicity, and it addresses the systematic aspect of racial/ethnic stratification. Through critical readings, individual reflections, class discussions, and documentaries students will have the opportunity to develop a solid grasp of immigration issues, color blindness, white privilege, social & racial justice, and the intersectionality of race, class, and gender. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC.”
Click here to read Part 2 of “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in LCUSD.”
In May 2016, a special needs student had fallen off of the bleachers in the North Gym of the high school during a student assembly, fracturing his hip. The district settled a subsequent lawsuit by the family but the student’s family had alleged that the school had failed to provide a safe environment for students.
For a full list of actions related to DEI taken in LCUSD as of summer 2020, please listen to Superintendent Sinnette’s report to the LCUSD Governing Board at its regularly scheduled meeting on Sep. 08, 2020:
Please forward to 2h 37m 08s mark.
Quoted from "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strengths and Needs Assessment Report" to the La Canada Unified School District, presented to the LCUSD Governing Board at its regularly scheduled meeting on Aug. 11, 2020. Report may be downloaded here:
https://4.files.edl.io/9b19/08/26/20/211805-0db8aeef-0756-47b7-81cd-11efe50c9caf.pdf
A student reporter’s account of the “Bringing Race, Diversity and Inclusion Home” parents’ workshop is presented here in the LCHS Spartan newspaper:
http://www.lcspartan.com/2020/03/09/bringing-race-diversity-and-inclusion-home-parents-workshop/
Copies of Hale-Elliott's slides to the teacher training session scan be examined here:
https://www.lcusd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1795303&type=d&pREC_ID=2000043
Pg.1 of LCUSD DEI Recommendations for Sustainability: Final Report by Christina Hale-Elliott, presented to LCUSD Governing Board on Aug. 11, 2020. Full report may be downloaded here:
https://4.files.edl.io/b41e/08/26/20/211804-72af2f43-00fc-4c5d-92d0-b2d24ab60e3b.pdf
Hale-Elliott conducted surveys of LCHS students in grades 7-12 that elicited a 59% response rate, of certificated staff (i.e. teachers and pupil personnel services) that elicited a response rate of 85%, of classified staff to which 23% responded, but only an informal survey of parents who attended one of two parent workshops on Nov. 5 and 6, 2019 as part of the LCUSD Family Learning Series. That parent survey reached only 28 of an estimated 4,000 parents in the district, or just 0.7% of the parent population.
The Superintendent’s fourth goal for the 2020-21 school year was “Expand LCUSD Wellness Initiative - DEI Focus on Establishing and Promoting Culturally Relevant and Responsive Educational Programs and School Cultures.” To see all the Superintendent’s goals for the 2020-21 school year, click here.
The first DEI listening session was not recorded and a video recording is not available. The second DEI listening session held on 11/12/20 can be viewed here:
Added to the Superintendent's Special Committee on DEI after the initial announcement on Dec. 02, 2020 were Jarrett Gold (LCHS 7/8 Principal), Karen Hurley (LCUSD Director of Programs and Services), Smitha Ravipudi (parent), and Whitney Worster (LCE teacher.) An inquiry to Superintendent Sinnette revealed that Gold and Hurley were omitted by accident, Ravipudi submitted an application late and was invited to the committee after the Dec. 02, 2020 announcement because it was recognized that the committee lacked a parent representative from the Special Education community and Ravipudi could fulfill that. No explanation was ever given why Worster was added. In addition, four LCHS students were unilaterally added to the Curriculum and Instruction subcommittee after its first meeting by committee co-chair Jim Cartnal, LCHS Principal, though they were not allowed to vote on subcommittee actions.