The School Board misleadingly asserts board member Dee Perry’s possible public interest legal case is about financial gain. What she seeks is for the board to follow rules it strictly enforces against teachers, parents and students. Including rules against bullying and hate speech. If Perry decides to seek a remedy in court, it’s to protect rights of the public as well as her own.
At the Aug. 13 meeting, which I attended, once again the board majority practiced a double standard, breaching its own rules on civility, ethics and integrity in board proceedings.
Shockingly, board member James Kelly repeated the “racism” accusation he made after the July 23 meeting. Board members Wolff, Normandin and Vickers joined him, identifying the accused “racist” only as “a supporter of Dee Perry.”
I know a little about racism. The Japanese army occupied my island in WWII, beat my dad for not bowing to a Japanese officer. Yet, some Japanese secretly saved my people from genocide plan foiled by U.S. liberation.
Being profiled myself as Filipino and treated in a discriminatory way taught me real racism is race-based hatred expressed in word or act.
There was no racism at the July 23 meeting as alleged by Kelly. Shame on anyone who accuses others of racism to exploit or expiate white guilt out of political self-interest.
Kelly did not mention that under penalty of perjury, an ethnic Filipino auditor at the federally subsidized “private college” Kelly managed accused Kelly of firing him in retaliation for being a whistleblower. Kelly also was accused of discriminatory workplace racial profiling. The 2013 lawsuit was dismissed. Was it another abuse in academia covered up with cash in sealed settlement?
Was Kelly falsely accused? If so, how did he like it?
The board needs to apologize or give the accused a fair hearing.
It proves old island wisdom: “You can’t get your hands clean throwing mud at others.”
Lura Alokoa, Laguna Beach
