March 16, 1999MOTION BY SUPERVISORS ZEV YAROSLAVSKY AND GLORIA MOLINA
The Burton Street Elementary School incident, and the public controversy it has generated, demonstrates the volatility of intergroup tensions at our schools. Although the great majority of interactions among the diverse people and communities of the County take place in a positive way without incident or controversy, it cannot be denied that there are also a large number of situations where there is conflict in our schools. Rapidly changing demographics have brought together different cultures and languages in our schools and communities, setting the stage for interracial and inter-ethnic tensions that can be easily ignited by misunderstandings or public policy disputes.
Los Angeles County has a fundamental interest in assuring a safe and nurturing educational environment for our children. Our schools need to engage in preventive planning and to identify where we might be vulnerable to intergroup conflict. They also need quick response systems to contain and extinguish the flames of intergroup violence when it occurs.
The County’s Human Relations Commission can assist schools in improving their intergroup conflict response capacity. School staff and administration can develop crisis response teams which are trained to quickly contain a conflict, and move efficiently and effectively towards a process of resolution. The Commission can also provide schools access to the full range of conflict management resources at its disposal. Most importantly, the Commission can help schools by proactively identifying areas of tension, and taking action to prevent it from erupting into elevated levels of conflict and violence.
I, THEREFORE MOVE THAT THE BOARD:
1. Direct the Human Relations Commission to continue their participation at Burton Street Elementary and to return to the Board in 30 days with a follow-up report.
2. Instruct the Human Relations Commission to develop a proposal for the creation of a system for anticipating and identifying potential intergroup conflicts, and for quick response to intergroup conflicts at Burton Street Elementary School and any other schools in Los Angeles County which are deemed by the Commission to be "at risk" for violent intergroup conflict. The proposal should examine the Burton School Street School as a case study and determine how the proposed program could have been utilized in this case. These Intergroup Crisis Response Systems could include, but would not be limited to:
- An assessment of the capacity and preparedness of schools to identify and anticipate intergroup violence before it occurs;
- An analysis of the schools’ capacity to quickly and effectively respond to intergroup conflict when it does occur;
- A survey of the human relations/conflict resolution curriculum in place for students, staff and parents;
- "Intergroup Crisis Response" training and assistance to L.A. County schools at risk for intergroup conflict;
- The development of crisis response teams within school and their districts;
- Making available all our relevant resource materials which would support these efforts; and
- Creating a plan for technical assistance to schools, including access to a range of conflict management skills and resources.
3. Send a five signature letter to the State Auditor supporting Senator Richard Alarcon’s request for an audit on how state schools resolve ethnic conflicts.
4. Direct the Chief Administrative Office to sponsor or support state legislation that would provide more funding for intergroup conflict resolution and training at schools.
5. Direct the Human Relations Commission to work with law enforcement agencies to establish processes regarding all aspects of hate crime reporting and investigations, including definitions and standards for reporting findings to the public. This report shall be submitted to the Board within 60 days.
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