With a blazing heat building fast around School District administrators to respond – publicly, candidly – about the evident rapes of a now former girl student at Culver City High School 13 months ago, at mid-afternoon, through the District’s PR arm, Supt. Dave LaRose issued a 295-word statement.
Placed on a precise scale, his numerous words weighed nothing.
The room, dark when he entered, remained empty as long as he stood there.
The valueless statement could not have reassured a single parent that the high school campus is remotely safer this afternoon – for girls – than it was when the charged assaults occurred.
After reading the words of Mr. LaRose, the mother of two Culver High graduates reacted – candidly and publicly said:
“If my kids still were in the schools, I would not find this memo reassuring. It says nothing about what actions the school takes on a regular basis to ensure things such as are alleged can’t or won’t occur. What is in place to prevent a recurrence? Perhaps at the directions of the District’s attorneys, they are not going to say anything. I would have expected more to make the parents feel better about their kids’ safety.”
Mr. LaRose appears to acknowledge that the “no comment” school people traditionally – and so safely — issue when confronted with a crisis is unsatisfactory.
Then he goes on to say “no comment” in hollowed words that created a drafty vacuum.
“I am not a public relations advisor,” a middle-aged downtown attorney told the newspaper this afternoon.
“But I believe the superintendent may be constrained from commenting, not by law, but by the School District’s attorneys. You don’t want someone in a position of authority making statements that may come back and bite you in a lawsuit.”
Question: Could the superintendent say, for example, “these are the changes we have made since the incidents.” Could he have said this harmlessly?
“Not necessarily,” replied the lawyer. “If you say ‘I have done this, this and this since the incident,’ that raises the issue of ‘why now?’ What did you know and when did you know it?
“There are legitimate reasons,” she said, “why I would not want statements by my client appearing in print.”
With that, here is Mr. LaRose’s comment:
“I am writing with an important message regarding the recently filed lawsuit against CCUSD that has been noted throughout various media outlets.
“Let me open my comments with this heartfelt declaration –student safety is our top priority. Any action that could physically or emotionally harm a student is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in CCUSD.
“As you know, the law requires that we protect students’ rights and confidentiality. We agree that in circumstances such as this that ‘no comment’ is an unsatisfactory response. However, we cannot divulge details associated with this case, and we appreciate your understanding of how difficult it is to be limited in what we say.
“Daily, we guide and encourage our students as they grow, and intervene appropriately when poor decisions are made. These decisions can range from missing assignments to harmful and illegal activity. We believe it is critical to respond immediately and hold individuals accountable for their actions.
“In cases where criminal activity is alleged, we immediately engage law enforcement. This was the case when the alleged incident that is the subject of the lawsuit was reported to our District.
“An immediate and collaborative response followed that led to a range of responsive actions by the District as well as legal consequences. The District addressed this situation more than a year ago, and this matter is now before the courts.
“We consider it a great privilege and awesome responsibility to care for, teach and protect our students.
“We believe your trust in us is essential. We rely on your confidence in our ability to serve, protect, encourage and educate your child, all children.
“As always, thank you for your support and deep commitment to the safety and success of our students, our schools, and our entire District.
