By Grahame Fraser
To Culver City High School administrators, superintendent, School Board and members of our City Council:
Greetings,
I am a resident of Culver City, Braddock Drive. My backyard is up against the High School parking lot.
This past week I was home from work playing with my kids in the backyard about mid-day and was disappointed that a group of students was having a small party around their car.
Marijuana smoke was evident.
Music was blaring quite loudly.
And the lyrics were X-rated. As the parent of 1- and 3-year-olds, it is disappointing I can't take my kids out to play their own backyard without being subjected to that.
This isn't the first time it has happened. I thought about writing then, but let it slide. You might even say I should have expected something of that nature when I moved in.
But I had been told that was the faculty parking lot and not the student lot (that's on my realtor, of course, and not you).
Then I read yesterday's horrifying and depressing news about the student who was repeatedly raped over a year ago in the high school parking lot.
That means that in over a year Culver City High School and the School District have not added any security or oversight to that student parking lot.
That is a shocking and shameful dereliction of your duty to keep our kids and students safe.
There is clearly no security posted and watching over what happens in that parking lot.
My own experiences tell me that. But given what horrible events transpired in that parking lot in December 2013, well, “disappointing” isn't a strong enough word obviously.
My kids aren't yet old enough to be in Culver City schools. But I care about the kids who are there. And I am sure you do, too.
I would like my kids to be able to play in their backyard without pot smoke and an endless string of loudly amplified profanity. Even more importantly, the kids of that high school themselves are at risk in that parking lot as well and need to be protected.
I would be interested to hear what steps you are taking to improve this situation.
I certainly don't want to take advantage of the press coverage this situation is getting. I am sure you are all very busy with the breaking news today.
It made me very sad as a citizen of Culver City who moved here for the schools and for my kids.
I recognize these tragedies can happen anywhere.
But not learning from it and taking measures to prevent it in the future is unforgivable.
Mr. Fraser may be contacted at grahamefraser@yahoo.com
