SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER SCOLDED; RIORDAN SAYS REMARKS INFLAMMATORY.Byline: Deborah Sullivan Daily News Staff Writer Mayor Richard Riordan Richard J. Riordan (born May 1, 1930) is a Republican politician from California, U.S. who served as the California Secretary of Education from 2003–2005 and as Mayor of Los Angeles from 1993–2001. Riordan ran for Governor of California unsuccessfully in 2002. sharply criticized Los Angeles school The Los Angeles School of Urbanism is an academic movement emerged during the mid-1980s, loosely based at the University of Southern California and UCLA, that poses a challenge to the dominant Chicago School of Urbanism. board President Victoria Castro on Tuesday for remarks she made about controversial Burton Street Elementary School elementary school: see school. Principal Norman Bernstein. ``One of the members of the Los Angeles school board made some very inflammatory and indiscreet in·dis·creet adj. Lacking discretion; injudicious: an indiscreet remark. in statements,'' about the attack, Riordan said during a news conference at the Major Cities' Police Chiefs convention at Universal City. ``I think this individual has said too much,'' the mayor said. ``She should go home and wash her mouth out with soap.'' At the same time, Riordan questioned whether it was a hate crime and downplayed racial overtones of the case. ``We have to remember this was the work of a couple of thugs,'' he said. Castro was widely criticized after the attack for saying that some parents at Burton wanted ``a Latino principal based on previous conflicts they had had with the current principal. I do not think that is an unreasonable request.'' She has since called Bernstein to express hope that he recovers quickly and returns to school soon. Responding to Riordan, Castro said Riordan's comments flowed out of his effort to back a slate of candidates to oust oust tr.v. oust·ed, oust·ing, ousts 1. To eject from a position or place; force out: "the American Revolution, which ousted the English" Virginia S. Eifert. her and other board members and did nothing to ease tensions. ``I would expect the mayor of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. to take this seriously, offer other solutions to this goal, and stay out of childish child·ish adj. 1. Of, relating to, or suitable for a child or childhood: a high, childish voice; childish nightmares. 2. a. remarks,'' she said. ``If he believed that my going home to wash my mouth out with soap would be a solution to the situation, I would consider it. But I believe his comment to be demeaning de·mean 1 tr.v. de·meaned, de·mean·ing, de·means To conduct or behave (oneself) in a particular manner: demeaned themselves well in class. to the needs of Burton Avenue School.'' On Feb. 1, as Bernstein arrived on campus, two assailants knocked him unconscious. He told police one of the assailants called him ``white principal.'' Deputy Mayor Noelia Rodriguez said although police believe the crime itself may have been racially motivated, the incident does not reflect widespread animosity among parents or community members. ``While this is being investigated as a hate crime, appropriately so, the mayor doesn't believe there's a conspiracy in the community to oust this principal,'' Rodriguez said. Also, on Tuesday, Los Angeles County supervisors and the Los Angeles school board agreed to put up $25,000 each in rewards. |
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