Antioch Police Chief Allan Cantando issued an open letter to the community Thursday afternoon asking several questions to the Pittsburg Unified School District regarding a anti-Donald Trump rally.
Here is a copy of his letter.
Message from Chief Cantando:
Many of you have inundated our department with inquiry regarding the incident on Century Blvd. , Sycamore Dr., and in front of Antioch High School regarding student protestors in our city. Your observations were correct. Today, at approximately 10:00 AM students from Pittsburg High School and Black Diamond High School (in Pittsburg) marched to the City of Antioch and blocked traffic, knocked over garbage cans, assaulted one of our police officers, and trespassed at Antioch High School trying to incite Antioch High School students who were in class. As a result, three Pittsburg students were arrested.
The actions of these students caused the Antioch Unified School District (AUSD) to respond by locking down Antioch High School, Antioch Middle School, Live Oak High School, and Fremont Elementary School. During this incident, these students were accompanied by Pittsburg High School Principal, Todd Whitmire. We are still confirming, but there is some indication that this incident began as a rally at Pittsburg High School.
This incident tied up 15 Antioch Police Officers for approximately 2 hours.
During this incident I was in direct contact with AUSD Superintendent, Stephanie Anello, who immediately took a leadership role in assisting our department. During my conversation with Anello, I requested she contact Pittsburg Unified School District (PUSD) Superintendent Schulze to send an automated message to the Pittsburg students’ parents indicating that their children were off campus, out of the city of Pittsburg, and involved in a protest in Antioch. Approximately two hours later, the following statement was issued by Pittsburg Unified School District Superintendent, Janet Schulze:
“This Presidential election has been especially emotional. In dealing with differences and moving forward, we have to respect feelings and work in community. Today some of our high school students, like many across the Bay Area and country, organized, via social media, a peaceful protest and walk-out to protest the Presidential election.
The District always prefers to have all students in class, however, we do understand some students are passionate about the recent election.
Our staff and Pittsburg Police Department followed procedures to insure their safety, which is always a top priority. Some of the students returned to the high school and a group of approximately 200 students headed towards Antioch High School. The District informed Antioch High School and sent busses to pick up students outside Antioch High School.
Unfortunately, a small number of the students were unresponsive to directives to return to school and get on the bus. Another group of students decided to walk back to the high school. Those situations will be managed on an individual basis and students will receive appropriate consequences for their behaviors.
At this time, students have returned to school. We appreciate the professionalism and cooperation of the Antioch High School staff and the Antioch Police Department in working with us and the Pittsburg Police Department to insure all students remain safe.”
Although I appreciate the comments made by PUSD Superintendent Schulze, the statement is extremely brief and does not adequately portray the incident. This incident raises serious concerns as it impacted the police services to our Antioch citizens as well as to the Pittsburg Citizens. Because of the impact to the City of Antioch, I will be attending the next PUSD board to ask several questions including:
1. Was there a school or district sanctioned Anti-Trump rally?
2. Did school or district staff encourage the protest?
3. Was school staff aware the students planned on leaving the campus?
4. Were parents aware that their students would be participating in the rally?
5. When students left the campus, were they supervised? If so, by whom?
6. What is the district policy regarding student to staff supervision ratios during off-campus activities?
7. When the students left the campus, when and how were parents informed?
8. If the students were supervised, will the district take disciplinary action against the students who committed criminal acts?
9. What was the schools plan or policy to deal with a child who may be injured during an off campus protest should it occur?
Lastly, I am extremely proud of our officers, AUSD staff, AUSD students, Pittsburg Police Department, and the citizens who patiently waited for us to respond to their calls for service.
Chief Allan Cantando
12 comments
I’m not a Trump (or Clinton) supporter, and I understand their anger. But the protests aren’t peaceful. Protests rarely are.
Antioch police chief is a pussy!!! Trump voting cunt!!! This is America freedom of expression, your bullshit questions are dumb worry about real crime
High School kids cant vote, why? because most are too young and uninformed to know anything about real life politics or issues. Trump was selected by a democratic process. He won electoral and is projected to win the popular vote when it’s all counted. Fire this principal, if I was a parent I would sue the school district. Also tax payers pay for these kids to stay in school. This is unacceptable and I will be contacting parents to direct them to the right attorneys to file a class action lawsuit.
your law suit has no legs
Amendment 1 – Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Actually kids under 18 dont have right to walk out of class during school to do this. Its a danger to them and public so law suit can proceed and will. And they destroyed property and attacked police. It wasnt peacful and these are children with no idea what is actually happening except a free pass to leave school. Try again
Do you have the right to walk out of work, then the kids can walk out of school it is their right. The Bill of rights protects all regardless of age, race, religion, or creed.
Malcom x led controlled and calm walks…
I don’t think pittsburg should be targeted for reimbursement, but the ones leading this protest.
“This presidential election has been especially emotional.” Oh Really?! That is psychobabble by our educators making excuses for unruly students. It is time to control the unruly and stop allowing them to do everything they “feel” they want to. Give the rest of the law abiding world a break!
The Pittsburgh principal should at least be reprimanded for his poor judgment in supporting that protest. Instead he should have explained to the students that they should respect our political process if they still wanted to protest they could have done so on campus at a specified time so as not to disrupt other students that wanted to gain and education. The Antioch principal should be commended for not allowing their students to run amok. Also High Praise should go to the Antioch Police Department for their measured response to this problem
Students should be taught how to think–not what to group think!
Lets not forget that Todd encouraged them to chant Fuck Trump as well. A real class act.
Nancy and some others have it right. Those were not Pitt High students. They may be enrolled there but for many that is the limit of their academic engagement. If the protest was not school sanctioned, the principal had no business going off campus with them. When he left campus with them (for whatever reason), that provided the semblance of administrative approval.
To: Pittsburg High School Principal, Todd Whitmire. Your students don’t score well.
College Readiness? Mathematics Proficiency? English Proficiency?
… http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/california/districts
… http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/california/rankings
If your students can’t rank well for Reading, Writing & Arithmetic?
– how will they do in the real world?
– & how in the heck can you place them in situations which require higher thinking?
Looks to me like you have used your position to enforce your own personal belief system. All while you have failed to teach the basics. College Readiness / Mathematics Proficiency & English Proficiency.
How you keep your position and not be fired is beyond my comprehension.
Oh wait. Is it because the parents have not analyzed your actions while our country is Hacked & Hijacked?
Or, is it because people are overwhelmed with information & while the economy is tanking, jobs are lost & and politicians sell out all out.
Perhaps parents should be at your office + the county board of supervisors & in every meeting in the Sacramento capital protesting issues which are deleting the American Dream. And at the same time guiding our children away from The America Dream.
Todd Witmire: Do you even care if America is Hacked & Hijacked?
http://www.facebook.com/notes/ca-jeffo/1145425075488406
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