Amidst 'abusive insults' at Saticoy Elementary, LAPD chief is proud of police professionalism

A North Hollywood elementary school planned Pride Month assembly brought out protestors from two dissenting sides Friday morning, and as the hours passed, tensions rose to a physical altercation.

The controversy began at Saticoy Elementary School just over a week ago when an LGBTQ+ flag in a planter pot was burned and the controversy continued at the school as a planned campus assembly for Pride Month Friday drew out protestors.

Some parents at the school objected to the Pride Month assembly for their children, specifically a book being read during the assembly which talked about nontraditional families.

A parent-led group, wearing white shirts that read "Leave our Kids Alone," faced off with LGBTQ+ activists outside the school, holding "Love not Bigotry" signs and waving Pride flags.

Police presence was heavy throughout the morning and into the afternoon, where police literally formed a line, standing between the two sides. The day after the protest, LAPD Chief Michel Moore praised police professionalism at the protest, saying in a tweet,  "Our people worked effectively alongside our LAUSD PD partners in providing for the safety of all involved. I'm proud of their professionalism in the face of abusive insults & challenging circumstances."

One man wearing a white "Leave Our Kids Alone" T-shirt shouted through a megaphone, "We don't want any type of violence, we want to protest."  

Another parent made it clear they don't have anything against the LGBTQ community. "What we want is for the schools to let that choice, that conversation, leave that to the parents," she said. 

While the morning-long protest was tense, it was reported that there was some pushing and shoving, by the afternoon, tensions boiled over to a physical fight.

One person received minor injuries and declined transport or treatment. It is not confirmed yet if there were any arrests.

"I tell them right now, you don't have a child here. You can't say what my child should learn or not. If the parent who has a child here comes and says hey I feel offended, then I can talk to him. But they're here to provoke us," said Manuk Grigoryan, parent.

The LAUSD Superintendent made it clear that the book in question being read at the Pride Month assembly was approved by the district and families were able to opt out of the assembly if they didn't want their child to go.

"There's a misrepresentation of what's happening here today. There is an assembly and the reading of books. All of the books approved by the state of California as being age appropriate for the students," said Alberto Carvalho, LAUSD Superintendent.

Assembly supporter Lissette Franco said she read the book in question. "I saw it on YouTube. It was very educational, it doesn't tell you particularly about LGBTQ, it tells you about everything, different cultures, different backgrounds, houses, you know it's just that little pinpoint that says there's two moms sometimes and there are two dads sometimes in households," said Franco.