LAUSD Superintendent Reacts To Employee's Controversial 'Occupy LA' Remarks
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — The "Occupy Wall Street" movement is now global with protests popping up in cities across the country and around the world, including here in the Southland. There were concerns Monday night from Jewish leaders that some of the protesters were expressing anti-Semitic messages. Witnesses say they've seen demonstrators carrying signs that read, "Jews Control Wall Street" and similar statements circulating online.
One local teacher has lost her job after making controversial comments against Jews while protesting.
"I think that the Zionist Jews that are running these big banks and the Federal Reserve, which is not run by the federal government, need to be run out of this country," said protester Patricia McAllister.
In response to McAllister's remarks, LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy released the following statement:
"As Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), I want to emphasize that we condemn the remarks made recently by Patricia McAllister. Her comments, made during non-work time at a recent protest rally, were her private opinions and were not made in the context of District services. At LAUSD, we recognize that the law is very protective of the freedom of speech rights of public employees when they are speaking as private citizens during non-working time. As a day-to-day substitute teacher, Ms. McAllister was an at-will employee. As of today, she is no longer an employee of the LAUSD. I further emphasize to our students, who watch us and look to us for guidance, to be role models and to represent the ideals by which LAUSD lives, that we will never stand for behavior that is disrespectful, intolerant or discriminatory."
