LA County Representatives, School
Officials, and Residents Unite at
Press Conference to Combat Hate
In the New School Year
 LA County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, Second District, speaks at the podium surrounded by local representatives, school officials, parents, students and the community on Thursday, August 8, 2024.
Los Angeles, CA – August 8, 2024 – The Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD) and the LA County Commission on Human Relations (Commission) called together elected and appointed leaders from the city, county, and state to a press conference on an elementary school campus where recent racial and homophobic hate crimes were discovered. As a new school year begins for many students in LA County, CCUSD Board Vice President Triston Ezidore was first among a group of community leaders to unite in speaking out against hate, all standing in front of a backdrop of “Unity through Language” and diverse anti-hate signs such as “Words Matter.” Speaker after speaker called upon schools and their communities to join in a countywide effort to prevent hate, to make use of anti-hate strategies, resources, and tools offered by Los Angeles County’s LA vs Hate initiative and its many community partners, which are offered to the public and all 80 school districts throughout Los Angeles County.
At a time of concerns about a potential sharp rise in hate with election campaign messaging and world events igniting passions across LA County, police responded to a report of vandalism at the El Marino Elementary School. Upon arrival, police discovered a broken classroom window and graffiti in several areas of the campus, including hate speech targeting the Black and LGBTQ+ communities. An investigation was launched, leading to the identification of two juvenile suspects who were arrested and later returned to their parent’s custody.
"Hate has no place in our schools, our community, or our society. Our youth are particularly vulnerable to adopting hateful ideologies, yet they experience the most adverse outcomes when exposed to hate. When every level of government unites with our community partners around a shared concern, there is no challenge that can't be overcome,” said Triston Eridore, Vice President of the Culver City School Board. “I’m grateful for the collaboration with Supervisor Mitchell, the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission, and our partners in the County Office of Education and the California Department of Education. Together, we are leveraging county and state resources to set a model for hate prevention and promote a culture of inclusion and acceptance in our schools."
El Marino Language School (K-6) is part of Culver City Unified School District, in LA County’s Second Supervisorial District, represented by LA County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, who spoke at today’s press conference, and shared:
“Hate is a learned behavior, and it starts at home. We have a shared responsibility to end all forms of hate by making it clear that it will not be tolerated in our homes, schools, or any facet of our community. I am proud to serve a diverse LA County; our strength comes from our diversity. Let us all stand with LA County’s LA vs. Hate initiative in reaffirming our commitment to ending hate every single day by using and sharing resources available at LAvsHate.org. No matter who you are, you have a fundamental right to be safe and welcomed in any part of LA County.”
Culver City’s Mayor, Yasmine-Imani McMorrin, believes today's action will provide students with a safer and more inclusive environment this school year. "Culver City will (and should) always be a safe place for individuals and families, and we will not tolerate hate speech, rhetoric, or any forms of intimidation about any group - especially at our schools. I am proud of our new partnership with the County Human Rights Commission, and other organizations, in launching critical initiatives like the "Words Matter Campaign". As Mayor, I have, and will always, stand up for all in our Culver City community and remind everyone that hate has no place here,” said Culver City Mayor Yasmine-Imani McMorrin.
LA County’s Commission on Human Relations leads the community-centered LA vs Hate program, and its anti-hate system has been established to track, prevent, and provide help for all acts of hate in the county. This press conference was a crucial step in making sure all schools in LA County know about LA vs Hate/211-LA’s resources and tools for hate prevention in schools and free, confidential, multi-lingual support for those who report hate acts of any kind against anyone in LA County by going to www.LAvsHate.org or simply calling 2-1-1. To access the LA vs Hate school toolkit, click here.
“This is an opportunity for schools, parents, community leaders across LA County to unite in solidarity to create a hate-prevention environment for all students returning to campus for the new school year,” said Robin Toma, Executive Director of LA County’s Commission on Human Relations, the lead agency for LA vs Hate. “Today’s event is an invitation from LA vs Hate to all schools to make use of our programs, strategies, resources and tools, to prevent hate from happening to others; and by all of us supporting one another, we can reverse the rise in hate and discrimination so that our wonderfully diverse communities feel a sense of belonging.”
According to Toma, LA vs Hate resources are available to individuals who report an incident to LAvsHate.org or by calling 2-1-1 include 1) services of a case manager; 2) referrals to needed healing interventions such as mental health, health, and advocacy services; and 3) assistance accessing civil and human rights legal remedies. And to learn about entertainment and sports celebrities like Alyssa Milano and Paul George who have joined LA vs Hate’s Unity Coalition, click here.
For more information and to report acts of hate and discrimination, visit LAvsHate.org.
About LA vs Hate
LA vs Hate is a community-centered system designed to support all residents of Los Angeles County. Led by the Human Relations Commission, LA vs Hate partners with community partners from all five County districts, representing a diverse coalition of voices committed to ending hate. The system aims to address the normalization of hate and inspire people to stand up to it, build understanding about what constitutes a hate act and how to report it, as well as support individuals and communities as they heal from the trauma of hate and work to end systemic discrimination. By tracking and reporting hate, we can ensure that resources are allocated appropriately, that those targeted by hate receive the support they need, and that together, we can build respectful and resilient communities in solidarity with one another.
For more information about LA vs Hate, click here.
About the LA County Commission on Human Relations
The Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations promotes positive human relations in our richly diverse, multicultural county throughout all five Supervisorial Districts. The Commission works to develop programs that proactively address racism, homophobia, religious prejudice, linguistic bias, anti-immigrant sentiment, and other divisive attitudes that can lead to intercultural tension, hate crimes, and related violence.
For more information about LA County’s Commission on Human Relations, click here.
For more information and to report acts of hate and discrimination, visit LAvsHate.org.
For more information on the most recent Hate Crime Report, click here.
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