by Garth Meyer
Parents addressing the Redondo Beach School board Tuesday night faulted the district’s pandemic policies on masks, vaccines and its curriculum related to race.
Joyce Lewis, the mother of four Redondo students, including two junior varsity lacrosse players, lamented that her children will be required to get vaccinations or be tested weekly for COVID-19.
She told the board of “13,000 deaths” caused by the vaccine, and said the test’s nasal swab can cause injury.
“I refuse to put my healthy daughters through this unhealthy process,” she said.
She asked for temperature checks instead.
“P.S., I am strongly opposed to implementing the divisive, critical race theory into our curriculum,” Lewis said.
The unidentified man who spoke next said the district is considering “‘Learning for Justice’ from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).
“SPLC is wildly political,” he said. “Who’s suggesting this curriculum? … We strongly disagree and we won’t have it.”
Braley Klatt went to the podium next.
She noted the SPLC suggestion, calling to abolish it, then mentioned the Derek Chauvin verdict.
“I am not against the district saying these things are happening. I am against having these discussions in the classroom,” she said.
Klatt stated that the response she gets (from the board) is that she is a lone voice. She said that is not the case, but many parents are too busy to come to board meetings. She asked for repercussions for teachers who “quote unquote go rogue.”
Farah Kreutz said the board was guilty of hypocrisy, pointing to video of their June 22 meeting when members did not wear masks for stretches of time.
“You don’t follow California rules,” she said.
Jeff Kreutz spoke next, saying he represents two dozen parents in a group called “Redondo Beach Parents for School Transparency.”
“We stand for equality…” he said. “We don’t want to be at odds with you.”
On the subject of teachers, he said, “If your students know your political affiliations, you have failed.”
After the three-minute buzzer went off, Board Member Rachel Silverman Nemeth, who presided over the meeting, asked if there was a motion to allow Kreutz more time to speak. None came.
“So we’re gonna glorify the wrecking ball,” Kreutz said, walking away.
Next at the microphone was Monique Grant and her husband. Both wore T-shirts that read; “You are being lied to.”
Monique Grant chided Silverman Nemeth directly.
“A lot of you boardmembers are liars. That’s what I’ve learned in three weeks,” she said.
Grant asked that a person be removed from the district race and equity committee, formed last September and led by Superintendent Steve Keller and RUHS Assistant Principal Marvin Brown.
Jeff Boles and his wife spoke, saying only .008 percent of children infected with the virus have died.
He said masks are not necessary for kids.
“Why are we punishing these children?” he asked.
Next, Sheila Garcia told the board they are not following the California Constitution.
“You are enforcing something that can’t be enforced,” she said. “… If you’re not a principled person, you should step down. I have a higher power, that is God.”
RUHS student Devin Feldman also spoke against the masks requirement, and teachers using class time to say why their use is important.
“You guys are making kids scared of seeing other kids’ faces,” he said. “You guys are bringing back bullying after all the bullying lessons.”
His mother Julie Feldman talked next.
She told the school board it had “bullied my child” for stopping Devin after the three-minute time limit.
She called for the district to build kids’ immune systems and that the mask policy is “all about politics” and the opportunity to “stuff your pockets.”
“You already have suicide on your hands from last year,” Feldman said. “… There is graphene oxide in this vaccine.”
After her comments, the board ultimately took a five-minute recess.
Christina Miller followed, saying she was the mother of two, and was diagnosed with cancer in 2018.
“We are a high-risk family. Masks make a difference. They save lives,” she said. “.008, I don’t want that to be my child! Please do what you can to safeguard our children. 600,000 people have died, it’s a simple mask, I don’t understand! Love one another! It saves lives.”
She called for expanding the indoor mask requirement to outdoors, along with random testing.
“Inside (masking) but not outside doesn’t make any sense,” she said.
Silverman Nemeth then asked for clarification about an insinuation that board members profited $800,000 from the pandemic regulations.
“What was that about?” she asked.
Listening for answers, she said, “You guys can’t follow the rules, I withdraw the question, let’s move on.”
Later in the meeting, Julie Feldman spoke once more, against the requirement for district staff to be (fully) vaccinated by Oct. 15.
She said the shots “block your natural immunity” and that HIPAA rules should apply, making vaccine status private medical information.
Later in the meeting, following the public comments, Silverman Nemeth noted that mask rules from the state have changed since the June 22 meeting and “there’s misinformation in what was said (overall).”
“Unless I’m left out, we’re not being paid. This is a volunteer position,” she said.
Another boardmember added that they get reimbursed for expenses.
“There’s a lot of expert organizations we listen to,” Boardmember Dan Elder said. He mentioned the American Academy of Pediatrics, and The Centers for Disease Control.
Boardmember David Witkin commented, “This was the first week of school, and it went really well, and it’s a happy thing.”
Boardmember Rolf Strutzenberg applauded the kids going through this, and parents taking on the responsibility to pre-screen children, saying that he recently contracted the virus and his kids were not permitted to start the school year in person because they are in quarantine.
Elder told the board he would be open to considering outdoor masking requirements.
“It would be worth discussing, if interested,” he said.
The Redondo Beach district has 19,000 parents.
In remarks the next day, Superintendent Keller commended the board meeting process.
“I thought the speakers were given their time and we respect their opinions,” he said. “We opened schools to 9,600 students with a focus on students, family and staff.” ER
