Contact: Carlos Montes: 213-712-0370
Rosalía Herrera: 213-258-7503
Lydia Ordoñez: 213-618-0460

June 21, 2009

MEDIA ADVISORY

Principal Threatens Students, Mothers Demand Apology & Diplomas for Children

What:   Press Conference
When:   Monday, June 22, 2009, at 9:30 AM.
Where: Liechty Middle School front entrance
650 South Union Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90017, off Wilshire Blvd.

Mothers from Liechty Middle School will hold press conference to express their outrage and support their children. The school Mothers will demand an apology and their children's diplomas. Their outrage is directed at school principal Jeanette Stevens who threatened and withheld the students diplomas.  

The students turned their backs on graduation speaker Monica Garcia, LAUSD Board President, to express their displeasure to teacher layoffs and cutbacks.

The Mothers will demand to meet with Jeanette Stevens, principal at 8:30 AM to express their anger for the humiliation given to their children. The delegation of Mother will demand an apology and their children's diplomas. The students had completed all their graduation requirements and were within their free speech protected rights.

Liechty Middle School is the victim of large teachers layoffs, and the student and parents have been active participants in the campaign to save their teachers and against the school cutbacks. The local community actively supported the recent Teacher Hunger Strike.