August 21, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Information:
Reform AUSD
reformAUSD@gmail.com
ALHAMBRA UNIFIED RETALIATES AGAINST AWARD-WINNING TEACHERS, INCREASES
COMMUNITY OUTRAGE
San Gabriel, California - August 21, 2015
Summer has ended, and the students are coming. Due to the Alhambra Unified School Districts (AUSD)
attempts to silence the voices of students after the district violated students First Amendment rights this
summer, community members will be speaking out at the next school board meeting on August 25 at 6:00
p.m. at the AUSD offices located at 1515 West Mission Road, Alhambra, CA 91803. Speakers will include
representatives from the Student Press Law Center (pending confirmation), alumni, and members of the
San Gabriel High School Speech & Debate team and journalists from The Matador who are upset that
their programs are declining due to the districts actions this summer.
Recently, Jennifer Kim, an award-winning media adviser and former PBS producer, was put on
administrative leave indefinitely. The events leading up to this include the districts censorship of San
Gabriel High Schools award-winning newspaper, The Matador, unaddressed threats of arrest towards
students planning a peaceful protest, the threat of a lawsuit against the district from the American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU), and retaliation against the yearbook, El Camino Real, staff as they tried to get
paperwork approved for their annual yearbook camp field trip.
The Matador Online <thematadorsghs.com>, San Gabriel High Schools newspaper website, recently
earned an All-American rating, the highest achievement for a high school publication website, from the
National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) for their summer news coverage regarding the Alhambra
Unified School District.
The San Gabriel newspaper and yearbook staffs are currently without a permanent adviser, and Kim is
not allowed to speak to current students or to be on campus. Speech & Debate, The Matador, and El
Camino Real were forced to relocate on campus, and they have had a very slow start to the school year.
After Speech & Debate coach Andrew Nguyen, who coached a state champion, was dismissed without
reason, San Gabriel High has taken away his students practice rooms, putting over 60 students into one
classroom across campus.
Students, alumni, and community members are outraged and confused.
The AUSD community is a majority minority community comprised of Hispanics and Asians; most
students in the district receive reduced price or free lunch and are the first generation in their families to
attend college. Schools in AUSD receive Title 1 funding.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The situation began on May 22 when first-year English teacher and award-winning Speech & Debate
coach Andrew Nguyen was notified that his teaching contract would not be renewed for the following year.
When students sought a reason for his dismissal from Principal Jim Schofield and AUSD, both claimed
that they could not discuss personnel matters in the interests of Nguyens privacy despite Nguyens
written statement allowing all interested parties to discuss whatever they feel is appropriate about [his]
time at San Gabriel High.
The issue gained traction when Schofield attempted to censor The Matadors coverage of Nguyens
dismissal and students were threatened with arrest upon planning a peaceful protest on the day of
graduation. In light of these First Amendment violations, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
threatened AUSD with a lawsuit. In response, the district supposedly conducted an investigation, which
claimed that the censorship was not intentional and that they had never instructed Roz Collier from the
Alhambra Teachers Association (ATA) to inform Nguyen that the students could be arrested. On June 30,
the board announce that Nguyen would not be rehired and reiterated that personnel matters cannot be
discussed.
Later, a private meeting by invitation only with the district attorney, Jay Fernow from Fagen Friedman &
Fulfrost, was held for current students and staff regarding Employee Law. Recording and photography
were prohibited at this meeting, and security guards flanked the doors as administrators checked ID
cards. Many attendees left with unsatisfactory answers.
In light of the districts actions, students protested at the district office with hero Transparency Man on
June 23 and June 30. They have been speaking out at every school board meeting this summer and will
continue to do so until either the board is removed or the district takes drastic action.
LAist (Most comprehensive article thus far)
http://laist.com/2015/08/18/sghs_matador_censorship.php
Pasadena Star News
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/article/20150816/NEWS/150819655
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/social-affairs/20150726/documents-show-alhambra-unified-schooldistrict-administrator-violated-state-law-censored-student-media
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/article/20150701/LOCAL1/150709977
The Matador Online
http://thematadorsghs.com/
Petition: Rehire Andrew Nguyen and Restore Transparency to AUSD!
http://thewire.k12newsnetwork.com/2015/07/11/re-hire-andrew-nguyen-and-restore-transparency-to-ausd/
Go Fund Me
http://www.gofundme.com/helpmrnguyen
END