The strongest attack on de la Torre came from Rey Frutos, also a district employee. He called for her resignation at a previous meeting and repeated that demand at this meeting. He said the board had managed to bring down all that is good for the district. ?Mrs. Ofelia de la Torre has done most of the damage herself,? Frutos told the trustees. ?And, somehow she has managed to poison the rest of the board.?He also questioned why trustee Tony Perez is looking at the Santa Paula community as two communities. ?I am a third generation Santa Paulan and I disagree with both de la Torre and Perez. I can only speculate that most of this comes from the Latino Town Hall.? Frutos added that one had to be blind and stupid not to see what is going on.De la Torre had reportedly labeled Frutos a disgruntled employee after earlier charges against her. ?Once again,? Frutos told de la Torre, ?please step down as trustee of the Santa Paula Elementary School District. This would be the first step in healing the cancer that began to grow when you took office.?Robert Borrego, a life-long Santa Paula resident and friend of de la Torre, came to her defense. He said he was tired of the attacks. ?I?ve known her all my life to be a decent, hardworking woman,? he said. Borrego said he and de la Torre, who have suffered discrimination, would be the last people on earth to discriminate against anyone. He said the de la Torre is on the board to serve the children of the district. ?And, anyone who thinks differently has got it all wrong.? Borrego noted that superintendents come and go, but the children are always here. ?It?s up to all of us in the community to help them.?Frieda Goldstein-Friend, Director of Special Education, was obviously disappointed with the direction the meeting had taken. She reminded everyone that 6,000 people from many communities died on September 11. ?We have spent an hour and 15 minutes of our very precious time accomplishing absolutely nothing,? she told the board. ?I am really concerned that we?re taking this forum to solve adult conflicts. I would encourage all of us to be more mature as we solve our adult conflicts in another manner.?
Elementary School District Board member criticized and defended
October 17, 2001
Santa Paula News
The monthly meeting of the Santa Paula Elementary School District Board of Trustees started out on a positive note, but deteriorated from that point.
Brian D. WilsonSanta Paula TimesThe monthly meeting of the Santa Paula Elementary School District Board of Trustees started out on a positive note, but deteriorated from that point.Trustee Ofelia de la Torre was criticized by two speakers for her comments at a June special board meeting. What she said at that meeting has been taken by some to mean that she was accussing the district of being racist.Local marriage and family counselor Elsa Campbell addressed the board early on at this week?s meeting, calling on the trustees and everyone to preserve and live up to the idealism of our founding fathers. ?Secondly,? she said, ?each of us must dedicate ourselves to civility and respect as we solve our social and civil problems.? She called on the board and community to quit complaining and pointing fingers. ?It takes more effort and thought to work toward positive solutions.? She concluded by saying, ?We must inspire our youth that freedom is precious and show them positive ways of working together.?Campbell?s remarks were applauded as she left the boardroom. It wasn?t long after that that the fireworks started. Elizabeth McClure, who called herself a monolingual employee of the school district, said she found de la Torre?s remarks from the earlier meeting an embarrassment.
