AnonymousBy Sally Jenkins
Last night I attended the Safety Forum held at San Marcos High School regarding the disturbing internet video that’s been discussed on edhat.
I have personally not seen the video, it’s not available anywhere I’ve looked. I’ve spoken to many parents who have seen the video and in summary, they have said it was posted on a type of internet chat room that featured a male student with an older gun with a bayonet, as well as neo-Nazi images. He’s apparently seen describing how he would target and assault/attack specific students, mostly females with some of the assault discussed being sexual in nature. There also appeared to a be a lot of other male students participating in the online discussion around these types of assaults and targets.
Again, I haven’t seen the video, but the other parents I’ve spoken with said it was very violent, misogynistic, targets minorities and people of color, and promotes a rape culture.
The Santa Barbara Unified School District Superintendent, Cary Matsuoka, was at the meeting and he apologized to everyone in the audience, mostly parents, for not notifying them in a timely manner and said he underestimated the impact of the video. We received a letter from the school, long after the video was being discussed, that said the threat was just made by a small group against a larger group of students. It involved students from San Marcos High, Dos Pueblos High, Santa Barbara High and La Colina Jr High.
Law enforcement was also there and talked about the search warrants they served and determined there was no immediate threat, but it’s still an active investigation and cannot give any more details.
Ultimately, this is a scary thing. After the 2014 tragedy and murder in Isla Vista, we cannot let this slide. Imagine what could have been avoided if law enforcement dug deeper into their investigation of Elliot Rodger? We simply cannot look this over as a “joke” or “boys being boys.”
The school board, educators, the district, and teachers need to do better. They failed parents and students in this incident, from what I can assume was an attempt to not have bad press or issues with parents. Students need to be held accountable and then educated on what is ok and what isn’t ok, that includes in person and online.
Step up Santa Barbara Unified School District, do better for our children and for our community.
Past Articles
- January 25, 2018 & February 1, 2018 – Search Warrants Served in Disturbing Internet Video
How does expulsion affect people of color differently? Sounds like some BS. Also, you are exactly right – why should the potential victims be endangered because they don’t want to adversely affect people of color? Who cares? If you threaten my kid, I don’t care what color you are, you need to go!
Leave it to PODER and other leftist nuts to make this somehow into a race issue!
They will be arrested for their criminal threats. This is a failure on the part of SBUSD. These boys need to spend some time in Las Prietos boys camp and when they get out they need to be at a different school, preferably in another county.
Some of the video can be found here:
http://www.keyt.com/news/santa-barbara-s-county/disturbing-video-threatening-several-santa-barbara-area-students-leaves-parents-shaken-up/690776746
Cary wants it both ways: He’s come to town with an inexperienced school board (only 1 member elected) that votes his way all the time. In his 19 months, he decided to shut down Open Alternative School, sent several dedicated, longtime employees packing (including the former public information person who NEVER would have allowed this mess to happen), and promoted the expenditure of $39 million for a football stadium while doing nothing to improve the miserable conditions in so many classrooms, scoffing that it doesn’t get hot enough for air conditioning. But now he wants understanding because he didn’t actually realize this community might have been traumatized by horrific violence because he’s only been here for 19 months. Really, who counts 19 months? It’s more than a year and a half. Plenty of time to do some research, but he seemed so surprised that Santa Barbara wasn’t the wealthy, perfect enclave he expected when he got here. What community wouldn’t be traumatized and up-in-arms by the contents of this video whether the events had happened in IV or not? He wants our understanding for his tone-deafness, slow response to addressing violent threats to actual students and overall poor leadership. He even managed to get himself a nice pay raise in those 19 months while he couldn’t be bothered learning about the community that pays him well over $300,000. Being a superintendent requires a lot more vision, and ability to connect with others and to embrace a community than he’s shown since he arrived on the scene.
Is superintendent Matsuoka really paid $300,000? That’s obscene.
Again, show me the video. So far, all I’ve heard is a bunch of vile, nasty words from people who have NOT seen it but whom are supposed to behave like rational adults. You’re talking about very young people who made a stupid mistake (with an antique musket) and who’s brains are far from developed,. Frankly, you people and your witch-hunt are far scarier than anything I’ve seen from any SMHS kids. Set down your torches before you cause irreparable injury.
First off, what all you “outraged” parents need to understand, is that you in in CALIFORNIA… where YOU, the voting idiots, like to tie the criminal justice system’s hands in a tight knot… The CA laws now protect ALL criminal juveniles like they are a protected class (like every other criminal in CA).
Law enforcement and the DA’s can’t and won’t prosecute juveniles UNTIL they actually do physical harm AND there is enough sufficient evidence to prosecute- Even then, it’s a wrap on the wrist with little to no consequence(s)… So you see, this is the result you get when you live in an Uber-liberal State with voters, legislators and our esteemed Moon Beam Governor Brown… So get over your cryin’ ’cause YOU are responsible for our current lack-luster laws and weak justice system.
Sorry if the facts / truth are not something you’d like to hear or face, but the fact is that laws have changed in CA and they are not in favor of victims of crime- All due to how the voting public passed laws submitted by their “representatives”… Ask anyone in Law enforcement or the DA’s office if you think I’m exaggerating …
Transparent California doesn’t have the most recent information, but when Cary was hired, it was widely reported that he was awarded a salary of $260, 164, the same as Dr. Cash. Dr. Cash’s base salary in 2015 was $253,800, with benefits bumping it up to $316,918. (it’s now reported as less because he’s retired.) So, yes, he does make that much. It’s shocking how much they get paid.
“COASTWATCH” is vile right wing trash and illustrates how delusional and dishonest such swine are.
“Again, I haven’t seen the video, but the other parents I’ve spoken with said it was very violent, misogynistic, targets minorities and people of color, and promotes a rape culture. ”
All things that Ducky approves of.
Step up, SB Unified School District? Grand Jury time. Outside review is needed. Don’t ask the people who are making serious mistakes to suddenly understand right from very very wrong. Fire the superintendent. A good start. He apologized, with his attorney sitting next to him. He needs protection, but the girls don’t measure up for protection?
It’s appalling that they didn’t notify the parents sooner. What if one of these idiots acted on this video? We saw what happened with Elliot Rodgers….
When asked whether the offenders would be removed from San Marcos; Superintendent Matsuoka replied “the State of California is moving away from the trend of expulsion because such policies had adverse effects on people of color”. Seriously? What about the adverse affect on students of all colors who have to share classrooms with these spooks? Don’t they matter? The kids who have done nothing wrong have to live in fear wondering if some crazy is going to pull out a bayonet. My daughter has been traumatized by this incident but it appears that her adverse experience does not matter to Cary Matsuoka. All he is offering is an assurance that he will inform us parents a bit sooner next time our kids are threatened with a violent hate crime. Thanks Cary.
The school knew about the video on a Thursday then waited six days to inform parents about it.
I am a San Marcos parent and know that to be the true timeframe. Indeed the school admits it took them six days to address this issue. I think that was far too long to sit on this event hoping it would just go away.
“$300K is not such a large salary in this day”……. really? Maybe not if you’re a billionaire, but remember, there are many of us “lowly” residents not even making a third of this salary. Try not to forget your audience.
Using Elliot Rodger as an example to criticize the Sheriffs department is weak. I don’t know anything about this current situation, but regarding the IV incident…the Sheriffs did everything they legally could. Until laws are changed regarding gun control, there was nothing that could have changed that outcome and so to blame the Sheriffs department is either being naive of the facts or purposefully dishonest.