As Wilford Brimley once observed in
Absence of Malice “Wonderful thing, subpoenas.” Faced with lawsuits over its historically illiterate school renaming decisions, the San Francisco Unified School District board will vote to cancel the project entirely, the Associated Press reports this morning. The effort had already been “paused” after the school board got an avalanche of criticism over its “shoddy research,” and also the timing of the effort:
The renaming effort also was criticized for shoddy research and historical inaccuracies. A renaming advisory committee wrongly accused Paul Revere of seeking to colonize the Penobscot people. It also confused the name of Alamo Elementary School with the Texas battle rather than the Spanish word for “poplar tree.”
Among them were schools named for presidents Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, writer Robert Louis Stevenson and Revolutionary War hero Paul Revere. A school named for longtime California senator Dianne Feinstein was on the list as well.
Tuesdayâs 6-0 decision means that the school board is rescinding its vote from January and will revisit the matter after all students have returned full time to in-person learning. It sets no specific timetable.
The renaming debacle was one of several self-inflicted controversies the San Francisco school board faced during the pandemic, along with numerous lawsuits and public ridicule.
Parents, students and elected officials condemned the board for some of its targets, and its timing. The decision in late January came while all of San Franciscoâs public classrooms were closed because of coronavirus restrictions. They still are. Mayor London Breed, among others, called it âoffensive and completely unacceptable�
San Francisco school board suspends plan to rename schools
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JOCELYN GECKER, Associated Press
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1of3Abraham Lincoln High School is seen in San Francisco, on Jan. 27, 2021. The embattled San Francisco school board is poised to reverse a decision to rename 44 schools in an effort to avoid costly litigation and tone down national criticism. In a Tuesday, April 6, 2021, meeting, the board will vote on a resolution to rescind a controversial January decision to rename schools and revisit the matter after all students have returned full-time to in-person learning.Haven Daley/APShow MoreShow Less
2of3The main entry to George Washington High School is seen in San Francisco, on Jan. 27, 2021. The embattled San Francisco school board is poised to reverse a decision to rename 44 schools in an effort to avoid costly litigation and tone down national criticism. In a Tuesday, April 6, 2021, meeting, the board will vote on a resolution to rescind a cont
The board cited the need to avoid “distraction” and costly litigation but vowed to revive the school renaming process after in-person classes are available to all public school students.
The San Francisco Board of Education voted to rescind its prior decision to rename 44 public schools during a virtual meeting on April 6, 2021. (Screenshot)
SAN FRANCISCO (CN) The San Francisco school board on Tuesday rescinded its prior vote to rename 44 public schools as it faces litigation claiming it used a flawed and unfair process to push through the changes.
In a 6-0 vote, the board approved a resolution undoing its Jan. 26 decision to redub schools named after George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and others perceived to have played a role in slavery, genocide, colonial conquest and other forms of oppression.
San Francisco school board REVERSES its cancel culture decision to rename 44 schools that were named after historic figures including Lincoln, Washington and Jefferson
The city s Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to formally suspend its plan to strip the names of a third of San Francisco s public schools
Board said names honored figures linked to racism, sexism and other injustices
Among them were schools named for presidents Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and longtime Sen. Dianne Feinstein
The board now said it was reversing the vote to avoid frivolous litigation after being sued for violating the state’s open meeting law with its initial decision