One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
Teachers Union Officially Revokes Endorsement Of LAUSD Candidate
A Los Angeles Unified School District bus arrives to James Monroe High School on the first day of the fall semester on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023.
(
Ashley Balderrama
/
for LAist
)
Topline:
The union representing 35,000 Los Angeles Unified educators voted Monday night to withdraw its endorsement for Board District 1 candidate Kahllid Al-Alim. Al-Alim apologized in February for antisemitic social media activity.
The backstory: Al-Alim is a longtime community organizer and L.A. parent. In February, users of X, formerly known as Twitter, began sharing screenshots showing Al-Alim liking and sharing antisemitic posts. In one, Al-Alim writes that a book that promotes debunked, antisemitic ideas about the relationships between the Black and Jewish communities should be mandatory reading for students. Al-Alim apologized and said he would seek trainings about countering antisemitism.
Why now: UTLA suspended its campaign for Al-Alim about a week after Al-Alim’s prior social media activity resurfaced. The decision to un-endorse Al-Alim, like the original decision to support his candidacy, came after several groups of union educators met and voted. The union’s 250-member House of Representatives finalized the decision Monday night.
Who else can I vote for? Al-Alim is one of seven candidates running to represent the Mid-City and South L.A. communities of Board District 1. If no candidate wins the majority of the vote in the primary, there will be a runoff between the top two candidates in November.
Losing a powerful partner: Teachers Unions Often Pick Winning School Board Candidates. Will This LAUSD Election Be Different?
Trending on LAist
-
L.A. parking rules are confusing (and enraging). This guide will help. -
The debate around student loan repayment often focuses on individual responsibility, but federal and state policy play a huge role in student debt. -
Dead ends and delays plagued Kevin Kwong’s search for a diagnosis. -
Featured in countless true crime stories, the downtown L.A. hotel has had a rough start in getting tenants into the building. -
We all know LAX is a necessary evil — but here’s your guide to the airport’s hacks. -
To state the obvious: California has a water problem. But experts say conservation alone can’t solve our water woes. Should recycled sewage water play a bigger role?
Best of LAist
