Education

UTLA Suspends Support For LAUSD Board Candidate Following Revelations Over Social Media Activity

By Ross Brenneman and Mariana Dale

Published Feb 23, 2024 9:57 AM

A yellow school bus on the street in front of a brick school. Two students can be seen on the sidewalk, one on a skateboard and the other on a scooter.

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Topline:

Los Angeles Unified School District's influential teachers union will no longer spend money in support of its preferred candidate for Board District 1, after reports surfaced this week about that candidate's social media history, including an endorsement of antisemitic content. UTLA has also taken steps toward rescinding its endorsement, a process that may not be finished until just before the primary.

Who is the candidate? Kahllid Al-Alim, a longtime community organizer, janitor, and LAUSD parent, is running against six other candidates to represent Board District 1.

What's the controversy? Screenshots have been circulating on social media over the past week of previous comments and "likes" by Al-Alim on X (formerly Twitter). Among them: An endorsement of a book by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan that plays into antisemitic tropes about money and power; its scholarship has been debunked. Those screenshots prompted outrage among many of UTLA's rank-and-file members.

The fallout: Al-Alim apologized this week for his posts about the Farrakhan book and for liking “graphic content.” But on Thursday morning, Al-Alim’s campaign Facebook page posted a statement alleging that “attacks” on his campaign were coordinated by people trying to privatize schools. LAist has asked the candidate to explain these claims.

UTLA's statement: “Upon becoming aware of the offensive and anti-Semitic content on Kahllid Al-Alim’s social media pages, UTLA called an emergency meeting of its Board of Directors. The Board of Directors has now voted to immediately suspend any campaign activities in Board District 1 — pending a final decision — while expediting member discussion over Al-Alim’s endorsement in accordance with the union’s internal democratic process. The next steps involve UTLA’s multiple governing bodies, with the final voting body meeting Monday, March 4."

But he could still win? Outside groups affiliated with teachers unions have spent more than $650,000 in support of Al-Alim’s campaign — the most money spent on a candidate in that race by far. If Al-Alim nets a majority of the vote from the March 5 primary, there will not be a runoff.

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