With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
UTLA Suspends Support For LAUSD Board Candidate Following Revelations Over Social Media Activity
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:
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.
Sponsored message
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.
Trending on LAist
-
City Council members say they were surprised by the cost overrun. -
Federal prosecutors have dubbed the former Orange County leader a "Robin Hood in reverse" for his misdeeds. So how much will he have to pay back? -
One tenant thought he got a great deal — until his landlord raised his rent by almost 12%. -
The advice comes after a water outage caused by a faulty valve. -
The action, which a Border Patrol official called “Operation Trojan Horse,” comes after a federal appeals court upheld a restraining order halting indiscriminate sweeps in Southern California. -
Notably absent from those facing penalties during this era of stepped-up immigration enforcement are the employers themselves: LAist found just one instance since January in which an employer was penalized for hiring unauthorized workers.
Best of LAist
