An unprecedented, class action lawsuit against the Compton Unified School District could have a big impact on schools across the country. Also, what would happen if Los Angeles police only pulled people over for imminently dangerous road behaviors? Then, at the next stop of its #AT30 tour, AirTalk discusses "Authenticity and gentrification: The future of identity in Santa Ana and beyond." at the Discovery Cube in Santa Ana.
Lawsuit against Compton Unified School District poses question: Can trauma be a disability?
(Files from NPR) - The defendants may be one Southern California school district and its top officials, but an unprecedented, class action lawsuit could have a big impact on schools across the country.
Thursday in Los Angeles, a U.S. District Court judge will preside over the first hearing in the suit against the Compton Unified School District alleging that CUSD didn’t provide adequate support to students who had experienced severe trauma, and often reacted by punishing instead of helping.
For more on the story and to read the full complaint, click HERE.
Guests:
Susan Ko, co-managing director at the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress and a clinical psychologist
Kelly Vaillancourt Strobach, a school psychologist and director of government relations for the National Association of School Psychologists based in Maryland
The case for stopping traffic stops
What would happen of Los Angeles police only pulled people over for imminently dangerous road behaviors?
Presumably there would a whole lot fewer traffic stops, like for driving slightly over the speed limit or failing to signal a lane change.
In fact, UC Berkeley law professor Christopher Kutz posits that curtailing the number of traffic stops for minor infractions would decrease the number of stops motivated by racial profiling. Furthermore, he says, fewer traffic stops could mean safer roads. He cites countries known for having aggressive driving cultures like Spain, England and France, which have 40%-60% of the U.S.’s fatality rate, despite traffic stops being made 20% to 30% as frequently. As for officer safety, Kutz claims that traffic stops are a leading cause of death.
Could Los Angeles benefit from fewer traffic stops? Or would drivers abuse that leniency?
Guest:
Christopher Kutz, Professor of Law at UC Berkeley who recently wrote the op-ed in the Los Angeles Times calling for a ban on traffic stops
Authenticity and gentrification: The future of identity in Santa Ana and beyond (#AT30)
Santa Ana has long been a majority-Latino city, with a population that is over 78 percent Hispanic or Latino and about 48 percent of its residents born in another country.
But ever since efforts began to revitalize the city’s downtown area almost 30 years ago, there’s been fervent discussion about its changing demographics and whether Santa Ana should embrace its Latino heritage by preserving it, or favor economic development that could stifle unique cultural expression.
The debate raises questions about what it means for a place to stay “authentic,” and the good and bad that comes with gentrification.
Santa Ana is of course just one microcosm for this shift that neighborhoods are grappling with across Southern California and beyond – such as Boyle Heights, which is wrestling with the development of its Mariachi Plaza and Highland Park, where renters have been squeezed out by new businesses and neighbors over the last several years. Is it possible to preserve a city’s culture while also boosting business? Is change inevitable? These are just some of the issues Larry Mantle and a panel of guests will debate.
Guests:
Ana Siria Urzua, Campaign Coordinator for Santa Ana Building Healthy Communities
Alicia Rojas, community artist and co-founder of Santa Ana Community Artists Coalition
Gustavo Arellano, editor of OC Weekly, author of the nationally syndicated column, “¡Ask a Mexican!,” and the books Orange County: A Personal History and Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America; he’s also a contributor to KCRW
Hassan Haghani, Planning and Building Agency Executive Director will represent the City of Santa Ana
Mark McLoughlin, Representing Floral Park Homeowners Association
Ryan Chase, President of Downtown Inc., mission is to facilitate the enhancement of Downtown Santa Ana as a vibrant shopping, entertainment, business and cultural destination for all
Erualdo Gonzalez, Associate Professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies at California State University, Fullerton