CA: Soltero mother wants De Anza Middle School official removed

Daily Bulletin ^ | 4/15/06 | Melissa Pinion-Whitt

[NormsRevenge]

ONTARIO - The mother of Anthony Soltero on Friday demanded that the De Anza Middle School assistant principal she claims threatened her son with jail time be kept away from children.

Louise Corales dropped off a letter at the office of Ontario-Montclair School District Superintendent Sharon McGehee requesting that Assistant Principal Gene Bennett be removed or transferred from his position until an investigation is completed.

She was joined by her attorneys and the Anthony's father, Jaime Soltero.

"I want the vice principal transferred into a position where he's not around children. I definitely want him transferred during the investigation," Corales said

The Ontario woman said her 14-year-old son committed suicide March 30 because he was distraught after being threatened with harsh punishment for participating in student protests against immigration bill HR 4437.

The bill, which the House passed in December, calls for tightening the nation's borders and would make it possible to penalize those who aid undocumented immigrants, including religious and humanitarian organizations.

Corales said the assistant principal told Anthony that the teen could face three years in jail, fines and being barred from graduation activities.

District officials have disputed those claims, saying Anthony's only punishment for truancy was to give up attending either an eighth-grade school dance or year-end field trip. They also have said their investigation turned up no evidence that he even left the school to march in protests, and that he joined three other students simply to cut class.

In the one-page letter delivered to the school district Friday, Corales called the assistant principal's actions "reprehensible" and that "it is unthinkable for the administrator to make such a threat just because a student decided to exercise his rights and speak out on an issue about which he felt strongly."

McGehee read a prepared statement to reporters outside the district office, but did not address specific claims made in Corales' letter.

"We do not take such matters lightly and are conducting a thorough investigation. We will not ask for an employee's resignation based on allegations that have not been proven," she said.

McGehee said the investigation could take a week or two before it is completed.

A vigil march in Pomona planned for Friday was canceled due to rain.

[NormsRevenge]

DOWNLOAD:

• Soltero mother's letter to school district (.pdf file format)

Louise Corales carries a picture of her late son Anthony Soltero, as she is escorted into the Ontario school district office with her attorney Sonia Mercado (right) Friday morning April 14, 2006. Corales delievered a letter to the district requesting that the vice principal of De Anza Middle School be transfered until an investigation is completed into what he said to their son which may have caused Anthony's suicide. (Will Lester/Staff Photographer)

[ncountylee]

Is Louise Corales a legal resident?

[NormsRevenge]

I see yur asking the question most americans, at least employers anyway, choose not to..

[Dallas59]

Her's the article I found a week ago....It's BS.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1611634/posts

[bordergal]

Any boy who commits suicide over what was "supposedly" said is not emotionally stable to begin with.

His home life should be under close scrutinty.

[NormsRevenge]

Thanks, I'm plugging soltero in as a keyword.

[brytlea]

Absolutamente!
susie

[newzjunkey]

No one is going to commit suicide over an administrator's threat. Her son had bigger problems. Is she a widow, I haven't notice a comment from his father?

[newzjunkey]

Never mind I see in the older piece he is survived by a father. Seems she's taking point here to use the media.

Since we know there's no evidence he actually participated in these illegals demonstrations and apparently just cut school, it seems he clearly lied to his mom about what happened. What I want to know is what was his home life really like. What was the real circumstance around his depression and suicide?