Tulare educational employee investigated in Black Lives Matter posters incident at school
An incident involving Black Lives Matters signs posted along the fence line at Visalia’s El Diamante High School has sparked an investigation from the Tulare County Office of Education and condemnation from Visalia Unified School District.
“The District expects all students, staff, parents/guardians and community members to work together to listen, learn, comprehend, address, and stop all injustice, bias, and racism. The District remains committed to fostering systems and communities built on and supported by equity, inclusivity, dignity, compassion, and kindness,” Superintendent Tamara Ravalín said in a statement on Thursday.
“The acts that took place last night do not reflect the District’s goals or values.”
On Wednesday night, a recent El Diamante graduate saw several people removing the Black Live Matters signs from the fence at the school. He recorded his confrontation with the group in a video, which was shared on social media, including on the Instragram account Karensgoingwilds.
In the profanity-laden video, several woman can be seen carrying what appear to be signs toward their cars. When asked why they were taking the signs, one woman can be heard saying, “We’re old and cranky.” After being called racist for removing the signs, the woman says the group is “hardly racist.”
At one point, the woman can be seen pulling out a pair of scissors.
Visalia police were called and reports were taken at the scene, according to ABC30.
One of the women was identified on social media as Patty Goodin, a part-time, temporary employee at the Tulare County Office of Education.
Tulare County schools Superintendent Tim Hire confirmed his office is investigating Goodin and the incident.
He told the Visalia Times-Delta the video footage he viewed did not show Goodin holding any BLM signs and that disciplinary action his office takes against any employees would be confidential information.
This story was originally published June 26, 2020 at 12:59 PM.