Every student leader in Coronado High School's Associated Student Body said they had heard racist or derogatory language on campus. When Principal Karin Mellina asked how many felt comfortable stepping in, few raised their hands.
Mellina shared that exchange at the Coronado Unified School District (CUSD) Board of Trustees meeting Thursday, Oct. 15. The meeting came the day after two CHS students published personal accounts of racism and antisemitism in the school newspaper, the Islander Times.
Mellina said she was brought to tears reading the articles. The board's response was first reported by the Coronado Times.
"We are doing great academically, but that doesn't always mean things feel great for kids," Mellina said during her CHS report to the board. "And that's why we are there. We want them to feel safe and happy. So we have to address that."
The two articles, published Wednesday, Oct. 14, were written by Cailey Song, an Asian American student, and Edie Alicandri, a Jewish student. Both described incidents of racism from peers, often from friends.
Song wrote that she learned to avoid conversations about her race to escape mockery and slurs. Alicandri wrote that Holocaust jokes were common in CHS hallways.
Mellina said she spoke individually with both students and thanked them for giving the school a chance to address problems she said administrators were not fully aware of. She noted that incidents often go unreported because students fear retaliation, and that many happen "friend-to-friend," making them harder to surface.
Superintendent Karl Mueller urged students to use the district's anonymous WeTip reporting system and asked parents to contact the district when they hear about incidents. Mueller said the WeTip QR code is posted throughout campuses and included in a weekly parent newsletter.
Trustee Alexia Palacios-Peters said neither Song nor Alicandri had reported the behaviors. She called for training for students and parents on how to use anonymous reporting and how to have conversations about racism at home. Palacios-Peters said even one incident of racism on campus is too many and that the student articles should serve as a wake-up call for the community.
Trustee Malachy Sandie said he was already aware of racist comments on campus through conversations with his own son. He called for more training on reporting and on teaching students to intervene.
The district has maintained a Positive School Climate page listing steps taken since 2020, including the creation of an Equity Committee, implementation of WeTip, and bystander training for staff. On March 10, 2022, the district sent families a letter warning that students had been using "threatening, inappropriate, and offensive language" and that disciplinary action would follow.
CUSD board meetings are held at the District Office Board Room, 201 Sixth St. Regular meetings begin at 4 p.m.
