A San Jose school board has publicly admonished a trustee in response to his conduct, and signed a resolution supporting diversity.
Franklin-McKinley School District trustees on Sept. 22 voted 4-1 to rebuke Trustee Marc Cooper for discrimination against Muslims and incorrectly stating the U.S. Supreme Court ruled America is a Christian nation. As part of the resolution, they also reaffirmed their commitment to diversity and nondiscrimination. Cooper voted against it.
Board Vice President Steven Sanchez said it’s important for public officials to recognize the U.S. does not have an official religion.
“The Constitution protects freedom of religion for Christians and people of every other faith as well,” Sanchez said at the meeting.
The resolution was in response to Cooper’s statements and actions at a Sept. 8 board meeting where he presented Bible literature to each of the board members with a list of people killed on 9/11.
“This is the 25th year of remembrance of the bombing of the Twin Towers by the cowardly, radical Muslims, where almost 3,000 people were killed,” Cooper said at the Sept. 8 meeting. “I’ve been asked and complimented on my lapel pin, I wear proudly the American flag on top of the cross. Three times, the Supreme Court has ruled that America is a Christian nation, so I’m giving each one of the board members and the superintendent a gift.”
As a result of his actions, the board sent a letter on Sept. 11 to the school community.
“By stating his views and undertaking these actions in the manner done from the dais during a board meeting, Mr. Cooper disregarded the views of others, made misleading claims about the law, and created the impression (that) we condone his actions, which the board does not,” the letter said. “Our district’s board-approved motto is, ‘Preparing all children as global learners.’ This applies to ALL children and not just some children, regardless of the child’s or parents’ religious faith, beliefs, or affiliations.”
The board upheld the importance of remembering 9/11 and reminded the community that Franklin-McKinley School District alumnus Jason M. Dahl was captain of United Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania that day. The district named Captain Jason M. Dahl Elementary School in his honor.
“Our district must remain a place where every family feels respected and represented, regardless of their faith, culture or background,” Sanchez told San José Spotlight.
Cooper was previously censured by the board for his connection with Informed Parents of Silicon Valley — an organization openly against teaching critical race theory and gender expansive education in schools.
“I hope the resolution reassures our community, encourages reflection and helps the board move forward with a shared focus on serving every student and family,” Board President Hong Ha Hoang told San José Spotlight.
Trustee Rudy Rodriguez criticized Cooper and called for his resignation.
“Your comments and actions over the past several years have been hateful, divisive and unrepresentative of the diversity of our school district and its stakeholders,” Rodriguez said at the meeting. “I’m publicly requesting that you immediately resign from the FMSD board.”
Cooper said he doesn’t hate Muslims and married a person from a Muslim country who became a Christian. Although the U.S. doesn’t have an official religion, he said, its roots come from Judeo-Christian values.
“It was a cowardly act. It was radical Islam terrorists that did that,” Cooper told San José Spotlight, referring to 9/11. “That’s not all the Muslim people. This is a small group, and that’s all we’re talking about with 9/11, a small group with the intent to go and kill people. That doesn’t make me hate anybody, not (at) all. And I don’t promote that in our district.”
Cooper said trustees need to work together as a team.
“We’re all from different backgrounds and religions and ethnicities, but the community elected us to represent different parts of our community,” he said. “That’s what democracy is all about.”
Tuan-Anh Huynh, president of Franklin-McKinley Education Association, said many of Cooper’s comments aren’t inclusive.
“He says a lot of things that would make certain groups feel very uncomfortable and not welcome in the district,” he told San José Spotlight. “I’m very happy that the board reacted and issued a statement affirming they do not agree with Marc Cooper’s comments.”
Contact Lorraine Gabbert at [email protected].
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.