Following racially insensitive comments, top SF leader is calling on SFUSD board member to resign
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Swift backlash Wednesday against newly appointed San Francisco Unified school board member, Ann Hsu.
Hsu received criticism after comments she made in a political group's candidate questionnaire form that many are calling racially insensitive.
She wrote in part:
"From my very limited exposure in the past four months to the challenges of educating marginalized students, especially in the Black and Brown community, I see one of the biggest challenges as being the lack of family support for those students. Unstable family environments caused by housing and food insecurity along with lack of parental encouragement to focus on learning cause children to not be able to focus on or value learning."
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"It's hurtful, it's racist, and it's something we shouldn't tolerate," said Shamann Walton.
Walton is the president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
He's calling on Hsu to resign.
"I want people to understand that when you feel certain ways about certain types of communities, certain cultures, you should not be in a position to make decisions when you have those types of biases, particularly for our children," Walton said.
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Following the outcry, Hsu took to Twitter to issue an apology.
She wrote that after hearing feedback from the community, she revised her answer to reflect a deeper understanding of the challenges facing some students.
She also said she was deeply sorry.
But for some, her apology is not enough.
"For her to make those statements and write those statements, it was well thought out. It was pre-planned. And it was something that demonstrates the type of person that she is," Walton said.
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