Race & Culture

Demands increase for SF School Board's Alison Collins to resign after offensive tweets

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

SF School Board member refuses to resign after offensive tweets

The demands that a San Francisco School Board member resign over racist tweets have intensified. At issue are a number of Tweets posted by Commissioner Alison Collins in 2016 directed at Asian Americans. She has refused to resign.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The demands that a San Francisco School Board member resign over racist tweets have intensified. At issue are a number of Tweets posted by Commissioner Alison Collins in, 2016 directed at Asian Americans. She has refused to resign.

The series of Tweets posted by school board member Alison Collins in 2016, criticizes Asian Americans for wanting to, in her words, assimilate and get ahead.

One of her tweets read, "Many Asian Am believe they benefit from the 'model minority' BS."

Another states, "I'm looking to combat anti-Black racism in the Asian community at my daughters' mostly Asian Am school."

There are other tweets with the same theme.

VIDEO: SFUSD Board VP responds to controversial 2016 tweets aimed at Asian Americans

A growing list of state and local leaders are joining the call for San Francisco Unified School District Board vice president Alison Collins to resign due to a series of tweets she made in 2016.

"It really bothers me when you read those quotes, they are just despicable. She should not be in office and anyone who supports her should not be in office," expressed Lope Yap, Jr, Vice President of the George Washington High School Alumni Association.

ABC7 News reached out to Collins but she did not respond. Collins has recently posted that she does not plan to step down and that her 2016 tweets were taken out of context.

Board President Gabriela Lopez said she stands in solidarity with Vice President Collins and Asian American communities . "This week has been marked by hate and violence. And in this moment of pain, words matter more than ever. I appreciated that Vice President Collins has apologized for her remarks," Lopez wrote in a tweet.

A virtual town hall was held where California's crime victim advocates announced a 10-point plan with recommendations on how the state can better help crime victims, including Asian Americans who have been attacked.

Another board member, Mark Sanchez says Collins has work to do with the Asian Community.

"I think she needs to make sure she connects with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in San Francisco and in the Bay Area and beyond to correct the impression that she's left," warned Sanchez.

Jill Wynns, a former school board member has previously said this board is not in touch with the community.

"It's my own impression that it's fairly cohesive as a board. The disconnect is between the board and the community," added Wynns.

A Facebook Group with 951 members is asking that Collins, Lopez and a third school board member be recalled.

There's even a website "Recall the School Board."

Mayor London Breed, and ten of the 11 San Francisco Board Supervisors have asked that Collins step down. Supervisor Dean Preston did not call for her resignation but said, "It was difficult for him to see her path forward on the school board."

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