The face of censorship – OCHSA Principal Sue Vaughn
What sort of art school practices censorship? That question was answered this week when Sue Vaughn, the principle at the Orange County High School for the Arts (OCHSA), literally stopped the presses – she interfered with the publishing of the school paper because she didn’t like something that a student reporter wrote about a school vendor.
“Taylor Erickson, 17, a senior at the Orange County High School of the Arts in Santa Ana, said Principal Sue Vaughn primarily objected to an article reporting that independent vendor Alegre Foods is a Christian company whose “mission” is to “serve God.” The Long Beach-based group was hired this year to run the school’s cafeteria,” according to the O.C. Register.
Unbelievable! This is 100% censorship and it is an unconscionable abridgment of free speech rights. And the experts agree. “Two leading authorities on the First Amendment rights of student journalists say that administrators at the Orange County High School of the Arts crossed a legal line,” according to the O.C. Register.
More after the flip…it turns out the food vendor has received O.C. health violations!
The fact is, Erickson was right – the school, which is a public school, did pick a wacky religious Falsely representing self to officer.”outfit to run their cafeteria. Students and parents deserve to know how this vendor was picked.
And the news gets even worse for OCHSA. I looked up the owner of Alegre Foods, Otto Penarredonda. I found a guy by that name who was arrested in 2004, here in Orange County, for “False evidence of registration with intent to defraud,” and “Falsely representing self to officer.” He was sentenced to 30 days Service in lieu of jail and 3 years probation.
In 2007, the same guy was busted again, this time for “unsafe speed for prevailing conditions.”
This year, in July, Penarredonda and his fellow company officers were sued for breach of contract/warranty by a guy named Tim Ho.
And there is even worse news. I searched on the Orange County Health Department’s resataurant/food service inspection website and found two private schools, at churches, where Alegre Food was issued citations for numerous health violations, including: lack of certified food safety person; evidence of vermin activity; unsanitary equipment; lack of food thermometer; low hot water; lack of handwashing; inappropriate sanitizer level; improper food storage; lack of or unsanitary conditions; inadequate hygiene; and facility not fully enclosed.
Why did OCHSA pick Alegre Foods as their cafetaria vendor? Why did the Principal overreact when the student reporter called out this vendor? Why hasn’t this Principal been reprimanded? These are good questions. To email the Board of OCHSA click here.
One more question – what sort of art school practices censorship? Answer – not one I would want my kids to be involved in.
This school is over-rated. Can you imagine how these kids are doing in Health, Wellness, and Fitness?
Aside from their karate,dancers,etc.
-come on- no tennis courts, track and field,etc.
Pretty soon we’ll see a flight – L.A’s new High School for the Arts- (don’t know if its been named yet–money talks) is the second most expensive public high school ever built in the United States. just out of this world–
“Few will question whether the campus itself is capable of fostering excellence. At a cost of $232 million, it is one of the crown jewels of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
That’s clear from the moment you pull into the multilevel, 300-car garage. Up a broad flight of stairs, the campus’ main buildings offer three dance studios with sprung maple flooring.
A professional-quality, 950-seat theater. Music classrooms with acoustic tiling and special whiteboards designed for musical notation.
Floor-to-ceiling windows with motorized blackout shades. Ceiling-mounted projectors in every classroom, allowing teachers to display lessons from computers.
Track lighting in the hallways to illuminate student art. An outdoor atrium for firing Japanese raku pottery. And the school’s centerpiece, a conical library whose dazzling interior swirls upward to an off-center skylight.
All that, and a tower that looms over the 101 Freeway like a severed limb of the Iron Giant.”
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/dec/22/local/me-arts22?pg=1
I feel sorry for these kids at OCHSA- their place looks like the old L.A County Jail and the poor kids hang out on the street during lunch. I wish someone would find them a better facility. Maybe that Caribou Industries lot across the way can be donated and turned into a track and field, tennis courts, and olympic size pool.
I think it is not appropriate for these kids not to have a rec. and fitness area.
Think- obesity, diabetes, etc. etc.
Will someone get this school’s overall health and fitness score – wish it could be done…yet no one is tracking how schools compare to each other locally and nationwide for that matter!
I wonder if they have some sort of indoor gym/health spa?
I don’t know how OCHSA ranks against other schools for fitness but a cursory glance seems to suggest the obese population is less than that of other SAUSD schools.
I wonder what it would take to gain access to the swimming pool in the basement of the old YMCA building; there are three schools within walking distance that could benefit from having access to such a facility.
I remember a few years ago when Rob Richardson and his cabalexpoused the benefits of El Sol.
Pulido, Correa and others quickly put up their kids at risk. To further the “Latino Assimilation” cause.
Soon all (kids) were back at Santiago, the Floral Park public school.
The founders of El Sol, the community leaders BURNED latinos, who were left with the “Spanish” only end of the bag.
Naturally they started a new school.
What F-JOB on Santa Ana.
All with RR’s blessing.
How did this story leak out to the register?
#4,
The student’s mother is the head of the journalism department at UCI, if I recall correctly. My guess is she got the story to the Register.
That lame principal picked on the wrong student!
What in the name or sanity are they thinking. Why are they continuing to support a disfunctional administration.
Alegre Foods owner, Otto Penarredondo – a convicted criminal? Alegre Foods has history of several citaions for HEALTH VIOLATIONS?
And, if a student DARES to comment or question their school, they are censored, called into an office(behind closed doors) and driven to emotional tears.
Is OCHSA trying to educate their students on how to live, behave, or survive in a communist, and dictatorship type society?
GOD HAVE MERCY ON YOU PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank goodness my 3 boys won’t be going to that school.
#3
I think you should take a look at El Sol’s test scores, whatever happened in the past, their students are scoring much higher than Santiago’s students. Something is working well over there.
I’ll throw my two cents in with #7, El Sol is doing a good job.
Folks, we’re missing the point here. This post is about OCHSA. They hired a questionable food vendor and a student reporter outed them.
Never mind El Sol. Why did OCHSA hire this vendor and why did their principal resort to censorship in order to cover this up?
Something stinks at OCHSA.
Talk about a tempest in a teapot, or a mountain out of a molehill – must have been a slow day for blogging.
C’mon, Art, you know every thread gets derailed eventually. Ok, back to the topic, I can’t for the life of me understand why a principal at a school with highly intelligent and well connected students and parents would want to bother herself with this kind of ridiculous controversy, yes, it was very stupid of her.
Junior,
The Register has run two articles about this scandal because the issues involved are significant.
When the top administrator of a public school of the arts opts for censorship of a student it is BIG news.
Moreover, my research indicates that the food vendor that sparked this controversy is highly questionable.
How was this vendor chosen? This is a public schoool, did they follow state purchasing rules?
Glad I am not eating there!!! The parants should be over there raising the roof and demanding an explaination. Head should roll at the least, perhaps the decision makers should be sentenced to eat the food from this vendor for a couple of months.
Maybe Mike Harrah recommended the food vendor.
Afer all, birds of the feather flock together.
FYI, Steve Wagner VP Buisness Services, is who decided on the vendor, not Sue Vaughn.
#15,
I find it hard to imagine that Sue wasn’t in on this decision. She certainly did her best to cover it up!
I wonder if this vendor is connected to Mike Harrah or to anyone on the OCHSA Board?
Were they the low bidders? What were their qualifications?
And should they be preaching at a public school, as reported by the student at OCHSA?
What a mess…
Oh, please. Give me a break. This is sensationalism at its finest. Somebody involved with the student newspaper threw a hissy-fit when it was delayed and decided to unleash their wrath on the school through the Register. Now Mrs. Vaughn is a Christian terrorist. Really? They DELAYED the publication of the newspaper due to inaccuracies. What in the world does the fact that Alegre Foods is Christian-run have to do with anything? It’s irrelevant and completely out-of-place for a student newspaper. The principal had EVERY RIGHT to delay the publication and correct inaccuracies (not only with the whole cafeteria issue, but with other misquotes as well).
Also, I’d like to add that if the company were Jewish-run or, heck, Buddhist-run, the article would never have made it into the student paper in the first place. In fact, there would probably be an article praising the diversity of the school.
This is ridiculous, and I have total sympathy for all of OCHSA’s administrators and specifically Mrs. Vaughn. OCHSA has done so much for Orange County and this is what the school gets in return.
Kevin,
So you are OK with this company’s health violations and the owner allegedly being on parole for three years?
And you are OK with a vendor at a public school wearing religion on their sleeves?
And lastly, you really think it is appropriate for an art school administrator to engage in censorship?
Something tells me you are not an objective observer at all…
Hi, Art!
1) I couldn’t care less.
2) They don’t wear religion on their sleeves. They sell cheeseburgers and vitamin water during lunch. They give people change. It’s not like they’re selling bibles and rosaries and blessing everyone after taking their orders. Although that would be a nice touch, honestly. Their religion is irrelevant, and since you are such an objective observer, it should be irrelevant to you as well.
3) There was no censorship in this situation. The publication was delayed. The principal wanted to talk to the writers and the editors about the article. She wanted to correct mistakes. Nothing in the paper was changed, so no censorship took place.
Kevin,
LOL! I guess if you don’t eat there, it’s all good.
I don’t think a public school of the arts is a good place for a whack job nutter vendor, IMHO.
But if they won the bid, and were judged equally with other bidders, then there isn’t much to bark about.
And yes, there was censorship. The Register ran a story quoting several legal experts and they agreed that it was censorship – and it was ILLEGAL at that.
Vaughan blew it! She owes everyone a huge apology. It is absolutely ridiculous for an art school administrator to foster a spirit of censorship. This episode destroys OCHSA’s credibility. That should worry the students and their parents…
If you care about the religious aspect, your jabs about the health code violation are a straw man because you realize you are discriminating against that religion.
If you care about the health code violations, do so without discussing the religious aspect. Focus on one topic and stop dancing around issues.
If you feel that religious sects are not allowed to run businesses, that is fine. I don’t think many people agree with you.
The same goes for those who were once in jail no longer being allowed to run businesses. Perhaps they should just rot on the street instead, because that is a productive addition to society?
If you don’t go to the school and have no idea how this company functions, you probably shouldn’t spout your mouth off about religion being worn on sleeves.
I do eat there. The food is fine.
I’ve read the articles (did you think I didn’t?), and they are groundless. I think I know more than “several legal experts” since I know exactly what happened, and what happened is what I stated in my first comment. Nothing illegal happened.
Vaughn didn’t blow it. She’s a victim of sensationalism and incorrect accusations. She has done so much for the school and improved it in so many ways. She is a role model for students and parents love her. Most of OCHSA’s student body and parents realize this, so in the end I guess this all doesn’t matter. It’s a shame such a petty disagreement became breaking news, and I’ve lost a lot of respect for the Register.
Tmare,
You are right.
After the “usual suspects” of SA education left and caring parents were put in charge, it improved.
Originally it was cluster F&%k. The suspects bailed and left the spanish speaking students holding the bag.
To the credit of the families of the kids who stayed it survivived. But this was a scam by some Floral Park busybody Mom’s.
At the expense of human beings.
Craig,
Just go to the vendor’s website and you will see for yourself that they are devoted to religion first.
Apparently, given their health code violations, God comes first, not food safety.
They can do as they please, but their are rules about bidding when it comes to public schools. I am very curious to know how this vendor got the contract. And did the school properly investigate them?
As for your last statement, you are resorting to censorship, just like Vaughn. No wonder you are sticking up for her…
Kevin,
You go to an art school and yet you are OK with censorship?
Here’s a thought. Switch to public administration. You would be a perfect city bureaucrat.
Censorship should be anathema to true artists.
Vaughn DID blow it. If her goal was to cover this up she certainly FAILED. It is now a huge story. It made the AP wire.
Google her name and have fun. She has wrecked her own reputation and that of OCHSA.
Hope it was worth it…
What does it matter if they’re devoted to religion first? Does that make any service they should choose to provide mean less? Are you that shallow and intolerant of differences among people?
Whether or not the school properly vetted the supplier is another side issue that you’re throwing out there because you realize you are being discriminatory against a religious group. Stop changing the topic to defend your bigotry.
P.S. – I didn’t censor you at all. In the future, I recommend ensuring you know the definition of a word before you use it.
And now you’re questioning the artistic integrity of someone because they don’t fall in with your clearly inherently biased opinion?
Keep it classy, sir.
Obviously you haven’t fully comprehended my posts because I’ve specifically stated several times that I don’t believe any censorship took place.
But just a side note. I’m not sure what you’re trying to say. Why can’t you go to an art school and be okay with censorship? Is there something wrong with that? OCHSA has a very diverse student body, and people have many different viewpoints. It would be nice if you didn’t stereotype the school as being full of free-spirited libertarians like yourself.
Thanks for the suggestion regarding public administration, though. Sounds like a deal.
And please don’t tell me what a true artist is. I think I’m more qualified in that area than you.
You don’t know as much as you think you do, and it’s a shame OCHSA had to be a victim of this lovely blog you have here.
Craig,
A public art school is no place for religious nuts…
Kevin,
So OCHSA is full of up-type Republicans? No bueno! Good luck working in the arts community…
It is a shame that Vaughn blew it, but you will have to take that up with her!
Yes, OCHSA is full of “up-type” Republicans.
You hit the nail on the head.
Your generalizations are silly. Not everyone at OCHSA wants to work in the arts community (Remember, I’m going into public administration with your blessing (not a religious one, don’t worry)). It’s not solely an art school, but you probably wouldn’t know that since you don’t seem to be the best researcher in the world.
Kevin,
Well, my research clearly showed that Vaughn’s pick of a food vendor left MUCH to be desired. No wonder she resorted to censorship…
I could care less what you people do there. You don’t do much for the people of Santa Ana. Very few Santa Ana kids are allowed in your school.
BTW, Vaughn’s resume is very light on the arts, so I guess she fits right into your theory that the High School for the Arts is anything but an arts school…
I’d like to see your source for that statement of a lack of Santa Ana students at OCHSA.
It is a magnet school, so it attracts people from all over.
But I’m done here, it’s obvious you have an agenda based on your replies to me, twisting my words and bringing up completely irrelevant new topics.
Kevin,
I would bet that less than five percent of your student body lives in Santa Ana. Ask Vaughn. She should have the info.
It appears to be a magnet school indeed – but what it is attracting is BAD press.
Good luck with the rest of your career…remember, you are most definitely cut out to be a city bureaucrat.
I didn’t ask for a bet, I asked for a source.
You could care less about the school because it doesn’t serve Santa Ana enough for you, yet you write this entire post about it?
You are a terrible liar. Try not to do it where people can read what you wrote already.
Craig,
Of course I did. I never miss an opportunity to flail those who resort to censorship of the press.
That this happened at OCSHA is a bonus.
Kevin,
Ask your principal, Vaughn.
Folks in town know that unless you are wealthy you may as well not bother to apply at OCHSA.
Or ask your pals. See how many hail from Santa Ana. Then again, you already know that don’t you?
So you’re viewing this through a biased light because you don’t like the school in the first place.
Got it! How old are you again, 5?
By the way, sources for this Santa Ana nonsense are appreciated.
“Ask Mrs. Vaughn.”
No, actually. I can’t. You spout this nonsense, you support it with evidence. Thanks.
Art-
Just throwing myself into the controversy: I haven’t paid a dime to attend OCHSA–ever. I was also accepted well-past the deadline. (If you were to research their application procedures, you’d learn that fiscal issues don’t factor in at all).
While I love the educational experience and the environment itself, my family is not in a position to pay any money at this time. This is my second year, and I’ve never received a notice suggesting that there would be consequences for not paying. That said, in a better economical situation, my family wouldn’t bat an eye at supporting my school.
Also, I live in Santa Ana, and most of my peers come from surrounding areas of Orange County.
Furthermore, I can attest for our diverse student body: we have a healthy share of in-school conflicts, even debates, though not in a formal setting. To an extent, things like political viewpoints and religious denominations are found in proportions very similar to the surrounding county–perhaps more evenly than ‘normal’ public high schools!
Concerning the actual ‘censorship’ issue-
I believe Mrs. Vaughn could have handled it in a more tactful manner, but school officials have verified that, not only was an official was misquoted (in a significant way), there were also 12 or so glaring technical errors in the ‘final’ publication: hardly something you’d want to have representing your school and student body.
To aggravate matters further, apparently the papers were sent to the printers before the Principal and Vice Principal were able actively edit them. Do note that they never demanded the opportunity, but that the Journalism staff offered them an editorial say, even though the papers were already rolling off the presses..
That suggests that the ‘controversial’ reasons were highlighted in the Register piece specifically for their sensational topics. For me, the big thing here isn’t ‘should Christian companies work for charter schools’ or ‘was this a case of censorship or justifiable concern’. I personally wonder about the state of the local media…Call sensationalism a product of the environment, of technology, of progress–this matter shouldn’t have spiralled so haphazardly into the mess it now is.
It’s all a big game of Telephone~
Art,
I believe OCHSA promised to have 25% of its students come from SA in exchange for city support and tax dollars(?).
Has it ever come close to this number?
#41
As a Charter School I thought OCHSA got tax dollars for the academic portion and asked parents to contribute either TIME or MONEY for the arts portion of their kids education, although I’m sure there are some scholarships most families have to contribute something.
Anonster,
OCHSA has no such obligation.
And, as you can see in the comments above, they are churning out lemmings who don’t know how to question authority.
If the student reporter in question were to write about how very few Santa Ana kids are accepted into OCHSA do you think Vaughn would allow that article to see the light of day? Creo que no.
Alright, it’s as soon as you start insulting the alumni that you cross the line.
I’ve read through all of the comments on this article you’ve got here, and I’m starting to see a pattern. Whenever someone asks you where you’ve gotten your information, or how in the world you could know something about the school when you do not attend it or do not have a child who attends it, you dance around the question and resort to mindless accusations that have absolutely no merit whatsoever.
Oh, sorry, wait. You searched and “found a guy” who had the same name of the Allegre head. That’s some serious sleuthing there, buddy.
So, because these students simply want to know how credible you are, you get to call them “lemmings”?
Don’t even get me started on the basis of the article itself. You obviously have no idea what’s actually happening at OCHSA, or that Erickson’s story was full of holes and disdain for Allegre. It was not a matter of Vaughn “censoring” a poor little reporter’s article (nothing was actually censored, by the way, the article was run in full form), it was a matter of reviewing an entire school paper that had obvious editorial flaws that needed to be fixed.
As someone who’s eaten from that cafeteria a number of times, I can attest to the fact that the servers are all good, polite people, and the food is better than anything I’ve eaten at my previous schools. I’ve never gotten sick, nor have any of my peers, from eating the food Allegre provides. It’s basis in Christian religion has nothing to do with the quality of the service it provides, and to even present that as a reason to look at Allegre in a harsh light is bordering on religious discrimination.
My basic statement is this: you have no proof. You’re a blogger, who does not work for the OCHSA administration, and you have not presented any sources that would explain any of your claims. I, however, and a number of people who share my views who have posted on this story, are OCHSA students. That alone makes us “lemmings” more qualified to report on this than you. Please pass up your sources next time before you attack a school you know absolutely nothing about.
Anon,
So you are OK with your administrators censuring a student reporter?
It wasn’t censorship. The article was ran in full. And even if you’re going to debate that withholding an ENTIRE school paper is censorship of one article, understand first that they were fixing editorial and mechanical mistakes. You have no proof that they were trying to silence one article when the entire paper was brought in and delayed.
Anon,
Lame. A state legislator had to write and pass a law after that incident specifically barring such behavior by charter schools. You can fool yourself but OCHSA couldn’t fool our legislators…they knew this episode was 100% censorship!
I’d like to know why OCSHA has failed to honor its commitment to enroll 10% of its student population from the city of Santa Ana. The city bent over for this school and asked that a certain number of its residents be admitted … why has OCHSA failed to honor a commitment?????
Art P said:
“Very few Santa Ana kids are allowed in your school.”
“I’d like to know why OCSHA has failed to honor its commitment to enroll 10% of its student population from the city of Santa Ana.”
It is my understanding that Santa Ana residents are given preference in admissions to OCHSA – and that is OCHSA’s committment.
Where did you get your (5%) statistic guess Art?
Where did anonymous get his 10% “committment” stat?
Do you have any evidence that OCHSA is not living up to their agreement to provide preferential admissions to SA residents?
How about SA residents living up to their opportunity to accept their preferential admission to OCHSA?
Mr. Pedroza,
Are you aware of a program called “Camp OCHSA”? It’s a weekly Arts program offerd only to children who live in Santa Ana. I sit at the front desk, and for the last few weeks I have greeted hundreds of Santa Ana families who are dropping off applications for their children. There is no fee for these classes. Each year the number of applications increase, and the response this year was the biggest ever. If you sat at my desk, you would see the faces of these children …many of them returning from last year…happy, and excited. From where I sit I see many many things. Staff, students, parents, and volunteers. My experience is that a large percentage of those who come through the doors are happy and proud to be there. Also, I have a daughter who attended OCHSA for 4 yrs. She has said that she feels that she was given a valuable gift that has served her well in her life, and she is proud of it. It’s is a very sad day when someone of the quality of Sue Vaughn is faced with this kind of critisism and emotional outburst’s from people who have no idea what they are even talking about. She is the finest of women, and the most qualified person I know. She has served our children for many years, and they love her. You are way way off. And I take great offense to you and your false information.
A lot of ppl in Santa Ana KNOW that OCHSA does not do enough for the children of Santa Ana.
Rhonda,
Not to worry. We are not done with this story yet. I am going to use the Freedom of Information Act to inquire at the SAUSD as to the percentage of OCHSA students who actually live in Santa Ana.
I don’t think you are going to like the results of my investigation.
After were done with the investigation, we will demand that OCHSA pay back the City of Santa Ana- with interest and penalties if their side of the agreement ( if there is such an agreement) has not been met.
AND— how about this student that claims he/she was accepted well after the deadline— this news has spread faster than mayo.
AND– how about those poor little ol’ parents who spoke at the SAUSD Board Mtg. a couple of months ago—they claimed that OCHSA with no warning dismissed their daughter from a play—only to replace her with a PROFESSIONAL actress.
-lets dig this info out and contact the parents for serious community effort in helping them.
I think the only Santa Ana kids being accepted are the Ballet Folklorico dancers– such diversity in talent. Santa Ana kids should come in all talent areas: music, acting, artist, etc.
Wow! This is so blown out of proportion… Grab the idiot that contacted the OC Register instead of going to OCHSA firstly to vent their personal vengeance. I am currently in my 3rd year of faithfully “volunteering” every Friday @ OCHSA and a proud parent of 2 OCHSA students. I assist in the Academic Office, Student Services, Front desk & the Foundation Office. I have seen Mrs. Sue Vaughn in action for the last few years and she always acts with good intentions on behalf of OCHSA, all the Staff, Students & volunteers. I MUST AGREE with Rhonda and Kevin’s comments above. Big deal, Mrs. Sue Vaughn delayed the Evolution paper on the basis of “inaccuracies” & it will be published this week and distributed to all. So everyone lighten up! In addition, I want to say, “Until you have walked in Mrs Sue Vaughn’s shoes, one should not be so hasty to judge.” BIG KUDOS to Mrs. Sue Vaughn and keep up the good work!