This past weekend, Los Gatos High School was vandalized by three groups of people, according to multiple reports.
School officials reported that racist and homophobic slurs were spray-painted on walls and windows, in some cases next to teachers’ names. The incident also involved eggs thrown at nearly every one of the school buildings and a massive pumpkin (over 500 lbs.) smashed on campus.
Principal Kevin Buchanan posted a YouTube video addressing the incident and calling for help from the school community to find those responsible for the incident. According to reports, surveillance footage showed the vandals, who have not yet been identified, recording with their phones as they vandalized the school.
Buchanan informed the media that a teacher’s home was vandalized with graffiti similar to that seen on campus buildings.
The Los Gatos Town Council held a meeting Tuesday to address student behavior including this incident and the issue of underage drinking and partying, according to reports. This conversation is part of a recent scandal involving a Los Gatos mother who was arrested and charged for hosting parties for underage teenagers, including serving alcohol and encouraging sex acts including sexual assault.
Los Gatos Town Council meetings are now being held over Zoom following an incident on Oct. 5 involving protestors against critical race theory, Black Lives Matter and the LGBTQ+ community. The meeting was shut down by police after one of the protestors launched personal attacks at Mayor Marico Sayoc’s family, resulting in a heated shouting match and unrest. At the next meeting, which was held virtually, the same protesters appeared outside the Mayor and Vice Mayor’s homes.
The incidents are garnering attention from other elected officials, including Assemblymember Evan Low and Sen. Dave Cortese, who sent a letter to the city denouncing the attacks which was also copied to the California Attorney General and Santa Clara County District Attorney. The City of San Jose also provided a statement co-signed by 18 other elected officials stating that ‘behavior and language targeting families, especially minors, should never be tolerated.”