Allegation: Ethnic Slurs or Pet Names?

Several students who have commented about the ethnic slur allegation against teacher Gabrielle Leko point out that nicknames in her class were frequent and innocuous--but the school board member who filed that complaint finds some pet names deeply inappropriate.

"I fear if a Jewish kid is being called 'Jew Boy' or an Armenian kid is called 'Mr. Glendale' and students see that as a cute form of teasing, that it's normalizing bad behavior,'' Cindy Wilcox told Patch on Thursday, noting that Leko has also allegedly referred to a student as "Mr. Glendale."

Wilcox, a member of the governing board of the La Cañada Unified School District, who is not running for re-election, in June.

Leko, chair of the high school math department, allegedly called a geometry student "Jew boy'' in class during the 2010-11 school year. The complaint process halts during the summer, and since Wilcox completed the next level of the complaint procedure on Oct. 6, the district, Leko and Leko's representative have 15 business days to set a meeting for all parties, she said.

Assistance for Wilcox

One of those parties now includes an attorney from La Cañada Flintridge, who will represent Wilcox pro bono. Wilcox, who declined to identify the attorney at this time, said she is thankful that someone with legal expertise came forward --following Patch's original story and subsequent media coverage--to help her navigate the process.

It's a process that can be intimidating, she said, noting that no students or their parents had wanted to go on the record about the alleged name calling, so she officially filed the complaint as a member of the general public. She "couldn't stomach it,'' she has said.

But Wilcox may be making headway on that front, too.

"It's a work in progress, but there are a few students and parents who are stepping up [with first-hand accounts],'' she said.

Thus far, Leko has not responded to requests for comment.

Superintendent Wendy Sinnette has said and it "will be thoroughly reviewed consistent with existing procedures established by the district's board policies and collective bargaining agreements.''

Mandy Redfern, president of the her organization is working closely with the district to address the allegations. When asked about best practices for pet names or nicknames in the classroom, Redfern declined to comment Thursday.

What Some Students Have Said About Nicknames

Annelise Thompson and her sister, Allison Thompson Brown, both graduates of LCHS, wrote to Patch and said, "Nicknames in Mrs. Leko’s class were both frequent and affectionate. Mrs. Leko never used a nickname in order to discriminate against members of her class.''

Leko was Jonathan Bushman's math teacher last year. Bushman wrote Patch to say he knows "for a fact that she would never slander anyone for their race, gender, or religion. As a Jewish student, I never felt any negative attitudes towards me for my religion from Mrs. Leko.''

Another student who graduated last year, Matthew Lee, wrote, "I had a nickname throughout my four years of high school at La Cañada that just stuck, but it didn't bother me. My nickname wasn't something like 'Jew-boy' or anything that had to do with religious preferences, but i accepted the nickname, and now it is a somewhat popular discussion between my friends and I.''

Wilcox Wants to Hear from People Who've Taken Leko's Classes

Perhaps not too surprisingly, Wilcox's phone is ever ringing these days, and her inbox has also been filled with emails from students around the country who've been taught by Leko throughout her career. The comments run the gamut, Wilcox said, between totally defending the veteran teacher to saying Leko teases students and makes funny remarks.

Wilcox asks if you are a parent, student or former student who took a class with Leko to email her at thewilcoxfamily@earthlink.net. Emails sent to Wilcox's district address will likely get ensnared in the spam fiter.

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