latimes--2020-02-03--UC should keep SAT and ACT as admission requirements, faculty report says

University of California faculty leaders are recommending the continued use of the controversial SAT and ACT as an admission requirement , citing UC data showing the standardized tests may actually help boost enrollment of disadvantaged students , according to a highly anticipated report released Monday .
The preliminary recommendation by the Academic Senate ’ s executive committee comes amid enormous legal and political pressure to drop the tests , which opponents say fail to adequately predict college success and unfairly discriminate on the basis of race , income and parent education levels .
But the new yearlong faculty review found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bias by considering an applicant ’ s high school and neighborhood demographics in evaluating the standardized test scores .
The review found that less-advantaged applicants were admitted at higher rates for any given test score , a finding that faculty review committee members said surprised them .
That process results in increased admission of disadvantaged students , the review found .
The faculty review committee “ did not find evidence that UC ’ s use of test scores played a major role in worsening the effects of disparities already present among applicants and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admissions process helped to make up for the potential adverse effect of score differences between groups.
” UC campuses enroll far more disadvantaged students than do similar elite research universities — 40 % of undergraduates are the first in their families to attend college and 36 % are low-income as of fall 2019 .
However , the review found that “ UC admissions practices do not fully make up for disparities that persist along lines of race and class.
” The UC faculty report rejects making standardized tests optional for admission , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done .
Faculty members — and some campus admission directors — are concerned that students with high scores would likely submit them and gain an implicit advantage over those who chose not to take the test or submit their results .
They also fear that using high school grades as the primary metric for admission would promote grade inflation , which some research has suggested is more prevalent at affluent schools .
ACT and the College Board , which owns the SAT , have long argued that their tests help predict college performance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students from diverse schools and states .
They reject assertions that their tests are biased , saying that scores merely reflect longstanding inequities in access to quality education .
The Compton Unified School District and other equity advocates , however , have filed lawsuits against the UC system asserting that the standardized testing requirement violates state civil rights laws .
The UC Students Assn .
and some UC chancellors and regents also have spoken out against the tests .
During deliberations last year , faculty members discussed potentially replacing the SAT and ACT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Smarter Balanced because research showed it predicted college performance as well as the other standardized tests without as much bias against disadvantaged students .
But the review concluded that Smarter Balanced is not universally used throughout the country and would not be feasible for a university system that annually attracts tens of thousands of applicants from private institutions and other states and countries .
Faculty also were concerned about the possible impact on Smarter Balanced if turned into a high-stakes test for UC admission .
The report calls for UC to develop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notes that process could take nine years .
It also recommends expanding eligibility for guaranteed admission to the UC system from beyond the top 9 % of graduating seniors at each local high school .
But that measure also is not likely to have an immediate impact , since UC Merced is the only campus with room for eligible students who fail to win admission to their preferred schools .
In 2018 , only 1.3 % of 12,500 who were denied admission at their first-choice schools but offered admission to UC Merced chose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the executive committee will be reviewed by all Academic Senate members , who are mainly tenured and tenure-track faculty .
The Senate is expected to deliver its final report in April to UC President Janet Napolitano , who first requested the review in 2018 .
Napolitano will then make her recommendation to the UC regents .
The regents are expected to vote on the issue in May .
In a statement , the office of the UC president said , “ The university aims to continue deliberating the role of standardized testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , fact-based approach so as to arrive at the most informed decision possible .
”

The University of California is considering whether to drop the SAT and ACT as admission requirements.
University of California faculty leaders are recommending the continued use of the controversial SAT and ACT as an admission requirement for now, citing UC data showing the standardized tests may actually help boost enrollment of disadvantaged students, according to a highly anticipated report released Monday.
The preliminary recommendation by the Academic Senate’s executive committee comes amid enormous legal and political pressure to drop the tests, which opponents say fail to adequately predict college success and unfairly discriminate on the basis of race, income and parent education levels.
As the nation’s premier public research university and largest user of the SAT exam, the UC system carries outsized influence over the future of standardized testing. Powerful UC voices have criticized use of the test, including Board of Regents chairman John A. Pérez and UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ, but the Academic Senate is charged with deciding admission requirements. Any rejection of the faculty’s final recommendations by the board, which is set to vote on the issue in May, would overturn traditional practice and spark a political firestorm.
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The new yearlong faculty review found evidence that most UC admissions officers offset much of the bias against disadvantaged students by evaluating standardized test scores in the context of their high schools and neighborhoods. Applicants’ tests scores, for instance, are compared both to those statewide and at the local high school, enabling UC officers to identify standouts among students with similar socioeconomic backgrounds.
That process results in higher admission rates for less-advantaged applicants for any given test score, a finding that faculty review committee members said surprised them. Among students with SAT scores of 1000 — the 40th percentile — half of Latinos were admitted compared to less than one-third of whites. The review found similar advantages for students who are low-income and the first in their families to attend college.
The faculty review committee “did not find evidence that UC’s use of test scores played a major role in worsening the effects of disparities already present among applicants and did find evidence that UC’s admissions process helped to make up for the potential adverse effect of score differences between groups.”
UC campuses enroll far more disadvantaged students than do similar elite research universities — 40% of undergraduates are first-generation college students and 36% are low-income as of fall 2019. However, the review found that “UC admissions practices do not fully make up for disparities that persist along lines of race and class.”
In 2017, 61% of California high school graduates were underrepresented minorities — African-American, Latino, and Native American. Yet these three groups represented 31% of enrolled UC freshmen.
The UC faculty report rejects for now making standardized tests optional for admission, as more than 1,000 colleges and universities have done. Faculty members — and some campus admission directors — are concerned that students with high scores would likely submit them and gain an implicit advantage over those who chose not to take the test or submit their results. They also fear that using high school grades as the primary metric for admission would promote grade inflation, which some research has found is more prevalent at affluent schools. But the report called for more research on that option.
The report also found that test scores are a better predictor of college performance than high school grades but that UC weighs grades more heavily in admission decisions.
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ACT and the College Board, which owns the SAT, argue their tests help predict college performance and offer a uniform yardstick to judge students from diverse schools and states. They reject assertions that their tests are biased, saying that scores reflect longstanding inequities in access to quality education.
The Compton Unified School District and other equity advocates, however, have filed lawsuits against the UC system asserting that the standardized testing requirement violates state civil rights laws.
Mark Rosenbaum of Public Counsel, one of the law firms that filed the complaint, criticized the report’s conclusion that the biggest factor for the enrollment disparities was not standardized tests but students’ failure to meet UC’s required college prep coursework.
“Rather than blame California’s students, their families and communities, and their teachers,” he said, “the university should eliminate all reliance on these discriminatory and meaningless tests and instead work with the state K-12 system to...build a student body that reflects the broad diversity of the state.”
During deliberations last year, faculty members discussed potentially replacing the SAT and ACT with the state high school assessment known as Smarter Balanced because research showed it predicted college performance as well as the other standardized tests without as much bias against disadvantaged students. However, the committee concluded that Smarter Balanced is not universally used throughout the country and would not be feasible.
Over the long term, the report recommended that UC develop its own assessments for admissions — but notes that process could take nine years. Varsha Sarveshwar, president of the UC Student Assn., which opposes the testing requirement, said that timeline is far too long.
And some committee members, such as Patricia Gandara of UCLA, pushed to discontinue use of test scores more quickly than nine years and potentially before development of a new assessment during at times fierce disagreement and debate.
“It wasn’t kumbaya in those rooms,” said Eddie Comeaux, a UC Riverside professor and co-chair of the standardized testing task force. “There was a lot of pushing back and 20-second timeouts.”
The report also recommends expanding eligibility for guaranteed admission to the UC system from beyond the top 9% of graduating seniors at each local high school.
Acceptance into UC remains competitive. Systemwide, the UC system received about 218,000 applications for fall 2019 admission; about 136,000 were admitted to nine campuses and 67,000 enrolled. UCLA admit rates for fall 2109 was 12.4% and Berkeley 16.4%.
The preliminary recommendations will be reviewed by all Academic Senate members, who are mainly tenured and tenure-track faculty. The Senate is expected to deliver its final report in April to UC President Janet Napolitano, who first requested the review in 2018. Napolitano will then make her recommendation to the UC regents.


latimes--2020-02-03--Gunfight during robbery leaves suspect dead, store owner injured, authorities say

An attempted robbery sparked a gunfight in Santa Clarita on Sunday night , leaving a store owner injured and another @ @ @ @ @ .
The shooting occurred about 8:20 p.m. after a man entered a store in the @ @ @ @ @ Road and tried to rob it , according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ @ @ @ @ @ owner and the robbery suspect exchanged gunfire , and both men were struck , authorities @ @ @ @ @ who has not been identified , was pronounced dead at the scene .
The store @ @ @ @ @ hospital with an injury to his lower torso that did not appear to be life-threatening @ @ @ @ @ the shooting is asked to contact the Sheriff ’ s Department ’ s Homicide Bureau @ @ @ @ @ or Crime Stoppers at ( 800 ) 222-8477 or lacrimestoppers.org .

A gunfight during an attempted robbery in Santa Clarita left one man dead and another injured, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
An attempted robbery sparked a gunfight in Santa Clarita on Sunday night, leaving a store owner injured and another man dead, authorities said.
The shooting occurred about 8:20 p.m. after a man entered a store in the 19900 block of Golden Valley Road and tried to rob it, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The store owner and the robbery suspect exchanged gunfire, and both men were struck, authorities said.
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The suspect, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene. The store owner was taken to a hospital with an injury to his lower torso that did not appear to be life-threatening.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477 or lacrimestoppers.org.


latimes--2020-02-03--LAPD scandal opens window into California's secret gang database as reforms debated

Brian Allen wasn ’ t surprised when he recently heard officers in the Los Angeles Police Department may have fabricated evidence to label people as gang members .
He believes it happened to him , landing him on CalGang , the state ’ s secretive database of criminal street syndicates and their suspected crews that is in the middle of a contentious reform process .
In June , after a two-year fight that ended in front of a Superior Court judge , the Los Angeles city attorney agreed to take Allen off the gang list — acknowledging in court documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on nothing more than a single interview by officers who had conducted a traffic stop on Allen in 2017 as he drove home through South L.A. , information Allen said was “ no evidence , all speculation.
” While Allen was on CalGang , he worried often about the consequences , that if “ I didn ’ t blink my blinker or I didn ’ t stop at a stop sign , just something small could turn into something big , ” he said .
“ For the couple years I was on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of other black American kids in the ’ hood , like [ police ] didn ’ t care .
Like it was a setup , ” said Allen recently .
The state Department of Justice has been working to fix CalGang for two years to prevent cases like those of Allen and other questionable gang identifications recently uncovered in the LAPD .
But some are worried that the overdue overhaul is in jeopardy , as state Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra signaled last month that he may backtrack on expected changes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave too much latitude in the hands of local law enforcement when it comes to deciding who is in a gang .
The ongoing LAPD scandal , in which at least 20 officers are suspected of falsifying information used to identify gang members , will likely play a central role as Becerra works to finalize the reforms by summer .
It goes to the heart of the question that has divided law enforcement from community members when it comes to CalGang : How much trust should be afforded to a system that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement has rebuffed critics ’ fear of unfair additions as rumor without evidence — until now .
With the LAPD investigation providing an unprecedented glimpse into how the closely guarded database works , the conversation is shifting .
The LAPD investigation “ really is the booster rocket to say this has got to be reformed and it ’ s got to be reformed not in a superficial way but in a meaningful way , ” said Jorja Leap , a gang expert at UCLA ’ s Luskin School of Public Affairs .
CalGang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ file cabinet ” that contains information about suspected gang members and those in their orbits — currently allowing inclusion of people such as girlfriends or family members .
Its precursor began in the 1980s in Los Angeles as the county struggled with rising gang-related violence .
It grew in sophistication and scope over the intervening decades , now providing California law enforcement with a quick way to track tens of thousands of suspected criminals across jurisdictions — not just by name , but by intelligence that officers collect in field interviews and investigations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cars and associates .
The public has no access to CalGang .
Only approved law enforcement can see the more than 88,000 records on it , even to check their accuracy .
Using anecdotal evidence like Allen ’ s experience , critics have argued that under current rules , overzealous officers can use anything from a sports jersey to a casual conversation with a gang member as proof that a person belongs on CalGang .
Because agencies are not required to share what evidence they used — even when a person goes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removal sometimes requires — those on the CalGang list often have no idea what prompted their inclusion .
It has been nearly impossible for those outside of law enforcement to gauge the integrity of the process .
Concerns about CalGang date back to a scathing 2016 state audit , which found it lacked oversight , and that some of the agencies entering alleged gang members , including the LAPD , could not substantiate the claims .
Auditors found records for children as young as 1 year old when their names were uploaded , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the database under the purview of the attorney general and demand new rules for its use .
Until then , it had functioned without state oversight .
Though Becerra audited the existing records in the system , purging thousands of names , thousands more have been added while new rules are debated .
Becerra ’ s office said in an email that it “ is committed to ensuring people ’ s privacy rights are maintained and that individuals are not wrongly designated as gang members in any shared gang intelligence database in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ departments and officers who have misused the system accountable.
” The office did not respond to a question directly about the rollbacks to proposed reforms , but published a detailed reasoning for each change with the latest draft .
Last summer , Becerra released draft rules that tightened the criteria police could use when labeling someone a gang member .
Some legal experts said those original suggested rules would have addressed concerns the database unfairly targets people by race and economic status .
Currently , law enforcement can use information such as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighborhood where police encounter them and identification as gang members by “ reliable ” sources to add someone to CalGang .
Only two or three of eight possible criteria need to be documented , depending on circumstances .
When Becerra suggested cutting back on the reasons a person could be added , law enforcement members around the state objected .
“ The rules were already restrictive enough , ” said Jack Schaeffer , president of the San Diego Police Officers Assn .
and a gang detective for 12 years .
“ The whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track of the most violent predators out there ... .
When you limit what you can use , it makes it even harder.
” The latest draft , law enforcement members said , is less a reversal than a necessary recalibration .
It creates new restrictions , including more internal review before someone is added to CalGang , and also shows an understanding of the role the database plays in fighting street crime .
Schaeffer said leaving broad categories to identify gang members is essential because gangs have grown more pragmatic in evading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 80s , [ identification ] was really easy because everyone was standing on the corners throwing up gang signs , ” Schaeffer said .
“ But now they are a little more savvy than that.
” Some law enforcement officials argue even the restrictions that remain in the current proposal are too onerous , and present a risk to both public safety and officers .
“ Knowledge is power , ” said Robert Harris , a director of the Los Angeles Police Protective League , the union that represents officers .
Harris said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules for CalGang , changes in the current draft would “ undermine the ability for [ law enforcement ] to put in accurate information or keep that information current and relevant.
” Critics of the latest proposed regulations said they lack substance by leaving loopholes that allow police to continue adding people to CalGang for the same subjective reasons they have in the past , and rely on self-policing by law enforcement to ensure accuracy .
“ The test that the attorney general and the Department of Justice should be applying is would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] scandal , ” said Sean Garcia-Leys , a lawyer with L.A.-based Urban Peace Institute who has represented people attempting removal from CalGang .
“ The most recent draft would not.
” The current LAPD scandal around gang identification began early last year when a Van Nuys mother complained that her teenage son had erroneously been added to CalGang after a field interview with officers .
Police supervisors reviewed the body camera footage from the involved officers and found it did not match their accounts , leading to an expanded internal investigation and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moore to fire one of the involved officers .
The LAPD uses CalGang more than any other law enforcement agency in the state .
From Nov. 1 , 2017 , to Oct. 31 , 2018 , the period covered by a 2018 report by the attorney general ’ s office , it was responsible for 20,583 records – more than 20 % of the records in the database .
The Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department had the second highest count with 17 % of total records .
Melanie Ochoa , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the problem with allowing subjective criteria like clothing or the place where police see a person is that they can be discriminatory and are open to abuse .
More than 90 % of people in the database in 2018 were men of color , predominantly Latino and black , according to data from the California Department of Justice .
“ No matter how good the regulations are there are always going to be officers who try to subvert them in some way , ” Ochoa said .
Being seen at “ gang-related addresses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to include places like local markets or intersections , Ochoa said .
“ Entire neighborhoods are being swept in , ” she said .
“ It ’ s code for criminalizing places where black and brown people live.
” Advocacy groups have also criticized CalGang for being too difficult to get off , despite a new process put in place with the 2017 legislation .
Individuals can ask to be removed by the law enforcement agency that put them on , or , if the request is denied , petition the California Superior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
But Garcia-Leys and others said the process can be costly and time-consuming , with little guarantee of success .
Advocates said there is little uniformity either with courts or law enforcement agencies when it comes to the process for removal , and many of those on CalGang either don ’ t know they ’ re on it , or can ’ t navigate the red tape of removal .
According to the report by the attorney general ’ s office , only 53 requests for removal were made to law enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ records in the database from Nov. 1 , 2017 , to Oct. 31 , 2018 .
The San Bernardino County Sheriff ’ s Department and the LAPD received the highest number of requests .
While San Bernardino County granted three of 18 , the LAPD denied all 15 it received .
But as the CalGang debate continues , so does its use .
On Nov. 2 , Daeron Funtila , 29 , was pulled over in his neighborhood near Vernon and Western avenues with his 7-year-old son in the car .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks after the traffic stop , Funtila received a letter like Allen ’ s : Funtila , an auto mechanic , had been added to CalGang .
Funtila was released from prison in 2017 , and said he worries the gang designation will make him a target for law enforcement .
“ Since I ’ ve been out of prison , I ’ ve gotten off parole , I ’ ve done everything I needed to do to be a model citizen , ” said Funtila .
“ People that don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have no idea about me , can just label me and it sticks .
”

Anita Chabria, Leila Miller, Nicole Santa Cruz

Brian Allen wasn’t surprised when he recently heard officers in the Los Angeles Police Department may have fabricated evidence to label people as gang members.
He believes it happened to him, landing him on CalGang, the state’s secretive database of criminal street syndicates and their suspected crews that is in the middle of a contentious reform process.
In June, after a two-year fight that ended in front of a Superior Court judge, the Los Angeles city attorney agreed to take Allen off the gang list — acknowledging in court documents that he’d been added based on nothing more than a single interview by officers who had conducted a traffic stop on Allen in 2017 as he drove home through South L.A., information Allen said was “no evidence, all speculation.”
Advertisement
While Allen was on CalGang, he worried often about the consequences, that if “I didn’t blink my blinker or I didn’t stop at a stop sign, just something small could turn into something big,” he said.
“For the couple years I was on there, I felt probably like 90% of other black American kids in the ’hood, like [police] didn’t care. Like it was a setup,” Allen said recently.
The state Department of Justice has been working to fix CalGang for two years to prevent cases like those of Allen and other questionable gang identifications recently uncovered in the LAPD. But some are worried that the overdue overhaul is in jeopardy, as state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra signaled last month that he may backtrack on expected changes. Doing so, critics say, would leave too much latitude in the hands of local law enforcement when it comes to deciding who is in a gang.
The ongoing LAPD scandal, in which at least 20 officers are suspected of falsifying information used to identify gang members, will probably play a central role as Becerra works to finalize the reforms by summer. It goes to the heart of the question that has divided law enforcement from community members when it comes to CalGang: How much trust should be afforded to a system that is largely immune to public scrutiny?
Law enforcement has challenged critics’ fear of unfair additions as rumor without evidence — until now. With the LAPD investigation providing an unprecedented glimpse into how the closely guarded database works, the conversation is shifting.
The LAPD investigation “really is the booster rocket to say this has got to be reformed and it’s got to be reformed not in a superficial way but in a meaningful way,” said Jorja Leap, a gang expert at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs.
CalGang has been described as an “electronic file cabinet” that contains information about suspected gang members and those in their orbits — currently allowing inclusion of people such as girlfriends or family members. Its precursor began in the 1980s in Los Angeles as the county struggled with rising gang-related violence. It grew in sophistication and scope over the intervening decades, now providing California law enforcement with a quick way to track tens of thousands of suspected criminals across jurisdictions — not just by name, but by intelligence that officers collect in field interviews and investigations, such as tattoos, nicknames, cars and associates.
Advertisement
The public has no access to CalGang. Only approved law enforcement can see the more than 88,000 records on it, even to check their accuracy.
Using anecdotal evidence like Allen’s experience, critics have argued that under current rules, overzealous officers can use anything from a sports jersey to a casual conversation with a gang member as proof that a person belongs on CalGang. Because agencies are not required to share what evidence they used — even when a person goes to court to fight the label, as removal sometimes requires — those on the CalGang list often have no idea what prompted their inclusion. It has been nearly impossible for those outside law enforcement to gauge the integrity of the process.
Concerns about CalGang date back to a scathing 2016 state audit, which found that it lacked oversight and that some of the agencies entering alleged gang members, including the LAPD, could not substantiate the claims. Auditors found records for children as young as 1 year old when their names were uploaded, prompting the Legislature in 2017 to put the database under the purview of the attorney general and demand new rules for its use. Until then, it had functioned without state oversight.
Though Becerra audited the existing records in the system, purging thousands of names, thousands more have been added while new rules are debated.
Becerra’s office said in an email that it “is committed to ensuring people’s privacy rights are maintained and that individuals are not wrongly designated as gang members in any shared gang intelligence database in California. We’re committed to holding departments and officers who have misused the system accountable.”
The office did not respond to a question directly about the rollbacks to proposed reforms, but it published a detailed reasoning for each change with the latest draft.
Last summer, Becerra released draft rules that tightened the criteria police could use when labeling someone a gang member. Some legal experts said those original suggested rules would have addressed concerns the database unfairly targets people by race and economic status.
Currently, law enforcement can use information such as the clothing a person is wearing, the neighborhood where police encounter them and identification as a gang member by “reliable” sources to add someone to CalGang. Only two or three of eight possible criteria need to be documented, depending on circumstances.
When Becerra suggested cutting back on the reasons a person could be added, law enforcement members around the state objected.
“The rules were already restrictive enough,” said Jack Schaeffer, president of the San Diego Police Officers Assn. and a gang detective for 12 years. “The whole goal is to make sure we keep track of the most violent predators out there…. When you limit what you can use, it makes it even harder.”
The latest draft, law enforcement members said, is less a reversal than a necessary recalibration. It creates new restrictions, including more internal review before someone is added to CalGang, and also shows an understanding of the role the database plays in fighting street crime.
Schaeffer said leaving broad categories to identify gang members is essential because gangs have grown more pragmatic in evading scrutiny.
“Back in the ’80s, [identification] was really easy because everyone was standing on the corners throwing up gang signs,” Schaeffer said. “But now they are a little more savvy than that.”
Some law enforcement officials argue even the restrictions that remain in the current proposal are too onerous and present a risk to both public safety and officers.
“Knowledge is power,” said Robert Harris, a director of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents officers.
Harris said that although his organization is committed to fair rules for CalGang, the changes in the current draft would “undermine the ability for [law enforcement] to put in accurate information or keep that information current and relevant.”
Critics of the latest proposed regulations said that they lack substance by leaving loopholes that allow police to continue adding people to CalGang for the same subjective reasons they have in the past, and that they rely on self-policing by law enforcement to ensure accuracy.
“The test that the attorney general and the Department of Justice should be applying is: Would these regulations have caught this [LAPD] scandal?” said Sean Garcia-Leys, a lawyer withthe Urban Peace Institute in L.A. who has represented people trying to be removed from CalGang. “The most recent draft would not.”
The current LAPD scandal around gang identification began early last year when a Van Nuys mother complained that her teenage son had erroneously been added to CalGang after a field interview with officers. Police supervisors reviewed the body camera footage from the involved officers and found it did not match their accounts, leading to an expanded internal investigation and a recent move by LAPD Chief Michel Moore to fire one of the involved officers.
The LAPD uses CalGang more than any other law enforcement agency in the state. From Nov. 1, 2017, to Oct. 31, 2018, the period covered by a 2018 report by the attorney general’s office, it was responsible for 20,583 records — more than 20% of those in the database. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department had the second-highest count with 17% of total records.
Melanie Ochoa, staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, said the problem with allowing subjective criteria like clothing or the place where police see a person is that they can be discriminatory and are open to abuse. More than 90% of people in the database in 2018 were men of color, predominantly Latino and black, according to data from the California Department of Justice.
“No matter how good the regulations are, there are always going to be officers who try to subvert them in some way,” Ochoa said.
Being seen at “gang-related addresses” could be understood by law enforcement to include places like local markets or intersections, Ochoa said.
“Entire neighborhoods are being swept in,” she said. “It’s code for criminalizing places where black and brown people live.”
Advocacy groups have also criticized CalGang for being too difficult to be removed from, despite a new process put in place with the 2017 legislation. Individuals can ask to be removed by the law enforcement agency that put them on the list or, if the request is denied, petition the California Superior Court to order the agency to remove them.
But Garcia-Leys and others said the process can be costly and time-consuming, with little guarantee of success. Advocates said there is little uniformity with courts or law enforcement agencies when it comes to the process for removal, and many of those on CalGang either don’t know they’re on it or can’t navigate the red tape of removal.
According to the report by the attorney general’s office, only 53 requests for removal were made to law enforcement agencies out of the more than 88,000 records in the database from Nov. 1, 2017, to Oct. 31, 2018. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and the LAPD received the highest number of requests. San Bernardino County granted three of 18 requests, and the LAPD denied all 15 it received. LAPD spokesman Josh Rubenstein said the department plans to review those denials. LAPD spokesman Josh Rubenstein said the department plans to review those denials.
But as the CalGang debate continues, so does its use.
On Nov. 2, Daeron Funtila, 29, was pulled over in his neighborhood near Vernon and Western avenues with his 7-year-old son in the car. He was given a warning for speeding, but weeks after the traffic stop, Funtila received a letter like Allen’s: Funtila, an auto mechanic, had been added to CalGang.
Funtila was released from prison in 2017 and said he worries the gang designation will make him a target for law enforcement.
“Since I’ve been out of prison, I’ve gotten off parole, I’ve done everything I needed to do to be a model citizen,” he said. “People that don’t even know me, don’t have no idea about me, can just label me and it sticks.”


latimes--2020-02-03--Coronavirus cases in California increasing: Here's what you need to know

California now has six confirmed cases of the new strain of coronavirus .
Health officials expect that number to grow but have said the threat to the general public remains low .
The Department of Defense said that it has agreed to house up to 1,000 people who may need to be quarantined upon arrival from overseas travel because of the coronavirus and that two of the four facilities selected are in California .
Travis Air Force Base in Solano County and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego County are the two California sites that were selected , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pentagon spokesman .
The others are Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and the 168th Regiment Regional Training Institute in Colorado .
On Friday , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered a quarantine of all 195 people from Wuhan , China , who were in Riverside County after fleeing the coronavirus outbreak .
The quarantine will last 14 days — the incubation period for the virus — from when the plane left China , CDC officials said .
The mandatory quarantine is the CDC ’ s first in more than 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the confirmed cases in California : On Sunday , health officials said that two patients in the Bay Area were a married couple and that the husband had recently returned from Wuhan .
The husband , 57 , passed the virus on to his wife , also 57 .
The couple had not left their home since the husband returned from China .
The county ’ s public health department said the two patients have not been hospitalized and remain isolated in their home .
“ We continue to monitor the situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Benito County residents and limit the spread of this virus , ” said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib , the county ’ s health officer .
Last week , officials announced a man had become sick after a trip to China .
A second case involves a woman who arrived in the U.S. on Jan. 23 to visit family , officials said .
She has stayed home since she arrived , except for two trips to seek outpatient medical care .
She has been regularly monitored and was never sick enough to be hospitalized .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ which means they do not leave the house , even to buy groceries , officials said .
The county health department is providing food and other necessary items for the family .
“ I understand that people are concerned , but based on what we know today , the risk to the general public remains low , ” said Dr. Sara Cody , Santa Clara County ’ s health officer .
“ A second case is not unexpected .
With our large population and the amount of travel to China for both personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see more cases.
” The infected person was a returning traveler from Wuhan .
“ The infected person presented themselves immediately for care at LAX airport once they noticed they weren ’ t feeling well , ” L.A. County public health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said .
The Orange County patient is in good condition and is in isolation at a hospital , health officials said .
In both counties , health authorities are following up with anyone who has had close contact with the patients , but they noted that casual contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visiting the same grocery store or movie theater — carries only “ minimal risk of developing infection.
” “ The risk of local transmission remains low , ” officials said last week .
Here are some basic facts from the CDC about coronavirus : Symptoms : Reported illnesses have included people with little to no symptoms and people being severely ill and dying .
Symptoms can include : Prevention : There is currently no vaccine .
The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyday preventive actions to help avoid the spread of respiratory viruses , including : • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds , especially after going to the bathroom ; before eating ; and after blowing your nose , coughing or sneezing .
• If soap and water are not readily available , use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 % alcohol .
Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty .
• Avoid touching your eyes , nose , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close contact with people who are sick .
• Stay home when you are sick .
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue , then throw the tissue in the trash .
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe .
Getting checked out : If you develop a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness , such as cough or shortness of breath , within 14 days after travel from China , you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you have had close contact with someone showing these symptoms who has recently traveled from this area , you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention your close contact and their recent travel .

California now has six confirmed cases of the new strain of coronavirus. Health officials expect that number to grow but have said the threat to the general public remains low.
The Department of Defense said that it has agreed to house up to 1,000 people who may need to be quarantined upon arrival from overseas travel because of the coronavirus and that two of the four facilities selected are in California.
Travis Air Force Base in Solano County and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego County are the two California sites that were selected, said Lt. Col. Chris Mitchell, a Pentagon spokesman. The others are Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and the 168th Regiment Regional Training Institute in Colorado.
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On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered a quarantine of all 195 people from Wuhan, China, who were evacuated to March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County after fleeing the coronavirus outbreak. The quarantine will last 14 days — the incubation period for the virus — from when the plane left China, CDC officials said. The mandatory quarantine is the CDC’s first in more than 50 years.
Here is what we know about the confirmed cases in California:
San Benito County
On Sunday, health officials said that two patients in the Bay Area were a married couple and that the husband had recently returned from Wuhan.
The husband, 57, passed the virus on to his wife, also 57. The couple had not left their home since the husband returned from China. The county’s public health department said the two patients have not been hospitalized and remain isolated in their home.
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“We continue to monitor the situation closely to protect the health of San Benito County residents and limit the spread of this virus,” said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, the county’s health officer.
Santa Clara County
Last week, officials announced a man had become sick after a trip to China.
A second case involves a woman who arrived in the U.S. on Jan. 23 to visit family, officials said. She has stayed home since she arrived, except for two trips to seek outpatient medical care. She has been regularly monitored and was never sick enough to be hospitalized.
Family members have also been isolated, which means they do not leave the house, even to buy groceries, officials said. The county health department is providing food and other necessary items for the family.
“I understand that people are concerned, but based on what we know today, the risk to the general public remains low,” said Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County’s health officer. “A second case is not unexpected. With our large population and the amount of travel to China for both personal and business reasons, we will likely see more cases.”
Los Angeles County
The infected person was a returning traveler from Wuhan.
“The infected person presented themselves immediately for care at LAX airport once they noticed they weren’t feeling well,” L.A. County public health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said.
Orange County
The Orange County patient is in good condition and is in isolation at a hospital, health officials said.
In both counties, health authorities are following up with anyone who has had close contact with the patients, but they noted that casual contact with an infected person — such as visiting the same grocery store or movie theater — carries only “minimal risk of developing infection.”
“The risk of local transmission remains low,” officials said last week.
Basic facts about the virus
Here are some basic facts from the CDC about coronavirus:
Symptoms: Reported illnesses have included people with little to no symptoms and people being severely ill and dying. Symptoms can include:
Fever
Cough
Shortness of breath
Prevention: There is currently no vaccine. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, as a reminder, CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help avoid the spread of respiratory viruses, including:
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Getting checked out: If you develop a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough or shortness of breath, within 14 days after travel from China, you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention your recent travel or close contact.
If you have had close contact with someone showing these symptoms who has recently traveled from this area, you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention your close contact and their recent travel.


latimes--2020-02-03--50 mph gusts blow through downtown L.A.; powerful winds topple trees, damage jet at LAX

After a brief winter warm-up over the weekend , powerful winds wreaked havoc across Southern California early Monday , toppling trees and power lines and damaging a cargo jet taking off from Los Angeles International Airport .
The northerly winds kicked up Sunday afternoon and strengthened overnight , gusting up to 80 mph in Warm Springs in the mountains of the Angeles National Forest .
In downtown L.A. , winds reached 50 mph , while Saugus and Van Nuys Airport had gusts of 57 and 53 mph , respectively .
On Monday morning , winds had gusted up to 55 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Inglewood and 45 mph at LAX and Catalina Island , according to the National Weather Service .
The blasts uprooted a massive tree in the 3000 block of Beachwood Drive in Hollywood Hills .
In Granada Hills , footage from OnScene TV showed a tree that had plummeted through a house .
At Reseda Boulevard in Porter Ranch , winds toppled a large pine on the westbound 118 Freeway , blocking two lanes .
Joe Hernandez was driving a passenger for Lyft on the 118 when he struck the tree with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injured , but the car was significantly damaged , he said .
“ It felt like we went through a bale of hay , ” he told reporters at the scene .
“ It felt weird.
” Shortly after 3 a.m. , a 747 cargo aircraft was taking off from LAX when it struck a trash bin that had blown onto the runway .
The bin hit the nose gear of the aircraft , causing two of the tires to blow out , according to the Los Angeles Fire Department .
Seven people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were not injured , officials said .
Winds of 20 to 30 mph are expected to continue through much of Monday , but may weaken by the afternoon .
The winds will shift northeasterly Tuesday , said David Sweet , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard .
The weather service issued a wind advisory through noon Monday for the San Gabriel Valley , Los Angeles County coast , downtown L.A. and Catalina and Santa Barbara islands .
The advisory warns of gusty winds that can toss unsecured objects and make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We have a cold front that ’ s going through the region associated with an area of low pressure that ’ s diving into eastern California , ” Sweet said .
“ It ’ s going to stay on the cool and windy side now into Tuesday before things start to settle down as we head into a warming trend.
” The cold front also brought a smattering of rain along the northern slopes of the mountains in Los Angeles County and in some Orange County cities , including Anaheim , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
A freeze watch is in effect for parts of Southern California , including the Coachella Valley , beginning at 10 p.m. Monday through 10 a.m. Tuesday .
It will kick in again Tuesday evening and last through Wednesday morning .
Overnight temperatures could drop as low as 28 degrees in that area , according to the weather service .
In Los Angeles , daytime temperatures are expected to linger in the low 60s Monday and Tuesday before warming slightly Wednesday .
By the weekend , forecasters expect the mercury to rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles County .
The chilly temperatures come on the heels of what was a record-breaking warm weekend for Southern California , with highs soaring above 80 degrees in some areas .
A record high of 81 degrees was set at LAX on Saturday , surpassing the previous mark of 79 degrees for the day in 1954 .
In Long Beach , a temperature of 84 degrees Saturday bested the previous record of 83 degrees set on the same day in 1995 .
The dramatic swing in temperatures can be uncomfortable and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California , Sweet said .
“ It can happen , but it doesn ’ t happen very often , ” he said .

Workers try to reestablish electricity to the area after high winds caused a large tree to fall across the street in the 700 block of Fairview Avenue in Sierra Madre.
After a brief winter warm-up over the weekend, powerful winds wreaked havoc across Southern California early Monday, toppling trees and power lines and damaging a cargo jet taking off from Los Angeles International Airport.
The northerly winds kicked up Sunday afternoon and strengthened overnight, gusting up to 80 mph in Warm Springs in the mountains of the Angeles National Forest. In downtown L.A., winds reached 50 mph, while Saugus and Van Nuys Airport had gusts of 57 and 53 mph, respectively. On Monday morning, winds had gusted up to 55 mph in Santa Monica, 47 mph in Inglewood and 45 mph at LAX and Catalina Island, according to the National Weather Service.
The blasts uprooted a massive tree in the 3000 block of Beachwood Drive in Hollywood Hills. In Granada Hills, footage from OnScene TV showed a tree that had plummeted through a house. At Reseda Boulevard in Porter Ranch, winds toppled a large pine on the westbound 118 Freeway, blocking two lanes. Joe Hernandez was driving a passenger for Lyft on the 118 when he struck the tree with his sedan early Monday. No one was injured, but the car was significantly damaged, he said.
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“It felt like we went through a bale of hay,” he told reporters at the scene. “It felt weird.”
Shortly after 3 a.m., a 747 cargo aircraft was taking off from LAX when it struck a trash bin that had blown onto the runway. The bin hit the nose gear of the aircraft, causing two of the tires to blow out, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Seven people who were on board at the time were not injured, officials said.
A woman is surrounded by palm fronds while waiting for the bus in San Pedro Monday. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
Winds of 20 to 30 mph are expected to continue through much of Monday, but may weaken by the afternoon. The winds will shift northeasterly Tuesday, said David Sweet, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
The weather service issued a wind advisory through noon Monday for the San Gabriel Valley, Los Angeles County coast, downtown L.A. and Catalina and Santa Barbara islands. The advisory warns of gusty winds that can toss unsecured objects and make driving difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.
“We have a cold front that’s going through the region associated with an area of low pressure that’s diving into eastern California,” Sweet said. “It’s going to stay on the cool and windy side now into Tuesday before things start to settle down as we head into a warming trend.”
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The cold front also brought a smattering of rain along the northern slopes of the mountains in Los Angeles County and in some Orange County cities, including Anaheim, but did not last long, forecasters said.
A freeze watch is in effect for parts of Southern California, including the Coachella Valley, beginning at 10 p.m. Monday through 10 a.m. Tuesday. It will kick in again Tuesday evening and last through Wednesday morning. Overnight temperatures could drop as low as 28 degrees in that area, according to the weather service.
In Los Angeles, daytime temperatures are expected to linger in the low 60s Monday and Tuesday before warming slightly Wednesday. By the weekend, forecasters expect the mercury to rise to about 70 degrees across much of Los Angeles County.
The chilly temperatures come on the heels of what was a record-breaking warm weekend for Southern California, with highs soaring above 80 degrees in some areas.
A record high of 81 degrees was set at LAX on Saturday, surpassing the previous mark of 79 degrees for the day in 1954. In Long Beach, a temperature of 84 degrees Saturday bested the previous record of 83 degrees set on the same day in 1995.
The dramatic swing in temperatures can be uncomfortable and is a bit unusual for winter in Southern California, Sweet said.
“It can happen, but it doesn’t happen very often,” he said.


latimes--2020-02-03--Greyhound shooting: After gunfire kills 1 and wounds 5, authorities look for answers

Investigators are trying to determine what prompted a man to open fire on a Greyhound bus that was traveling on Interstate 5 through Kern County , killing a 51-year-old woman and wounding five others early Monday .
The bus , which had 43 people on board , including the driver , left Los Angeles about 11:30 p.m. Sunday and was scheduled to make stops in the cities of Avenal and Oakland before ending its route in San Francisco about 7:20 a.m. Monday .
About 1:30 a.m. as the bus was traveling near Lebec , one of the passengers pulled out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California Highway Patrol Sgt .
Brian Pennings said .
“ I ’ ve been on for 25 years , and I ’ ve never seen this happen , ” Pennings said .
After the shooting , the bus driver pulled to the right shoulder of the freeway , and authorities said the shooter voluntarily got off .
“ The driver of the bus immediately pulled to the right shoulder and somehow — we ’ re still trying to figure out how this happened — were able to coerce the suspect off of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the driver ’ s action ’ s heroic .
The bus driver then traveled to the next freeway exit , at Grapevine Road , stopping at a Valero gas station to get medical treatment for the passengers .
Five passengers were taken to hospitals for treatment .
One of the people wounded was flown to an emergency room ; the rest were taken by ambulance .
Authorities said two people are in serious condition .
A 51-year-old woman from Colombia was pronounced dead at the scene , Pennings said .
The ages and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot were not immediately available .
The suspect , who was located by officers and taken into custody , left behind the handgun and additional ammunition on the bus , Pennings said .
His name has not been released .
Federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives are working to trace the weapon .
“ There were extra magazines with the weapon , ” Pennings said .
“ What the intent was ...
I can ’ t comment on.
” Mark Grabban , 29 , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told NBC that he noticed the suspect immediately because of the man ’ s height .
He said the man was talking loudly and “ incoherently ” when he got on the bus and got into an argument with someone who asked him to quiet down .
“ He was muttering things , about ‘ wait till we get to the station , ’ ” Grabban told the station .
Grabban said the man suddenty began shouting expletives before he heard the sound of a gun cock , followed by eight or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the floor right to under the seat .
I got to my girlfriend , tried to put her head down .
I was just waiting for the next shot .
I was assuming I was going to get shot , ” he said .
“ There was a mother with two small girls , who were either 4 or 3 , frozen with fear , and I was shaking , telling them to stay down.
” Photos from the scene early Monday showed the bus parked at a Valero gas station in Lebec @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence .
Representatives for Greyhound said they do not allow weapons on their buses .
They declined to answer questions about the bus carrier ’ s security procedures , but provided a statement .
“ Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone and every family member impacted by the incident today , ” the statement said .
“ We are gathering details and will assist the Kern County police in every way possible during their investigation .
”

An investigation is underway in Lebec, Calif., after one person was killed and five were shot aboard a Greyhound bus headed to the Bay Area.
Investigators are trying to determine what prompted a man to open fire on a Greyhound bus that was traveling on Interstate 5 through Kern County, killing a 51-year-old woman and wounding five others early Monday.
The bus, which had 43 people on board, including the driver, left Los Angeles about 11:30 p.m. Sunday and was scheduled to make stops in the cities of Avenal and Oakland before ending its route in San Francisco about 7:20 a.m. Monday. About 1:30 a.m. as the bus was traveling near Lebec, one of the passengers pulled out a black handgun and opened fire, California Highway Patrol Sgt. Brian Pennings said.
“I’ve been on for 25 years, and I’ve never seen this happen,” Pennings said.
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After the shooting, the bus driver pulled to the right shoulder of the freeway, and authorities said the shooter voluntarily got off.
“The driver of the bus immediately pulled to the right shoulder and somehow — we’re still trying to figure out how this happened — were able to coerce the suspect off of the bus,” Pennings said, calling the driver’s actions heroic.
The bus driver then traveled to the next freeway exit, at Grapevine Road, stopping at a Valero gas station to get medical treatment for the passengers. Five passengers were taken to hospitals for treatment. One of the people wounded was flown to an emergency room; the rest were taken by ambulance. Authorities said two people are in serious condition.
A 51-year-old woman from Colombia was pronounced dead at the scene, Pennings said. The ages and genders of the others who had been shot were not immediately available.
The suspect, who was located by officers and taken into custody, left behind the handgun and additional ammunition on the bus, Pennings said. His name has not been released. Federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are working to trace the weapon.
“There were extra magazines with the weapon,” Pennings said. “What the intent was ... I can’t comment on.”
Mark Grabban, 29, who was traveling on the bus with his girlfriend, told NBC that he noticed the suspect immediately because of the man’s height. He said the man was talking loudly and “incoherently” when he got on the bus and got into an argument with someone who asked him to quiet down.
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“He was muttering things, about ‘wait till we get to the station,’ ” Grabban said.
He said the man suddenly began shouting expletives before he heard the sound of a gun cock, followed by eight or nine shots.
“I dove to the floor right to under the seat. I got to my girlfriend, tried to put her head down. I was just waiting for the next shot. I was assuming I was going to get shot,” he said. “There was a mother with two small girls, who were either 4 or 3, frozen with fear, and I was shaking, telling them to stay down.”
Photos from the scene early Monday showed the bus parked at a Valero gas station in Lebec as authorities combed through the vehicle for evidence.
Representatives for Greyhound said they do not allow weapons on their buses. They declined to answer questions about the bus carrier’s security procedures, but provided a statement.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone and every family member impacted by the incident today,” the statement said. “We are gathering details and will assist the Kern County police in every way possible during their investigation.”


latimes--2020-02-04--In Silver Lake, a vegan joint tells of how the big fish of gentrification eat the little ones

Miranda Megill admits that when she opened a vegan restaurant in 2007 , it wasn ’ t without a few pangs of guilt that she may have helped push Silver Lake ’ s famous gentrification along .
Nonetheless , after 13 years of nurturing her business , Flore Vegan became a part of Los Angeles ’ brunch culture in a hipster mecca , bustling from morning to night .
But as businesses like Flore Vegan flourished , Silver Lake became the example the ultra-gentrified neighborhood that inspired activists to fight back against the forces of change happening throughout Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took measures to keep newcomers out in places like Boyle Heights , targeting cafes and art galleries that had begun to encroach into the mostly working-class Latino neighborhood .
Still , in an ever-changing Los Angeles , there always loomed someone out there with a bigger dream — and a lot more money .
In December , Megill received eviction notice for her two businesses near Sunset Junction .
Megill learned that a company purchased the building housing Flore Vegan and another business she owned .
She looked up the buyer , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touted a mission of “ gentrifying ” communities with “ underutilized properties in the hottest neighborhoods of L.A. ” And so what she feared she had been doing to others more than a decade ago was suddenly happening to her .
“ It ’ s like buying a house , getting it exactly how you want it and having someone say ‘ Thanks , we ’ ll have that , ’ ” Megill said .
Since the day Flore Vegan opened , Megill was overwhelmed by its success .
She went on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beauty apothecary selling decadently wrapped soaps , lotions and skincare products .
Megill divided her time between the two businesses , working as a salesperson some days and a cook on others .
On a recent weekday , Megill worked behind Le Pink ’ s counter when her 10-year-old daughter , Violet , ran into the shop .
She was on winter break and had been waiting tables at Flore Vegan .
Grinning , she flashed several bills to her mother — her hard-earned tip .
“ I ’ m so proud of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Violet ran back to work .
Next door , Flore Vegan is lit by light bulbs enclosed in mason jars hang from the ceiling .
The restaurant is decorated with paintings and ornate vintage mirrors , and its tables are set with jars of fresh flowers .
Patrons can sit outside with their dogs to enjoy “ chicken ” and waffles , tofu scramble and nachos .
In the 1970s and 1980s , Central American and Mexicans migrated to Los Angeles in large numbers , settling in neighborhoods close to the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Luis Nuno , an assistant professor at Cal State L.A. who studies gentrification .
Over the next few decades , suburban youngsters moved to the city with a desire to experience what they perceived was a more exciting urban life , Nuno said .
Others came from other parts of the U.S .
Given its proximity to Hollywood , the area became a haven for creatives , writers and actors .
Coffee shops , organic food , juice bars — and vegan food — became the markers for a transforming Los Angeles , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and “ bohemian , ” said John Bush , who has lived in the neighborhood since 1982 .
There was plenty of parking , making a trip to Sunset Junction a breeze .
And it was cheap back then , with easy public transportation that allowed working-class folks to commute to downtown L.A. Orbelicia Valle , owner of San Diego Glass & Mirrors on Sunset Boulevard , described Silver Lake in the ’ 90s as a barrio .
Gangs were still present , but she felt safe .
There were more Latino businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced to move out of Silver Lake because her rent increased .
Now she commutes to work from Koreatown .
More and more , she began seeing strangers coming to take photographs of surrounding buildings , looking to buy or sell .
Slowly , her fellow Latino business owners were forced out too .
“ It ’ s like they think it ’ s a gold mine , ” Valle said .
“ That ’ s not the case .
We have to work .
It ’ s not a gold mine.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the neighborhood are affecting her business .
With a new restaurant opening nearby , there ’ s less parking for her clients .
And as prices continue to rise , she ’ s forced to raise her own prices and negotiate with customers who ask why the prices are so high .
“ I love Silver Lake for its people , even though it ’ s changed , ” Valle said .
“ We started our business here from nothing .
It ’ s our roots .
It ’ s a love for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they come and cut us , it ’ s like cutting a tree from its roots.
” At the Cafe Tropical and El Cochinito , owner Daniel Navarro had to adapt to his changing clientele .
He made less of his grandparents ’ authentic Cuban specials and added more vegan and vegetarian food .
The most he can afford in Silver Lake is a one-bedroom apartment .
Navarro he sympathizes with the struggle of people who came after he did .
“ If you ’ re a small-business owner , you know the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a small business , wherever you ’ re from , ” Navarro said .
For his part , he said he tried not to dwell too much on being pushed out .
“ It comes down to greed and money at the end of the day , ” Navarro said .
Megill said her lease had been up for renewal in June , and she inquired numerous times with her property manager about renewing it .
She was told they were refinancing the building and therefore couldn ’ t handle her new lease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she was told she had nothing to worry about .
But she felt that her property manager and landlord , the owner of the Army-Navy surplus store just a few stores away from her restaurant , was evading her for months .
She started seeing new faces , including an Engine Real Estate property manager , showcasing nearby vacant spaces .
One day she arrived in the morning to find someone she didn ’ t know standing in front of Flore Vegan .
The woman , a representative of Engine Real Estate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : a 30-day eviction notice .
Megill stared with disbelief at the photographs of her own Flore Vegan and Le Pink on the company ’ s website .
The images and “ gentrification ” language were later taken down .
David Walker , CEO of Engine Real Estate , said in an email that the firm believed Megill was aware of her expired leases and “ were already planning to relocate ... given that they had not previously extended their leases with prior ownership.
” He said Engine Real Estate agreed to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 days , and two months ’ free rent .
“ We take our responsibility to the neighborhood very seriously and look forward to introducing businesses that will become a part of the fabric of the Silverlake community for years to come , ” Walker said .
Megill , a bubbly , energetic woman , said she could have stayed in bed for weeks mourning the loss of her business .
Instead , she forced herself to remain optimistic .
Then she made a tough choice , she said tearfully .
She depleted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a down payment on a new restaurant space .
She connected with a restaurant owner of Local , nearby on Sunset Boulevard , who is retiring from the business and offering his space to her .
She started a GoFundMe , and asks for donations with a laminated piece of paper slipped into customers ’ checkbooks .
As much as it is a neighborhood , with people who work and live and struggle and prosper , Silver Lake is a brand .
Shops like Warby Parker and Happy Socks , headquartered in New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there .
“ This is what we call a billboard storefront , ” said Carol Cetrone , president of the Silver Lake Heritage Trust , a nonprofit that aims to preserve the historical and cultural aspects of Silver Lake and other northeast L.A. communities .
“ Meaning they just want to be able to put an ad in Los Angeles magazine that they have a storefront in Silver Lake , and it doesn ’ t matter if they sell one pair of socks a day.
” Cetrone said real estate in the area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like shares in a stock market.
” Nuno said corporate companies moving in is simply the fruit of capitalism .
“ It ’ s what the gentrifiers did to the working class and Silver Lake , and now we ’ re seeing people richer than them coming in and doing the same , ” he said .
“ That ’ s the story of American capitalism .
It kind of eats itself.
” The big fish eat the little fish .
Still , compared with the working class that got pushed out , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had more resources to fall back on .
Despite the setbacks , the restaurant space Megill is eyeing has a larger patio space and can seat almost double what her current space does .
She expects to move in late February .
Le Pink will be relocated at the end of January and will also be bigger and within eyesight of Flore Vegan ’ s new location .
If business stays good , she has a chance to earn back her daughter ’ s college fund and help her follow her own @ @

Violet Hallett, 10, cleans menus at her mother’s Silver Lake restaurant, Flore Vegan, which is being targeted for gentrification.
Miranda Megill admits that when she opened a vegan restaurant in 2007, it wasn’t without a few pangs of guilt that she may have helped push Silver Lake’s famous gentrification along.
Nonetheless, after 13 years of nurturing her business, Flore Vegan became a part of Los Angeles’ brunch culture in a hipster mecca, bustling from morning to night.
But as businesses like Flore Vegan flourished, Silver Lake became the example of the ultra-gentrified neighborhood that inspired activists to fight back against the forces of change happening throughout Los Angeles, particularly in the Eastside. Protesters took measures to keep newcomers out in places like Boyle Heights, targeting cafes and art galleries that had begun to encroach into the mostly working-class Latino neighborhood.
Still, in an ever-changing Los Angeles, there always loomed someone out there with a bigger dream — and a lot more money. In December, Megill received an eviction notice for her two businesses near Sunset Junction.
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Megill learned that a company purchased the building housing Flore Vegan and another business she owned. She looked up the buyer, and on its website, found the developer touted a mission of “gentrifying” communities with “underutilized properties in the hottest neighborhoods of L.A.”
And so what she feared she had been doing to others more than a decade ago was suddenly happening to her.
“It’s like buying a house, getting it exactly how you want it and having someone say ‘Thanks, we’ll have that,’” Megill said.
Since the day Flore Vegan opened, Megill was overwhelmed by its success. She went on to buy the neighboring Le Pink, a beauty apothecary selling decadently wrapped soaps, lotions and skincare products.
Megill divided her time between the two businesses, working as a salesperson some days and a cook on others.
On a recent weekday, Megill worked behind Le Pink’s counter when her 10-year-old daughter, Violet, ran into the shop. She was on winter break and had been waiting tables at Flore Vegan. Grinning, she flashed several bills to her mother — her hard-earned tip.
“I’m so proud of you,” Megill told the girl as Violet ran back to work.
Next door, Flore Vegan is lit by light bulbs enclosed in mason jars hanging from the ceiling. The restaurant is decorated with paintings and ornate vintage mirrors, and its tables are set with jars of fresh flowers. Patrons can sit outside with their dogs to enjoy “chicken” and waffles, tofu scramble and nachos.
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It’s a different world from decades ago.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Central American and Mexicans migrated to Los Angeles in large numbers, settling in neighborhoods close to the city, including Silver Lake, according to Luis Nuno, an assistant professor at Cal State L.A. who studies gentrification.
Over the next few decades, suburban youngsters moved to the city with a desire to experience what they perceived was a more exciting urban life, Nuno said. Others came from other parts of the U.S.
Given its proximity to Hollywood, the area became a haven for creatives, writers and actors. Coffee shops, organic food, juice bars — and vegan food — became the markers for a transforming Los Angeles, Nuno said.
Silver Lake was artsy and “bohemian,” said John Bush, who has lived in the neighborhood since 1982. There was plenty of parking, making a trip to Sunset Junction a breeze. And it was cheap back then, with easy public transportation that allowed working-class folks to commute to downtown L.A.
Orbelicia Valle, owner of San Diego Glass & Mirrors on Sunset Boulevard, described Silver Lake in the ’90s as a barrio. Gangs were still present, but she felt safe. There were more Latino businesses and neighbors.
Valle said she was forced to move out of Silver Lake because her rent increased. Now she commutes to work from Koreatown. More and more, she began seeing strangers coming to take photographs of surrounding buildings, looking to buy or sell. Slowly, her fellow Latino business owners were forced out too.
“It’s like they think it’s a gold mine,” Valle said. “That’s not the case. We have to work. It’s not a gold mine.”
She worries about how the changes in the neighborhood are affecting her business. With a new restaurant opening nearby, there’s less parking for her clients. And as prices continue to rise, she’s forced to raise her own prices and negotiate with customers who ask why the prices are so high.
“I love Silver Lake for its people, even though it’s changed,” Valle said. “We started our business here from nothing. It’s our roots. It’s a love for the community, the people. If they come and cut us, it’s like cutting a tree from its roots.”
“We started our business here from nothing. It’s our roots,” one Silverlake business owner says. “If they come and cut us, it’s like cutting a tree from its roots.” (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
At the Cafe Tropical and El Cochinito, owner Daniel Navarro had to adapt to his changing clientele. He made less of his grandparents’ authentic Cuban specials and added more vegan and vegetarian food.
The most he can afford in Silver Lake is a one-bedroom apartment.
Navarro he sympathizes with the struggle of people who came after he did.
“If you’re a small-business owner, you know the time, emotion and sacrifice to running a small business, wherever you’re from,” Navarro said.
For his part, he said he tried not to dwell too much on being pushed out.
“It comes down to greed and money at the end of the day,” Navarro said.
Megill said her lease had been up for renewal in June, and she inquired numerous times with her property manager about renewing it.
She was told they were refinancing the building and therefore couldn’t handle her new lease agreement just yet. Repeatedly, Megill said she was told she had nothing to worry about.
But she felt that her property manager and landlord, the owner of the Army-Navy surplus store just a few stores away from her restaurant, was evading her for months. She started seeing new faces, including an Engine Real Estate property manager, showcasing nearby vacant spaces.
One day she arrived in the morning to find someone she didn’t know standing in front of Flore Vegan.
The woman, a representative of Engine Real Estate, handed her a slip of paper: a 30-day eviction notice.
Megill stared with disbelief at the photographs of her own Flore Vegan and Le Pink on the company’s website. The images and “gentrification” language were later taken down.
David Walker, CEO of Engine Real Estate, said in an email that the firm believed Megill was aware of her expired leases and “were already planning to relocate...given that they had not previously extended their leases with prior ownership.”
He said Engine Real Estate agreed to give Megill a 90-day eviction notice instead of 30 days, and two months’ free rent.
“We take our responsibility to the neighborhood very seriously and look forward to introducing businesses that will become a part of the fabric of the Silverlake community for years to come,” Walker said.
Megill, a bubbly, energetic woman, said she could have stayed in bed for weeks mourning the loss of her business. Instead, she forced herself to remain optimistic.
Then she made a tough choice, she said tearfully. She depleted Violet’s college fund to put a down payment on a new restaurant space.
She connected with a restaurant owner of Local, nearby on Sunset Boulevard, who is retiring from the business and offering his space to her. She started a GoFundMe, and asks for donations with a laminated piece of paper slipped into customers’ checkbooks.
Violet, 10, helps out at her mother’s Silver Lake restaurant, Flore Vegan. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
As much as it is a neighborhood, with people who work and live and struggle and prosper, Silver Lake is a brand. Shops like Warby Parker and Happy Socks, headquartered in New York and Sweden, have set up there.
“This is what we call a billboard storefront,” said Carol Cetrone, president of the Silver Lake Heritage Trust, a nonprofit that aims to preserve the historical and cultural aspects of Silver Lake and other northeast L.A. communities. “Meaning they just want to be able to put an ad in Los Angeles magazine that they have a storefront in Silver Lake, and it doesn’t matter if they sell one pair of socks a day.”
Cetrone said real estate in the area has become a holding game, “like shares in a stock market.”
Nuno said corporate companies moving in is simply the fruit of capitalism.
“It’s what the gentrifiers did to the working class and Silver Lake, and now we’re seeing people richer than them coming in and doing the same,” he said. “That’s the story of American capitalism. It kind of eats itself.”
The big fish eat the little fish.
Still, compared with the working class that got pushed out, people like Megill were fortunate in that they had more resources to fall back on.
Despite the setbacks, the restaurant space Megill is eyeing has a larger patio space and can seat almost double what her current space does. She expects to move in late February.
Le Pink will be relocated at the end of January and will also be bigger and within eyesight of Flore Vegan’s new location. If business stays good, she has a chance to earn back her daughter’s college fund and help her follow her own dream.


latimes--2020-02-04--For sexual assault survivors, Kobe Bryant's legacy is complicated

When Shirley Alvarado del Aguila got to work on Jan. 27 , she told colleagues she didn ’ t want to talk about Kobe Bryant , who had died the day before in a fiery helicopter crash , along with his 13-year-old daughter and seven others .
She was frustrated that the basketball star was being lionized by a public that seemed to forget he ’ d been arrested and accused of rape in 2003 .
She works for an organization that serves rape and domestic violence survivors , and she was angry that people who brought the subject up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deactivated her social media accounts .
She also worried about the woman who said Bryant had assaulted her nearly 17 years earlier — what she was thinking , how she was holding up .
The NBA star denied the rape allegation , saying the sex had been consensual — although he understood the woman felt differently .
Felony charges were filed , only to be dropped after the woman declined to testify .
Through the years , and in the wake of his death , his ardent fans have chosen to focus on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But in the week since Bryant ’ s death , a chorus of women and men has taken to social media to say they feel alienated and worried that an important element has been omitted from the narrative growing around the beloved Los Angeles Laker .
They believe that ignoring the alleged 2003 assault does a disservice to all sexual assault survivors — and one in particular , the woman who said he attacked her .
Alvarado del Aguila , who was sexually abused as a child and encountered sexual violence later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s death brings up diametrically opposed emotions .
On the one hand , she said : “ I feel for his family .
I can ’ t imagine what they ’ re going through .
Someone has died , and all of us are allowed to process and grieve in our own way.
” But she added : “ Survivors need to make sure our stories are not erased again and again to lift up powerful men ’ s legacies.
” Through her attorney , the woman who pressed charges declined to comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not speak publicly about the events that upended her life .
Over the years , she has been maligned and threatened .
A Swiss bodybuilding coach who allegedly offered to kill her for $ 3 million was charged with solicitation to commit murder , among other crimes .
After several charges were dropped , he pleaded no contest to grand theft and was sentenced to three years in prison .
An Iowa student who left death threats on her answering machine was sentenced to four months in prison .
A Long Beach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threats to the woman and the prosecutor in the case was sentenced to nine months in a federal prison camp .
Patricia Giggans , executive director of Peace Over Violence , the longest-running sexual and domestic violence hotline in the country , said she will never forget the assault charge brought against Bryant and the vitriol it animated in some fans .
“ That young woman was vilified in the media and in fandom , ” Giggans said .
She worries that women who speak up today run the risk of similar rancor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Stacy Malone , executive director of the Victim Rights Law Center , if society does not include this “ credible allegation ” of rape as part of the Bryant narrative , it risks contributing to the silencing of victims .
In the years since the rape allegation , and especially since he retired from playing professional basketball , Bryant became an advocate for women and a proponent of women in sports .
Fans worldwide have mourned his death , flooding the streets around Staples Center with flowers , posting tributes , sharing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honor .
But the debate goes beyond one basketball player .
There ’ s often a tension around celebrities who have complicated pasts , especially when it comes to those accused of domestic violence or sexual assault , said Dana White , a survivor of sexual assault who works with a national youth-focused LGBTQ organization .
There ’ s a balance between showing respect for those who died , White said , and caring for and supporting survivors .
“ The ability to hold multiple truths about anyone , whether it be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to , is an act of love and respect , to be able to see a person for all of who they were , ” White said .
“ I think that accountability , on the other hand , is a broader love and respect for the community .
We have to do both.
” Just as survivors are not synonymous with what happened to them , said Savannah Shange , an assistant professor of anthropology at UC Santa Cruz , Bryant should not be reduced to the harm he allegedly caused .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be weighed along with his shortcomings , she said .
Shange pointed out that Bryant had apologized to his accuser .
“ An apology is not enough , but it ’ s the beginning of the process of accountability , ” she said .
“ And it is important to acknowledge that Kobe gave us an example of what starting that looks like.
” In the aftermath of the deadly crash , social media lit up with conflicted feelings , of sympathy and grief but also pain and anger .
@ abroshar tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been “ painful in so many weird ways.
” She wrote about the day she met the daughter of the man who had raped her , about how sweet the girl was and how much the rapist loved his child .
“ … all I could think was ‘ look how different he is with people he values , ’ ” she wrote .
“ What am I supposed to do with this ?
” In the lengthy thread , @ deedropsbeats said Bryant ’ s death saddened her , but that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused him of rape .
“ Is it because Kobe made an official apology to the accuser and the people he hurt , ” she wrote , `` … that people quickly forgave and moved on ?
” And then there was Disney heiress Abigail Disney , who ignited a furious response when she tweeted Wednesday : “ I haven ’ t said anything about Kobe so far because I felt some time needed to pass before weighing in .
But yes , it ’ s time for the sledgehammer to come out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deal with it.
” John-Lancaster Finley , a policy associate with the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault , sees Bryant ’ s death through a different lens .
On Facebook , he wrote about how growing up , “ every little kid ( especially the black kids ) pretended we were Kobe at some point.
” Finley , who is black and a survivor of sexual assault , said he found any conversation about Bryant difficult and triggering .
He said he ’ s struggling to reconcile Bryant ’ s complicated legacy with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some to “ lynch ” the NBA star for his past actions , coupled with an “ utter lack of respect ” for his grieving family .
“ I won ’ t be mad at anyone who doesn ’ t want to engage with this , ” Finley ended his message .
“ This is really hard and Lord knows I ’ m not prepared for it either .
But I ’ m just asking for a little compassion .
I ’ m asking for a little patience and a little kindness .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard and it doesn ’ t mean I don ’ t care about survivors.
” Bryant was 24 and married — to Vanessa Laine Bryant , a model and dancer — when he went to a resort in the Rocky Mountains town of Edwards , Colo. , while awaiting surgery .
A 19-year-old front-desk clerk gave him a tour of the property and later went to Bryant ’ s hotel room , where she alleged he raped her .
After charges were dropped in September 2004 , Bryant issued a statement that same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this encounter between us was consensual , I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did , ” Bryant said .
“ After months of reviewing discovery , listening to her attorney , and even her testimony in person , I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter.
” A civil suit brought by the accuser was settled out of court a few months later .
Professional athletes — particularly male ones — are often deified by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an education professor at UC Berkeley who studies the intersection of sports and society .
Sports function like a religion in many ways , he said ; fans are like disciples who give all of themselves to a team or athlete .
And in a world where the public has lost faith in the political , legal , economic and education systems , sports is an escape .
It makes sense that people would be upset that some have dredged up a dark era in Bryant ’ s life , he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ they feel in the aftermath of Bryant ’ s death have been chastised , and in some cases threatened , they say .
Heather , a 52-year-old Sonoma County resident , found this out first hand .
That ’ s why she asked to be identified only by her first name when speaking about Bryant .
When she first heard about the crash , Heather said , she felt as if the breath had been knocked out of her .
She also thought of his family and the unspeakable grief she endured when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought about the woman who said Bryant had raped her .
Heather was sexually assaulted three decades ago .
She endured the grueling process of taking her attacker to court .
He eventually pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct .
The night of the crash , as she flipped back and forth between TV networks in her living room , she said she heard reporters use the phrase “ he had his ups and downs ” to describe Bryant ’ s life .
“ I just could not stop thinking : How is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Heather said .
She tweeted about how such a description “ minimized ” the woman ’ s experience .
The menacing responses began almost immediately .
As she sat alone the night of Bryant ’ s death with just her dogs for company , Heather said , she was overwhelmed with grief .

Kobe Bryant, with wife Vanessa, as he said he was guilty of adultery but innocent of charges of felonious sexual assault, in 2003 at Staples Center.
When Shirley Alvarado del Aguila got to work on Jan. 27, she told colleagues she didn’t want to talk about Kobe Bryant, who had died the day before in a fiery helicopter crash, along with his 13-year-old daughter and seven others.
She was frustrated that the basketball star was being lionized by a public that seemed to forget he’d been arrested and accused of rape in 2003. She works for an organization that serves rape and domestic violence survivors, and she was angry that people who brought the subject up were being attacked online. So she deactivated her social media accounts.
She also worried about the woman who said Bryant had assaulted her nearly 17 years earlier — what she was thinking, how she was holding up.
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The NBA star denied the rape allegation, saying the sex had been consensual — although he understood the woman felt differently. Felony charges were filed, only to be dropped after the woman declined to testify. Through the years, and in the wake of his death, his ardent fans have chosen to focus on his achievements on and off the court.
But in the week since Bryant’s death, a chorus of women and men has taken to social media to say they feel alienated and worried that an important element has been omitted from the narrative growing around the beloved Los Angeles Laker. They believe that ignoring the alleged 2003 assault does a disservice to all sexual assault survivors — and one in particular, the woman who said he attacked her.
Alvarado del Aguila, who was sexually abused as a child and encountered sexual violence later in life, acknowledged that Bryant’s death brought up diametrically opposed emotions. On the one hand, she said: “I feel for his family. I can’t imagine what they’re going through. Someone has died, and all of us are allowed to process and grieve in our own way.”
But she added: “Survivors need to make sure our stories are not erased again and again to lift up powerful men’s legacies.”
Through her attorney, the woman who pressed charges declined to comment following Bryant’s death. She does not speak publicly about the events that upended her life. Over the years, she has been maligned and threatened.
A Swiss bodybuilding coach who allegedly offered to kill her for $3 million was charged with solicitation to commit murder, among other crimes. After several charges were dropped, he pleaded no contest to grand theft and was sentenced to three years in prison.
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An Iowa student who left death threats on her answering machine was sentenced to four months in prison. A Long Beach man accused of sending 70 obscenity-laced death threats to the woman and the prosecutor in the case was sentenced to nine months in a federal prison camp.
Patricia Giggans, executive director of Peace Over Violence, the longest-running sexual and domestic violence hotline in the country, said she would never forget the assault charge brought against Bryant and the vitriol it animated in some fans.
“That young woman was vilified in the media and in fandom,” Giggans said. She worries that women who speak up today run the risk of similar rancor, or worse.
In fact, said Stacy Malone, executive director of the Victim Rights Law Center, if society does not include this “credible allegation” of rape as part of the Bryant narrative, it risks contributing to the silencing of victims.
“And aren’t we taking a step backward?” she asked.
In the years since the rape allegation, and especially since he retired from playing professional basketball, Bryant became an advocate for women and a proponent of women in sports. Fans worldwide have mourned his death, flooding the streets around Staples Center with flowers, posting tributes, sharing their grief, painting murals in his honor.
But the debate goes beyond one basketball player.
There’s often a tension around celebrities who have complicated pasts, especially when it comes to those accused of domestic violence or sexual assault, said Dana White, a survivor of sexual assault who works with a national youth-focused LGBTQ organization. There’s a balance between showing respect for those who died, White said, and caring for and supporting survivors.
“The ability to hold multiple truths about anyone, whether it be a celebrity or someone we were personally connected to, is an act of love and respect, to be able to see a person for all of who they were,” White said. “I think that accountability, on the other hand, is a broader love and respect for the community. We have to do both.”
Just as survivors are not synonymous with what happened to them, said Savannah Shange, an assistant professor of anthropology at UC Santa Cruz, Bryant should not be reduced to the harm he allegedly caused. His potential for transformation and growth should be weighed along with his shortcomings, she said.
Shange pointed out that Bryant had apologized to his accuser. “An apology is not enough, but it’s the beginning of the process of accountability,” she said. “And it is important to acknowledge that Kobe gave us an example of what starting that looks like.”
In the aftermath of the deadly crash, social media lighted up with conflicted feelings, of sympathy and grief but also pain and anger.
@abroshar tweeted about how Bryant’s death had been “painful in so many weird ways.” She wrote about the day she met the daughter of the man who had raped her, about how sweet the girl was and how much the rapist loved his child.
“… all I could think was ‘look how different he is with people he values,’” she wrote. “What am I supposed to do with this?”
In the lengthy thread, @deedropsbeats said Bryant’s death saddened her but that she also was thinking about the woman who accused him of rape. “Is it because Kobe made an official apology to the accuser and the people he hurt,” she wrote, “… that people quickly forgave and moved on?”
And then there was Disney heiress Abigail Disney, who ignited a furious response when she tweeted Wednesday: “I haven’t said anything about Kobe so far because I felt some time needed to pass before weighing in. But yes, it’s time for the sledgehammer to come out. The man was a rapist. Deal with it.”
John-Lancaster Finley, a policy associate with the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, sees Bryant’s death through a different lens.
On Facebook, he wrote about how growing up “every little kid (especially the black kids) pretended we were Kobe at some point.”
Finley, who is black and a survivor of sexual assault, said he found any conversation about Bryant difficult and triggering. He said he was struggling to reconcile Bryant’s complicated legacy with what he characterized as a readiness by some to “lynch” the NBA star for his past actions, coupled with an “utter lack of respect” for his grieving family.
“I won’t be mad at anyone who doesn’t want to engage with this,” Finley ended his message. “This is really hard and Lord knows I’m not prepared for it either. But I’m just asking for a little compassion. I’m asking for a little patience and a little kindness. Kobe’s death is hitting me hard and it doesn’t mean I don’t care about survivors.”
Bryant was 24 and married — to Vanessa Laine Bryant, a model and dancer — when he went to a resort in the Rocky Mountains town of Edwards, Colo., while awaiting surgery. A 19-year-old front-desk clerk gave him a tour of the property and later went to Bryant’s hotel room, where she alleged he raped her.
After charges were dropped in September 2004, Bryant issued a statement that same day:
“Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did,” Bryant said. “After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter.”
A civil suit brought by the accuser was settled out of court a few months later.
Professional athletes — particularly male ones — are often deified by the public, said Derek Van Rheenen, an education professor at UC Berkeley who studies the intersection of sports and society.
Sports function like a religion in many ways, he said; fans are like disciples who give all of themselves to a team or athlete. And in a world where the public has lost faith in the political, legal, economic and education systems, sports are an escape. It makes sense that people would be upset that some have dredged up a dark era in Bryant’s life, he said.
Survivors who have spoken out about how they feel in the aftermath of Bryant’s death have been chastised and in some cases threatened, they say.
Heather, a 52-year-old Sonoma County resident, found this out first-hand. That’s why she asked to be identified only by her first name when speaking about Bryant.
When she first heard about the crash, Heather said, she felt as if the breath had been knocked out of her. She also thought of his family and the unspeakable grief she endured when her own sister died unexpectedly. She thought about the woman who said Bryant had raped her.
Heather was sexually assaulted three decades ago. She endured the grueling process of taking her attacker to court. He eventually pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct.
The night of the crash, as she flipped back and forth between TV networks in her living room, she said she heard reporters use the phrase “he had his ups and downs” to describe Bryant’s life.
“I just could not stop thinking: How is that a euphemism for alleged rape?” Heather said.
She tweeted about how such a description “minimized” the woman’s experience. The menacing responses began almost immediately.
As she sat alone the night of Bryant’s death with just her dogs for company, Heather said, she was overwhelmed with grief.
And she cried.