By Jonathan Friedman
Associate Editor

November 20, 2014 -- Election Day has passed, but talk of at least one piece of controversial campaign literature for the Board of Education contest has not.

During a rare board meeting last week in Malibu, Santa Monica-Malibu Classroom Teachers Association (SMMCTA) leadership member Liz Cowgill said the union was “strongly offended by some of the mudslinging that we saw with the campaign.”

She added that the union “did not take part in any of the negative campaigning,” and asked for people to tell the SMMCTA if its name is associated with it.

Cowgill did not get into specifics, but she was likely referencing a campaign notice sponsored by the hotel workers union (UNITE HERE Local 11) hung on doors in a portion of Santa Monica the day before the November 4 election.

The notice features a picture of Malibu resident Craig Foster and the statement “We cannot trust candidate Craig Foster. He says he’s for all kids, but he opposed policies aimed at closing the achievement gap. Don’t be fooled by his slick mailers.”

The back of the notice shows photos of four other candidates under the headline “Candidates We Can Trust.” 

Below the photos is the statement “Endorsed by,” followed by a list of organizations, including “Santa Monica Classroom Teachers,” (but not the union’s official name) and “Santa Monica-Malibu parents.”

The item was not successful in preventing Foster from getting elected. He placed second in the election for four seats, and became the first Malibu resident to earn a spot on the board since 2004.

Also speaking at the board meeting last week, Malibu resident Karen Farrer said the image of Foster was altered through Photoshop to “resemble some kind of criminal” and “somebody you wouldn’t want in your neighborhood.”

She said she was pleased many people referenced in the notice have denied affiliation with it, but she said they should take it a step further and speak against the item publicly.

“As long as you remain silent … that is an implied condonement,” Farrer said.
She added, “Unless you expressly and explicitly and publicly condemn ... this type of tactic, then guess what, we can only expect it to escalate in the future.”
Farrer said she would like to see condemnations put in writing.

Along with Foster, the others elected this month were incumbents Laurie Lieberman and Oscar de la Torre, and challenger Richard Tahvildaran-Jesswein.

Incumbent Ralph Mechur finished fifth, and will step down when the new board is installed. But his absence could be short-lived because there will soon be a new opening when Ben Allen officially resigns and becomes Santa Monica’s representative in the State Senate.

The board is expected to appoint Allen’s replacement. Mechur said he is interested in the seat. Cowgill said last week that the union would like to see him appointed.