San Diego Unified School District Trustees Threatened With Shooting 
 

By Daniel L. Muñoz 
 

In an e-mail that Sue Braun sent on September 26 to Ron Ottinger and
others, Sue Braun issued a threat against Fran  Zimmerman and John de Beck: 
 

" John and Frances get so outrageous that they upset the rest of the board
members including me. . . The only idea I have is  to shoot the both of
them. I was thinking of a way to get  them both with one bullet..."! 
 

This e-mail is on record in the district's computer system, as is
Ottinger's response. 
 

The case is now being investigated by the San Diego Police Department's
Criminal Investigation Unit. Mr. de Beck's response: 
"I'm calling for (Sue Braun's) resignation because a person capable of
expressing those thoughts is not somone who should be 
guiding our public schools." 
 

It is no secret that the San Diego Unified School District has been
embroiled in controversy ever since Alan Bersin was hired as 
Superintendent with the aid of the San Diego establishment. Since then, the
school district has been embroiled in controversy. 
Matters worsened when elections came up for Ron Ottinger, Edward Lopez, and
Frances O'Neill-Zimmerman. All three were 
endorsed and supported by the same consortium of individuals, businessmen,
organizations and influentials that were the power 
brokers behind Alan Bersin. It didn't take Zimmerman long to realize that
she was expected to support what Bersin wanted 
done. Ottinger, Lopez and Sue Braun, whose term expires in 2002, joined the
group making a 3-2 split. John de Beck, whose 
term also expires in 2002, adamantly opposed Bersin's programs as did
Zimmerman. Bersin, with three votes on the board, 
rode roughshod over the school district making enemies everywhere. 
 

Lately, frustration on the board has surfaced. As opposition from the
parents, administrators, teachers, and the public grew, 
Zimmerman and de Beck increased the pressure on the trustees, attempting to
get them to fulfill their duty and educate our 
143,000 students. Sue Braun, President of the Board of Trustees, finally
couldn't control the board meetings any longer. She 
initiated meetings with Ottinger and Lopez to discuss public policy as to
what should be done about Zimmerman and de Beck. 
By doing this, she violated the Brown Act. 
 

La Prensa San Diego believes that the San Diego Unified School District
should immediately be taken over by the State until a 
thorough investigation is made. 
 

At times like these, with school shootings, terrorist attacks, and high
anxiety levels, threats like the one made by Sue Braun 
must be taken very seriously. Immediate action must be taken for the safety
of our school system.