Tom Horne came to tell reporters he thinks the ethnic studies program has racial undertones. At times during his own press conference, the superintendent of Arizona schools could barely finish a sentence. "This is the rudeness they're taught in ethnic studies. They didn't learn that at home from their parents, they learned it from their ethnic studies teachers to be rude in that way," he says.
"They teach them that they are oppressed. Instead of teaching them as their parents and grandparents believe we came to this country because it's the land of opportunity," he says.
Between interruptions from supporters of the program, he read from class textbooks.
"They teach the kids they live in occupied Mexico, they quote as a role model a guy who says 'kill the gringos," Horne says.
While Horne talked about his desire to get rid of the program, tensions rose within the crowd.
Adrian Laurenzi took the class for two years. He says it taught him the value of education
"Through this class it's something that's become really important to me, a direct result of that class," Laurenzi says.
At a competing press conference packed with ethnic studies supporters-- TUSD Superintendent Roger Pfeuffer defended the program.
"Students enrolled in these programs in higher numbers than their fellow students in traditional classes," he says.
Adrian says he never saw signs of racism.
"Four or five of my white friends came to the class junior year and we loved it," he says.
Despite the controversy TUSD says its ethnic studies program will continue.
Poster's comment: fine, the worm turns: Kill mexicons. Every fucking last one on the face of the planet.