Los Medanos College has recently dealt with a considerable amount of backlash. Not just on this single campus, but across the whole Contra Costa Community College District. A sequence of events that involved racist insensitive remarks allegedly made by a department manager posted on TikTok has made LMC a target on social media as a place of ignorance and hate. The Experience does not agree with how these events have played out and is entirely against racism. For an inclusive campus to thrive we need to eliminate all forms of hate speech. This means everything. Racism, colorism, anti-semitism, etc. It doesn’t matter what is spoken on campus, but if it has to do with the prejudice of another individual then it shouldn’t even be tolerated by anybody on campus.  

We also want to address how the district has decided to manage this whole situation. It has become known by LMC President Bob Kratochvil indicated that a manager and two employees have been put on leave. Also, as of now, they cannot disclose a lot of information on the investigation, as it is currently ongoing. While this information upset many in the college community, this isn’t about speaking against the college as individuals but coming together as a group with the college to solve this issue.

This isn’t something that we’re fighting alone. The college has taken steps to have an assembly meeting to address what has happened. Faculty and even the president of LMC were there as well. Not only that, but they spoke about wanting to make a difference in how the faculty will treat one another while on campus. They spoke out against using violence and stopping racist as well as sexist comments used against one another. Even coming to an agreement that they wanted to include the student body in what we want from the faculty from others associated with LMC.

This is something that everyone faces every day and this campus should be somewhere where you can get away from all that. The staff itself likes to include everybody from all walks of life in our home which is the journalism lab. The Experience is all in with the school and how we and you all feel about what has happened. This is an institution for those who wish to further their education and become better people in the long run. As long as everyone is treated equally amongst each other then we can truly be a unified campus.