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San Francisco Chronicle
26-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F. journalism teacher sues school district over reassignment following student story
A San Francisco journalism teacher has sued the city's school district, claiming he was illegally reassigned and removed as the student newspaper adviser due to a controversial story published by students and another piece that was proposed but had not run. Lowell High School teacher Eric Gustafson filed the lawsuit Monday, asking the state Superior Court in San Francisco to require the district to reinstate him as the journalism teacher and adviser to the student publication, 'The Lowell.' 'If permitted to stand, Petitioner's reassignment presents student journalists at Lowell and elsewhere in California with an untenable — and unlawful — set of choices: Comply with administrators' requests for greater editorial control over their publications; avoid investigating and writing about controversial topics altogether; or subject their teachers, advisors, and mentors to reassignment and other retaliation,' the lawsuit said. District officials declined to comment specifically on the lawsuit, saying it is not their practice to do so regarding pending litigation regarding employee matters. 'We take students' freedom of expression very seriously,' said spokesperson Laura Dudnick. 'We support our students in exercising their First Amendment rights through journalism programs in SFUSD high schools, including at Lowell High School.' Gustafson, who is the spouse of a Chronicle employee, said he spent the last few months of the school year protesting his reassignment from journalism to English classes, citing state law that prohibits the reassignment, transfer, dismissal or other retaliatory actions for protecting students 'exercising their right to freedom of speech and of the press.' He said he was reassigned a few months after 'The Lowell' published an article that quoted students complaining they had been verbally harassed by teachers. Gustafson, who was not involved in the writing or editing of the story, said his principal notified him in late March that he would no longer teach journalism or be an adviser for the student newspaper next school year, after eight years in these positions. He said the principal, Jan Bautista, told him, with a union representative present, that the decision was based on his handling of the published piece as well as a proposed story about the use of artificial intelligence by teachers. District officials rejected the allegations, telling the Chronicle in April that Lowell, a public school with competitive academic admissions, followed the 'regular process' for assigning staff in this instance and that the decision 'had nothing to do with the content of the student journalism that was produced under the current teacher's leadership.' Paul Kandell of the Journalism Education Association questioned the reassignment, saying in a letter to Superintendent Maria Su and the school board that 'not only is reassigning Mr. Gustafson based on these two concerns the wrong message to send to students and community, but it is also likely illegal.' Following Gustafson's reassignment, current and former students protested the action. 'As alumni, we cannot fathom how it feels to work in Lowell's current student newsroom under attack from the school administration,' according to an April letter sent by alumni to Lowell administrators. 'This is incredibly intimidating to the future of journalism, especially in the national and political landscape we are currently living in.' 'We feel that the removal of Mr. Gustafson as our teacher and adviser brings no benefit to the journalism program and, we believe, signifies a step towards limiting student voices in our publication,' current staff of 'The Lowell' wrote in a May editorial. Also in May, the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution supporting Lowell student journalism and urged the district to 'uphold its commitment to students' right to free speech.' Bautista, in April, did not respond to specific questions about the reassignment, but said in a statement, 'The Lowell administration is committed to providing high-quality instruction that supports our students as we continue the proud tradition of Lowell's journalism program. The Lowell newspaper is a pillar of our school community that celebrates student voices and perspectives.'
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Coast Packing to open new packaging facility and refinery in Texas
US-based Coast Packing Company has broken ground on a packaging facility and an edible fats and oils refinery. Located in Amarillo, Texas, the building, covering 36,000ft², will accommodate packaging operations, a warehouse, and office space. It will be constructed using tilt-up concrete walls to meet safety and sanitary standards. Coast Packing stated that this building will be a four-level steel structure and will reach 80ft in height. It added that the boiler house will be built from CMU Block while the tank farm will include 12-30ft-tall carbon steel tanks for storing raw materials, which will be delivered via a new rail siding. Food Tech, an American company specialising in food and beverage facility construction, has partnered with Coast Packing for the design and build of the facility. Scheduled to open in June 2026, the facility is expected to create 30 new jobs initially, with the potential to double this workforce in the future. City of Amarillo mayor Cole Stanley said: 'Coast's new facility will create new opportunities for our workforce, contribute to economic growth and further solidify Amarillo's reputation as a prime location for business expansion. 'We are thrilled to welcome Coast Packing Company to Amarillo. Their commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainability aligns perfectly with the values of our community.' Coast Packing said the new facility will incorporate advanced technology for efficient and green practices. Coast Packing Company CEO Eric Gustafson said: 'This ground-breaking marks not just the start of construction, but the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Coast Packing Company and the Amarillo community. 'For over a century, Coast has been committed to quality, innovation, and tradition in the food industry.' "Coast Packing to open new packaging facility and refinery in Texas" was originally created and published by Packaging Gateway, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
