Thread: Racially charged letter: school retracts disavowal of author

Racially charged letter: school retracts disavowal of author

Posted: Mar 22, 2011 9:09 PM CDT
Updated: Mar 24, 2011 10:59 AM CDT

Video Gallery
Sen. Russell Pearce refuses to apologize for having racially charged letter read
3:13
Hispanic Caucus to Pearce: prove facts on inflammatory letter
3:03

Reporters: Steve Nuñez and Forrest Carr
Web Producer: Layla Tang

PHOENIX (KGUN9-TV) – Initially the Glendale Elementary School District said it had never heard of Tony Hill. That turned out not to be the case. Now that the District can no longer disavow Hill, it's working to discredit the racially charged letter that bears his name -- a letter claiming, among other things, that most Hispanic students want to be gangsters.

The letter, addressed to State Senator Russell Pearce, became news last week during the debate over a series of new crackdowns on illegal immigration that Pearce was pushing. Pearce had it read aloud on the senate floor. Senator Lori Klein of Anthem did so.

Hill, who described himself as a substitute teacher, signed the letter and even provided his contact information at the end of it. In the letter Hill said he wanted to share his experience with Sen. Pearce after teaching history and language arts for 8th grade students at a Glendale public school. Hill did not name the school, nor did he ask that his letter be made public.

But Klein read it word for word. She said, quoting Hill, "The number of the students which I had in class ranged from 28 to 38, which were almost all Hispanic and a couple of black children."

In the letter, which Klein continued to read on the senate floor, Hill said the majority of students refused to stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance. Hill wrote that when he asked why, the students responded by saying, "We are Mexicans and Americans stole our land."

Hill went on to write that "most" of the students stated they were in the "country illegally, white Americans are racist, and that they came here for a better life." Hill said when he asked the students to stop speaking Spanish, they told him that "Americans better learn Spanish and their customs because they are taking the land back from us." And when it came to completing the day's Mark Twain assignment, most of the students refused to "open the textbook, tore the pages out of the book, or threw the textbooks at each other."

Hill then asserted that in his experience, most Hispanic students "do not want to be educated but rather be gang members and gangsters." He then ended his letter by telling Pearce he applauds his efforts in stopping illegal immigration and states, "Thank you for standing up to this invasion."

On Tuesday members of the Hispanic Caucus voiced their outrage against Sen. Pearce for letting Klein read what they called an offensive letter on the Senate floor. In a press conference held outside the Capitol Tuesday morning, they called on Pearce to answer the following questions: Who is Tony Hill? And, did he really write the letter?

"I come to find out this morning that this individual is not even registered to vote," said Sen. Steve Gallardo, a Democrat from Phoenix. He went on to say, "Not only does Senator Klein owe us all an apology and every student in the state of Arizona an apology, I think Russell Pearce has some questions to answer."

The Glendale Elementary School District was among those who said Tuesday that a search of records had turned up no substitute teacher going by the name of Tony or Anthony Hill. Glendale cast further doubt on the letter by pointing out that the district does not teach its 8th grade students about Mark Twain, to whom Hill had alluded.

On Wednesday, however, a far different story emerged. Rick Alvarez, the principal of Harold W. Smith Elementary, sent a letter from the district home to parents stating that a more diligent search of its records showed that Hill has done some work as a substitute teacher after all, including a gig at Smith on March 8.

But that is the only ground the district is giving. The district letter strongly challenged the other points Hill had made. It stated, "Students who were interviewed did not recall making or hearing any of the inflammatory statements attributed to them by Mr. Hill, and students said they also stood for the Pledge of Allegiance."

On Tuesday Pearce did not return calls from 9 On Your Side but did release a statement defending Hill's letter. "I am shocked that Members of the Minority are so quick to defend the actions of these troublemakers, and mock the frustration many teachers feel in bringing order to the classroom… I've spoken with the teacher who wrote this letter. He stands by all he wrote. This is happening in our classrooms… We will not apologize."

Pearce was a principal author of SB 1070, last year's crackdown on illegal immigration, and was pushing several bills this year to crack down even further. Several of those bills failed in the state senate last week.

In its letter the Glendale Elementary School District promised that it would continue to investigate, but concluded that it "does not believe that Mr. Hill's email accurately reflects the conduct of the students and staff of Harold W. Smith Elementary School."

One issue that reflects on questions about the letter's authenticity is the fact that it contains some minor errors of spelling and grammar. A copy of the letter, which KGUN9 News obtained via a public records request to the state senate, is available in the "also on KGUN9.com" links section on the left side of this web page.

According to the Arizona Department of Education, Anthony Hill received his teaching certificate on October 14, 2010.

Hill has not responded to numerous calls and emails from 9 On Your Side.

http://www.kgun9.com/global/story.asp?s=14302589

Teachers Letter Reignites Immigration Debate
Fox News Video

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4603685/teac ... ion-debate

AZ-Sen. Klein quotes letter calling Latino students 'gangster
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-231743.html

From what Ive seen on Youtube many want to be Communist Revolutionaries like Che...I guess its both, which is even scarier...

I told you here folks! The PC Police wanted this guys name and info because he must be destroyed for speaking the truth about the invasion.

W

"I come to find out this morning that this individual is not even registered to vote," said Sen. Steve Gallardo, a Democrat from Phoenix. He went on to say

its a persons RIGHT not to register to vote. that does not mean they cant contact the person who represents them. That does not mean that person is any less important than someone who does vote.

This Gallardo really is a moron if he thinks a person can not voice a concern because they dont vote. Give me a break

Mr. Hill paid FICA, Social Security, and every other tax associated with living in Arizona.

I don't think Mr. Gallardo can say that about the people that he represents.

On Tuesday members of the Hispanic Caucus voiced their outrage against Sen. Pearce for letting Klein read what they called an offensive letter on the Senate floor. In a press conference held outside the Capitol Tuesday morning, they called on Pearce to answer the following questions: Who is Tony Hill? And, did he really write the letter?

"I come to find out this morning that this individual is not even registered to vote," said Sen. Steve Gallardo, a Democrat from Phoenix. He went on to say, "Not only does Senator Klein owe us all an apology and every student in the state of Arizona an apology, I think Russell Pearce has some questions to answer."

Why the calls for such intense scrutiny of an honorable American citizen like Mr. Hill? Illegal invaders are not registered to vote (at least there not supposed to be) but that doesn't stop gallardo from tirelessly representing their interests in state business! Our schools are being destroyed by anchor babies and illegal invaders and gallardo wants to make this a racial issue!

Imagine if Senator Klein confronted the la raza representatives in our government and demanded they explain their opposition to legislation intended to thwart the illegal invasion currently under way! They would be denouncing the Senator as a racist and bigot!

The Senator doesn't owe you squat gallardo!