Paloma Valley principal: 'Everything was smooth and calm'

The principal of Paloma Valley High School said there no were violent incidents on campus Thursday. Menifee 24/7 file photo

The principal of Paloma Valley High School said there were no fights, shouting matches or any sign of violence at the school Thursday, the day a social media campaign titled "Black Lives Matter at Paloma" urged students to wear black in a show of solidarity.

"Everything was smooth and calm here," said Jennifer Thomasian, first-year principal at the school. "I'm very proud of our students and the way they conducted themselves. The students made it clear they wanted to express themselves, and the dialogue they engaged in showed their ability to have positive social discourse."

School and district officials were made aware of the movement after hearing chatter about the plan to ask students to wear black. Many in the community expressed concern on social media, however, after seeing the flier, which included a photo of a violent confrontation and a request to "band together to show our support and solidarity with targeted individuals."

References were made to the recent incident in Charlotesville, Virginia on social media throughout Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, along with a debate on a Menifee 24/7 Facebook thread about the Black Lives Matter movement and the school's stance on the students' event. Comments from readers ranged from reports that there were multiple fights among students to reports that all was calm and nothing out of the ordinary took place.

Menifee Police Chief Brandon Ford on Wednesday acknowledged the students' right to express themselves and said he had no evidence suggesting there would be violence. Thomasian said there were no reports of violence on campus and that faculty and staff members witnessed peaceful discussions taking place at several locations throughout the day.

"There were a number of different conversations taking place," Thomasian said. "We even heard them walking through the lunch area. In history classes, there were conversations using instructional strategies. There was no lockdown, no fights, not even shouting matches, or what we would call pre-fights."

Thomasian described the number of students wearing black to school as "an increased level from the normal," adding that black is a popular color among students anyway. She said administrators had identified and spoken to students who planned the movement in advance and were more visible on campus. She defended the school's decision not to stop a peaceful show of solidarity from taking place.

"There are well-documented laws about students' right to express themselves," she said. "This came as the result of a number of court cases dating back to the Vietnam era. We worked with the district and our own school resource officers throughout this event."

Even so, many parents commented on social media that they were keeping their child home on Thursday, and the statistics appear to support that. According to Candace Reines, assistant superintendent in the Perris Union High School District, there were 387 absences at Paloma Valley Thursday. That compares to 116 absences on the same day last year.

She added that after factoring in an increase in enrollment, the numbers show that 87.9 percent of students attended school Thursday, as opposed 96.2 percent on the same day last year.