Comunidad,
Upon listening and hearing the concerns brought forward to us by high school students and a parent over an article titled “Student led walkout against sexual assault in 2021 still relevant,” published in El Tecolote on March 10, 2022, we acknowledge that the story and accompanying illustration caused harm. They have both been removed from our website.
A priority of El Tecolote, which has served our San Francisco Bay Area Latino community for more than five decades, has been to amplify the stories and struggles of our nuanced community. But even when our intentions are for the best, mistakes can be made.
Our coverage presented an inaccurate portrayal of the student-led walkouts that took place at a high school based in San Francisco last fall. Our intention was to highlight the actions taken by these students in condemning sexual assault. The survivors, organizers, and activists involved in these actions deserved the necessary journalistic depth to accurately capture the complexity of their experiences. Unfortunately, we regret not going far enough in this instance.
We aim to honor the truth in all coverage of our valued communities, which is how we’ve established the longevity we have in reporting on the San Francisco Bay Area. Furthermore, we are accountable to our readers and value constructive feedback.
We don’t believe that removing this content is enough. Upon speaking with the people directly impacted by our coverage, we are creating the space to have necessary restorative conversations.
We look forward to working with the students who came forward with these concerns, and El Tecolote continues to be a trusted platform that amplifies all of our voices accurately.
In solidarity,
Alexis Terrazas, El Tecolote, Editor-in-Chief