The most vile remarks were made by someone without a child in any Conejo school

Ms. Hotchkiss, in her recent letter to the Acorn, refers to Maple parents as "bashing" the children of Manzanita. I was present at the meeting on Jan. 17, which was open and attended by representatives from every school in the Newbury Park cluster.

As a grandparent and volunteer at Maple, I've been closely watching this process.

Concerns and comments were made by many who attended this meeting, but I assure you that the hostile comments in question didn't come from parents of students at Maple. I won't deny that some of these parents voiced concerns, but they weren't "bashing" anyone.

However, the most heinous comments were made by a woman who's not a parent of any child attending any Conejo Valley Unified school.

This is a woman who's made it her job to confront and antagonize, with little regard to the wreckage left behind by her comments. Unfortunately, her comments were remembered and quoted, and she skulked away without paying the penalty for her lack of regard for the feelings of others.

Afterward, there were a couple of Maple parents who made thoughtless comments, and they have since apologized and admitted their wrong. Representatives of Maple have also apologized for those comments and acknowledged the hurtfulness.

It's unfortunate that the voices of a few dissenting parents suddenly became "the voice" of all Maple parents.

Ms. Hotchkiss, to quote you, "If my school closes down, my children will not be attending Maple, I assure you . . . having my children in a school where racism is apparent doesn't fit the bill." Let me assure you, there is no racism at Maple. Just as you believe in Manzanita, I see that same strength at Maple.

I ask you: How many times do the 99 percent have to apologize for the sadly misguided actions of the 1 percent before you can accept that apology? Can you assure me that had the tables been turned, and Manzanita was No. 1 on the list, that you don't have 1 percent that would have acted in this same way?

No one condones this, but we must learn to overcome this thoughtlessness, accept apologies and move on.
Roseanne Webber
Newbury Park