Battle Lines 2

“Battle Lines 2” Monterey County Weekly – March 2, 2023

Editor Note: Carmel Unified School District fired its Carmel High School principal and refused to disclose to the former principal, Jon Lyon, his attorney, or the parents the reason for the dismissal. The Monterey County Weekly published a smear article condemning parents and citizens for aligning with some mysterious anti-gay rights group, which was a complete fabrication—typical for a statist left media outlet. The issue for months involved the need for stadium lights, secrecy over Jon Lyon’s firing, and government ineptitude.

Your inference of aligning parents aggrieved over LGBTQ+ rights with parents and community members aggrieved over CUSD’s plan to place stadium lights at the high school was astounding for its lack of understanding, sensitivity and its effort to gaslight the many self-made conflicts created by Mr. Knight and board members (“As chaos unfolds in Carmel Unified School District, everyone is on defense,” Feb. 23-March 1). Next, you will be suggesting that I’m aligned with anti-Semitic groups while I encourage the CUSD to find the appropriate solution to create an environmentally and community friendly sports complex at CMS. You owe your readers a huge and heartfelt apology for suggesting an alliance between groups that does not exist.

Please stick to the facts that CUSD has apparently hired an incompetent superintendent, that the board continues to remain dysfunctional, that Jon Lyons’ removal was apparently mishandled, that the district’s drive to light up the sky by putting up stadium lights at CHS was and is fraught with material and serious safety, environmental and community issues.

Ironically, the lack of candor and integrity within the environmental impact report is the same lack of candor and integrity that the superintendent and board has treated Mr. Lyons with.

Robert Kahn | Carmel