"Center for Excellence in Public Education" Engages in Open Anti-Semitism as it Tries to Take Down Oscar de la Torre

Jewish families and individuals in the city of Santa Monica were callously targeted with antisemitic propaganda this past Monday, October 28th. Shocked recipients stated that their non-Jewish spouse or partner were spared the hateful election hit piece which caused heightened concerns. The fabricated defamation came from an organization hiding behind the name "Center for Excellence in Public Education" operating as a 501 (c) (4) but also utilizing PAC 527 status. 

Prior to the shocking singling out of Santa Monica's Jewish population, Bond QS, which will be decided in the upcoming election, donated $10,000 to CEPS. Community residents are not only concerned that this money helped to finance the hateful propaganda mailers but to also punish the Pico neighborhood for opposing QS and to target that neighborhood's greatest ally, Councilmember Oscar de la Torre who has spent his life fighting for equality and representation for those whose voices are rarely heard. 

Many community members don't believe these events are coincidental. Not do they believe School Board member Jon Kean's now-disproven defamatory accusations of antisemitism against de la Torre which was cruelly timed to arrive on the eve of Yom Kippur to be anything but hateful vengeance against a man who had called out and exposed multiple corruption and misconduct. Kean's letter has also been labeled racist and anti-Latino, as he continues to vehemently oppose de La Torre's & his wife's longtime efforts to bring about a fair and more equitable election process with the advocacy for district elections. 

Adding to the fracas were two blatantly unhinged individuals yelling even more antisemitic accusations, adding racism and inaccurate political affiliation stereotypes into their mixture of fabricated propaganda. Their violent outbursts caused police to make their presence known close behind them and both were ordered to leave the city council chamber by Mayor Phil Brock who has repeatedly shown zero tolerance for any disrespect based on religious beliefs, race, gender, ethnicity or socio-political stance. 

If nothing else, these horrific acts of libelous defamation and targeting of our Jewish community have brought our city closer together to decry such despicable, desperate acts.  The movements against racism, antisemitism, sexism etc. are valid and critical endeavors. When these organizations or individuals attempt to shield themselves by evoking these efforts for their own self-serving machinations, they "water down" the honest, hard work done by those they will never understand nor care to. Accountability must be next on the agenda. 

Our community will stand firm. We will be fine. 

The antisemites will not. 

Anna M. Rogers, Ph.D.

Medical-Legal Ethics