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Letters to the Editor: Schools drug program
San Francisco Chronicle (California)
June 12, 2004
Editor -- The Chronicle labeled my Web site "controversial" but neglected to publish the name: Stop-Narconon.org. Let your readers decide for themselves what's controversial about it ("Schools put drug program on notice, '' June 10).
Could it be the San Francisco Unified School District's internal memos showing that the school district takes no responsibility for the content of presentations made by outside speakers? Or the report that Superintendent Arlene Ackerman knew about Narconon's infiltration attempts for nearly two years, but did nothing about it until the Web site went live in January?
Looking beyond the smoke-and-mirrors, Narconon is inextricably tied to Scientology religious instruction, and Ackerman has no business ordering Tony Bylsma to edit the religious teachings of L. Ron Hubbard when he speaks to students about drugs. Ackerman's proper job, as pointed out by Board of Education President Dan Kelly, is to see to it that Narconon does not have access to students in any San Francisco public school.
DAVID S. TOURETZKY
Computer Science Department
Carnegie-Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pa.