Aliso Niguel & Santa Ana Seek Unification After Divisive Game

ALISO VIEJO, CA — Last week, Santa Ana's principal called out student behavior in the stands of the Aliso Niguel High School football game, claiming they had been"disrespectful" to SAHS players and and fans, in the "poor taste" use of patriotic signs and chants. This week, the superintendents of both districts attempted to calm those racially charged tensions. On Wednesday, Capitsrano Unified and Santa Ana Unified School Districts released a joint statement in an effort to create an open dialog for all.

"While we cannot control human behavior, we can control how we react and learn from these experiences," the joint release said. "We believe diverse public schools provide our young people with an extraordinary education and experience that promotes unity, inclusion, equality and a respect for diversity."

As public school districts charged with the education of over 100,000 young people in Orange County, both districts felt it was their "duty to ensure that the events, as well as the aftermath, of the Santa Ana High School/Aliso Niguel High School football game last Friday do not lead to separation and division in our community, but instead to dialogue, collaboration, and mutual understanding of the challenges our students experience on a daily basis."

In support of the young people and families the Boards of Trustees, Superintendents, and Principals of both districts expressed their commitment to ensuring that no student from either community feels threatened, disrespected, and/or discriminated against.

"We commit to working together to create an environment of acceptance and understanding for all students and families," they said.

1. Our school districts are committed to the wellbeing of all students.
2. Both school districts are looking into the details of the football game.
3. Both school districts are working together to create safe learning environments and opportunities for both communities to heal through this impactful experience.

We will continue to support and address the concerns of students, families, and communities. Our priority is guiding and supporting students and staff to provide social and emotional support and creating learning opportunities to build resilience and cultural sensitivity in our students. This incident transcends Santa Ana and Aliso Niguel and resonates throughout our county.

According to the superintendents, neighboring districts support the collaboration that is occurring between the two districts, wanting to be a part of the "collective conversation."

"As public serving institutions, it is our responsibility to guide tomorrow’s leaders in understanding and embracing the value of diverse communities," they said.

Related: Fans' Taunts Tarnish Aliso Niguel Vs. Santa Ana Football Game

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