Dear Principal Roni Burns-Ellis and the Los Alamitos School Leaders,

This is a petition gathered by Los Alamitos, Rossmoor, and Seal Beach families and community members. We wanted to express our concern for a public statement that was made yesterday by Principal Roni Burns-Ellis. Los Alamitos Schools are known for their excellence in academics, sports, and character. As our country has become divided and name calling and hate has become normalized, we were particularly disheartened by her comment on Facebook yesterday in which she posted a photo of a cut-up Nike shirt and stated, "My newest rag! When Nike signs an anti-American thug to represent their brand, I will not support, wear, purchase, or endorse their product. Bye-bye Nike." In the Webster's dictionary, "thug" was the name given by the British in India in the 19th century to a member of a band of thieves and murderers. We may disagree but we hope our Los Alamitos School leaders will always act civilly, treat each other with respect, and not engage in name calling. Our children view the teachers and principals as a beacon of moral character. We hope our school leaders will act responsibly and will walk with kindness as they lead our children with their actions.