Alumni Open Letter: 'racist incidents at saint mary's'

By Elizabeth A. Sandoval
Class of 1976

Dear Mr. Thompson: 

I am writing as a 1976 Saint Mary's College (interchangeably SMC) alum, and on behalf of the alumni and former students that have endorsed this letter. We would like to arrange a meeting with you as soon as possible. 

We have been made aware of the recent news coverage and your public responses, that have brought to light the very disturbing incidents where an African American student has been directly subjected to racist hateful actions and speech by other students. We are also aware of and support your efforts to address the situation. 

We know, unfortunately, that conduct of this nature has been enabled by the political policies that currently are promoting racial and ethnic divisions in our country. However, we here make reference to the fact that Lasallian and Christian values do not adhere to such values. Lasallian Core Principles, must guide SMC's response: Concern for the Poor and Social Justice, Faith in the Presence of God, Quality Education, Respect for All Persons, and Inclusive Community, 

In the spirit of Lasallian principles, Saint Mary's has for 50 years taken leading positions to support people from all backgrounds in their endeavors to successfully seek higher education and opportunities. We need only look to SMC's Diversity Mission statement: 
"Saint Mary's College is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace and learning environment where systems of oppression and exclusion are actively opposed and dismantled. We believe diversity is one of our greatest strengths; we broadly define diversity to include race, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, sex, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, immigration status, physical appearance, religion, age, military status, and socioeconomic status.” 

As one of our alums, Vivian Viscarra says, Saint Mary's has an "obligation to educate its students in love, empathy, collaboration, teamwork, and compassion." 
 
In this spirit of collaboration, we would like to make the following recommendations: 

1. As soon as possible meet with representatives of the individuals that have endorsed 
this communication to discuss a potential plan. 

2. We suggest that you specifically reach out to Tom Brown a longtime Saint Mary's Lasallian educator who assumed a leadership role in supporting the College to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive before those terms were first popularized, and more recently demonized. Tom is someone who has a demonstrated commitment to the mission, values and spirit of SMC. We do not believe we are alone in believing that he is uniquely qualified to offer guidance on effective actions that can help counter racial bias. He may also be available to support you, as well as faculty and staff, to craft an effective institutional response to this and similar issues. As you may recall, he was recently honored at St. Mary's for the decades of commitment he has given to SMC and its students. He is also a highly respected individual beyond St. Mary's, who has consulted numerous educational institutions on issues of inclusion rather than exclusion. 

3. We encourage you to create a team of individuals trained in addressing cultural bias, Please note that we do not necessarily mean to limit the team to only issues of race. Should other forms of bias be uncovered such as the mistreatment of female students, then appropriate review and responses can be addressed. 

4. We are aware your public response has not necessarily been well received by 
alumni as adequate or in tune with the true values for which SMC stands. In the spirit of offering support, we hope and believe that you are committed to developing an action plan that will reinforce the continued dedication of SMC to its core principles as it pertains to all its students regardless of background. 

I am happy to assist in the coordination of this requested meeting and look forward to your attention to this very serious matter and to our request for a meeting with you. 
Thank you. 

Endorsements to Letter dated April 29, 2025 to SMC President Thompson 
Alison Armstrong '16 
Kamat Abdul-Jabaar '69-71 
Musheer Abdul-Jabbar (Edward Badon) '73 
Anthony Boutte '78 
Debora Boutte (Burroughs) '80 
Sharon Denise Bradley '79 
Saleem Abdul-Jabaar ‘70-72 
Herman Brown '74 
Del Brown '75 
Roy Brown '72 
Eddie Calvo '78 
Nathan Carroll Jr. '75 
Mireya Casarez '78 
Rosamaria Casarez '84 
Leslee Ann Chun '79 
Gil Cortez '72 
Reese Fernandez '75 
Greg Ferguson '74 
Candace Finnegan Timoney '76 
Henry Flores '76 
Dennis Fuller '77 
Sonya Gonzales '78 
Miguel Gonzalez '76 
Ana Maria Guerrero '16 
Maurice Harper '75 
Gary Key '73 
Lori Knight '79 
Reggie Lemay '72 
Bob Manalo '76 
Maria Mejorado '78 
Kayrna Perez Quirarte '16, M.A.17 
John Perez '78 
Kim Ramirez Pollack '79 
Ann Agnew Rodriguez '79 
Paul Rodrigez '73 
Sal Rodriguez '76 
Maria Servin '82 
Nance Tovar '76, M.A.s '79 and '83 
Jesus Varela '78 
Jose Varela '79 
Nancy Vasquez '79 
Vivian Viscarra '79 
Andrea Wood '78 
Joe Ybarra '75 
Nancy Nikhazy Ybarra '80 
Pamela Washington '79 

Addendum: President Thompson has responded to the letter and has asked that they work with the alumni office as of May 6.