Santa Rosa City Schools board member dons raccoon mask and sign in response to racial attacks

A self-proclaimed activist, “I’m actively working in every community I’m in” he said. That includes Livermore, Sonoma, Petaluma, Vallejo and San Ramon.

Reaction to slur

After Pryor’s May 10 slur, trustee Alegria De La Cruz cut him off and said sternly “We do not tolerate hate speech in this district. That is a racial slur, Mr. Pryor, and that kind of language needs to stop.”

Please cut his microphone,” she said in an exasperated tone. That word is not appropriate to use against any person, especially a Black man. No.”

Officials cut his mic because his comment violated the board’s civility policy, said Board President Stephanie Manieri.

Under Senate Bill 100, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2023, board presidents have the right to remove individuals after they engage in “continued, willful disruptive behavior after a request to stop.”

Manieri said that although Pryor violated board and state policy, he has not been removed from any meetings.

The incident quickly reverberated.

Santa Rosa City Council Member and former Mayor Chris Rogers took to Facebook the next day.

“Sending love to my guy Ed Sheffield,” he wrote. “At last night’s school board meeting, he was subject to blatantly racist comments … It’s completely unacceptable and needs to be called out.”

He added that Sheffield has served as mentor to many, and he commended De La Cruz for immediately taking action.

Sheffield was pretty much silent about the incident for two weeks.

But on the May 24 board meeting, Sheffield used his trustee report time to address the incident.

Being under a public verbal attack “is not uncommon,” he said told his colleagues and the audience. It’s something to be expected when you run for an elected position.

“But this particular attack crossed the line,” he said.

Using public comment to boost personal ideologies, propaganda and race shaming “has been able to go on for far too long,” he said. Public comment is a time for people to bring attention to their concerns and a time for board members to conduct business, he said.

“That said, call me names, try to hurt my feeling and whatever conspiracy theories that you subscribe to, and unless you cross the line, and we’ll have to talk to take mic when you do, you’re free to talk until you’re blue in the face, but that doesn’t mean that I’m listening,” Sheffield said.

At that point he put on the raccoon mask and pulled out his sign.

Manieri, the board president, could be seen wiping away tears after he spoke.

“What moved me was his courage to reclaim the situation and share his truth about being a public servant,” she said in an emailed comment to The Press Democrat. “We’ve been facing personal attacks on our Board for a while, but Director Sheffield has repeatedly been under attack for his race.”

Pryor said he found Sheffield’s actions “highly offensive and ridiculous.”

“It only further makes me want to sink my feet in the sand and go even harder and get these people removed so we can replace them with the people who have the best interests of our children people in the district,“ he said.

Several board members did not respond to requests for comment, and De La Cruz and board member Ever Flores declined to comment on Sheffield’s response.

“However, I do believe that it is important for us as a board to address and condemn any form of hateful speech or behavior during our meetings,” Flores said.

“There is no room for hatred, racism, homophobia, and bigotry during school board meetings,” he added. “To serve every child in Santa Rosa schools, it is essential that we maintain a safe and respectful environment — whether it’s the board room or classroom, an environment without fear of being attacked or discriminated against.”

Sheffield is clear: he does not think that race was at the root of the problem, though “it’s definitely intertwined.”

He said he’s had to explain to his kids why adults from out of the area would choose to bully public servants in-person and online just because they’re public servants.

“They’re trolls,” he said. “And they’re just looking for more to troll.”

You can reach Staff Writer Alana Minkler at 707-526-8531 or [email protected]. On Twitter @alana_minkler.