*El Chicano 05/01/25

Public Safety

Officers Assaulted While Breaking Up Student Fight at Entrepreneur High School; Viral Video Prompts Investigation

By Manny Sandoval

Afight between three female students at Entrepreneur High School in Highland escalated Thursday afternoon, April 24, when two San Bernardino City Unified School District police officers were assaulted while attempting to break up the altercation — a moment captured on cellphone video that quickly spread across TikTok, X, and other platforms.

The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. in the school’s parking lot. Video filmed by a bystander shows the students striking and yelling at each other as officers attempt to intervene. The confrontation intensifies when one of the teens pulls a female officer by the hair, prompting the male officer to tackle the other student to the ground. Several adults also appear during the fight, with at least one seemingly joining the altercation.

According to the video, both officers were physi-

Colton

By Colton PD

Tcally assaulted. The students were eventually subdued, handcuffed, and taken into custody after backup officers arrived. Their names have not been released due to their age.

Much of the public response in the comment sections commended the officers — particularly the male and female officers involved — for demonstrating restraint during the highly charged situation.

Inland Empire Community News contacted SBCUSD Communications Director MaryRone Goodwin by phone on Friday, April 25, and followed up via email with questions regarding student disciplinary actions, whether the officers’ response aligned with law enforcement policy, and to confirm whether one of the adults seen in the video was a parent of one or both of the girls involved.

As of publication, neither Goodwin nor the district has responded.

The incident remains under investigation.

Police Department Holding Motorcycle Safety Enforcement Operation May 1, 2025

he Colton Police Department will have additional officers on patrol on May 1, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Their focus will be specifically on identifying violations committed by drivers and motorcycle riders.

The primary factors contributing to motorcycle crashes include unsafe speed, improper turning, right-of-way violations, driving under the influence, and unsafe lane changes.

Among these, speeding is the most common cause, accounting for nearly one-third of all crashes in the state.

To help protect you and your family, keep the following tips in mind while driving or riding:

Drivers:

Always check twice for motorcycles in your mirrors and blind spots.

Use your signal when changing lanes.

Never follow a motorcycle too closely. Always keep a safe distance.

When at an intersection, allow enough space before turning.

Motorcyclists:

Always wear a DOT compliant helmet and protective gear.

Consider adding reflective tape to make it easier for other drivers to see you.

Always keep your lights on, even during the day.

Don’t assume drivers see you; signal well in advance before changing lanes and watch for turning vehicles.

Although lane splitting is legal, the practice is not encouraged at high speeds in free-flowing traffic.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In the CSU, the Threat to Higher Education is Coming from Inside the House

By Dr. Thomas F. Corrigan, professor

This Thursday, April 17, Cal State San Bernardino faculty, staff, and students will demonstrate against the austerity and authoritarianism gripping our university and U.S. higher education generally.

The rally is part of a National Day of Action for Higher Education, and the stakes couldn't be higher.

In recent weeks, the Trump Administration has gutted the Department of Education and federal research programs while weaponizing investigations, federal funding, and visas in an attempt to cow universities, their faculty, and students.

At CSUSB, vital research grants have been canceled, including the U-RISE program, which prepared students for Ph.D.s in biomedical fields. The Department of Education also launched a dubious investigation into CSUSB's alleged involvement in The PhD Project—a program that helps Black and Latino students pursue business degrees. CSUSB international students are among the hundreds nationwide who have had their visas revoked for things like minor traffic infractions. And undocumented students study and live amid the persistent threat of ICE raids.

This is more than reckless costcutting, xenophobia, and bigotry—it is also straight out of the fascist playbook. Because colleges and universities specialize in independent thought, they represent a challenge to authoritarian power. So, Trump seeks to bring us to heel.

Trump is not the only threat to higher education, though. In the CSU system, the Chancellor's Office and campus administrations are engaged in their own austerity and authoritarianism.

The CSU claims that California’s tight budget requires campuses to take aggressive "budget mitigation" measures. At Sonoma State, 21 academic programs were eliminated, and at least 46 faculty won’t have contracts re-

newed. Eight other CSU campuses have received faculty layoff notices.

At CSUSB, it’s more a “death by a thousand cuts.” Widespread course cancellations have left many part-time lecturers (who are disproportionately women and people of color) without work, and students without needed classes. Administrators pack the remaining courses with more students than are pedagogically appropriate. Campus offices operate with overworked, skeleton staffs. Faculty research time has evaporated, and some are being told not to print their exams!

Yet, at California Faculty Association’s San Bernardino chapter, we refer to this as a “so-called budget crisis.” Why? As California Faculty Association’s March 2025 report, Short-changing Students, shows, the CSU has reduced investment in instruction while increasing spending on management, campus police, investment portfolios, and new facilities.

The figures are staggering. Chancellor García’s compensation approaches $1 million annually, and her office’s budget is up 116% over the past decade. Campus presidents recently received raises of up to 29%, and CSUSB President Tomás Morales’s compensation was $638,000 in 2023—more than twice the Governor's. Meanwhile, CSUSB’s management personnel headcount is up 50% since 2010, even though enrollment has remained flat. At the end of the last academic year, the CSU sat on an incredible $11.6 billion in reserves, investments, and cash. And this year, the CSU entered into a controversial $17 million deal to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT Edu service throughout the curriculum—and they did so without any faculty consultation. Some “budget crisis,” huh?

The CSU has an authoritarian streak, too. In response to last year’s campus protests against the genocide in Gaza, the CSU has used an interim “Time, Place, and Manner” policy to crack down on inconvenient campus expression.