Vol. 161, Issue 4 | Mar. 9 – Mar. 22, 2016 | City College of San Francisco | Since 1935 | FREE
CITY ON TRIAL
CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
Program Relocating To Bungalows Amid Construction Lawsuit By David Horowitz dhorowitz@theguardman.com
Supporters listen to a speaker at the at the Justice for Alex Nieto rally outside of the Federal Court building on March 1, 2016. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones/ The Guardsman)
Hundreds Protest Testimonies Clash In Alex Outside Courthouse Nieto’s Civil Rights Trial By Cassie Ordonio cordonio@theguardsman.com @CassieOrdonio
Chants of “No justice, no peace” roared throughout Civic Center as demonstrators marched outside of San Francisco’s Federal Courts Building to City Hall during the first day of slain City College student Alex Nieto’s civil trial on March 1. Two years after the shooting of Nieto, the trial began to review evidence of unlawfulness by four San Francisco Police Department officers who fired approximately 48 bullets, thinking Nieto had a gun. When retrieved, the alleged gun was actually a
Taser for his security job. Benjamin Bac Sierra, co-founder of Justice and Love for Alex Nieto coalition, introduced the crowd outside the courthouse to Nieto’s parents, Refugio and Elvira Nieto, before they went into to the trial. “They are our heroes,” Bac Sierra said to the crowd. “They have shown dignity and given us an example on how to fight for our loved ones.” Fists raised high and cheers erupted while the Nietos walked toward the Federal Courts Building. The Nietos were still grieving yet Protest continues on page 2
Nieto’s family lawyer, civil rights attorney Adante Pointer, is pressing civil rights charges against the City and County of San Francisco for the mgonzales@theguardsman.com killing of Alex Nieto by police on @mijo_marco March 21, 2014. The four officers— krwords@gmail.com Lt. Jason Sawyer and Officers Roger @the_krnl Morse, Richard Schiff and Nathan Chew, are all charged with excessive The parents of Alex Nieto finally had force, violation of Nieto’s civil rights their day in federal court for their and wrongful death under California son, a City College student who was law. shot and killed by San Francisco Police officers in Bernal Heights Park The Call nearly two years ago. At 7:11 p.m., a passerby called the On the opening day of the police after seeing Nieto in the park trial on March 1, Judge Magistrate acting strangely—and believed his Nathanael M. Cousins whittled a holstered Taser was a gun. Upon juror pool of 30 down to eight. Five approach, dispatch alerted the offiwomen and three men, none Black cers that a Latino male, wearing red, or Latino, will decide whether Nieto’s was seen with a gun atop Bernal civil rights were abused and if Nieto’s family deserves monetary reparation Civil Trial for his death. continues on page 6
By Marco S.G. & KR Nava
CULTURE
How San Francisco’s Own Trevor Dunbar is Back on Track PAGE 7
Fifty-five children who spend their weekdays at City College’s child development program will be temporarily relocated from the program’s four Orfalea Family Center buildings into a two-bungalow facility behind Rosenberg Library in August. Although the Orfalea Family Center’s interiors are exceptionally well-maintained, the buildings’ outer walls are so extensively corroded that the facility has been deemed unsafe. As a consequence, the program’s children and staff are being moved into a space about half its current size. “It’s a really sad story because it was pretty avoidable, but the rust problem has ruined the whole building,” Family Center project coordinator Judith Hearst said. In addition to serving as a preschool for children 18 months to 5 years old from low-income families, the program trains students of City College’s child development department. The preschool is vital to many parents and children. Former City College student David Saenz, who works and studies full time, has been taking Vida to the preschool since she was 18 months old in 2012, and now she’s prepared to graduate from the program. “The child development program helped us a lot because they saw our income and situation and saw we were full-time students, and they didn’t charge us,” Saenz said. “They’re great. The teachers are great… It helped us so much—so much—and we’re really sad that our child will have to leave.”
Hunt Construction Lawsuit
San Francisco Community College District contracted the Hunt Construction Group in 2005 to build the center. According to the contract, Hunt would be held legally responsible for property damage and losses resulting from negligence by the subcontractor Project Frog and its parent company MKThink. A previous edition of The Guardsman disclosed that the district received a report in 2011 determining that the Orfalea Family Center’s exterior corrosion was a direct Child Development Center continues on page 4