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Fernando Colon, 20, right, and Alex Templeton, 23, protest with other Hispanic students and activists in front of the Review-Journal on Wednesday. The protesters criticized columnist Ken Ward for a column they say was racist. Photo by Clint Karlsen. Click here to read Ken Ward's May 15 column.

Thursday, May 30, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Column about Hispanics prompts rally outside R-J

Protesters criticize Ken Ward's views

Nearly 100 people rallied outside the Review-Journal offices Wednesday, criticizing free-lance columnist Ken Ward for writing about Hispanics in public schools.

Holding signs that read, "Ward Is A Racist," they chanted "Free speech, not free hate," and "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Ken Ward has got to go."

Chelsie Campbell, president of the Student Organization of Latinos at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said Ward's May 15 column perpetuated stereotypes and misinformed the public about the education level of Hispanic students and their parents. "We totally agree it's free speech, but we just think he crossed the line," Campbell said.

The column asserts Hispanics -- the fastest-growing minority in the Clark County School District -- struggle in school because their parents are less educated than the general population, they drop out more and do poorly on standardized tests. As a result, the school district is burdened with the expense of special programs to help them, Ward wrote. He cited census figures and statistics from the school district .

Ward said his column stated "broadly held truths" the school district must address. "I can't really apologize for what I wrote," said Ward. "I'm paid to have opinions and be honest about what my opinions are. The school district has poor test scores and one of the highest dropout rates in the country, and those numbers come largely from minority enrollment in the district."

Some protesters were offended by Ward's statement that referred to Hispanics as a "semi-literate underclass that demonstrates little interest or aptitude for higher learning."

"To me, that's straight racist," said Horacio Valdez, a UNLV sociology major. "All these students (protesting) are examples of people who have a tremendous aptitude for higher learning."

Review-Journal Editor Thomas Mitchell said of Ward's column, "There is nothing pejorative or racist about it.

"In a debate, there has to be somebody addressing the sensitive issues. Pulling Ken Ward's column would be counterproductive to Jeffersonian principles."