Sounding Off:

As a parent of Corona del Mar High School students I am upset by the smear campaign the Daily Pilot has launched against the school for the past 10 months. Your irresponsible reporting and editorials are harming the reputation of a school whose students and administration have been a model in our community for 47 years.

The ugly incident involving four football players posting offensive remarks on Facebook in January was thoroughly investigated by the administration and the police, and corrective action was taken. As with any student investigation, the facts surrounding the investigation and the punishment are protected by strict privacy laws, so the public will never know if the decision-making process was fair and the punishment sufficient. But drawing a negative inference from the administration’s and Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s legal obligation to refrain from any comment upon matters implicating the privacy of its student body is deplorable. There is no justifying the actions of those boys, but it’s time for the Pilot to stop referencing this ugly but isolated incident every time the school is mentioned. Keep in mind there are 2,200 kids at CdM, and to constantly taint the entire student body for the reprehensible actions of these four boys is unfair.

There are two sides to the “Rent” controversy, yet the Pilot has chosen to portray only one. It is the reporters’ to get all sides of the story before putting prejudicial information in the public domain. The former principal is no longer employed by the district, so do some investigative journalism and get her side.

CdM continues to produce outstanding graduates who are making a significant impact in their community. Graduation rates are close to 100%, and many students matriculate to the top schools in the country.

The national standardized test scores and National Merit Scholarship statistics for CdM students consistently rank among the best among Newport-Mesa schools.

This past year, CdM students have spent thousands of hours of community service assisting the homeless, working with the elderly, tutoring disadvantaged kids, protecting the environment and serving a multitude of other causes.

Put simply, the students and teachers are some of the best and brightest and should be recognized for their accomplishments. I submit that it’s time the Pilot abandoned its crusade to smear CdM and instead begin some fair and balanced reporting.

I urge the Pilot to abandon its recent tabloid mentality. Front-page articles on a “member stuck in a ring” or an ugly Facebook incident from 10 months ago are salacious and not worthy of publication in a community newspaper. Report on newsworthy stories both positive and negative, but focus energy on highlighting outstanding individuals who are making a significant difference in our community every day. Many of these individuals attend and work at CdM. It’s time they were recognized.

GUNNAR GOODING lives in Newport Beach.