Russell Stuart Calls Out Attacks on BHUSD’s Kids and Progress

During his remarks at the Beverly Hills Unified School District Board of Education’s Oct. 27 regular meeting, Trustee Russell Stuart responded to a line from a Wall Street Journal article about board candidate Jackie Kruger. The Journal quoted Kruger saying, “When you’re at rock bottom, there’s only one place to go.”

Stuart opened his remarks by citing the line and asking the student board member whether the student’s final year at school felt like rock bottom. After the student answered no, Stuart said he would ask the volleyball team and district administrators the same question. He then said he wanted people to think logically and described community anger as driven by political and cultural differences.

Stuart recalled advice from a mentor during his earlier City Council campaign: “You can talk about each other, but you never bash the city, because the city is the brand.” He applied that advice to the school district, saying, “Well, BHUSD is our brand.”

He argued that describing the district as being at rock bottom insulted employees and students, and said that the metrics he had seen were moving in the right direction. Those were Stuart’s characterizations. He closed by saying, “We are not at rock bottom,” and criticizing those he said were spreading lies.

The remarks are in the recording of the Oct. 27 BHUSD Board of Education regular meeting.