PRESCOTT, Arizona — The Prescott School District is distancing itself from a board member caught on video calling a Hispanic woman a derogatory name and telling her to leave the country.
Board member Linda Conn was at the Prescott Costco in the series of videos taken by another customer. In the first, Conn is pushing a shopping cart by Elizabeth Garcia and says "Go back to your country."
Garcia said the incident started before she pressed record and after Conn overheard Garcia speaking to other people in Spanish.
"She's like, talk English, you're in America," Garcia said. "She just went off and when I took my phone out, that's when she said go back to your country."
A second video, also taken in the Costco, shows Conn again crossing paths with Garcia.
"Your face is gonna be all over," Garcia says.
Conn leaned in close to the camera.
"Oh it hope it is, p***" Conn replied, using a derogatory Spanish word for prostitute.
The video shows Garcia and others with her laughing as Conn walks away. But Garcia now says it wasn't funny.
“I was a little bit more mad, and I laughed a little bit, but it was more that I was mad and upset," Garcia said, adding that her daughter was also there watching the interaction.
"She asked me 'Why did that lady get so close to you? Was she gonna hit you?'" Garcia said.
Garcia said she didn't know who Conn was. Garcia lives in Cottonwood, which is about a 90-minute drive away. It wasn't until she slowed the video down that she saw Conn was wearing a campaign button that said "Re-elect Linda Conn" for the Prescott Unified School District's governing board.
Conn told 12News by text that her lawyer advised her not to comment.
Three of her fellow school board members and the superintendent of the district did comment.
Stan Goligoski, board president
As the president of the Prescott Unified School District governing board, we find Ms. Linda Conn’s public comments disgraceful. Our school district’s students, teachers, staff and administrators work diligently to ensure our students are people of strong character and possess strong quality traits that are accepting of all. We would hope our elected governing board members would follow the same attributes. This is an atrocious incident that we take serious.
Jane Robertson, board member
"It is absolutely unacceptable for any PUSD Governing Board member to suggest that any of our constituents go back to their own country. We accept ANY child that crosses our threshold with open arms and treat ANY child equally. Using offensive language to a member of our community while wearing a political reelection button suggests a total disregard of our board position.
Andy Fraher, board member
As a PUSD Governing Board Member, I can state that this attitude and the approach in the video is not reflective of our District or our other Board Members in any way. I cannot speak for the District, as our Superintendent will speak officially, but on a personal note, this is reprehensible and I wholeheartedly condemn these words and actions.
Clark Tenney, superintendent
Our district has just been made aware of the recently recorded, reprehensible words and actions of one of our elected school board members. This elected person's words and actions are deeply disappointing, and absolutely not representative of Prescott Unified School District. We welcome and support ALL of our students and families of every background, and we strive to treat all community members with respect.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.