Racism & stereotyping
"You can lead a Racist to facts, but you can't make him think." - Laura umetsu
Racism | noun | rac·ism | \ˈrā-ˌsi-zəm also -ˌshi- \ | Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior.
EXHIBIT A:
By Dede Akamine
During the 2015-2016 school year, a close friend of mine, whose children attend Renton Prep, approached Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman (“DPZ”) to discuss her concerns regarding math and P.E. at the School.
Their meeting ended up lasting over two hours, and she left feeling extremely uncomfortable. She was very shaken up and shared with me in detail how DPZ turned their discussion into a platform to voice his own concerns for the future of the School.
It got awkward when DPZ began to get emotional, questioning his own role as an Administrator and a Pastor. DPZ also asked her about other families at the School, including personal information about the families, as well as her thoughts about their loyalties to the School.
DPZ spoke about school enrollment and expressed his desire to bring in more "Whites" and "Blacks." He then clarified how he wanted "REAL Black people, NOT Ethiopians, and NO MORE Filipinos."
Both my friend and I were very close to DPZ at the time, but this was extremely racist, inappropriate, offensive and disappointing, to say the least. Back then I was so blinded by my trust in the Zimmermans. I regret never directly addressing his racist remarks during that time.
Exhibit B:
Dr. Michelle Zimmerman ("Michelle") and DPZ state in their April 2, 2018 email to the Renton Prep and Amazing Grace Christian School Communities, that the purpose of the letter was "to correct some of the serious, but false allegations that [the Fernandez family] continue to spread," including "statements calling [the Zimmermans] racists."
The following is dialogue between DPZ and Dawn, just minutes after a meeting Rod had with DPZ, to express his hurt and disappointment regarding an interaction between Gloria Zimmerman and Renton Prep students, including Rod and Dawn's daughters, Jasmine and Randi. In it, DPZ acknowledges his racist beliefs about Filipino men and "other ethnic groups."
EXHIBIT C:
The following are excerpts from a November 20, 2017 deposition, displaying DPZ's racist comments stereotyping men of color.
Exhibit D:
During Dawn's January 12, 2018 deposition, she was asked whether she had heard any comments made by staff at Renton Prep that she felt were discriminatory or insensitive to either her sex or ethnic background.
Dawn answered yes, and went on to explain how Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman called her niece’s father, an African-American man, a “Mexican drug dealer.” DPZ's racist remarks also demonstrates a lack of cultural competency .
To read more about the Racist System at Renton Prep, perpetuated by the Zimmerman's, visit the following pages: