Elementary school principal in a wealthy Southern California neighborhood sends email to parents warning them of a 'black man at a Starbucks'

  • Principal Donna Tripi sent the email to parents at La Jolla Elementary last month
  • Warned that a black man had followed a young girl into Starbucks and leered
  • This week Tripi was forced to apologize for including a description of suspect
  • Student body at the public elementary school is 1 per cent black, records show  

By Keith Griffith For Dailymail.com

Published: 21:45 EDT, 18 October 2018 | Updated: 22:14 EDT, 18 October 2018

Principal Donna Tripi (above) apologized on Monday for sending the email last month

Principal Donna Tripi (above) apologized on Monday for sending the email last month

An elementary school principal is facing scrutiny after sending an email to students' parents warning of an incident with a black male in a Starbucks.

Principal Donna Tripi apologized on Monday for sending the email last months to parents of students at La Jolla Elementary, a public school in the wealthy enclave near San Diego, the Union-Tribune reported.

Tripi's email had warned parents that a man had leered at a one of the female elementary students in a Starbucks and then followed her across the street when her mother became uncomfortable and left the cafe.

The email described the man as 'an African American male about 30 years old, about 6'1''-6'2'', dressed in all black and a hooded sweatshirt.'

'We're all hoping it was an isolated incident,' the email concluded, 'but reminders are always helpful.' 

The La Jolla Elementary principal sent the above email to parents last month, warning of a creepy interaction that a parent reported at an area Starbucks

The La Jolla Elementary principal sent the above email to parents last month, warning of a creepy interaction that a parent reported at an area Starbucks

La Jolla Elementary (above) is public school in the wealthy enclave near San Diego. The school's student body is less than 1 per cent black, as is the general population of the town

La Jolla Elementary (above) is public school in the wealthy enclave near San Diego. The school's student body is less than 1 per cent black, as is the general population of the town

In an email of apology this week, Tripi said that she didn't regret sending the warning, but did apologize for her description of the suspected pervert.

'My email was a mistake. While it is critical to keep our school family safe, the way I communicated didn't provide enough specifics to identify the individual, but could easily lead to unnecessary and harmful reactions against other members of our community,' Tripi wrote. 

'African American males continue to face discrimination in our society every day. The thought that I unintentionally contributed to that climate with a vague email is something for which I owe our community an apology.' 

André Branch, president of the San Diego Branch of the NAACP, told the Union-Tribune that he was just as upset by Tripi's apology as by her original email. 

This Starbucks is just a block away from the elementary. It's not clear which location the concerning incident occurred at, in which a man leered and followed a young girl and mom

This Starbucks is just a block away from the elementary. It's not clear which location the concerning incident occurred at, in which a man leered and followed a young girl and mom

'She repeats the description of the man, mentioning his race, but not that of the parents or the children,' Branch said. 

'This repetition reinforces the idea that the parents and their children have something to fear from African-American men.' 

Out of 535 students enrolled at La Jolla Elementary last fall, five were black, or about 1 per cent, state data show.

The overall population of La Jolla, a coastal enclave about 13 miles from downtown San Diego, is itself 0.8 per cent black.

The elementary plans to hold a forum on Monday at 6pm regarding the matter and how to 'support all families' at the school.

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La Jolla Elementary principal sends email to parents warning of a black man at Starbucks

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