San Francisco puts renaming of schools on hold after ‘mistakes’

Fending off a cascade of criticisms, the threat of a lawsuit and a possible recall campaign, the president of the San Francisco school board has put on hold the board’s decision made just a few weeks ago to rename 44 public schools, including those named after George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Dianne Feinstein.

In an op-ed article in the San Francisco Chronicle, board President Gabriela López said she takes responsibility for “mistakes that were made in the renaming process,” without detailing what those mistakes were, and now wants “to provide more opportunities for community input.” She said the renaming controversy has turned into a “distracting public debate” that has taken away attention way from her number one priority — to reopen the city’s public schools for in-person instruction safely, and as soon as possible.