this was forwarded to me through a regular e-mail from rockrap.com: there is very little media coverage of this story so far. Some blogs have picked up the story... a more detailed post can be found at Steve Gilliard's The News Blog.
I hope that proper coverage begins soon.
Eighth grader Anthony Soltero shot himself through the head
on Thursday, March 30, after the assistant principal at De
Anza Middle School told him that he was going to prison for
three years because of his involvement as an organizer of
the April 28 school walk-outs to protest the anti-immigrant
legislation in Washington. The vice principal also forbade
Anthony from attending graduation activities and threatened
to fine his mother for Anthonys truancy and participation in
the student protests.
Anthony was learning about the importance of civic duties and
rights in his eighth grade class. Ironically, he died because
the vice principal at his school threatened him for speaking
out and exercising those rights, Ms. Corales said today. I
want to speak out to other parents, whose children are
attending the continuing protests this week. We have to let
the schools know that they cant punish our children for
exercising their rights.
Anthonys death is likely the first fatality arising from
the protests against the immigration legislation being
considered in Washington, D.C. Anthony, who was a very
good student at De Anza Middle School in the Ontario-
Montclair School District, believed in justice and was
passionate about the immigration issue. He is survived
by his mother, Louise Corales, his father, a younger
sister, and a baby brother.
Ms. Corales will speak to the community after mass on Sunday,
April 9, 2006 at 12:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.
She will ask for a prayer for Anthony, whose funeral and
burial are scheduled for Monday, April 10 in Long Beach,
where he was born.
CONTACT: R. SAMUEL PAZ
(310) 410-2981
(310) 989-6815
8:29:08 AM 
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