In this 1989 file photo, Michael Jackson is seen attending a ceremony at Gardner Street Elementary School in Hollywood for the unveiling of a new sign naming the school auditorium for him. The sign has been covered for the past six years. (Photo by Gary McCarthy)
Story Published:
Sep 17, 2009 at 12:28 AM PDT
Story Updated:
Aug 24, 2010 at 8:57 PM PDT
The months following Michael Jackson’s death saw a countless number of extravagant tributes to the late pop star, but one honor remains censored.
For the past several years, two placards have covered up Jackson’s name, which was once displayed atop the entrance to the auditorium at Gardner Elementary School in Hollywood.
It was originally a gift presented by the school to the pop star on Oct. 11, 1989. Jackson briefly attended the school in 1970 before moving onto private tutoring.
But in 2003, shortly after Jackson faced a second round of child molestation allegations, some parents in the community demanded his name be covered up — a demand that was satisfied by the school’s principal at the time, as well as the Los Angeles Unified School District.
For six years, the sign on the building has read simply, “Auditorium.” On paper — on playbills for school plays, for example — it is referred to as Gardner Street Elementary Auditorium.
A series of community meetings with parents resulted in the censoring of Jackson’s name, but current Principal Kenneth Urbina said there hasn’t been a similar effort to reverse the decision.
Following Jackson’s death on June 25, Urbina contacted LAUSD officials in anticipation of an outcry to uncover the pop star’s name, but learned there were no plans to do so.
“I just wanted to be a little ahead of the game. I was probably going to get some phone calls about this,” he said. “They called me and told me there’s no plans to uncover the name.”
In an e-mail, LAUSD spokeswoman Ellen Morgan confirmed to The Wave that “there are no current plans to uncover the name.”
Urbina said redisplaying Jackson’s name would most likely have to be the result of an outpouring of concern on par with that of six years ago. Until then, he plans to maintain a stance in step with the previously expressed concerns of parents.
“Parents consider school as a safe haven for children, a protector of children,” Urbina said. “When allegations like this come up, especially not for the first time … and so as a principal I can understand they did not want to have the association with somebody accused of that kind of crime. We always err on the side of safety when it comes to something like that.”
Some parents, however, are reconsidering their opposition to the display of Jackson’s name.
The mother of a Gardner fifth grader, Sonia Litz was among the parents who originally demanded that Jackson’s name be covered. She is now singing a different tune.
Litz said she changed her mind mainly because attention has shifted away from Jackson’s legal troubles in the months since his death.
“Personally, I don’t think it matters, because he’s passed on and people are looking into his music,” she said. “Everywhere I go, I don’t hear the bad parts, I just hear the good parts. Once in a while a parent might say those other things, but not as much as I’m hearing the good things about him.”
Urbina, on the other hand, believes more attention to Jackson’s personal troubles came as a result of a resurgence of interest in the pop star. “There’s still a lot of strong feelings about this,” he said. “I’ve got a feeling that sentiments might just come out the same way again.”
Outside of school administrators and parents, others are also paying attention to the matter. An online petition has been started by the Germany-based www.mjjsupport.com, directly aimed at having Jackson’s name uncovered.
More than 800 people have signed the petition so far, and the site’s webmaster called Gardner Elementary School’s actions “a sign of disrespect and intolerance.”
Starline Tours, one of Hollywood’s most well-known bus tours, stops by Gardner Street Elementary dozens of times every day and tour guides always point out where Jackson’s name used to be.
Fred Sapir, one of the company’s owners, said tourists always ask his drivers why the name is boarded up.
“His name is very, very important. He’s done a lot of things and lots of people really care for him,” Sapir said. “[Jackson’s name] shouldn’t be covered. … whatever has happened with him happened in the past.”
RSS Feeds 
You have indicated this comment should be removed.
The comment has been submitted for review. Thank you .