Abortion Foes Endorse Three for School Board

A statewide political group that opposes abortion has endorsed three of the 12 candidates for the proposed Redondo Beach Unified School District’s Board of Trustees, even though school governing bodies make virtually no decisions relating to the issue.

The three candidates, Stan Groman, Joyce LaBree and Lillian Parker, all acknowledged they have received the endorsement of the California Pro Life Council PAC. But they all said they do not believe the issue should be a decisive one in the election.

“Would it be relevant to me? It might be,” Parker said. “But I think there would be many other issues that would be relevant. It would not be the primary issue.”

The Redondo Beach race is one of only two school board races in Los Angeles County that captured the attention of the anti-abortion group. Two candidates for the Soledad-Agua Dulce Union School District also received the group’s endorsement.

Groman, who said he recently called the group to see if it was supporting his candidacy, said he was proud to learn he had received its endorsement. But he added, “I don’t see it as an issue” in this race.

All three candidates expressed discomfort with questions about their views on abortion, with at least one describing media coverage of the issue as biased.

“I think you people (reporters) tend to dig up these things to make hot reading for your readers (even though) they have little bearing at all on the school board,” Groman said.

LaBree agreed: “I don’t like abortion, I don’t think it ought to be legal. But my approach is different. I want to help kids and women who want to keep their babies.

“It’s sad that people don’t have an opportunity to talk to you and make decisions on who you are rather than what someone says you are,” she added. “(But) that’s the political game.”