Fountain Valley academy protests impending eviction

California Science Academy students and faculty gathered with bright neon signs outside the Fountain Valley School District office for the second day Friday to protest their impending eviction from Wardlow School.

The protesters hope to convince the district to allow them to stay through the end of the school year. Suleiman Rawag, the Islamic school’s chairman, said an Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy served the school with notice they have to be out by Monday — within a month of the end of the school year and graduation for the school’s seniors.

“We just want to graduate, finish our education,” 18-year-old senior Sadie Abu-Touk said.

The academy is behind in rent, but the district is to blame for the school’s financial shortfall, Rawag said. He contends the district was pressured by anti-Islamists in the school’s neighborhood to push the academy out.

“They just want to kick us out because we’re Muslim,” said 17-year-old senior Karim Salem. “It’s racist and wrong.”

The academy was served with an eviction notice in April, 2007, which it took to court, Rawag said. A settlement allowed the academy to stay but increased the school’s rent by 32%, including a retroactive increase of past rent, Rawag said.

The struggles with the district made 40% to 50% of the school’s students leave, Rawag said. The loss of tuition fees made it even more difficult to pay the rent.

Efforts to contact district officials for comment Friday were unsuccessful.