Letter to the Editor - Regarding Elk Grove Mayor Steve Ly's published comments

Re: Elk Grove Mayor Steve Ly’s comments in the July 10, 2020 EG Citizen and his conduct during the 2012 school board campaign. | 

In 2012, I was appointed to the Elk Grove Unified School District Board of Trustees, unanimously selected over Steve Ly. Mr. Ly chose to run against me in the fall election and defeated me for the seat. Recently, I became aware of false statements made by Mr. Ly to the Elk Grove Citizen in the July 10, 2020. In it, Mr. Ly claimed he was not involved in efforts to remove Bobbie Singh-Allen from office. His statements are categorically false. 

I debated Mr. Ly at multiple public forums. On at least two occasions Mr. Ly stated his desire to force Ms. Singh-Allen’s appointment to a special election, removing her from office. Men whose names I recognized as active campaign supporters of Mr. Ly, who regularly attended events with Mr. Ly, contacted the school district and the Sacramento County Office of Education to determine how to initiate the process to remove Ms. Singh-Allen. Mr. Ly confirmed his support for their actions when I confronted him about the cost of the special election and that it would result in additional teacher layoffs. He insisted it was worth the cost.

I watched first-hand as Mr. Ly and his supporters referred to Ms. Singh-Allen as “that women” and as his supporters questioned how Ms. Singh-Allen could have the time to be a good mother to her sons and serve on the school board. Mr. Ly never spoke up, never told them to stop. 

I have sat silently listening to the stories of women mistreated by the mayor and his supporters. I absolutely believe them because their stories are consistent with my experience with Mr. Ly. He publicly and privately attacked my special needs son and my family for our decisions regarding his education. I publicly confronted Mr. Ly in front of multiple witnesses and he insisted that the attacks on my five-year-old child were fair game. The attacks continued after the election and became so vicious that my family was required to change elementary schools for the safety of our older son.

Jake Rambo, Elk Grove, Calf. 

Copyright by Elk Grove News © 2020. All right reserved.