Vandalism blamed on politics

BOISE – Vandals slashed two tires and spray-painted the truck of Idaho’s public schools chief as the furor over his proposed education reforms appeared to grow uglier.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said he woke up early Tuesday and found the word “Luna” painted on the truck with a slash through the letters.

“I’m not pointing any fingers at any individuals or groups, but there’s no doubt in my mind” the vandalism involved the reforms, Luna told the Associated Press.

Nampa police were investigating and have not yet determined a motive or identified any suspects, Deputy Chief Craig Kingsbury said.

Luna’s sweeping overhaul calls for introducing merit pay and eliminating tenure for new teachers while expanding online courses. Idaho would increase class sizes to pay for a bulk of the reforms and cut about 770 teaching positions as more courses are taught online.

Hearings on the education reforms were expected to continue Tuesday in the Idaho Senate, where the legislation was introduced earlier this month and is being reworked amid opposition from teachers, parents and some lawmakers.

Luna was heckled Tuesday morning after a live newscast in a downtown Boise coffee shop, and he said he filed a police report after an angry teacher went to his mother’s house over the weekend. Police were investigating but have not found any suspects.

Luna denounced organizers of the opposition to his reforms, saying e-mails have been sent out that included the home addresses and phone numbers of elected officials. Actions that resulted in someone going to his 71-year-old mother’s home amounted to “union thuggery,” he said.

The Idaho Education Association has denied sending any e-mails with home addresses or phone numbers.

“The IEA condemns vandalism and urges that anyone found to be responsible be prosecuted for their actions,” association President Sherri Wood said. “We do not resort to violence or harassment to solve problems.”