After a two-year process, Charles Maclay Middle School in Pacoima has changed its name to Glenoaks Academy, a move that distances the school from the City of San Fernando founder that has a controversial reputation.
The name change was made official earlier in the month, taking inspiration from the oak trees that once lined the area. Glenoaks Boulevard, where the school is located, was also named after these trees.
The San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol reached out to Glenoaks Academy for comment on the name change, but instead received a statement from a Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) spokesperson.
The process to rebrand the school included participation from parents, students, staff and community members through various meetings, forums and Coffee with the Principal sessions. The statement read:
“Opportunities for feedback and discussion were provided throughout the study, and a formal voting process was conducted that included parents, staff and students. During this process, the community expressed a shared interest in selecting a name that pays homage to the school’s location and the opportunities it represents for students. Based on the results of this study and community input, the name Glenoaks Academy was chosen.”
A new marquee sign reflecting the change has already been installed, but it’s not known when the school will repaint the buildings that still bear the old name in large letters.
The school was originally named after the landowner who has been heralded as the founder of San Fernando – the first city in the valley. The city’s main street and thoroughfare is also named after him.
While his legacy is undeniably tied to the city, it’s also marred by his dispossession of Indigenous peoples. When Maclay purchased the 56,000 acres of land in 1874 that would become the City of San Fernando, there were already Tataviam Indians living there.
Although the Tataviam tribe was originally guaranteed protections to stay on the land through previous agreements, Maclay refused to recognize them and evicted the tribe anyway.
One of those people evicted was Rogerio Rocha, an 84-year-old tribal leader whom Maclay attempted to negotiate with for his land. When he was unsuccessful, Maclay had two sheriff’s deputies load Rocha’s and his wife’s, Maria’s, belongings onto a wagon during a huge rainstorm and forcibly moved them to Lopez Canyon, where their possessions were dumped on the side of the road.
Rocha’s wife died from pneumonia due to exposure to the rain, while he would live out the rest of his years living in the canyon, fending for himself.
In 2018, the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians (FTBMI) attempted to change the name of Maclay Avenue to Rogerio Rocha Avenue to “correct the history” of the city, but those efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.
Rudy Ortega Jr., tribal president of the FTBMI, said the school had engaged in talks with the tribe to learn more about their history with Maclay. Although members of the tribe took part in the community meetings to rename the school, they had no say in the final decision. Ortega Jr. only learned about the name change becoming official through posts on social media.
Nonetheless, he applauded the school for removing Maclay from its name.
“Charles Maclay … pretty much built what he wanted on the back and pillars of Native people, and diminished their authority in the 1800s to the point that the tribe is still struggling to achieve federal acknowledgement and still striving to provide services and resources to its people and the community here,” Ortega Jr. said.
“That’s the reason why we feel that some of the history needs to be corrected and further told, so both sides of the story can be heard, and that we can continue moving forward to a brighter and better future as residents of Los Angeles.”