A Los Angeles public school teacher, Ron Gochez, recently went from community organizer to national story when he publicly suggested residents “are not the only ones with guns” in response to an ICE enforcement operation that left a U.S. marshal and a suspect injured. Conservatives should be alarmed but not surprised to see an educator flirting with rhetoric that tips toward encouraging resistance to federal law enforcement.
The underlying incident was a dangerous, chaotic traffic-stop enforcement on October 21, 2025, in South Los Angeles in which federal agents say a man rammed law enforcement vehicles and was shot, and a deputy U.S. marshal was wounded by a ricochet. This was not a peaceful demonstration but an event that put officers, bystanders, and students at nearby schools at risk, underscoring why officers must be allowed to do their jobs without fear of political interference or street intimidation.
Instead of calming the situation, Gochez—an LAUSD teacher and Union del Barrio organizer—took to the microphone and warned federal agents they weren’t the only ones packing firearms in South Central, insisting he wasn’t calling for violence while effectively normalizing the idea of armed pushback. That kind of double-speak from someone entrusted with shaping young minds is grotesque and deserves swift rebuke from school leadership and civic authorities.
The Department of Homeland Security reportedly said Gochez’s comments “look criminal” and planned to refer the matter to the Justice Department, and good. When a public employee appears to flirt with inciting violence against federal officers, a criminal referral and a full review of his fitness to teach are the bare minimum. Taxpayers should not be forced to pay the salary of someone who treats law enforcement as a legitimate target.
This episode also exposes the rot in sanctuary politics and activist culture that rewards confrontation over civility. Local leaders who praise or defend individuals who obstruct enforcement or celebrate confrontation bear responsibility for escalating tensions and eroding respect for order and safety in communities that already suffer from crime and chaos. The City Hall applause lines for “community journalists” who bait federal officers do not keep children safe.
Let Los Angeles Unified School District do its duty: investigate, suspend if necessary, and terminate any teacher who crosses the line from advocacy into endangering public servants or inciting violence. Parents and patriotic citizens should demand accountability from school boards and unions that too often reflexively defend employees regardless of the threat they pose to the rule of law. Our children deserve teachers who teach history and civics, not agitation and excuses for lawlessness.
Americans who love their country must stand with the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to enforce the law, while insisting that our public institutions—especially schools—uphold basic standards of conduct. If we let radical rhetoric from educators go unchecked, we will not only undermine public safety but betray the very values of discipline, respect, and responsibility that build strong communities.
