Comment about Chinese espionage triggers 'tangible safety concern' at California flight school
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The photo posted on Facebook last week by a Shasta County flight school shows nine smiling students — all of whom appear to be Asian — posing around a small aircraft.It was meant to celebrate the students, who had recently finished a training program at IASCO Flight Training Inc., on the grounds of the Redding Regional Airport.But in the comments section, an official at a nearby town posted an altered image, with red arrows pointing to each of the students and the words: “China’s Peoples Liberation Army / Redding CA.” Now, school officials say the Jan.21 remarks by Anderson City Councilman Darin Hale — who claimed on social media that he was tracking IASCO aircraft and made vague claims of Chinese espionage — have put their students in danger at a time of heightened tensions over immigration.
“In the current climate, this type of language creates a tangible safety concern for individuals who live, work, and train in this community,” Miranda Vorhis, the school’s operations manager, wrote in a letter to the Anderson City Council last week.California Newsom sets last possible day for special election to fill Rep.
Doug LaMalfa’s seat after deathShe added: “When such rhetoric comes from an elected official, it does not remain abstract.It legitimizes suspicion, fuels misinformation, and encourages members of the public to view students and educators as targets rather than neighbors.”Hale did not respond to a request for comment.
Hale, who works in the construction industry, was elected in 2024 to serve on the City Council in Anderson, a city of 11,300 people just south of Redding.His social media account as are filled with pro-Trump commentary and screenshots of flight-tracking maps.
His accounts also include posts touting conspiracy theories, such as the claim that the attack on the U.S.Capitol on Jan.
6, 2021, was an “inside job.” In recent days, ...