Editor’s note:

The reporter who wrote the article referred in the letter has contacted Alberto Esquinca in order to make necessary corrections. As The Prospector’s editor in chief, I want to extend an apology to Esquinca for the mistake and the oversight on the editors’ part. At The Prospector, we take these letters seriously and work to improve as student journalists. 

Editor, 

I have been a reader of The Prospector for approximately 35 years. As a high school student, a UTEP undergraduate and graduate student, I read practically every issue. As a UTEP professor, I was proud to read my daughter’s articles in its pages. 

Unfortunately, I was disappointed in an article that you published this week in which I am named. Titled “After a hate letter, College of Education counteracts homophobia,” the article contains factual errors, and it also makes inaccurate statements about me. Namely, the article states that I moved to California “because of the full rights and protections there.” This statement was never verified by anyone at the newspaper. 

Given the fact that it is relatively easy to find my contact information online, you could have easily contacted me via telephone or email. Moreover, I was in El Paso for meetings last week, and I would have been happy to meet you to provide a statement. 

I hope that as an editor, you strive to provide student writers guidance to learn the ethical roles and responsibilities of journalism. For instance, journalists may sometimes cause harm by not doing their due diligence, particularly in a delicate situation such as the one the article reports on. By making unverified statements about me, you have failed to do your due diligence as an editor. 

As a UTEP student I recognized the important role of The Prospector played in informing the UTEP community. As an educator, I know that UTEP students, including the author of the piece, deserve your guidance to become the best writers they can be. I hope you do better in the future. 

Sincerely, 

Alberto Esquinca, Ph.D. 

San Diego, California 

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