In December 2017, local activist and journalist Rasheed Shabazz sent letters to the principal of Haight Elementary School, AUSD Superintendent Sean McPhetridge, and the Board of Education noting that Henry Huntly Haight, after whom Haight Elementary School is named, espoused racist views.

Haight, who was governor of California from 1867 to 1871, opposed Congress's Reconstruction plan after the Civil War, saying the policy deprived southerners of their constitutional rights. He also opposed allowing African-Americans, Native Americans, and Asians to vote, claiming their votes would "corrupt" the political process and degrade the white race.

In response to the letters, a petition asking for a new name for the school was presented to the principal, who convened a "Renaming Committee" in the spring of 2018. This presentation is an update on the committee’s work so far.