High school removes Franco art

‘ Best interests of our students’ after actor faces allegations

SAN FRANCISCO — James Franco’s former high school has taken down a mural he painted and plans to remove other art donated by the celebrity alumnus who is facing allegations of sexual misconduct in Hollywood.

Removing the artwork from Palo Alto High School is “in the best interests of our students in light of our educational mission,” superintendent Karen Hendricks said Thursday in a statement.

Her statement does not mention the scandal surrounding Franco, which the school’s newspaper reported was the reason the artwork was removed.

Franco graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1996 and his artwork has been featured prominently there.

Campus newspaper The Paly Voice quoted principal Kim Dario in a story earlier this week saying she had struggled with how to handle Franco’s artistic contributions since allegations surfaced against him last month.

“These are still allegations,” Dario was quoted as saying. “He’s denied those allegations and hasn’t been charged with a crime.”

Nonetheless, Dario said: “I made the decision we’ll take down the mural.”

Attempts to speak with Dario and other district officials were unsuccessful. Dario referred calls to the superintendent’s office, which did not return several messages Thursday.

The school newspaper said Franco has actively contributed to campus arts programs since graduating. He has returned to give interviews to student publications, taught a film workshop and in 2014 lent several paintings to the school, the newspaper said.

The artwork was never meant to be a permanent fixture, the superintendent’s statement says.

“James Franco donated multiple pieces of artwork and two murals to the Palo Alto High School campus,” it says. One mural was removed in 2016.

“The second mural was taken down last week,” it says, and remaining Franco artwork is “now being transitioned” off campus.

Five women accused Franco of sexual misconduct last month.

The actor- director responded to the allegations on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, saying if he has done something wrong he will fix it.

SOPHIA MUYS/ PALY VOICE VIA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Students pass under one of James Franco’s paintings displayed above a stairwell in the Media Arts Center at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif. Actor and director Franco is a 1996 graduate of the school. Franco’s former high school has taken...