from
The Hartford Courant
Assignment Produces `Reckless' Result
February 13, 2004
By LIZABETH HALL, Courant Staff Writer
SUFFIELD -- Amid Suffield High School's monthlong observance of black history, a group of sociology students took a class assignment too far Tuesday by hanging posters promoting April as "white history month."
A teacher and Principal Thomas Jones spotted the dozen or so photocopied posters shortly after they had been put up, but not before a few black students had viewed them.
Quickly tracing the posters to five students in a sociology class, which was exploring the effect of rumors, Jones ordered the students to immediately remove them.
While condemning the insensitivity of the event, Jones called the students' actions reckless, not racist. He talked to the students and then sent them to a sit-down with a teacher who oversees civil rights and cultural sensitivity issues at the school.
Schools Superintendent William Troy said the students were remorseful.
"They were mortified," he said. "This was not racially motivated. It was poor judgment."
About 3 percent of the student body is black.
Jones said the posters were seen by a couple of black students.
"They were despondent," he said. "They were really hurt. I was hurt by them [the posters] too," said Jones, who is white.
He added, "It wasn't about hate, it was about recklessness. But you have to think before you act and insensitivity can be just as hurtful as hate."
Another student, who was not part of the sociology class, was suspended after he walked around the halls with one of the posters on his shirt and then refused to take it off.
The five students were part of an assignment that called for groups to circulate and study the impact of rumors. The teacher has repeated the rumor assignment over the years, but this year a student teacher who was working with the five students did not recognize their idea's potential to offend.
At a prearranged, schoolwide assembly honoring black history month with poetry, a student-made video and gospel singing, Jones referred to the incident. An English teacher recited a slam poem she had written about the incident.
School board Chairman Michael Smith lauded the faculty for turning the incident into a "teachable moment."
"The school dealt with it responsibly," Smith said. "They used it as an opportunity to educate. The students felt the impact."
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I thought I might share this...interesting read I had last Friday...
But my wife & I were shocked when we read this particular quote...
Quote:
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"They were mortified," he said. "This was not racially motivated. It was poor judgment."
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If the actions were not racially motivated, or if race was not an issue then 1) why were the posters removed and, 2) why was the student who wore the poster suspended??
Seems the school was more worried about a civil lawsuit than letting the students explore this issue...sorry state our educational system is in these days. We have to walk on eggshells when speaking about minorities. Greater yet we have to explain to our children why we can't read Huck Finn or Tom's Cabin, but yet Nelly can go on MTV and spew the 'N' word around like me calling my buddies "joe"...
Unbelievable, just f---ing unbelievable...
April is white history month
. BB said it best, Just have History.
