December 23, 2011
Dear School Board Member,
I am writing this, because I am not happy with the results of my meeting with Mr. Johnson and the School Resource Officer and I have found out more information since that meeting, and despite a call and an email to the Superintendent during the last week of school, I have received no response from him.
My son (David Adams) is an honor roll student, who is rarely in any trouble. On Monday December 14th he was suspended for the rest of the week. The paper my son was given stated "for inappropriate contact with a girl student". I was not contacted about the suspension, or given an opportunity to be at the meeting they had regarding the incident and my child. I am not okay with that. In addition, I am not okay with the wording of the suspension paper as it sounds like something much more serious than a push. According to the Vice Principal, the girl student threw a carton of milk at my son and my son pushed her away from him, hard enough that it caused her to fall. According to my son, the principal told him to stop, using foul language (he used the word “pussy”) and rough handling, even though when he told him to stop my son replied yes sir and did not move. He also reports that the girl has a history of last year and this year faking falls and injuries and over dramatizing events. The principal assured me her behavior was being addressed, however I know she was not even suspended for one day. The first accounting of the story from Mr. Johnson said my son was sitting in the chair when he put his hands on him. When I questioned this he changed his story to state that he was standing and did not know if he was going to continue to act up. Both the school resource officer and Vice Principal were present during this conversation and my inquiry. Both admitted that my son is not a trouble maker and the school resource officer even stated that he does not know who my son is which tells him he is not a problem child.
I am not okay with Mr. Johnson ever putting his hand on my child, as he obviously does not have the restraint to know when it might be appropriate and when it obviously is not. I am not okay with him using foul language toward my child. He states he never uses foul language on campus, however there are enough students and adults that have spent time around him that they would be easy enough to discount. I want a formal apology from Mr. Johnson to my son for his language and an apology to me for lying to me about it. I would also suggest anger management and social skills training for him.
I am also not okay with the fact that my son was unfairly and unjustly treated. He was suspended for four days. He missed the science fair, which he worked hard for and the last week of school before break, missing important grading opportunities. When I asked why he was suspended for four days Mr. Johnson stated that it is customary for him to “suspend for the rest of the week”. That is quite inappropriate as if it has been on Thursday he would have only gotten one day. I did pick up his homework from the teachers and he completed and turned in on Thursday December 15th.
After the suspension on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings I got an automated phone call from the school telling me my son had an unexcused absence. Obviously the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing at that Middle School, and apparently no one is overseeing anything either.
The school is not a safe place, which is why I did not send my youngest child there. If I could afford it, I would not send David there, but I am the product of public education and there is no reason why we cannot have good results there, especially when parents and teachers work together. According to the kids there are fights on the campus every week and often daily, according to my son, many of which are never seen by adults or dealt with. Obviously they have problems controlling the students, to make an example out of my child who is well behaved and an excellent student is not acceptable. I want an investigation of the safety procedures done. I suggested in a PTO meeting in the beginning of the year that the principal was present at; that they begin a gang awareness program and address any gang issues that may be present. It does not appear that they have acted on that.
I do agree that what my son did was wrong, and he has been given extra chores and spent his school hours doing community service work and our Church’s food pantry. I am not excusing his behavior, however, what the girl did was wrong and she had no punishments what so ever, and other children who do far worse are suspended for a day or not at all. In fact, what the girl did could be considering "throwing a missile" and if an adult she could be charged with a crime. Certainly as much as my son was, especially considering she incited the entire incident.
I feel Mr. Johnson's behavior is abusive and I have talked to the school board chairman, and considered calling the child abuse hotline, because he obviously does not feel he has done anything wrong or at least will not admit it, and he needs to be held accountable. I am hoping by contacting each of you on the school board, re-contacting the superintendent’s office, and the Office of Safe Schools, that something might actually change.
I have talked to several past and present students and their parents who all agreed that treatment was often unfair and that the school was not safe, however, for whatever reasons they did not go beyond talking at the PTO meeting or calling the school once or twice. Several also shared this concern in one of the PTO meetings. Some however did pull their children out of the school, sending them either to a private school, or to Labelle or Moore Haven.
To clarify, my purpose of this letter is this:
1) I want the paperwork on why he was suspended changed; the way it is worded suggests something else and I do not want that in his record. If it spelled out what Mr. Johnson said he did and what my son admitted to which is pushing a girl then I will be satisfied on that point
2) I want a formal apology from Mr. Johnson to my son for his language and an apology to me for lying to me about it. I would also suggest anger management and social skills training for him.
3) I want an investigation as to how decisions are made as to who and for how long someone is suspended looked into and I want it generalized so that it is the same for everyone
4) I want to be invited and called to every meeting or discussion that the administration has regarding my son, no exceptions
5) I want to make sure that my son is given the opportunity to make up anything that might have been missed and effect his grades for the day missed. I will be watching this closely.
6) I want to make sure that my child is safe and is treated fairly in school, along with every other child at the school
I must say, I would like you to look into this, which is why I am putting my concerns in writing. Please know that I will not just drop this, and expect it to be looked into very closely!
Trish Adams, MSW, LCSW, CCHP
Behavioral Health Specialist
Armor Correctional Health Services at Glades County Jail
1297 E State Road 78 NW
Moore Haven, FL 33471-H004
Phone (863) 946-1600 Ext. 2142
Cell (during non business hours only) (863) 233-3936
padams@armorcorrectional.com
cc:
Superintendent Rick Murphy
c/o Beverly Thompson
Administrative Secretary
Phone: 863-674-4642
Fax: 863-674-4090
ThompsonBK@Hendry.k12.fl.us
Office of Safe Schools
325 West Gaines Street, Room 554
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
E-Mail: SDFS@fldoe.org
Phone: (850) 245-0416
Fax: (850) 245-9978
Ray Clinard
630 Gratton Road
Clewiston, Florida 33440
Sally Berg
125 Wilson Road
LaBelle, Florida 33935
Patrick B. Langford
P.O. Box 122
LaBelle, Florida 33975
Dwayne E. Brown
P.O. Box 684
Clewiston, Florida 33440
Matthew A. Beatty
410 E. Osceola Avenue
Clewiston, Florida 33440
Clewiston News
820 W Sugarland Hwy., Suite 5
Clewiston, FL 33440
ClewNews@newszap.com
Thursday, December 22, 2011
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