I have added a Count Up Timer to my Blog so everyone that reads my blog can see the amount of time that has passed since our issues have started. A lot of people have posted and asked how far I plan to take this. I plan to keep blogging, talking and fighting this until our school system acts according to the rules, laws and polices that those we have elected and the leaders in charge have passed or approved. A parent SHOULD NOT have to file a lawsuit against the school or school system to be heard. Lawsuits only hurt the students and our schools.
These are the questions I have asked the GHS Administration, Mr. Roger Lewis and Mrs. Janice Fox regarding what the policies are. I still have not received a response.
1. How does the investigation process work?
2. What is the investigation time line?
3. What are the consequences for retaliation for the teacher and administration?
4. What is the policy for a teacher slandering a students character and reputation?
5. What is the policy for a teacher making false statements against a student that goes against the students and their families religious and moral beliefs?
6. What are the consequences for a teacher that violates the FERPA law?
JUST SOME FYI
* Harassment, Intimidation or Bullying - An act that interferes with a students educational benefits, opportunities or performance that takes place on school grounds or school sponsored activites.
* What is a BULLY - A person who is cruel and over bearing to others, especially those who are weaker or have less power.
*FERPA - The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA or the Buckley Amendment) is a United States federal law codified at 20 U.S.C. § 1232g, with implementing regulations in title 34, part 99 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The regulations cover violations such as parent volunteers grading another child's work, school employees divulging information to someone other than the child's parents about a child's home life, grades or behaviors, and school work posted on a bulletin board with a grade.
Below are six links that I feel everyone needs to read.
State-by-State: Anti-Bullying Laws in the U.S.
http://www.familyequality.org/resources/publications/anti-bullying_withcitations.pdf
Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 10
http://www.state.tn.us/education/learningsupport/doc/pc0202.pdf
Office of Civil Rights - Protecting Students from Harassment and Hate Crime:
A Guide for Schools - January 1999
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OCR/archives/Harassment/harass_intro.html
The Tennessee Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (TOCR)
http://www.state.tn.us/education/civilrights.shtml
Title VI - http://www.state.tn.us/education/doc/TitleVIBrochure.pdf
Title IX - http://www.state.tn.us/education/doc/TOCRIXBrochure.pdf
This is a message I received that I felt needed to be shared for all to read:
In the Supreme Court's ruling in Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education the Davis Court defined that schools receiving federal funds may be held financially responsible where officials are "deliberately indifferent" to harassing behaviors including staff to student harassment that are "severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive". This ruling defined four criteria in considering school liability:
1)School officials had actual knowledge of conduct
2) Schools were deliberately indifferent to conduct
3) School had control of the abuser and where it occurred
4) The school's response or lack of response was unreasonable given such knowledge
The ruling also suggests that schools have in place policies and procedures to address abusive conduct such as teacher-student harassment/abuse. In effect, if the school has allowed behavior that creates a hostile environment for student in a classroom, and school officials have been given appropriate notice but fail to act, then the school risks both compensatory and punitive damages. This one case alone proves that teacher bullying does exist. This case holds Administrators accountable for the actions of the teachers. If your student is a victim of teacher bullying, speak up and speak out. Sometimes as parents we are the only voice that is heard. It is our responsibility as parents to hold our educators responsible for their actions and behaviors.
I graduated from GHS and wanted to thank you for all that you have done and do for all of the students at GHS. We are all watching and cheering for not just your daughter but all the students this battle will help. This has been a long time coming for the halls of GHS.
ReplyDeleteGreat extra reading! Keep fighting!
ReplyDeleteLooks like Lewis, Fox and GHS just handed this family a blank check!
ReplyDeleteWanted to tell you this blog is being read and discussed everywhere I go. Dig deeper there is much more buried in the mountain under the rug. You haven't touched the surface of the legal issues the school and district are facing. You got our support continue the fight!
ReplyDeleteRoger Lewis is ok with slander, why would he worry about a teacher slandering this little girl and her family. When is the school board going to step in? Aren't the parents, taxpayers and residents of our county the people that got you there?
ReplyDeletea blank check did you read that lewis and fox maybe if our schools are broke we clean house
ReplyDeleteall of this stuff could go for the other side too. just let this go it wont change anything. i am sure your kid wasn't perfect in all this.
ReplyDeleteghsfan, once again that is the problem with this school. nothing will change if everyone keeps just letting everything go. what could this child have done to justify being grabbed by a teacher?
ReplyDeleteDo Not let this go. If we dont fight the system things will never change. Students, teachers, principals and parents need to be heard without fear of losing jobs or being excluded from school sports, activites or classrooms. Everyone has been silent for to long our schools need change starting with Lewis and Fox!
ReplyDeleteI really do hope that not only do these parents not let this go, I hope they push even harder! This is the only way anything is ever going to change at GHS or with the county school system. The administrators must understand they are not "untouchable" - no matter who they are. This child and her parents deserve a public apology from all parties involved and that is just the beginning. This teacher needs out of our school system immediately! ghsfan stated that they were sure the kid wasn't perfect in this. How can any child deserve to be grabbed for no reason? or have some of the horrible things said about them that this teacher has said? I had honestly hoped and believed the new principal would be different and would try to make GHS a better school, but it seems to be getting worse instead of better.
ReplyDeletedeI have to agree with GHS fan...are you telling me your child was just standing there innocent at this game? I believe that night, a couple of the squad members were not acting in an appropriate manner befitting a school team. Could that be why the coach was giving a reprimand? Did you ask?
ReplyDeleteNo there was not any issues that gives any teacher, coach, sponsor, principal or administor any right to touch let alone grab and shove our daughter or any other child at school or school sponsored events. I might be wrong but I think that is against the law.
ReplyDeleteI am guessing you weren't at this game or were not paying attention because if you were then you would know that this teacher was not at most of this game to watch the squad. She did this 5 to 10 minutes after she arrived.
I wonder if it was a accident that she grabbed and pushed towards the door the two girls of the parents that had words with her assistant prior to this situation. Was she sending us trouble making parents a message? Again this was done in front of the school administration so maybe you should ask them.
tigeralumni, it seems you were at this game in question and that a "couple of the squad members were not acting in an appropriate manner befitting a school team", so please tell me what these girls did that could justify being grabbed and shoved? I would like to know. What did they do that would justify being assualted? FYI - grabbing a student is assault, grabbing and shoving a student is aggravated assault. They actually did something during the game to justify being treated this way? And once again, if the admin at the school didn't think the teacher did anything wrong, why was he the first one there? He saw it and got there to seperate the teacher and students before anyone else could. Why did he feel the need to seperate the teacher and students? I have spoken with at least 20 people who were at that game and you are the only one who thinks the girls did anything to deserve this. And since when is assaulting a student manner befitting a teacher?
ReplyDeleteLewis you have any openings you can hire this child to bury this lawsuit? Thats how things are done in YOUR school system right.
ReplyDeleteHow is it that the school board can allow a teacher that would assault a child to continue teaching. I am not saying that the teacher was not provoked - I don't know the details but the fact remains that she is the adult and the responsibility is hers to act like one.
ReplyDeleteThe school should settle the matter since it occurred during a school sponsored event while the child was their responsibility. But, unfortunately there are some schools who don't want to get involved outside of teaching the children. Yours seems to be one of them.
ReplyDeletetigeralumni quote "I believe that night, a couple of the squad members were not acting in an appropriate manner befitting a school team." The only thing I saw at this game that I didnt feel was befitting for a school was the assistant coach and the coach causing a scene. The school should have a record of this if you are correct or the school principal should have addressed it. I wouldn't start attacking other students you need to be very careful about stirring the hornet nest.
ReplyDeletetigeralumni, since when is physically grabbing and shoving a student an appropriate reprimand? In case you didn't know, that is illegal. Would it be ok for her to grab and push your daughter? As a cheer parent, you must know these girls are often watched closer for inappropriate behavior. If they had actually done something wrong, don't you think some of the parents present would have said something? I haven't even heard of the principal saying the students did anything wrong. What exactly did you see them do wrong? And like tigersfan said "since when is a teacher assaulting a student manner befitting of a teacher"?
ReplyDelete