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Parents claim KKK problem at campus (Subscription site?)
Parents claim KKK problem at campus
CONCORD ? Racial harassment and intimidation by a seventh-grade boy about Ku Klux Klan beliefs had several parents angry and asking hard questions in Concord Monday night.
As Concord School Board members listened, one parent, Debbie Fleming, said her 14-year-old daughter who is in the seventh grade, was approached by the student stating his hatred toward other races.
Fleming said she was told by her daughter the incident happened while six or seven other students were ?just standing around? while in a physical education class.
?He told her God only loves whites and whites was the only pure race and there is more than one God,? Fleming said, trembling as she read f
rom a written statement.
Fleming said her daughter stood up to the student saying, ?There was only one God and that was Jesus Christ.?
?He was trying to force his beliefs of KKK down her throat and she asked him to back off and he refused. He got mad and started bullying, harassing, name calling and (using) foul language. ...?
Fleming asked board members about the district?s zero tolerance policy adopted by the state board of education in 1995 and the No Bullying Act 681 of 2003 which prohibits any act or verbal expression that may cause distress, embarrassment or fear upon a student.
?It seems to me something needs to be done,? Fleming said, pointing to other parents in the room claiming their children had been harassed by the same student.
Another parent pesented the board with a KKK card, saying his son had come home with it after the same student had forced it on his son.
?We (parents) can?t keep keeping up with this. Are you all (board members) afraid of him (fat
her of the student) or his son. I question that,? Fleming said. ?Do you not realize something needs to be done? I want you (board members) to respond to these questions.?
Fleming said her daughter tried to cut herself because she was distraught, upset and suffered anguish and mental stress over the confrontation.
?We are talking about my daughter that tried to self-inflict herself with a piece of glass at school because of what that boy did. I was informed by Mr. Hopper (high school principal) if he punished the boy he had to punish all seven students involved and all my daughter did was to stand up for Jesus Christ. She was bullied and did nothing wrong,? Fleming said.
?She did try to hurt herself, but she was just pushed too far by one kid. ... You (board members) do not realize the seriousness of this.?
Board president Tim Southerland addressed the parents, saying if any student was caught bullying, he/she needed to be punished.
He also said if the harassment and intimid
ation by the one particular student continued when school started again in the fall, the parents should come back and address the board.
?But there is nothing we can do about last year (the 2005-06 school year),? he added.
?But the bullying policy ? yeah, we are going to enforce it,? Southerland said. ?I?m going to close this (meeting) now. We have heard from all of you (parents). We cannot do anything about what happened last year, but we can deal with it next year,? Southerland said.
?If any incident like this happens let us know,? Southerland concluded.
Even though Fleming continually asked Superintendent David Burnley and board members if they could enact a racial harassment and intimidation policy along with the state?s bullying policy, Burnley and board members made no comment.
After the meeting, Fleming, her husband, Danny, and another parent, Rhonda Hightower, told the Batesville Daily Guard they plan to start coming to every board meeting and become more active pare
nts.
?What good are these Arkansas laws if the school does not comply... If you don?t have a school administration that is strong enough or bold enough to take a stand then let?s get someone in here that can do the job,? Fleming said.
?I?m going to stick to the school like glue and begin advocating to law makers on these issues. We have entrusted the school for our kids to learn in a safe environment and get a good education but not to feel tormented or bullied in any way.?
Parents claim KKK problem at campus
CONCORD ? Racial harassment and intimidation by a seventh-grade boy about Ku Klux Klan beliefs had several parents angry and asking hard questions in Concord Monday night.
As Concord School Board members listened, one parent, Debbie Fleming, said her 14-year-old daughter who is in the seventh grade, was approached by the student stating his hatred toward other races.
Fleming said she was told by her daughter the incident happened while six or seven other students were ?just standing around? while in a physical education class.
?He told her God only loves whites and whites was the only pure race and there is more than one God,? Fleming said, trembling as she read f
rom a written statement.
Fleming said her daughter stood up to the student saying, ?There was only one God and that was Jesus Christ.?
?He was trying to force his beliefs of KKK down her throat and she asked him to back off and he refused. He got mad and started bullying, harassing, name calling and (using) foul language. ...?
Fleming asked board members about the district?s zero tolerance policy adopted by the state board of education in 1995 and the No Bullying Act 681 of 2003 which prohibits any act or verbal expression that may cause distress, embarrassment or fear upon a student.
?It seems to me something needs to be done,? Fleming said, pointing to other parents in the room claiming their children had been harassed by the same student.
Another parent pesented the board with a KKK card, saying his son had come home with it after the same student had forced it on his son.
?We (parents) can?t keep keeping up with this. Are you all (board members) afraid of him (fat
her of the student) or his son. I question that,? Fleming said. ?Do you not realize something needs to be done? I want you (board members) to respond to these questions.?
Fleming said her daughter tried to cut herself because she was distraught, upset and suffered anguish and mental stress over the confrontation.
?We are talking about my daughter that tried to self-inflict herself with a piece of glass at school because of what that boy did. I was informed by Mr. Hopper (high school principal) if he punished the boy he had to punish all seven students involved and all my daughter did was to stand up for Jesus Christ. She was bullied and did nothing wrong,? Fleming said.
?She did try to hurt herself, but she was just pushed too far by one kid. ... You (board members) do not realize the seriousness of this.?
Board president Tim Southerland addressed the parents, saying if any student was caught bullying, he/she needed to be punished.
He also said if the harassment and intimid
ation by the one particular student continued when school started again in the fall, the parents should come back and address the board.
?But there is nothing we can do about last year (the 2005-06 school year),? he added.
?But the bullying policy ? yeah, we are going to enforce it,? Southerland said. ?I?m going to close this (meeting) now. We have heard from all of you (parents). We cannot do anything about what happened last year, but we can deal with it next year,? Southerland said.
?If any incident like this happens let us know,? Southerland concluded.
Even though Fleming continually asked Superintendent David Burnley and board members if they could enact a racial harassment and intimidation policy along with the state?s bullying policy, Burnley and board members made no comment.
After the meeting, Fleming, her husband, Danny, and another parent, Rhonda Hightower, told the Batesville Daily Guard they plan to start coming to every board meeting and become more active pare
nts.
?What good are these Arkansas laws if the school does not comply... If you don?t have a school administration that is strong enough or bold enough to take a stand then let?s get someone in here that can do the job,? Fleming said.
?I?m going to stick to the school like glue and begin advocating to law makers on these issues. We have entrusted the school for our kids to learn in a safe environment and get a good education but not to feel tormented or bullied in any way.?