And the community support keeps pourin' in...
FROM THE REVEREND
February 3, 2007
Dear Mr. Duncan:
I write out of concern for the children involved in a sexual harassment incident at Pritzker Elementary School, 2009 W. Schiller, on Monday, January 29, 2007.
My concern is for all the children, those implicated and those observing the altercation. M.H., a 9-year-old 4th grader (whose family I have known for years and the girl herself from infancy) was verbally accosted by a classmate, J.S., currently under anger management, I am told. In front of the class and the teacher, Ms. Pfister, the boy, J.S., allegedly called M.H. anti-gay names and threatened to hit her if she did not kiss him. This was just the last of similar name-callings by him in recent weeks. M.H. responded that if he hit her she would bring a bb gun and hit him upside the head.
Without parental consultation, without specifying the Illinois School Code number, without any explanatory comment under "Note" and without even signing the Misconduct Report, the Principal, Dr. Reese, suspended both students for three days.
I ask you to look into this incident and to consider rescinding the suspensions and ordering the principal to initiate counseling for both J.S. and M.H. with parental involvement in order to de-traumatize the situation. I would also suggest that the entire class receive guidance and counseling regarding what they heard and saw, so that all involved might grow and heal from this anti-social and violence-tinged event.
I believe young lives have already been damaged by the incident and equally by the heartless application of arbitrary decisions that ignore the human dimension and the possible long-lasting scars from an unfortunate episode in one of our Chicago Public Schools.
Sincerely,
(signed)
The Rev. Martin Deppe, retired
United Methodist Church cc: Alderman Manuel Flores
FROM NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
Mr. Duncan,
I am writing on behalf of fourth grade A.N. Pritzker School student, M.H., and her mother. I was disturbed to learn that on Monday, January 29, student M.H. received a three-day suspension, as a result of her reaction to a bullying incident. It seems that M.H. was verbally taunted and felt so physically threatened by this bullying by of one of her classmates, that she reacted by uttering words deemed 'inappropriate gun talk' by school guidelines. But she believed these words would offer her some level of protection from her attacker.
My understanding of the circumstances surrounding this incident leads me to believe that M.H. is being unjustly punished for reacting to her perceived threatening situation.
I have been informed that although a Pritzker teacher, Ms. Pfister, witnessed both the bullying student's verbal harassment as well as M.H.'s subsequent response to it, that that teacher made little attempt to intervene, deflect or in any way mediate the bully's escalating aggressive behavior or to circumvent the outcome of this interaction in any meaningful way. I also know that other Pritzker students have been subjected to this same bully's homophobic taunts, threats, name-calling and actual physical aggression in the form of pushing, shoving, kicking and fighting. The bully's parent(s) had, on several occasions, already been warned of his disruptive behavior. And yet, it was 9 year-old, M.H. who was punished for using the only words at her disposal which she felt could effectively do what her teachers and administration failed to do - protect her from this bully's continuing harassment and intimidation.
I know M.H. to be an intelligent, inquisitive, and reasonable young child, and one most capable of articulating her fears and desires in an acceptable way when given the opportunity to do so in a safe environment. What I cannot accept is that she (or any of our young children or students) should be held to a higher standard of responsibility than our adult teachers. It is the duty of teachers to monitor the school environment and guide any classroom behavior that threatens to become volatile to an amicable & fair settlement.
Too often, we have seen the chaotic outcome when these teacher skills are lacking or haphazardly applied. Relying on school suspension is seldom the most effective way to short circuit bad behavior. At best, suspension serves merely to temporarily relieve the classroom of disruptive forces. In this instance it unjustly punished the victim of the harassment rather than the perpetrator.
Certainly, parents should always be a part of the child-classroom equation, and their involvement is key in supporting rules that are in place in school. However, school administrators did not seek her mother’s input, nor was she told of M.H.'s on-going harassment prior to the final incident. I have no doubt that had she been made aware of the existing situation, her mother would have responded in a concerned and timely manner.
I suggest that, teachers like, Ms. Pfister are either woefully inadequate to the task of tactfully negotiating challenging classroom environments, or are intractable in their belief that such negotiation is unnecessary. I hope that you will actively explore why a public school (especially one which purports to be a rarified academy of learning, such as, Pritzker) remains insensitive to the civil rights of an increasingly racial and gender diversified population.
As a parent, I would strongly advise a closer examination of principal, Dr. Reece, of A.N. Pritzker School, who seems to feels that, "...her word is the last word" in issues involving our children's civil rights.
I exhort you to expose and remove from this school those toxic elements of teacher or administrative indifference and ineptness that threaten the safety and rights of children like M.H. We must not place bureaucratic loyalty above student welfare and we should not seek to criminalize fourth-graders for behavior that could be remediated in less drastic ways. As adults, we owe our children our best advocative efforts, and on their behalf we won't accept any less from our educational institutions.
Sincerely,
Susan K. McClelland
Northwestern University Relations
Evanston, IL 60208
FROM A CHICAGO-BASED BUSINESS OWNER
February 8, 2007
Arne Duncan
Chief Executive Officer
RE: M.H/And Pritzker Elementary Discriminatory Suspension
Chicago Public Schools
125 South Clark Street
5th Floor
Chicago, IL 60603
Dear Mr. Duncan,
I am writing this letter in support of M.H. who was suspended on January 29, 2007. It has come to my attention that M.H. was suspended after a fellow student, J.S., harassed her using anti-gay language and threatened to physically abuse her. Based on M.H.'s response referring to a BB gun, which was said in defense of her own safety, she along with J.S. was suspended for three days.
While I understand references to guns in a school setting is a sensitive matter, M.H. made the remark out of fear, not as an aggressor. The reaction of the teacher and vice-principal in this matter was too extreme based on the circumstances. It has also come out that J.S. has a history of abuse against other students, which makes this situation all the more troubling. His negative behavior has not only been ignored by staff, but he should be helped before it leads to a path into the criminal justice system.
As a business owner, community advocate, member and supporter of several gay/lesbian and religious groups, I am very disappointed in how this situation was handled by your staff of Pritzker Elementary. The safety of all children should be top priority. Students cannot learn if their environment is filled with acts of violence and threats. Threats motivated by a student's sexual orientation, perceived orientation, or gender identity must not be dismissed by staff of Chicago Public Schools. Many cases over the years have been brought against school systems that have turned a blind eye to anti-gay and hate crime harassment such as Nabozny v. Podlesny, 1996. As Chief Executive Officer of CPS, I'm sure that the well being of all students is a top concern of your administration. As a past Youth Case Manager of Horizon's Community Services, I have first hand experience with youth who have had negative experiences at school based on harassment and bullying. It is unacceptable for this type of behavior to go unchecked.
M.H. and all students in her situation should be supported against hate crimes, not punished along with the abuser. I am requesting that her file be cleared of this matter and that she receives full support by your staff, be it counseling or for staff to be more sensitive to her safety needs. I am also in support of M.H.'s mother, Bill Greaves with the City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations, Vernita Gray- Cook County State's Attorney's Office, Windy City Times, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, and others in this matter.
Sincerely,
Otis Richardson, Owner
Lavenderpop Greeting Cards
Chicago, IL 60615
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Comments: 3
The school needs to deal with the boy but it doesn't sound like anyone overheard what he said. In the absence of that, it is a he said/she said situation which may very well arise out of a young girl seeking to avoid punishment for something she knows was wrong. Next time, she needs to go right to the teacher.
So Nanci B. - your child is sitting in class and is acosted-unprovoked-by another student. The student uses sexual and anti-gay statements against your daughter and then "threatens to smah her in the face" if she doens't comply with his advances?
If you had read the letters that were posted, the teacher, Ms. Pfister, heard the whoe thing. And the boy admitted to what my daughter says that he did, which is why he was (initally) suspened for five days. He has a history of disciplinary problems and is in psychiatric treatment and anger mangemetn assessment.
Ms. Pfister has a history of being a lazy teacher. Her other teaching colleagues actually have a hold on their claassrooms so that they do not get out of hand in this matter. She is known for screaming at her students (which probably is why her class is "loud"), leaving adult visitors like a Junior Achievement rep alone with her class while she takes unauthorized breaks, and she needs a substitute for a class an average of six times monthly. So, Ms. Pfister is not "one of the best".
But, aside from that, zero tolerance does not work, and every American citizen has a right to defend themselves, verbally or physically, upon feeling threatened.
Public schools will have to figure out a way to deal with problem students before these events occur. There is zeo tolerance for hate speech and bullying in CPS. My issue are that everyone's feet are held to the same fire. In this case, for personal reasons and staff incompetence and lack of responsibility, it was not.