She is, indeed, very white.
Posted on 09/07/2006 12:50:28 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
CHARLESTON, S.C. - A federal jury awarded a former Charleston County middle school teacher who is white $307,000 damages in deciding she was racially harassed while teaching at a predominantly black school.
Elizabeth Kandrac sued in 2004 claiming she was verbally abused almost daily at Brentwood Middle School in North Charleston. She left after less than a year when her bike tires were slashed.
Her suit against the Charleston County School District claimed racial discrimination and harassment, breach of contract and retaliation.
The jury decided in her favor after a six-day trial, upholding her claim the district and the school staff did not take her complaints seriously.
"It was a victory for teachers, students and everybody who told the truth about what's happening in the classroom," Kandrac said.
Kandrac's lawyer, Larry Kobrovsky, said the verdict means it will cost school districts that ignore such complaints.
"The message from this day forward is, this kind of behavior has to end," he said.
The district contended Kandrac was a poor teacher who did not maintain order or connect with students.
"If you can get these kids to trust you, they don't see black-white," testified Assistant Principal Reggie Bright, who is white. "We had black teachers and white teachers who couldn't handle the kids."
But the jury of nine white women, two white men and a black woman agreed with Kandrac that the school presented a "hostile work environment."
"I think we felt there was a problem in the school and we didn't feel it was addressed as well as it should have been," said juror Janet Burnsed.
School board member Ray Toler called the ruling "a step in the right direction" to protect the interests of students and staff.
But board Chairwoman Nancy Cook said she would favor appealing. But, she said, that is now up to the district's insurance company. If there were discrimination going on, "this board would be all over that," she added.
District superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson, who is black, said she saw no evidence to prove Kandrac's case.
It was a problem of poor instructing and teachers aren't guaranteed contracts to return to their jobs, she said, adding that just because a black child uses profanity doesn't make it a racially hostile environment.
"She played the race card," she said. "I think that's unfortunate."
Kandrac said she wants to again teach in the district.
I hope she cleans them out, and I hope this precident is cited many times, going forward.
No way, she's lying. There's no such thing as a black racist, and by definition you can't racially harrass white people because they're not members of a protected group.
Yes, I wish they'd given some specific evidence. I also wish it had been filed as a case of harrassment vs. "racial harrassment". More hate-crime trials, we don't need.
Leads me to think slashing bike tires is now a Hate Crime.
"Funniest line in this story: "She played the race card" "
Racism will never go away until we become color blind in how we do things. Affirmative action, stereotypes on television of inept whites with smart blacks, glorifying of decidedly black culture has led to a role reversal.
Now many white kids wish they were black. And I'm sure that the black kids in this school were convinced a white teacher wasn't good enough for them.
Liberals... the law of unintended consequences is in full play here.
I wonder how Maria Goodloe-Johnson would react if the races were reversed in this case. I have noticed that some members of the black community do not appreciate it at all when someone in their community is accused of playing the 'race card'.
I recenty listened to a guest on the Tavis Smiley radio show on NPR give a long diatribe about how they felt that there really is no such thing as a race card and those who accusing others of playing the 'race card' were simply using a clever cover for their own underlying racist sentiments.
Tell her (with this article in mind) you know how she can collect $307,000 but you want a piece of the action.
She is, indeed, very white.
"Funniest line in this story: "She played the race card"
Paybacks a bitch ain't it?
Funniest line in this story: "She played the race card"
Yeah, It's kind of like the pot calling the kettle black.
Ba Dump Bump
Unfortunate for the teacher, certainly. But you are too optimistic about the kids. They don't want "a very good teacher."
You are wrong. We need to show the liberal establishment that its phony "civil rights" laws can be used against it.
I would like to see more verdicts against school districts for this kind of thing. Not for $300,000, but for $3 million.
Sad to say, this teacher probably lucked out with the racial composition of the jury, 11-1 white. What do you want to bet the reverse racists will use this "issue" on appeal"?
And if these young children, by the failure of their leaders, or parents, or culture were allowed to verbally abuse and physically threaten a teacher of any race without being firmly diciplined for acting like animals, you apparantly had an Assistant Principal who couldn't handle the kids, either.
ping.....
The wind don't blow up in Charlie-town because it just plain sucks! Good on this teacher because the system there ( as in many other cities) has been "dumb-downed" so much the kids don't need teacers anymore, they need nannies and parole officers only!
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