Posted on 04/08/2008 6:57:06 AM PDT by mnehring
Melanie Bowers, 13, and her parents walked into Athens High School Monday afternoon to talk to campus police. They were hoping to get some answers.
"It never should have happened in the first place. The whole assignment was a silly assignment and they should have contacted us immediately after it happened," said J.R. Bowers, Melanie's father.
It was an assignment for history class--to make a protest sign for or against an issue, and Melanie said she chose illegal immigration. Her sign read, "If you love our nation, stop illegal immigration." Somehow, Melanie said the sign got passed around lunch and angered a group of Latino students.
"I didn't know any of these people," she said. One young, she claimed, jumped on her back and he put her in a choke hold. "We have brick walls in the middle school and he slammed my face on the bricks."
Melanie said a group of boys also threatened to rape and kill her. Eventually, the boys let her go and when she went for help, she was ordered back to class, and told she could not call her parents, she said.
"They handled this wrong, you know, they put a child back in danger," said J.R. Bowers. "It was a very racially motivated crime."
Athens ISD gave KLTV 7 a statement, confirming there was a disturbance in the hallway, Friday between two to three students. "We have a camera system in the building," said Louis DeRosa. "We are collecting other information and statements from witnesses and this is all the information we have at this time," he said.
Melanie and her parents said they just hope the right thing is done...and quickly.
"I won't be happy until the kids that did this are out of school," Bowers said.
bttt
Hate crime?? Don’t you know only whites can commit hate crimes?
The lil cretins are probably also here illegally.
Hate Crime? Thugs?
I wonder what the legal status of these students and their families is?
“I won’t be happy until the kids that did this are out of school,”
That won’t happen. Can anyone spell “upside down”?
Next up, should be a protest of the Beer Holiday of May 5th that a lot of Texas School Districts observe.
“”I won’t be happy until the kids that did this are out of school,” Bowers said.”
Don’t hold your breath. It will be more likely that your daughter will get a few days suspension.
In Athens, that may actually happen.
Exactly WHY we should stop illegal immigration. Don't these idiots realize that their behavior simply reinforces the point the girl made?
Anyone else have a problem with the original assignment - create a protest sign? WTF are they teaching in these sorry excuses for schools? Whatever happened to writing an essay with a well-organized argument? Whatever happened to emulating Patrick Henry or Benjamin Franklin, or even Jonathan Swift?
Sheesh.
I’m sure that according to this ‘school’ - the poor girl committed the ‘hate crime.’ If anyone will be expelled, it will be her.
The gang of mexicans that assaulted her are the ‘oppressed victims’ and were justified in their actions.
ping
“If you love our nation, stop illegal immigration.”
Sounds like a good tagline.
Time to change the tagline...
One more reason I’ll be homeschooling. Last thing I need is some thug who shouldn’t even be in the country threatening to rape my daughter, only to have the school do nothing. The school officials probably think the girl’s a biggot who got what she “deserved” for making the sign.
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