Hispanic families sue Catholic school over English-only policy

CNA ^ | 5/21/2008

[ladyjane]

Does anyone know where we can send money to help with the school’s legal expenses?

[Das Outsider]

According to court documents, the students named in the lawsuit are bilingual U.S. citizens with no disciplinary record.

So the students are bilingual and the parents are upset that they had to speak one of those languages exclusively, throughout the course of the school day?

[A.A. Cunningham]

You can contact the Pastor of St. Anne's:

Pastor Father Thomas Leland - tleland@stannewichita.org

http://www.stannewichita.org/

[CaspersGh0sts]

“Amigo e Amiga, if the article is truthful and accuate then the students named in the lawsuit are bilingual U.S. citizens.”

Deport their parents, then. ;)

Kids have to live somewhere. Let Mexico deal with the immigration papers.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Hispandering PING!

[D Rider]

The school tried to be nice and encouraging, but got whomped on for changing its story by telling the truth. Better to be a jerk up front and just tell the truth.

[badpacifist]

I think they should sit down and discuss this the Hispanics.....and they should do it only in Latin.

[Das Outsider]

As a private school they can make their own rules. As long as the kids already spoke English this should be thrown out of court.

I wish my parents had been clever enough to concoct a scheme like this, right around my entry into government school kindergarten. You see, by forcing me to learn and speak in English only, thereby abandoning my native Gibberish (spoken since infancy), the school was practicing discrimination.

I don't think that would have passed muster back then. This case is equally as silly if all has been reported accurately.

[enduserindy]

Does this mean the catholic church will change position on illegal immigration? God I hope so. LMAO!

[wastedyears]

Those families can go pound sand.

[Cicero]

These are diocesan schools. They are not getting any federal aid, because the ACLU and others have ensured that they aren’t eligible for it.

They have a perfect right to do whatever they think is best for the students and also for the school as a whole, which would certainly include disciplining or kicking out bullies.

Students who can’t deal with the rules can go to public school—free. The single most important reason why parochial school students generally do better than public school students, especially in the inner cities, is precisely because they are expected to accept discipline and rules and learn how to behave.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Who is running this country these days? Americans or illegal Mexican nationals?

[Man50D]

unfortunately, the liberal socialists created the problem.

The socialists don't consider it a problem. They consider it a blessing. An instant group of people dependent on the government for their existence translates into a stronger centralized form of government that can replace our Representative Democracy and render the Constitution irrelevant.

[mathurine]

Why learn Engliss? Just get a lawyer who do. One dat don’ charge nuffin if he don’ win.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

As a former Catholic School Teacher I say Bravo to this school. My school was 90 % Latino and we had an English Only rule. Why? So students could find a better life in the USA. Had the school been in Mexico it would have been all Spanish Speaking—but it wasn’t. That sort of PC argument hurts the students. The crusty old nuns who ran the school (God Bless them) were mostly Latinas but they too kept to the rule. The kids were motivated,the school had the support of the parents, and I would set my sixth graders up against High School seniors when it came to academics. Our text books were old and the 16 mm projector ancient and worked only half the time. Teachers were paid starvation wages but education isn’t about money or computers or pay—its about dedication to teaching and dicipline.

[montag813]

"The politicization of what basically is a disagreement between a parent and a school will most likely morph into an anti-immigrant sentiment, thereby undermining the effects of both our clients," he wrote.

Let us hope so. The community should hound these people until they move out of town. Un-American activities must not be tolerated.

[montag813]

So if the kids are bi-lingual U.S. citizens, what is the problem with requiring them to speak English?

They don't want to. Gringos are the enemy. Every major Hispanic group, from La Raza to MECha preach separation and division based on their culture and language.

[montag813]

Teachers were paid starvation wages but education isn’t about money or computers or pay—its about dedication to teaching and dicipline.

God bless you.

[samadams2000]

Whats not stated is that those speaking espangola are there through subsidy of the parish. Meaning those of us that sweat and toil to pay the private school toll have to let non assimilators into our schools. Ungreatful this mexican horde is I tell you.

[sailor4321]

Eeenglish? We doan need no stinking eeenglish!