Posted on 06/01/2002 8:06:32 AM PDT by pabianice
SHREWSBURY (MA)-- Two Shrewsbury eighth-graders were suspended for two days yesterday for making a racist joke.
Shrewsbury Middle School Principal Maryjo Moon said she suspended the boys yesterday morning after investigating an incident that came to her attention Wednesday afternoon. She spoke with both pupils' parents, who she said were apologetic, and met with eighth-graders at the school to discuss the incident, she said.
The motto for the Shrewsbury Middle School is 'Respect is our cornerstone,' she said. They can't stand by and laugh at those kinds of things, think those kinds of things are funny... They shouldn't be bystanders... because that is not what we are about.
She met with the eighth-graders during morning meeting, a Shrewsbury school tradition in which pupils, teachers and administrators can discuss issues. The meetings are part of the district's efforts to build a respectful community.
A teacher, who had heard about the joke being told in school, brought the matter to the attention of an assistant principal Wednesday afternoon, and a parent called Ms. Moon about the joke that afternoon. Yesterday morning, a student -- who was not one of those suspended -- came forward with more information, said Ms. Moon.
Ms. Moon said that racist incidents are rare but that she has suspended pupils in past years because of racial slurs. It's not tolerated, period, said Ms. Moon.
She said racist incidents did not surface as a major issue on a districtwide diversity survey. The three top diversity issues, according to the survey, were gender, socioeconomic status and special education, she said.
Superintendent of Schools Anthony J. Bent said that the incident was an example of how adolescents sometimes show bad judgment.
Adolescent children, middle school-aged children, are developing young people, and they sometimes make bad judgments, so it may be an inappropriate racial joke one day, but in another day, it might be some other kind of thing, be it pushing another child or something like this, he said. In this particular case, a racial joke really cuts at our value system.
He said that the district appreciates diversity and tries to instill that value in staff through professional development...
see link for complete article
26 posted on 6/1/02 9:44 AM Mountain by Principled
Comment #27 Removed by Moderator
We have met the enemy, and he is us.
-archy-/-
"Two government indoctrination administrators were walking down the street together with their bullwhips holstered when....."
What do you say to a MA schoolboard member who walks in with a beautiful woman on his/her arm?
"Nice tattoo."
They should have published the joke so people could judge for themselves.
Says calvin sun:
I agree. In fact, the story REALLY should read as follows: "...students were suspended for telling WHAT THE PRINCIPAL CONSIDERED TO BE a racist joke." When the paper calls it "racist" without this qualification, it is supporting the principal's point of view and is editorializing.
Newspapers are editorials from cover to cover. Only a small portion of it is honest enough to identify itself.
But, the real point is, publishing the joke would in fact allow people to "judge for themselves" and that concept is completely antithetical to their goals.
But these comedians told ALL sorts of jokes, that is the point; each group and sub-group ad-infinitum has something that someone finds funny/odd/eccentric and makes some schtick around it. All groups were fair game and that made it okay.It is called Humor and Satire and if we are lucky there will also be Wit and perhaps we will learn through laughter how petty it all is, and maybe we will just laugh.
Then the love generation found it wrong to be mean to the vulnerable, and the almost vulnerable, etc.
The worst 6 words in English : There ought to be a Law!!!
Paddy O'Furniture!
We have met the enemy, and he is us.
Two FR moderators walk past a bar...
Hey, it could happen!
the only vulnerable are those who truly can NOT speak for themselves, ex. the mentally retarded, elderly who are senile(& fragile), children, but a race does not qualify.
So now it's the government's job to decide for us what's funny and what isnt?
This is thought police. 1984 was only a few years off.
Ah, what a good little comrade. Gotta turn 'em into informants young, I say.
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