Secret Service Question Students

KRON 4 ^ | May 7, 2003 | KRON 4

[VivaVilla]

OAKLAND (KRON) -- Some teachers in Oakland are rallying behind two students who were interrogated by the Secret Service. That followed remarks the teenagers made about the President during a class discussion. The incident has many people angry.

For years the classroom has been the setting for the free expression of ideas, but two weeks ago certain ideas led to two students being taken out of class and grilled by the United States Secret Service.

It happened at Oakland High. The discussion was about the war in Iraq. That's when two students made comments about the President of the United States. While the exact wording is up for debate, the teacher didn't consider it mere criticism, but a direct threat and she called the Secret Service.

Teacher Cassie Lopez says, "They were so shaken up and afraid."

Now, other teachers are coming to the aid of the two students and crying foul.

"I would start with the teacher, she made a poor judgement," Lopez says.

Teacher Larry Felson says, "What we're concerned about is academic freedom and that students have the right to free expression in the classroom."

Even worse, they say, is the fact that the students were grilled by federal agents without legal counsel or their parents present, just the principal.

"When one of the students asked, 'do we have to talk now? Can we be silent? Can we get legal council?' they were told, 'we own you, you don't have any legal rights,'" Felson says.

"We don't want federal agents or police coming in our schools and interrogating our children at the whim of someone who has a hunch something might be wrong," Lopez says.

The union representing Oakland teachers requires that students be afforded legal counsel and parental guidance before they're interrogated by authorities. It's too late for the two involved in this incident, and teachers say it's something they'll carry with them for years.

"I tell you the looks on those childrens faces. I don't know if they'll say anything about anything ever again. Is that what we want? I don't think we want that," says Lopez.

[Woahhs]

I know that it happened. Was it right then? Is it right now? The name or party of the president shouldn't change our reaction to the story.

It doesn't...what are you getting out of implying that it does?

[mwyounce]

according to the link in post #36:

English teacher Sandy Whitney said she called the Secret Service after two boys in her English class, both 16, made comments about getting a sniper to "take care" of Bush.

The way Whitney remembers it, John "said something like, 'We need a sniper to take care of Bush,' and Billy said, 'Yeah, I'd do it.'"

[AM2000]

English teacher Sandy Whitney said she called the Secret Service after two boys in her English class, both 16, made comments about getting a sniper to "take care" of Bush.

Oakland High sophomores John and Billy, who did not want their last names published, said Friday that their comments were made in jest. They said the April 23 interviews with federal agents left them scared and upset.

Although John admitted he made an ill-worded comment about Bush, one that he didn't want to repeat Friday, Billy said his only remark was "Bush is wacked," slang for crazy or deranged.

After the meeting with Secret Service agents, "I was traumatized," John said. "I was just sitting in class, just looking at the door to see if they were going to come get me or whatever."

"I was just trying to be funny," Billy said.

The way Whitney remembers it, John "said something like, 'We need a sniper to take care of Bush,' and Billy said, 'Yeah, I'd do it.'"

[TankerKC]

I'm not getting anything out of it. Maybe you don't remember the reation here anytime there was a story of the SS investigating anyone during the Clinton years.

[Woahhs]

After the meeting with Secret Service agents, "I was traumatized," John said. "I was just sitting in class, just looking at the door to see if they were going to come get me or whatever."

The way of the drama-queen is hard...(Proverbs 32:1)

[Woahhs]

I'm not getting anything out of it. Maybe you don't remember the reation here anytime there was a story of the SS investigating anyone during the Clinton years.

No I don't. And I've been here much longer than my Freepdate indicates. Wanna post a few links?

[jellybean]

Hey Gonz, remember when...

(Where is that old thread?? Is it still active?)

[BulletBobCo]

This all follows the same rules as when you are at the airport. You don't joke about bombs and such and you don't make threatening statements about the POTUS.

[Axenolith]

teachers say it's something they'll carry with them for years.

Yer damn straight! Maybe they'll actually grow up to be responsible adults.

[Woahhs]

This all follows the same rules as when you are at the airport. You don't joke about bombs and such and you don't make threatening statements about the POTUS.

Gee, I don't know why? The last time the Secret Service actually lost a POTUS was to a.....hmmmm...gimme a minute....

[BulletBobCo]

If you are not under arrest, but just being questioned, are your rights to a lawyer even being violated. I don't think so. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[TankerKC]

Click here for a representative post. Read the whole thread. Post 49 is typical of the things I recall.

Grassontop, how do you feel about Secret Service investigations?

[pacpam]

The teachers hold up the student's rights of expression in this case. Want to bet how long that would last if the expression was about topics sacred to PC?

[Kerberos]

"Apparently they don't care to much about rights either.

[Husker24]

The difference would be that nobody at the school would be defending the kids if Clinton were still president.

[Cultural Jihad]

I'm sure most are professionals, just like doctors, nurses, etc. but there are always the few jerks that undermine the profession.

We'll all be polite and pretend to be interested in your personal problems. ; )

[Woahhs]

Well you might consider it representative, but without alot more representation it's still an obscure blip on the radar screen. Frankly, in 5 years I've never met a Freeper that was ingnorant enough to not know the gravity of direct threats to POTUS...whether they liked him or not. I'm not saying they don't exist...I am saying they represent nothing but a lunatic (and rather dimwitted) fringe whose similarity to the average Freeper is coincidental at best.

[TankerKC]

OK. Many Freepers, given the same details and story, will give the Bush Secret Service the benefit of the doubt while dogging the Clinton Secret Service. This really has nothing to do with the USSS. It is all about knee-jerk partisan reactions to current events. That’s just my sense of the situation.

[I_dmc]

I agree. Gestapo tactics by SS, "you have no rights", isn't right.

[jpl]

"When one of the students asked, 'do we have to talk now? Can we be silent? Can we get legal council?' they were told, 'we own you, you don't have any legal rights,'" Felson says.

I'm automatically skeptical about any story that contains such an atrocious grammatical error.