Posted on 05/27/2004 1:18:08 PM PDT by Roberts
Student Whose Hair Set Afire Told To Stay Home Alleged Attacker Remains In School
POSTED: 8:23 am MDT May 26, 2004 UPDATED: 11:07 am MDT May 26, 2004
DENVER -- A 13-year-old Denver girl said she was threatened with a knife at her middle school and her hair was set on fire, yet she was the one who was told to stay home for the remainder of the school year while her alleged attacker wasn't suspended or even investigated.
Courtney Glowczewski has a small right arm and leg because of cerebral palsy, a disability that her teachers say has not kept her from working hard in school and being a good student.
"I do really good in my classes. My teachers tell me, 'Good job,' and, 'You're doing very good,' and 'Excellent girl,'" said Glowczewski.
But her physical appearance has made her a target of taunting and of physical attack, which she said has never been addressed by the administration at Martin Luther King Middle School. Last week, she said the bullying got worse when she said she was threatened and assaulted by a seventh grade boy.
"He pulled out a knife, a silver knife, a pocket knife, and then he said 'What!?' So I was scared and didn't know what to do," said Glowczewski.
As she walked to her seat she smelled smoke and one of her classmates was patting her hard on the back.
"I looked and there was a black spot on the back of my shirt. And then I saw some black hair falling from my hair," said Glowczewski.
Her hair was on fire and the other student said that she was trying to help put it out.
Her mother, Sherrie, was called to school when her daughter reported the incident to the assistant principal. Sherrie Glowczewski was outraged when she was told by the administration at Martin Luther King that her daughter didn't need to come back and not to worry about the tests.
"I just wanted to go to a school that doesn't make fun of me. I wanted to be treated with respect," Glowczewski said, crying.
Meanwhile, her mother has made repeated phone calls to the assistant principal.
"I have no idea what they've done. That's why I want to speak to her. I want to know what happened to (the bullying suspect) and what's going on in that school," said Sherrie Glowczewski.
7NEWS discovered that while Glowczewski was sent home, her alleged attacker is still in school, even though administrators confirmed he had a knife.
The principal has now admitted her staff did not call police, did not interview potential witnesses, and did not conduct a proper investigation.
"He shouldn't come back in school. I should be in school taking my education and it's not fair," said Glowczewski.
The interim principal at Martin Luther King Middle School declined an on-camera interview, but said her staff made serious mistakes in this case and that she will offer Glowczewski and her family a summer school program and transportation.
Meanwhile, both Mark Stevens, the spokesman for Denver Public Schools, and the superintendent declined to discuss the case or DPS policy for dealing with such issues. That seems to be the same response Glowczewski's parents got when they complained to the administration.
OTOH, the first time you had to use it was likely also the last.
Bullies prefer less dangerous prey.
Why…why…we can’t have any bad publicity!
I didn’t exactly use a calm, measured voice. Actually I slammed my helmet on the counter a few times and threw my leather jacket against a wall. I think my boots might have left some gouges in the floor.
Animal acts do serve a good purpose now and then. Ah, the good ol’ days.
May your children be assigned to your local Martin L. King grade school.
Sheesh.
OTOH, the first time you had to use it was likely also the last.
It’s amazing how quickly I was accepted when it was discovered I wasn’t going to take it anymore.
We - the entire extended family - had to continually correct my grandsons grammar. He started speaking “Ebonics” in the second grade. When a check was made with his teacher, we discovered she spoke only “Ebonics” in the classroom.
He was finally reassigned to a class with an English speaking teacher.
Congrat's on your accomplishments. I recall when I learned what adrenaline can do for one's body when back in school, I forgot my passive mindset, through frustration by unwarranted pestering, and lifted a person off of his feet with one hand on his throat and "requested" that he back off and go pester another victim.
The look in his eyes was memorable.
Now, what is memorable is the lack of aches and pains just by going about everyday living! LoL's
A statement which is much more universal in it's meaning than most understand!
I too wonder if there is a racial component. M.L. King Middle School? Hmmm. The girl's name looks Polish to me --she could be Jewish too, of course; but just being blond is enough put one in danger in some places. I'm a strawberry blonde and was once threatened with having my hair burnt off while walking in a mixed neighborhood in Chicago.
I bet this school has plenty of violence problems that they don't want the public to know about. If this is the case here, the school can be labeled "persistently dangerous" under NCLB and the students given the opportunity to bail out, thus taking money with them. An administrator would rather have his school listed as a failure than persistently dangerous. "Persistently dangerous" is a career killer.
Maybe Mom should file a complaint with the Federal Department of Education's Civil Rights Division. The school hasn't done enough to rectify this situation and heads should roll.
Amazing how some administrators think they can shove incidents like this under the rug. Must be stupid, arrogant, or both.
You and your daughter rock!
I don't know if they violated any laws but if there are any they should do some jail time.
I swear, I think all parents should be given a pamphlet on how to deal with ignorance within the school district. Your advice should be one of the options for resolutions...excellent idea!
This is insane, they allowed this poor little girl to be tormented and advise her to stay home, while the bully has nothing done and is still in school. Just damn.
I cannot believe they condone sexual assault. Are there no pamphlets in the office, nurses office, or the counseling office about date rape, sexual violence etc? UNREAL !!!! I'm sure he supported clinton too.. ((put some ice on it..)) I just don't have patience like that..That princiPAL needs to lose his job..because I can guarantee you that your daughter won't be the last victim under his/her reign.
Now, what is memorable is the lack of aches and pains just by going about everyday living! LoL's
Don’t I know it! I feel good to have most of a day relatively pain free.
Glad I got it out of my system. Yea - right.
My research indicates Yes.
The school is 5 to 1 Non-White to White ratio.
The principal is black.
I'm willing to bet the bully is black too.
So in a Black school, the Black principal will side with the Black (armed) bully and expel the White victim.
You can draw some pretty sound conclusions when the school is named Martin Luther King. Rev. King would be appalled by the atrocities his name is attached to.
Got a link to back up your research? Oh and welcome to FR.
Fat chance they would go there.
It applies to people, organizations and countries.
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