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NEWS

Guards anger Pointe Coupee residents

  • By WILL SENTELL
  • Advocate Capitol News Bureau
  • Published: May 16, 2008 - Page: 15A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

The normally sedate meeting of the state’s top school board erupted into controversy Thursday when the appearance of security guards triggered charges of racism.

The dispute flared amid controversy over the state takeover of troubled Pointe Coupee Central High School in Morganza.

A large contingent of school backers, which organizers put at 150 students, parents and others, was on hand for the board meeting, which included discussions of takeover plans.

Louella Givens of New Orleans, a member of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, suddenly asked why two security guards were in the back of the meeting room.

Weegie Peabody, executive director of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, replied that she requested the guards for crowd control.

That angered Givens.

“These are our children,” Givens said, rising from her chair. “I don’t see any criminals in this room.”

As Pointe Coupee Central backers began leaving the meeting room, board president Linda Johnson of Plaquemine tried to soothe hurt feelings.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am very disturbed that this is happening,” Johnson said.

Johnson and Givens are the only black members of the board. Most students at Pointe Coupee Central are black.

Joetta Hunter-Joseph of New Roads, an administrator at the school and one of the leaders of the group, blasted the presence of security guards as she left the state education building.

Hunter-Joseph said the security officials were a “slap in the face” at students and a suggestion that they did not know how to act, which she called racist.

Earlier, state Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek told school backers that state officials made mistakes in communicating with the community on takeover plans.


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Kyle
Friday, May 16, 2008
7:18 AM

By acting the way they did, it appears they proved there was a need for security guards. If they truly meant no harm, why would they care if there were a couple of security guards standing at the back of the room? I personally would feel alot more comfortable with the presence of uniformed security at a large gathering. What is it they are so upset about?
Sheik
Friday, May 16, 2008
7:30 AM

Kyle, who do you think acted like racists in this situation? It was perfectly acceptable for the guards to be there.
THE TRUTH
Friday, May 16, 2008
7:36 AM

This story doesn't say the real truth! I heard from someone that was there that the issue wasn't that there was security guards there, it was that they were white. How can you say that you want to stop racism when you are more racist than the ones you are claiming are racist. I am sick of the news and politics and so-called "reverends" claiming that Caucasians are the racist ones when you have people acting this way for no reason. Report the TRUTH! The WHOLE TRUTH! FYI: TREAT PEOPLE LIKE YOU WOULD WANT TO BE TREATED!
phil
Friday, May 16, 2008
8:57 AM

Once again, the people who fail their own children,want to blame someone else. Make sure your kids go to school and help, instead of claiming racism as a excuse to fail.
phillip
Friday, May 16, 2008
9:04 AM

Once again, the people who fail their own children,want to blame someone else. Make sure your kids go to school and help, instead of claiming racism as a excuse to fail.And why do people like Pastorek have to say they are sorry for only doing their job, if reversed not a word would have been said.
Courtney
Friday, May 16, 2008
10:30 AM

If I walked into a meeting that could potentially be heated and there were security guards in there, I would think that they were there to make sure everyone behaved. When a black person sees that, it is because the pepole holding the meeting are a bunch of racist. The fact is, blacks make up 12.2% of the U.S. population, yet commit 51% all violent crimes. That is a pretty disproportionate. If blacks don't want white people to take precautions againts violence when they gather, then stop commiting so many crimes
THE REAL TRUTH
Friday, May 16, 2008
10:32 AM

From the perspective of someone sitting the room, the guards were said to be called in for "crowd control" said one of the members of the board who called them in, unauthorized to do so. She mentioned that since the crowd was large in number she felt they should be present. She took it upon herself to call the guards as if she felt threatened when the president of the board had not authorized her to do so. It made the meeting an uncomfortable situation. Mind you, this was the same crowd who had to pass through security in the beginning with no questions or problems. The students, parents and everyone else were well behaved and mannerable. The guards are not present at any other meetings, so why this one??? What makes this one so different???
michelle
Friday, May 16, 2008
12:20 PM

First of all...She should have gotten permission to call in the guards ( that's unacceptable). She's stereotyping. As soon as you get a crowd of African Americans together... they think trouble. She was showing her prejudice side when she took it upon herself to do that. Now....People as a whole must conduct themselves in a orderly way as to not be thought of like that. If the parents would get more involved in their children's education, then the state would not have to take over. Parents must make sure that the kids stay out of trouble, off the streets and go to school. Not just go to school to go, but to get good grades, graduate and have a better quality of life. This is not only for African Americans, but all people. Now what they have to do is show the state that they can be a better school and get their act together and they can be put back under the normal school system.
Resident of PC
Friday, May 16, 2008
4:45 PM

As a resident of Pointe Coupee and an educator in Pointe Coupee I have a comment about this story. One of the main "supporters" of Pointe Coupee Central who was present at the board meeting on yesterday (and made the news report on TV) supports the school so much that she has removed her children from the PC Central and the elementary feeder school to it as well. Her children currently attend other areas in the parish using "school choice" or m2m transfers. How do you "support" a school that you yourself have deemed unacceptable to teach your children? This particular person also taught in the parish for a short time, but now has gone on to teach somewhere else. Again, is this support? Stop asking for handouts, stop blaming others, stop making spectacles of yourselves on TV, and get down to business. Support your children by sending them to school (rather than missing to go to a school board meeting). Support your school by showing up for parent/teacher conferences. Support your parish by educating first at home! Only then will we, the people of Pointe Coupee parish begin to see public education succeed.
Parent/Teacher
Monday, May 19, 2008
7:34 PM

As both a parent and teacher in Pointe Coupee, I can say that Pointe Coupee Central has nothing to fear but fear itself. They got what they wanted, a brand new, all black student, and all black teacher school, so Absolutely no Racism could be blamed. What happened, poor students and poor teachers. Face the facts, and move on over to Livonia so they can "fix" it, and educate them. But all the while the one good school in the parish will be completely ruined.
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