Black Students Taunted As Slaves at Confede, Michigan Schools
The news that a high school student in Michigan has been expelled because she was taunted and humiliated by fellow students is a sad but true story. The incident occurred after a teacher at the school taunted one of the black students as if she were a slave, followed her out of the class and into the hallway where he verbally abused her, and then grabbed her from behind and pulled her down the stairs to the principal’s office, where she was physically beaten for ten minutes by other students who witnessed the attack and failed to stop it.
According to one witness, one of the students in the hallway said “It’s about time they teach these people a lesson,” and then laughed and said “I’m sure it will make them a better person.” The school district claims that this individual did not say anything malicious, but he was acting in a rude manner and that was the reason the school expelled the student.
In fact, the girl was so traumatized and hurt that she was unable to attend a Confede High School reunion on the other side of town where she had originally graduated. She is also unable to attend any other high school events because her family now feels unsafe because they feel their safety may have been compromised by the incident.
However, school officials have determined that the principal’s comments are false and that he violated the rights of the student to freedom of speech. He also said that the child’s father, who is a pastor, has called him and demanded an apology. If the school district does not apologize, the pastor will seek a court order of protection against the school and the administrator.
Many school districts do not have the resources to handle such an issue, and when confronted with one, they generally give in to the parent’s demands. In this case, the school district and the principal made the choice to compromise with the family, but at the end of the day the school failed the students, the community and the parents who are working to make Confede a stronger place to raise their children.
Black students are often taunted and intimidated at Confede, Michigan Schools, and other schools all across the United States. Although some schools have been known to have a few incidents, they can be easily controlled through proper and strong disciplinary actions and consistent leadership. However, when a student has been victimized by a mob, that student must be encouraged to get professional help.
Parents have a very important role to play in preventing such attacks against their children. Parents should insist that their children are treated with respect. They should be encouraged to voice their opinion in classroom discussions, and they should also be encouraged to stand up for themselves when attacked. Students need to learn to be assertive and not afraid to stand up for themselves when they are harassed or taunted.
Parents need to speak out and make sure that the school district takes action so that this type of mistreatment does not happen again. I am very pleased that the parents of the expelled student took the initiative to have her case heard and resolved in the media, rather than accepting the school district’s claim that nothing could be done.
The students of Confede deserve justice and the school district failed them miserably by allowing this to go on for far too long. If you feel your child was mistreated by another student at Confede, Michigan Schools, contact a local attorney immediately to discuss your case.
There is some good news. Since our country was founded upon the free speech rights and religious tolerance, parents now have a chance to put an end to such hateful behavior. That is the main reason we have attorneys that specialize in such cases. Such attorneys are willing to take on these cases and fight for the rights of the students who have been taunted and bullied.
We have seen many schools across the nation to come out publicly and say they do not tolerate such behavior. Hopefully we will see more of that in the future.
