Thread: Racism in American is obvious in the news.

A Brentwood Middle School teacher who was twice nominated for teacher of the year filed a complaint Wednesday saying the school principal has condoned and tolerated a racially hostile environment.

Gail Auld, who heads the school's social studies department, said Principal Cassandra Jennings knew students hit, threatened, stole from and racially cursed her and did little, if anything, in response, according to her filing with the state Human Affairs Commission, the precursor to a lawsuit.

Hers is the fourth complaint filed by a Brentwood teacher alleging racial harassment or discrimination at the North Charleston school, which has been the focus of reform efforts that included a new administration this year.

Jennings, a principal specialist who took over in July to help straighten out the school, has faced problems with students attacking teachers earlier this year. In September, a 13-year-old student who tried to leave class hit her teacher and pulled her hair after being told she needed permission to leave the classroom.

In October, a substitute gym teacher was attacked and beaten by four eighth-grade boys and two seventh-grade girls, according to a police report. 'It hasn't changed,' s

aid Auld, who worked at Stall High School for three years before going to Brentwood this year. 'Teachers can't teach, and students can't learn.'

Auld said that Jennings tried to intimidate her and other teachers into silence and to accept the racially hostile environment. Jennings told school staff, 'We don't want Brentwood Middle in the news,' Auld said.

'She's more concerned with the public persona than what's going on in the building,' Auld said.

Jerry Adams, spokesman for the Charleston County School District, said Jennings was surprised, hurt and upset by the accusations. 'It's really emotional for her, and she can't do an interview,' Adams said.

Auld, who has 28 years of experience, two master's degrees and was a two-time finalist for teacher of the year in Berkeley and Horry counties, is the first teacher to speak publicly about the problems at Brentwood Middle. The school district closed Brentwood and Burke middle schools last year and reconstituted them separately under a reform model meant to boost student achievement.

Former teachers from Burke Middle have been outspoken this year about the school's problems, such as too-small facilities, poor student behavior and a chaotic learning environment.

Auld, who is on medical leave from Brentwood, said she doesn't want money, seniority or benefits as a settlement. She wants the school district and Jennings to publicly acknowledge there is a racially hostile environment, apologize to the students, parents and staff for allowing it and publicly commit to end it.

She said she also wants school leaders to apologize to teachers for trying to intimidate them to not talk publicly about the problems at Brentwood. 'I want the school district to give these kids a chance,' she said. 'The school district needs to do something about the environment at Brentwood.'

The district's chief academic officer, Nancy McGinley, said she would investigate Auld's allegations by talking with Jennings and the associate superintendent. McGinley cautioned against using one person's assessment as an indictment that the school is out of control. The school is making good progress, she said, as evidenced by feedback from other teachers and state specialists.

'I'd encourage you to not draw conclusions from one person's perspective,' McGinley said. 'They gave very high marks to the new administration, and the environment there is light years ahead of what it was last year.'

McGinley said she hadn't seen proof the school has a racially hostile environment. 'Cassandra is a very experienced and a very well-regarded principal, and I think she uses good judgment,' she said.

Auld described the school using the words 'intimidating,' 'demoralizing,' 'unsafe' and 'scary.' She recounted an incident from the first day of school when a student screamed at her, saying it was her job to get rid of all the (expletive) white teachers. Auld went through the motions for the student to be disciplined, but the girl received no punishment, she said.

'Kids got so empowered that first day that they can say anything and do anything,' Auld said.

Auld said in her complaint that black teachers were treated differently than white teachers. She described an incident in which an unfamiliar student hit her twice on the arm, causing her to drop her papers, and ran away. She reported the incident to the school resource officer and administrators and followed up, but the student never was punished, she said.

'If that had been a black teacher (hit), they would have found the kid and had him arrested,' she said.

Three other former Brentwood teachers and a former Rivers Middle School teacher have filed racial harassment or discrimination lawsuits. One case was settled out of court by a school district payment of $50,000.

Also the govener of Louisiana comes out in the open blatently racist things


Were was the news on these? If the tables were reversed (Example: if the white was black and the black was white) it would be all over the news and the NAACP would have a march or something. Its horrible the blatent racism of the news, its become obviously pro-black racism. Just Horrible

Pro-black media has been around for a long time. It's the White Guilt issue, and I totally disagree with it.

well, i live around this area, and i havent heard much but about what you posted. :?

It's not immediately obvious; you have to notice the trend over a period of time.

well, when the news first came out, it was a regular field day for the news. but after a few days, it fell out of the loop.

Usually it's because the government fuctup and they post BS news to take the spotlight off themselves. Did ya notice last week on CNN online that for 4 days straight, the headlines were about Mardi Gras? That scares me when that happens. Days prior to 9/11 the news was all about shark attacks, something that wasn't statistically abnormal. ~inky

well, you cant compare what happens before 9-11, because 9-11 hadn't happened yet.

but yeah, shark attacks happen. just not enough for cnn to make a big deal about it. unless it happened simultaneously, and more than one person was attacked at each site.

:?

Like Moe (3 stooges) would say: Quiet you! ~Inky

There are problematic schools all over. Some are affluent whites picking on blacks. It just depends on what a reporter scratches up and who yells the loudest.
I also believe that teachers, principals, and school officials are losing control and do not know how to deal with today's youth.
Purrs,
Pookie

yeaup. :twisted: