Published: March 18, 2008 09:57 pm            

Allegations of racism: Parents, students sound off

PRINCETON, W.Va. — Concerns, suggestions and opinions were publicly aired Tuesday during a regular meeting of the Mercer County Board of Education and a student-called press conference regarding alleged racial harassment at Princeton Senior High School.

Sean Harris, 35, of Princeton and several other people picketed near the high school Monday to bring attention to what they said were cases of racially motivated assaults at the school. During the demonstration, hundreds of parents took their children home after rumors of bomb and gun threats circulated. Tuesday only 70 percent of the student body attended school, said Principal Dr. Stephen Akers.

Harris and other parents spoke before the Mercer County Board of Education Tuesday during the board’s regular meeting. The situation at PSHS occurred too late for the issue to be put on the board’s agenda, but people were allowed to speak during the citizens’ input portion of the meeting.

Harris, whose daughter attends PSHS, said he could not get action from the school’s administration or the board of education after she was harassed and assaulted.

“If you don’t think there is a racial problem at Princeton Senior High, you are ignoring reality,” he later said.

Another parent, Wanda Lee of Princeton, said no steps were taken after a female student yelled at her son while they were aboard a school bus and used a racial slur. In a second incident, he was struck on the mouth with a water bottle, she said.

Board of education procedures designed to deal with harassment are not being followed, she said.

“I think that this whole thing could have been avoided if policies already in place had been followed to the fullest extent,” said advocate Lela Yates.

Yates said the goal was not to portray PSHS as a whole in a negative light.

“Can’t we come together and weed out these bad apples? Let’s find out who they are, identify them and remove them from the school,” she said.

Additional speakers said race issues needed to be addressed.

“The reason I’m here is that too many people say it is an alleged event,” said Ted Curtis, vice president of the Mercer County NAACP. “We’d like to see this issue resolved.”

Curtis said more action may be necessary. “You are put on notice,” he said to the board. “If we continue to have hate crimes against our children, we will file charges through the Justice Department.”

Board president Greg Prudich spoke to the audience, emphasizing he was speaking as a citizen and parent with children at PSHS. He said he has seen local children of all races interact without any problems, but added that he was not “naive” enough to believe there was no racism anywhere.

“There are still those who use racism to drive wedges between us. We must seek solutions instead of confrontation,” Prudich said. “What I’ve seen in these last few days is a modern day witch hunt. I take issue with the suggestion that there is rampant racism.”

Prudich said the board would investigate any allegations of racist acts. One problem the board faces is that when action is taken against a student for any reason, the board cannot publicize that case due to privacy policies, he added.

Sgt. M.D. Clemons of the West Virginia State Police detachment in Princeton said she and other officers had been investigating. She said no guns or bullets were found at the school and that powder sniffing dogs did not find any explosives. Troopers have been able to identify several members of an alleged gang called “Crazy White Boys” and plan to speak with them.

“I invite you, if your child feels threatened in any way, to please come and talk to us,” she said.

Earlier that day, students at PSHS conference said they went to the school’s administration and asked for the opportunity to speak about the alleged incidents. Word of the meeting was spread to the student “by word of mouth,” one student said.

Principal Dr. Stephen Akers said students who had alleged that they had been targets of racial harassment were absent Tuesday. Due to privacy policies, he could not state the reasons for their absence.

Several members of the group, made up of both black and white students, said the situation had been exaggerated in local broadcasts.

“As far as environment goes the school is very safe. Everybody interacts well regardless of color or generation,” said student T.J. Benners. “I think it’s all been blown out of proportion.”

“Princeton [High School] does not have a racial problem. It has interrupted a whole week of school. A small group of children should be reprimanded severely so it will never happen again. This school is a safe environment, and as far as I’m concerned we do not have a problem,” added student Tommy Payton.

Students also said that parents often do not hear the entire story behind alleged incidents or even normal activities at school.

“We’re here. We know what’s going on,” said student Brittany Lankfork. “She [mother] can only go by what I feel and what I say to her.”

One person who visits Princeton Senior High regularly to counsel and coach both black and white students said he had not been seeing any racial difficulties.

“I do believe as a whole this school is not suffering from racist problems,” said the Rev. Darnell Palmer, pastor of Jones Chapel in Freeman.

Like the students, Palmer said the situation had been exaggerated in local broadcasts. He compared it “to dog poop that’s been stirred up with a stick.”

“When you stir it up, it stinks more,” Palmer said.



Greg Jordan writes for the Bluefield (W.Va.) Daily Telegraph.

        

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