APS black student singled out to play cotton picking game

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And part of the complaint is how he’s been treated after the fact — forced to learn French independently in the library.

I’m sure that’s not APS’ first choice of solution, but since they can’t find teachers or subs…

(The instructor “at fault” was a long-term sub to begin with. It’s not like they have a handful of extras to use in circumstances like this.)

Why is he in the library? What are the other kids in the class doing?

My guess? His mom says it’s not an option due to “bullying” … or you know, natural consequences to ridiculous behavior.

The kids aren’t calling him a “cotton picker” because he’s AA. They’re mocking him for calling it a game about picking cotton, which it clearly wasn’t.

They’re ALL out a French teacher now. I don’t blame anyone for disliking him.

ACTUAL racism? Everyone would be standing behind him. This isn’t it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And part of the complaint is how he’s been treated after the fact — forced to learn French independently in the library.

I’m sure that’s not APS’ first choice of solution, but since they can’t find teachers or subs…

(The instructor “at fault” was a long-term sub to begin with. It’s not like they have a handful of extras to use in circumstances like this.)

Why is he in the library? What are the other kids in the class doing?

My guess? His mom says it’s not an option due to “bullying” … or you know, natural consequences to ridiculous behavior.

The kids aren’t calling him a “cotton picker” because he’s AA. They’re mocking him for calling it a game about picking cotton, which it clearly wasn’t.

They’re ALL out a French teacher now. I don’t blame anyone for disliking him.

ACTUAL racism? Everyone would be standing behind him. This isn’t it.

+1 to all of this.
I still can't believe the balls on this family to bring a suit against a district they aren't even residents of. Galling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And part of the complaint is how he’s been treated after the fact — forced to learn French independently in the library.

I’m sure that’s not APS’ first choice of solution, but since they can’t find teachers or subs…

(The instructor “at fault” was a long-term sub to begin with. It’s not like they have a handful of extras to use in circumstances like this.)

Why is he in the library? What are the other kids in the class doing?

My guess? His mom says it’s not an option due to “bullying” … or you know, natural consequences to ridiculous behavior.

The kids aren’t calling him a “cotton picker” because he’s AA. They’re mocking him for calling it a game about picking cotton, which it clearly wasn’t.

They’re ALL out a French teacher now. I don’t blame anyone for disliking him.

ACTUAL racism? Everyone would be standing behind him. This isn’t it.

+1 to all of this.
I still can't believe the balls on this family to bring a suit against a district they aren't even residents of. Galling.

It will be interesting to see if APS does anything to investigate this.

And if this family gets their money - good news for them as they can now afford a private school and they can be done with APS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And part of the complaint is how he’s been treated after the fact — forced to learn French independently in the library.

I’m sure that’s not APS’ first choice of solution, but since they can’t find teachers or subs…

(The instructor “at fault” was a long-term sub to begin with. It’s not like they have a handful of extras to use in circumstances like this.)

Why is he in the library? What are the other kids in the class doing?

My guess? His mom says it’s not an option due to “bullying” … or you know, natural consequences to ridiculous behavior.

The kids aren’t calling him a “cotton picker” because he’s AA. They’re mocking him for calling it a game about picking cotton, which it clearly wasn’t.

They’re ALL out a French teacher now. I don’t blame anyone for disliking him.

ACTUAL racism? Everyone would be standing behind him. This isn’t it.

+1 to all of this.
I still can't believe the balls on this family to bring a suit against a district they aren't even residents of. Galling.

It will be interesting to see if APS does anything to investigate this.

And if this family gets their money - good news for them as they can now afford a private school and they can be done with APS

Oh, they won't leave APS even if they can pay for private.

[Anonymous]

If there’s residency fraud - which is a big “if” until something more official than anonymous poster gossip is revealed - I’m sure someone is on it. This seems like simple PI / records type stuff that could be established pretty quickly. APS asks for certain basic docs to verify residency, and I’m sure people sometimes fudge that paperwork and APS doesn’t bother double checking. It’s probably not hard to establish if someone is lying about where they live. The school system just doesn’t have the incentive to double-check the veracity of everyone’s submissions. With the threat of litigation, though, it’s not uncommon for prospective defendants to dig a little to make sure the plaintiff’s powder is dry (lawsuits and lawyers aren’t always a happy fun place). If this is a real thing, I imagine APS’s legal team already knows the answer, one way or the other. I bet the same is true of the prospective plaintiff’s legal team as well, and if so, query whether the issue arose before or after the demand letter was sent.

[Anonymous]

Does the long-term sub have a legal case against APS or the mom? Defamation? Wrongful termination? I'm guessing not but it would be interesting to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And part of the complaint is how he’s been treated after the fact — forced to learn French independently in the library.

I’m sure that’s not APS’ first choice of solution, but since they can’t find teachers or subs…

(The instructor “at fault” was a long-term sub to begin with. It’s not like they have a handful of extras to use in circumstances like this.)

Why is he in the library? What are the other kids in the class doing?

My guess? His mom says it’s not an option due to “bullying” … or you know, natural consequences to ridiculous behavior.

The kids aren’t calling him a “cotton picker” because he’s AA. They’re mocking him for calling it a game about picking cotton, which it clearly wasn’t.

They’re ALL out a French teacher now. I don’t blame anyone for disliking him.

ACTUAL racism? Everyone would be standing behind him. This isn’t it.

+1 to all of this.
I still can't believe the balls on this family to bring a suit against a district they aren't even residents of. Galling.

It will be interesting to see if APS does anything to investigate this.

And if this family gets their money - good news for them as they can now afford a private school and they can be done with APS

Oh, they won't leave APS even if they can pay for private.

Not in this area anyway. Who would take him after this?

Hope you don’t want to go to a decent college, kiddo. No one wants this drama in their community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If there’s residency fraud - which is a big “if” until something more official than anonymous poster gossip is revealed - I’m sure someone is on it. This seems like simple PI / records type stuff that could be established pretty quickly. APS asks for certain basic docs to verify residency, and I’m sure people sometimes fudge that paperwork and APS doesn’t bother double checking. It’s probably not hard to establish if someone is lying about where they live. The school system just doesn’t have the incentive to double-check the veracity of everyone’s submissions. With the threat of litigation, though, it’s not uncommon for prospective defendants to dig a little to make sure the plaintiff’s powder is dry (lawsuits and lawyers aren’t always a happy fun place). If this is a real thing, I imagine APS’s legal team already knows the answer, one way or the other. I bet the same is true of the prospective plaintiff’s legal team as well, and if so, query whether the issue arose before or after the demand letter was sent.

The moms traffic infractions in Arlington are public record and show a MD address.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there’s residency fraud - which is a big “if” until something more official than anonymous poster gossip is revealed - I’m sure someone is on it. This seems like simple PI / records type stuff that could be established pretty quickly. APS asks for certain basic docs to verify residency, and I’m sure people sometimes fudge that paperwork and APS doesn’t bother double checking. It’s probably not hard to establish if someone is lying about where they live. The school system just doesn’t have the incentive to double-check the veracity of everyone’s submissions. With the threat of litigation, though, it’s not uncommon for prospective defendants to dig a little to make sure the plaintiff’s powder is dry (lawsuits and lawyers aren’t always a happy fun place). If this is a real thing, I imagine APS’s legal team already knows the answer, one way or the other. I bet the same is true of the prospective plaintiff’s legal team as well, and if so, query whether the issue arose before or after the demand letter was sent.

The moms traffic infractions in Arlington are public record and show a MD address.

Are the parents married? What’s the dad’s address?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there’s residency fraud - which is a big “if” until something more official than anonymous poster gossip is revealed - I’m sure someone is on it. This seems like simple PI / records type stuff that could be established pretty quickly. APS asks for certain basic docs to verify residency, and I’m sure people sometimes fudge that paperwork and APS doesn’t bother double checking. It’s probably not hard to establish if someone is lying about where they live. The school system just doesn’t have the incentive to double-check the veracity of everyone’s submissions. With the threat of litigation, though, it’s not uncommon for prospective defendants to dig a little to make sure the plaintiff’s powder is dry (lawsuits and lawyers aren’t always a happy fun place). If this is a real thing, I imagine APS’s legal team already knows the answer, one way or the other. I bet the same is true of the prospective plaintiff’s legal team as well, and if so, query whether the issue arose before or after the demand letter was sent.

The moms traffic infractions in Arlington are public record and show a MD address.

Are the parents married? What’s the dad’s address?

Dad's name is same as the son, with Sr. included in some listings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there’s residency fraud - which is a big “if” until something more official than anonymous poster gossip is revealed - I’m sure someone is on it. This seems like simple PI / records type stuff that could be established pretty quickly. APS asks for certain basic docs to verify residency, and I’m sure people sometimes fudge that paperwork and APS doesn’t bother double checking. It’s probably not hard to establish if someone is lying about where they live. The school system just doesn’t have the incentive to double-check the veracity of everyone’s submissions. With the threat of litigation, though, it’s not uncommon for prospective defendants to dig a little to make sure the plaintiff’s powder is dry (lawsuits and lawyers aren’t always a happy fun place). If this is a real thing, I imagine APS’s legal team already knows the answer, one way or the other. I bet the same is true of the prospective plaintiff’s legal team as well, and if so, query whether the issue arose before or after the demand letter was sent.

The moms traffic infractions in Arlington are public record and show a MD address.

Are the parents married? What’s the dad’s address?

Dad's name is same as the son, with Sr. included in some listings.

Ok. Just pointing out that it may not matter than the mom lives in MD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:May God give me (or better yet someone else) the strength to call out the BS on AEM right now.

There's no point arguing with a person who thinks it is hurtful to black children to make "snowmen" by pasting cotton balls onto construction paper

DP. I went back and re-read the post. I think the no cotton balls at school/chalk snowman poster was being sarcastic (she used a facepalm emoji). But I’m sure there are people in that group who think cotton should be banned from schools.

I remember when I first joined I tried to engage in rationale conversation and quickly one of the totally out there posters basically implied I was racist and told me I needed to listen to a podcast. That’s when I realized the entire group is an echo chamber of a few crazies who get off on making crazy allegations against anyone who has even a moderate difference in opinion.

Yeah, no. She was serious. Look at her other posts and likes on the thread. The facepalm was to indicate her shock that people in this day and age would use cotton balls even in an art project. That poster openly solicits Simone's approval and goes overboard trying to show how progressive and anti-racist she is.

+1000

She wasn't kidding about not using the cotton balls.

I don't agree with a ban on cotton balls but I can certainly see why a teacher would not want to go there.

Really? cotton bolls, maybe, but cotton balls wouldn't even cross my mind, and I have done plenty of anti-racist training and thinking.

I also think its ridiculous because there are plenty of kids at Gunston that have been through real trauma and are likely (inadvertently) exposed to triggers at school that would never occur to anyone to be sensitive about. There are kids who were smuggled into the US or came here on foot from El Salvador to escape drug gangs, there are kids who are refugees from civil wars in Sudan and Syria, there are kids in the foster system... They are certainly not thinking about complaining or suing the school because they played "capture the flag" or "dodge ball" in gym.

So much anti-racist training and still insensitive to the anti-Black racism systematically experienced by the descendants of black slaves in this country. SMH.
Typical white supremacist I guess.

We all get it that African Americans were unfathomably and inhumanely treated and used, etc etc etc. And we get that effects of slavery have endured. However, if an AA person today who is now generations removed from actual enslavement is truly "traumatized" by cotton balls, that person has other issues they need to address with a mental health professional. Resent history - and those to blame - all you want, rightfully so. But don't expect everyone to placate you with any and every possible six-degrees-of-separation you want to make with real trauma that never actually happened to you or your parents or likely your grandparents at this point. Stop diminishing the meaning of "trauma" and brutalizations and horrific situations that others are actually directly experiencing today. Am I to believe this kid would experience PTSD-like reactions at the sound of a horse whip? Something he's probably never once heard in his life?

Black kids know the history of what happened to their ancestors and yes the are still being traumatized through the current systemic racism and and white supremacy.
Admit it many white supremacist enjoy seeing Blacks victimized.

What does this have to do with picking cotton balls with your nose though? Are you tying to say that anything involving cotton is automatically racist?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:May God give me (or better yet someone else) the strength to call out the BS on AEM right now.

There's no point arguing with a person who thinks it is hurtful to black children to make "snowmen" by pasting cotton balls onto construction paper

DP. I went back and re-read the post. I think the no cotton balls at school/chalk snowman poster was being sarcastic (she used a facepalm emoji). But I’m sure there are people in that group who think cotton should be banned from schools.

I remember when I first joined I tried to engage in rationale conversation and quickly one of the totally out there posters basically implied I was racist and told me I needed to listen to a podcast. That’s when I realized the entire group is an echo chamber of a few crazies who get off on making crazy allegations against anyone who has even a moderate difference in opinion.

Yeah, no. She was serious. Look at her other posts and likes on the thread. The facepalm was to indicate her shock that people in this day and age would use cotton balls even in an art project. That poster openly solicits Simone's approval and goes overboard trying to show how progressive and anti-racist she is.

+1000

She wasn't kidding about not using the cotton balls.

I don't agree with a ban on cotton balls but I can certainly see why a teacher would not want to go there.

Really? cotton bolls, maybe, but cotton balls wouldn't even cross my mind, and I have done plenty of anti-racist training and thinking.

I also think its ridiculous because there are plenty of kids at Gunston that have been through real trauma and are likely (inadvertently) exposed to triggers at school that would never occur to anyone to be sensitive about. There are kids who were smuggled into the US or came here on foot from El Salvador to escape drug gangs, there are kids who are refugees from civil wars in Sudan and Syria, there are kids in the foster system... They are certainly not thinking about complaining or suing the school because they played "capture the flag" or "dodge ball" in gym.

So much anti-racist training and still insensitive to the anti-Black racism systematically experienced by the descendants of black slaves in this country. SMH.
Typical white supremacist I guess.

How is this activity racist?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there’s residency fraud - which is a big “if” until something more official than anonymous poster gossip is revealed - I’m sure someone is on it. This seems like simple PI / records type stuff that could be established pretty quickly. APS asks for certain basic docs to verify residency, and I’m sure people sometimes fudge that paperwork and APS doesn’t bother double checking. It’s probably not hard to establish if someone is lying about where they live. The school system just doesn’t have the incentive to double-check the veracity of everyone’s submissions. With the threat of litigation, though, it’s not uncommon for prospective defendants to dig a little to make sure the plaintiff’s powder is dry (lawsuits and lawyers aren’t always a happy fun place). If this is a real thing, I imagine APS’s legal team already knows the answer, one way or the other. I bet the same is true of the prospective plaintiff’s legal team as well, and if so, query whether the issue arose before or after the demand letter was sent.

The moms traffic infractions in Arlington are public record and show a MD address.

Are the parents married? What’s the dad’s address?

Dad's name is same as the son, with Sr. included in some listings.

Ok. Just pointing out that it may not matter than the mom lives in MD.

They use the mothers relatives address- or they did in the past when we knew them. Relative worked at the preschool as well and was at the school board meeting with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:May God give me (or better yet someone else) the strength to call out the BS on AEM right now.

There's no point arguing with a person who thinks it is hurtful to black children to make "snowmen" by pasting cotton balls onto construction paper

DP. I went back and re-read the post. I think the no cotton balls at school/chalk snowman poster was being sarcastic (she used a facepalm emoji). But I’m sure there are people in that group who think cotton should be banned from schools.

I remember when I first joined I tried to engage in rationale conversation and quickly one of the totally out there posters basically implied I was racist and told me I needed to listen to a podcast. That’s when I realized the entire group is an echo chamber of a few crazies who get off on making crazy allegations against anyone who has even a moderate difference in opinion.

Yeah, no. She was serious. Look at her other posts and likes on the thread. The facepalm was to indicate her shock that people in this day and age would use cotton balls even in an art project. That poster openly solicits Simone's approval and goes overboard trying to show how progressive and anti-racist she is.

+1000

She wasn't kidding about not using the cotton balls.

I don't agree with a ban on cotton balls but I can certainly see why a teacher would not want to go there.

Really? cotton bolls, maybe, but cotton balls wouldn't even cross my mind, and I have done plenty of anti-racist training and thinking.

I also think its ridiculous because there are plenty of kids at Gunston that have been through real trauma and are likely (inadvertently) exposed to triggers at school that would never occur to anyone to be sensitive about. There are kids who were smuggled into the US or came here on foot from El Salvador to escape drug gangs, there are kids who are refugees from civil wars in Sudan and Syria, there are kids in the foster system... They are certainly not thinking about complaining or suing the school because they played "capture the flag" or "dodge ball" in gym.

So much anti-racist training and still insensitive to the anti-Black racism systematically experienced by the descendants of black slaves in this country. SMH.
Typical white supremacist I guess.

How is this activity racist?

Using a common white supremacist tactic of deflection and attempted to minimize the racial injustice of this unfortunate situation.