Termyn8or
Posts: 18681
Joined: 11/12/2005
Status: offline
|
BRAVE NEW SCHOOLS
Sixth grader targeted
for pro-gun remarks
'A' student defends 2nd Amendment,
flagged as violence risk
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
By Jon E. Dougherty
© 2000 WorldNetDaily.com
School officials at Harbor Lights Middle School flagged a Holland, Michigan
boy as potentially dangerous because the 12-year-old suggested to a teacher
that one way to prevent school shootings would be to arm instructors.
Derek Loutzenheiser, a model student who had such good grades that some
teachers recommended he be tested early for a popular standardized
pre-college performance test, made his comments in early March, after being
asked by a social studies teacher what he thought might make kids safer in
school.
Derek had been asked to participate in a classroom discussion about "school
shootings and safety," said the sixth grader's father, Tim Loutzenheiser.
"My son simply stated that his opinion was that he would feel safer if some
of the adults at the school were trained and allowed to carry firearms," Mr.
Loutzenheiser told WorldNetDaily.
His reply caused him to be "flagged" as a potential violence risk by
teachers and school administrators, who then contacted his parents to
suggest they meet with the school's "Hazard and Risk Assessment Team."
"My wife and I were in disbelief when they (school officials) telephoned us
and told us that's what they wanted to do," Loutzenheiser said. "We asked,
'Do you have the right kid?'"
In resulting talks with school officials, Loutzenheiser said he learned that
his son "often spoke favorably about the First and Second Amendments, but
the comment he made to his Social Studies teacher was the one that triggered
this action."
School officials told the couple that because of Derek's comments he should
be separated from the other students and forced to enter the school's
"Mentor" program, where he would be studied by an adult supervisor who would
monitor Derek's thought processes.
"We were told that this would be in the best interest of my son, and by
doing this the school would not have to involve Social Services,"
Loutzenheiser said. "We refused."
At that point, the couple contacted an attorney in nearby Grand Rapids,
Michigan -- one referred to them through the National Rifle Association's
Institute for Legislative Action. The couple has also been told by a
representative from the Rutherford Institute, an international legal and
educational civil liberties organization, that "they would be willing to
take on this issue."
Loutzenheiser said when he and his wife, Shelly, arrived for the Hazard Team
meeting Mar. 8, "We were outnumbered 7 to 2." He told WorldNetDaily that he
wanted to make a good first impression with the members, so he shook each
member's hand and introduced himself.
He also told them he had brought along a tape recorder and would be taping
the proceedings since none of the legal organizations that said they would
represent him could send a representative to the meeting on such short
notice.
"My wife and I both saw a transformation from 'smugness' ... to looks of
great concern on some of their faces," he said.
"What was odd about the purpose of this whole meeting," said Loutzenheiser,
"was that three of the team members were Derek's teachers, and each of them
said they didn't know there was any 'situation' with him. That got me to
thinking, 'Then why are we here?'"
However, and though "team" members denied it, the elder Loutzenheiser said
he believes teachers and school administrative personnel began to form a bad
impression of his son when, in January of this year, the sixth grader
refused to sign a "Red Letter" vow of peace to celebrate Martin Luther
King's birthday.
"The letter, which was written by the principal," Loutzenheiser said, "asked
the students to take an oath to turn in their friends for suspicious
activity, to vow to never defend themselves if attacked, and something to
the effect of never to use a gun or other weapons. Derek simply told the
principal, 'I'm not signing that.'
"I think that's what got him 'noticed' by some of the administrative staff
at least," he said.
Of the meeting with "team" members, Loutzenheiser said, "We got right to the
point and determined that the charges against my son are without merit. They
all assured me that he is a wonderful student, gets straight A's, and
because he is a little more advanced academically (at their suggestion he
took the ACT test and scored very well) they feel he may need an 'adult' to
talk to about issues."
Loutzenheiser admitted he didn't know what team members were implying about
having Derek "talk to an adult about issues." He added, "We were able to
determine that because my son knows and understands political and
Constitutional issues so well, that he often speaks in terms not typical of
a 12-year-old, and we should be assured they have no issues with this."
The couple believes Derek's Social Studies teacher was the impetus for the
inquiry.
"She felt concern when Derek stated -- when she asked -- that he would feel
safer if some of the adults would be trained and have access to firearms at
school," said Derek's father. "Because this teacher felt this [was an]
irrational threat, she spoke to other 'team' members who are also Derek's
teachers."
The couple said they discovered that there had been a series of similar
misunderstandings involving some of the things Derek had said in school --
none of which were threatening or dangerous.
One teacher, said Loutzenheiser, stated that he heard Derek speak of taking
the hunter's safety course -- which was offered through the school -- and
that Derek sometimes spoke about how he liked hunting.
Another teacher said that in her class, where his son helps write the school
paper, he was tasked with reviewing a video game. The teacher, he said, felt
that the game might contain violence but didn't feel "concern" until "after
she spoke with the 'team.'"
One of the vice principals, the couple said, also felt Derek may need some
"mentoring" because he was "attacked by three older students last September,
in which Derek fought back and deterred his attackers on school property,"
Loutzenheiser said.
"They (school officials) wanted to reinforce how understanding they were, in
light of the fact that the school has a zero tolerance policy -- no fighting
even in self defense -- and how Derek was not punished in any way for
defending himself," Loutzenheiser said.
However, his wife Shelly had inquired of teachers and school officials just
a day before the meeting occurred, and "there were no issues yesterday, but
they seemed to remember some today," he said.
"We also asked them why, if these problems were so terrible, no one had
bothered to pick up the phone and call us before it came to this," said
Loutzenheiser.
More disturbing to the couple was the school's constant alluding to "a
list" -- ostensibly the same "list" their son, Derek, was on, albeit
briefly.
"No one really explained what this 'list' was," Loutzenheiser said, "but
from the sound of it, if you raised anyone's eyebrows at the school -- for
any reason -- you made this 'list.'"
Jerry Klomparens, principal of Harbor Lights Middle School, told
WorldNetDaily he could not discuss cases or incidents involving specific
children. However, he spoke briefly about the school's "Mentor Program"
policies, and said they were only administered after school officials
obtained permission from a student's parents.
"We believe any educational processes must first come from parents,"
Klomparens said. "This program is only designed to help parents" meet
special needs of certain students.
The principal explained that Harbor Lights uses the mentoring program to
"match students who have particular interests up with teachers or adults
(who are volunteers) who have similar interests."
When asked about the so-called "list" that Loutzenheiser mentioned,
Klomparens reiterated that it was school policy "not to discuss the status
of our students." He also said it was possible that some errors may have
been made in the past in explaining the "mentor" program to some parents.
"It's not a real formal program," he said, adding that sometimes teachers
suggest students whom they believe would benefit from it. Other than having
mutual interests, Klomparens said neither teacher nor adult volunteer
mentors have received any special training or qualifications.
But the Loutzenheisers remain unconvinced.
"Each of these people on the 'team' probably had no issue with Derek, but by
virtue of assembling together and talking, they were able to feed upon each
others' concerns, no matter how small, and allowed them to grow," said Tim
Loutzenheiser. "We're convinced that Derek will now be placed under a
microscope for observation more than ever."
It's OK, what could have happened in eleven years ?
Everything is fine. Go back to your regularly scheduled PROGRAMMING.
"no fighting even in self defense""no fighting even in self defense""no fighting even in self defense""no fighting even in self defense""no fighting even in self defense""no fighting even in self defense"
Is that your fucking world ?
T^T
|
Eleven years ago - 
Profile
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread