School Administrators Lack Integrity

To the Editor,

Since my son graduated from Newtown High School two years ago, I have read many articles concerning premeditated killing rampages in our schools by sick teenagers. Everything from guns, prescription drugs, parents, and peer rejection has been blamed for this violence. At this point, I can no longer remain silent about another area that is a potential powder keg – at least in the Newtown school system – the administration. I can tell you first hand that there is a lack of integrity and caring emanating from Newtown’s administrators. Their behavior is downright corrupt, a misuse of their power, and puts the entire student body at risk.

My son lived through mental anguish in his senior year when he was falsely accused of vandalism to a cafeteria table by a security employee and ultimately the administration. The employee was quoted in the school newspaper,  The Hawkeye (4/98), “I sat there and watched him do it, and I can’t get over how he lies about it.” My son questioned in the same article, “If he saw me do it, like he claims, why didn’t he confront me in the middle of the act instead of bringing me in afterwards with no evidence?” Also in this article, security’s witnesses were quoted that they were never interrogated, and another student, who was initially accused, said he did not implicate my son. Since there were no facts to connect my son, or anyone, to the vandalism, how was the administration going to protect security? They resorted to what I consider immoral tactics which included these statements: “Security was probably too busy at the time to confront you.” (Too busy to get up from a sitting position and do the job he was paid to do?) “In my experiences kids lie.” (Adults don’t lie?) “You’re wasting taxpayers’ money.” (Is that what they call defending yourself?) “The school system is not a court of law.” (This is where their power lies!)

The only reason a board member gave for why they voted against my son was that he admitted he sat near the damaged area during his lunch. One small consolation my son has is that he knows the administration did not believe security’s accusation or they certainly would not have made the following offer: “As I told your son, if he can give me the name of the student who did the vandalism, he would be cleared of the charge.”

We supported our son’s decision not to attend detention and pay a $300 fine imposed by the administrators because we knew he needed to express his innocence and, especially, anger. In retaliation, administrators banned my son from attending his graduation ceremony and refused to send his transcript to college.

Recently, Newtown was represented at a workshop which included managing aggressive and at-risk behaviors in schools. I sincerely hope this workshop also addressed our “very sick” administrators. My son summed it up two years ago when he expressed his anger to his American Government class, “If kids continue to be treated like this, someone is eventually going to act out in violence.”

Marion LaPierre

44 Turkey Hill Terrace                        May 24, 2000