Another complainant writes:
On March 12, 2015 …. I arrived at an advertised parent meeting. I was in the parent room
for the meeting, and saw there was a police officer standing there. He stated he was there
because the principal wanted parents out of the building.5
Coming into a minority community and harassing culturally important figures and intimidating parents for
speaking certain words out loud or bringing up certain topics is felt as intimidation and discrimination. Says
another complainant who lives on the other side of town:
“…under his leadership, the atmosphere changed dramatically from one where there was
open and active dialogue between people of all political persuasions, to Marshal Lawesque
atmosphere where if you spoke out you might lose your job, or be physically or financially
retaliated against.” 77
Special Education Needs for Redress
The community is not confident that Emergency Managers are doing what is in the best interest of children.
Through school closures, the Governor and the Coalition have pushed autistic students into Wayne County
Charters, even as staffing to meet the needs of those students is nearly non-existent. A complainant
explains:
My sister is a Special Education teacher and they are cutting the special education teachers
so that they cannot help the children the way they would like to do, because the Emergency
Managers chose not to. 114
The complainant stated that he was saying something because although he doesn’t have a special education
child, he wants to speak up for his sister who could lose her job if she is honest about the Governor’s
schools, (DPS, EEA and Charters) are not following the law anymore.
A parent says:
“I don’t feel welcome. I am NOT welcome. I volunteered and was assigned as an
Ambassador at my son’s school and I received Ambassador training, but no one ever invited
me to anything. I was blackballed from participating at my son’s school because I spoke up
against the concept of Emergency Management….” 53
Another grandmother says:
“It tears the fabric of the community apart when kids who live near one another can’t go to
58