School Ties

Associated Press via MSNBC

A Pennsylvania school district is under fire for allegedly covering up a 12-year old student's sexual assault of a first-grader.

But instead of calling police and removing F.H., district officials covered up the attack and allowed him to remain in class, leading to the sexual assault of three more first-graders, parents say.

This and other allegations are apart of a $15 million dollar federal lawsuit against the school district. Parents are outraged and feel the alleged cover-up that allowed the student to remain in school led to the assault of three more first-graders.

Counsel for the Allentown School District argues "under the Constitution school officials cannot be held responsible simply for failing to protect youngsters from assaults by other students".

This case has led me (and maybe many others) to question how responsible ARE schools for protecting children? It seems like everyday there is news about a child bringing/using a weapon at school. What steps are schools taking to ensure children's safety?

Sure, adding metal detectors and having police officers "wand" kids before they enter, could be viewed as steps. They could also be seen as protecting faculty from students. I can't lie, I wouldn't be a teacher in this day and age for all the money in the world. The pay is too lousy to walk around wondering if the kid you failed last week is going to shoot you in the hallway.

But where does fear end and obligation begin?

I'm a bit too frazzled to get out all my thoughts on this issue. Though I don't have kids of my own, if I did, I couldn't imagine being told that their school is under no obligation to protect them. I'd have been beside myself. I could not have tolerated such as response. Apparently, neither can parents in Allentown, PA.

Whoopi's Roots

from: Associated Press via Yahoo

"When the government of one of the world's poorest nations learned that Whoopi Goldberg had taken a DNA test showing her ancestors hail from here, the news reverberated through the halls of parliament."

I have to admit, my first thought was this article would be about Guinea-Bissau claiming Whoopi as a long-lost daughter to encourage her monetary sympathy. **My cynicism is on auto-pilot sometimes**

The African nation wrote a warm letter to Whoopi expressing the great "fraternity" they felt upon learning her heritage. They extended an invitation to her to visit their country.

According to Whoopi's publicist, she never received the letter. And if she had, he added, because she doesn't fly, a trip to Guinea-Bissau is highly unlikely. I've heard Whoopi talk about her fear of flying, so if that's the only way to her homeland, I don't think she's going anytime soon.

As the article states, most of the citizens don't know who Whoppi is--so when some villagers were shown her picture and immediately saw themselves in her I was touched.

In a national climate where judgments of "blackness" are making national news, the willingness of this nation to reach out to a descendant possibly centuries removed is inspiring.