Zero Tolerance
If Morrisville school board member Al Radosti used the N-word, as has been alleged, or if he threatened other board members, which has been alleged, he should resign.
There is no acceptable excuse and there should be no second chances given for that sort of despicable behavior. It simply cannot be tolerated from any public official. Period.
The question is: Did it happen?
As far as the N-word goes, Radosti denied it when our reporter spoke to him the day after the charge was made at a school board meeting. (Radosti did not respond during the meeting.)
The allegation came from Bucks County NAACP President John Jordan, a former Morrisville school board member. Jordan said the remark was made in front of other school board members, including former board President Sandy Gibson.
Gibson later confirmed she heard Radosti make racist statements in the past. So did former board member Johanny Manning, who said the comments she heard Radosti make were in reference to educating minorities.
School board member Joseph Kemp said he was told of Radosti using the N-word after joining the board but did not hear it said.
With regard to the alleged threats, Gibson said Radosti threatened her on Oct. 3 at an executive session of the board, meaning it was a closed-door meeting. This isn't new news. Gibson and Manning talked about the incident at a subsequent board meeting. What's new is the pair said a call was placed to 911. Police responded but the borough police chief told our reporter an incident report was not immediately available.
Kemp also said Radosti threatened him at the Oct. 3 meeting during a heated discussion about a controversial and now-defunct plan to build a new $30 million K-12 school. Kemp said Radosti wanted to fist fight.
While Gibson did not talk to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission about the alleged racist remark, as Jordan suggested, she did submit to district court a private complaint about the Oct. 3 threats. She said she has called the DA's office “repeatedly for three months” without response.
We urge the newly named district attorney to give this matter her immediate attention. If a crime was committed by a school board member, citizens have a right to know. Likewise, if it's all been overblown, Radosti deserves to have his name cleared.
In the matter of the alleged racial slurs, this appears to be an issue for the Human Relations Commission. We urge those who say they heard the remarks to back up their words with action.
7 comments:
§ 235.8. Civil rights.
The professional educator may not:
(1) Discriminate on the basis of race, National or ethnic origin, culture, religion, sex or sexual orientation, marital status, age, political beliefs, socioeconomic status; disabling condition or vocational interest against a student or fellow professional. This list of bases of discrimination is not all-inclusive. This discrimination shall be found to exist by an agency of proper jurisdiction to be considered an independent basis for discipline.
According to the January 25, 2008, Bucks County Courier Times article, “Al Radosti allegedly made the racial slur at least a year ago in reference to the Morrisville’s plan to build a new school.” Question: Sandy Gibson and board members who claim they heard these racist comments, why now speak out against this incident? What is your agenda? If your intentions are pure and you care about the civil rights of children, why speak out now? Any one who sat on the Morrisville School Board and heard a board member make racial slurs and refused to take appropriate action are also guilty of discrimination.
You know, I somewhat agree with you. Yet at the same time, have you always acted upon the less appropriate words said by others? We're all a little hypocritical at times. Maybe it was ignored to try and keep the peace (and possibly because the person saying the words has anger issues?)
I also believe that the school board members are speaking out now because their hand was forced by the revelations from last week.
If I witness a violation of any child’s civil rights whether a race issue, special education or any discrimination concern, first I would speak to the individual(s) and than the appropriate authorities. There is no excuse to tolerate discrimination.
It was completely appropriate that Mr Radosti, as with the rest of the community, is "angry".
Bush, and the Neo-con Right, I may add, used the "angry" smear as a brush to tar all who denounced his Right-wing policies.
If you are not angry, you are not paying attention.
This racist charge--at first broadcast by the Courier when it was anonymous heresy- is little more than defamation of character. It came as no surprise that Gibson and Manning were behind it--the 2 most detested characters in this ongoing conflict between the community searching for feasible solutions and a small grandstanding cliché who consider the people of this community--especially the elders, as little more dirt.
To anoymous:
Did you mean clique? (pronounced Click)A small exclusive group.
Or did you mean "Cliche?" ie the contents of every QSRE flier ever printed.
Please clarify.
Al Radosti's history of racist remarks extends far before this current incident. He has been accused of this previously. Unfortunately, comments heard by only one or two people are hard to prove as other than hearsay.
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