LT received a copy of the Sansom complaint as well as the attachments, including the pages of the notebook. It doesn't make for a very good case for Mr. Sansom. In addition, the article in the Express has stirred up other parents who have been harboring similar resentments.
LT doesn't have time to figure out how to post the documents, but we our hoping that Dennis will be able to help out on that score.
There's a lot of information out there, and perhaps even more misinformation. Here's probably the most important stuff to consider based on the complaint:
1. Mr. Sansom punished two of the three girls involved in the incident. The girl who lied about her involvement got no discipline, although she is under criminal investigation.
2. The notebook reflects the normal, albeit cruel, world of middle school, where kids change best friends like clothes and little hurts can explode.
3. There is no evidence of any harassment at school, although there is evidence of reciprocal anger.
4. There is only one instance of horrible behavior, the attack on the house. There is no evidence of harassment at school. Nor was there reason to believe that there would be additional harassment at school. There was a week between the egging and the suspension and there was no evidence of a hostile environment for the victim of the egging. There is no evidence of taunting or threats at school, ever, before or after the egging.
5. Both sets of parents and both girls understand the need for addressing the issue. Both home and police are at work.
6. Sansom was unwilling to listen to the girls' side of the story.
7. The police officer who read the entire notebook did not believe it constituted harassment or bullying.
8. By letting the third girl off, Sansom endorsed lying. And we suspect that the parents would probably swallow and accept the school consequences if the third girl got the same punishment. (That's pure speculation based on the tone of the complaint.)
Unfortunately, Rob Hess' job is going to start with conflict and gossip. He must address the Sansom issue immediately. While Sansom deserves more fairness in his performance review than it seems he gave to these girls, swift action is going to be important for Hess to set the tone of his administration.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Sansom Saga
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1 comments:
It seems to me that Mr. Sansom just doesn't know how to go about the rules correctly, or has no desire to. The fact is he could have saved himself a lot of trouble if he would have just acted ethically, and in due process. Kids make mistakes. They deserve every bit of what they got from the vandalism incident. But they will never be able to recover from the feeling of constituative power Sansom used on them and the feeling of helplessness he imposed on them. Sounds like his reign may be coming to an end. (Assuming things stay as planned) Meckley should be a huge breath of fresh air. Here's to hoping.
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