BLACK TEEN INVITED TO 'KKK' BIRTHDAY PARTY??? (4091 hits)
(ABC NEWS) -- A black student at a Texas junior high school was the victim of routine racial taunts and bullying, including his receiving a fake invitation to a KKK birthday party to be held in his honor, his mother says.
Justin Howard, a seventh-grader at Tomball Junior High School in Tomball, Texas, has been harassed by a group of white students who bullied him because he is black, according to his mother, Tahiyyah Howard.
"I'm just, really, you know, sick of it," Howard told ABC News affiliate KTRK-TV. "A girl wrote on the board 'Black Justin' and my son was really upset."
The most egregious example, the boy's mother said, came when Justin received a fake birthday party invitation from two classmates with a Ku Klux Klan theme. It is unclear about how the boy became aware of the note.
"[They] put it on his desk and said that he was invited to a KKK birthday party with lots of fun and games," said Howard, who has not sought action outside the school.
Tomball school officials confirmed the note but said Justin never saw it. Officials said the students who wrote it had been disciplined.
"Two Tomball Junior High students left a note for a third student that referenced the Ku Klux Klan," school district spokeswoman Staci Stanfield said in a statement. "The teacher picked up the note before the intended recipient could see it. The campus administrators were notified and took proactive steps by contacting the parent of the intended recipient to inform the parent of the situation.
"The behavior of the two students who wrote the note is not acceptable. Both students who left the note were disciplined according to the District's Student Code of Conduct," she added.
Legally, school officials cannot publically disclose information about students, including how specifically they were punished, Stanfield told ABCNews.com.
The victim's mother told KTRK, "They [the students] need to know that there are consequences and not just one-day suspension where they can go home and play video games all day. I think the parents should teach their kids that being racist or bullying is not OK, no matter if you're playing around or just being mean. It's just not OK."
Howard could not be reached by ABC News to confirm that her son had not seen the note.
Tomball, a Houston suburb of about 10,000 residents, is about 87 percent white and 5 percent black, according to recent census data.
The Texas ACLU told ABC News.com that it was aware of the incident.
I passed by this post several times, but felt that there needs to be a change in Justin's situation. I'm sure that he is not the only Black student at this High School. There is something that the bullies see in him,( maybe its courage) and they bully him to make sure that he grows up to be a coward. Even thou the school has reprimanded those involved, Justin still has to face their mean facial expressions each day at school.
Monday, March 11th 2013 at 2:06PM
Helen Lofton
Too bad they don't allow corporal punishment any more. My teachers had some awesome paddles, the most memorable of which was the one my 9th grade gym teacher used, a Wiffle ball bat wrapped with cloth tape. Oh yeah, that kept us in line.
Monday, March 11th 2013 at 4:07PM
Steve Williams
They still have corporal punishment in some high schools...I have heard of some teachers who still use the ruler as a method of discipline.
Monday, March 11th 2013 at 4:16PM
Siebra Muhammad
And I am serious. What good does a suspension do? It gives the students a day off when they very likely don't want to be at school anyway, and puts them behind in their studies. There is a reason for the adage "spare the rod and spoil the child".
Monday, March 11th 2013 at 4:17PM
Steve Williams
I never thought much of rulers Siebra, but it's better than nothing. How do they get away with it though? Most parents would be in an uproar.
Monday, March 11th 2013 at 4:20PM
Steve Williams
oh my... I guess in the words of Robert... I'm olde... And I keep my child on this side of the Rail Road Track .... because Me/She/Her ain't havin it ...
When I was growing up as an "80's" baby, teachers maintained order with the ruler and with fear. Children respected teachers, the principal, and their parents if word got home of misbehavior. Much of that respect has gone, and some teachers struggle with finding something to replace it.
Monday, March 11th 2013 at 4:23PM
Siebra Muhammad
My grandson goes to a school that has a diverse student body, and they have a pledge for world peace every morning along with the pledge of allegiance. I haven't asked him about his school experience for a while, but I will next weekend, now that I think of it.
Monday, March 11th 2013 at 4:53PM
Steve Williams
oh no my mommie didn't allow discipline from the schools.... I was always "quick" at the mouth and when ever the teachers said Cynthia I am going to schedule a conference with your parents... My response was okay... my mom worked all the time so that left me with the responsibility of caring for my younger brothers... so, Quite natuarally placed I was in a guardian position by the time I was 15...
However, I tried to be respectful; but also quick to stand my ground. I can remember once a teacher challenged me... sent me to the office because I told her that I would say yes and no to her, but I would not say Ma'am... of course my grandfather had to come to my defense.
Looking back at it... I was hellish back then. LOL!
