Cheatham County Board of Ed buries head in sand when it comes to bullying

The Cheatham County Board of Education ignored the group of citizens that TEP has been assisting for as long as they could.  These citizens are advocating proposals to bring more accountability and inclusiveness to their school district.  Matters came to a head yesterday.

Here's how it went down:

1.  The Director of Schools admitted that the citizens had followed the correct procedures outlined in Board policy in order to get an item on the agenda, but that they didn't have to put it on there if they didn't want to, according the Tennessean.  So basically the board chair (an elected person) and the director of schools (an unelected person) get to decide what is on the agenda every month.  In other words, the procedure outlined in board policy means nothing. 

2.  So the citizens went to the Board meeting, filled out green pieces of paper to get on the list to speak during the public forum.  And so they did.  You may need to turn up the volume in order to hear these speeches:

-First was Kaelynn Malugin from Ashland City, who was advocating adding "gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation to the district's anti-bullying/anti-discrimination policy:

-Second was Jeremy Rogers from Ashland City who talked about the importance of measuring the effectiveness of the existing anti-bullying policy.  Jeremy talked about his experience as a student who was bullied for being gay and he called on the Board to issue a monthly report on incidents:

Third was Mary Ann Bernicky of Pegram, who called for more information about how teachers have been trained in anti-bullying measures:

3.  After the citizens had spoken, Cheatham County Board of Education attorney Larry Woods got up and defended the existing policy as being in compliance.  TEP responded that compliance means they're doing just enough to get by and that if they thought the policy already covered gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students, then they shouldn't be afraid to put it in writing.

WSMV has the video on those opposing takes on the policy here.

TEP will continue to work with citizens of Cheatham County to advance safe schools proposals.  Those efforts may include involvement in this year's School Board elections.  Three seats are up this August! 

 

 

Gordonsville student endured years of anti-gay bullying before ending his life

Late Friday night, Tennessee Equality Project began hearing reports that an 8th grader in Gordonsville in Smith County, Tennessee had completed suicide after enduring years of anti-gay bullying. Ironically, the news arrived as members of TEP's board attended the first Bully-Free Tennessee Conference in neighboring Putnam County with educators, parents and other safe school advocates.

Local news confirmed on Saturday that Phillip Parker was the 8th grader who had ended his life.

TEP Board members Jonathan Cole and
H.G. Stovall paid respects to Phillip Parker
outside his school last Sunday.

While attending Saturday's conference, H.G. Stovall and I met a former teacher who knew Phillip while he attended Gordonsville Elementary School.  Tears flowed as she told us that Philip had endured years of anti-gay bullying at the school and that bullying in general at Gordonsville Elementary School often goes unaddressed by faculty and staff. She knew of several students who had to transfer to other schools to escape the harassment. This educator also knew Phillip had endured anti-gay preaching from the pulpit of his church. 

After the conference, H.G. and I visited Gordonsville to pay our respects to Phillip. On Sunday, we laid a vase of purple flowers at a shrine outside the entrance of Gordonsville High School. Members of the community brought cards, flowers and teddy bears. Most were quiet and tearful in their grief. We were able to speak to one of Phillip's teachers. Sadly, she confirmed the same stories we had heard the day before about Philip's experience at school and at church. She recalled learning that his pastor had recently told him to "pray the devil out him, so he could be straight." His teacher also remembered that beneath his inner turmoil Philip was always smiling and would often tell his peers how beautiful they were.

We've learned from Phillip's teacher that the school invited a grief counselor to speak to faculty about information to share with the kids about the Trevor Project and other outlets for LGBT kids to seek help. She said: "I hope if nothing else, the students of our school will see how much words can hurt and how much healing can and should happen when compassion and kindness are shown to others."

While these resources are helpful, we must do more than provide crisis hotline numbers to Tennessee students who feel isolated and alone. Bullying is a problem allowed by adults. In December, we learned after the suicide of Jacob Rogers that the anti-bullying policy of Cheatham County School District did not include sexual orientation or gender identity or expression among the enumerated protections. Smith County's school district policy lacks the same protections.

A school should be a place where students feel safe and protected by the teachers and staff charged with their care. Phillip clearly had teachers who tried to watch out for him. But the educators who knew Phillip shared that not all teachers were willing to confront the anti-gay bullying that he and other students have endured in the school system.

A crisis hotline number is not a plan to address bullying. A crisis hotline number does nothing to address bullying. Smith County and other school districts in Tennessee must adopt strong anti-bullying policies with enumerated protections for students who are the most vulnerable to bullying. They must also consider data-driven tracking systems to empower administrators and teachers with the tools they need to provide a safe environment. Local school boards and the Tennessee General Assembly must address the bias that exists in our schools. Tennessee students are depending on the adults to do the right thing to protect them. Will they?

Take action to promote safer schools in Cheatham County

Our hearts go out to the family, friends, classmates and teachers of Jacob Rogers, a student at Cheatham County Central High School in Ashland City, TN who completed suicide on December 7, 2011. A news report alleges that Jacob Rogers complained of frequent bullying at school based on sexual orientation. A friend of Jacob reported that he dropped out of school before Thanksgiving after feeling ignored by school officials.

This terrible event serves as a reminder to all parents, teachers and school administrators that they share a responsibility for supporting the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Individuals, families, communities and the whole of society have a responsibility to promote a culture that welcomes, accepts and supports LGBT students for who they are.

During this difficult time, we encourage students, parents and teachers to take advantage of grief counseling offered by Cheatham County Central High School or other mental health resources in the community. Discussions that follow youth suicide deaths present an important opportunity to remind people — and families of LGBT youth in particular — of how important it is to love, embrace and accept their entire child for all of who they are.

Following this terrible event, Tennessee Equality Project calls upon the Cheatham County School Board to fully investigate this tragic incident and the school’s response to the bullying of Jacob Rogers. We also call upon the School Board to implement the following recommendations from GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) for addressing anti-LGBT bullying and harassment:

1. Revise district policy to explicitly prohibit student discrimination, harassment, bullying, and intimidation based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The school district must establish an enumerated policy for unwelcomed conduct that focuses on sex, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. An enumerated policy is crucial to ensure that anti-bullying policies are effective for all students.
2. Require staff trainings to enable school staff to identify and address anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying, and harassment effectively and in a timely manner.
3. Support student efforts to address anti-LGBT bullying and harassment on campus, such as the formation of a Gay-Straight Alliance or participation in events such as the National Day of Silence and Ally Week. GSAs in schools have proven effective in reducing violence and harassment of LGBT students.
4. Institute age-appropriate, inclusive curricula to help students understand and respect difference within the school community and society as a whole.

Send a message to the Cheatham County School Board to ask them to take positive steps in response to this tragedy.


- Jonathan Cole