Posted on 11/18/2011 6:43:20 PM PST by Altura Ct.
The guy dressed in the suit and tie, smiling and shaking a bevy of hands, caught Grayson Thomas eye.
Grayson wasnt alone. Teachers and other students at Stevenson Ranch Elementary School couldnt take their eyes off the lunchtime visitor, either.
Grayson, a fifth-grader at the campus near Santa Clarita, Ca., noticed the gentlemans outward characteristics: Tall and lean. Good looking. Charismatic. Charming. Energetic.
Then he made a fatal error: Grayson, 11, pulled a little made you look joke on a schoolmate seated next to him, saying something along the lines of Obamas visiting our school today, referring to the magnetic figure holding court nearby.
It wasnt Obama, of course. But from Graysons point of view, Chris Schaublemorning co-anchor of KTLA 5′s TV news program in Los Angelesdid possess a demeanor and countenance similar to the presidents.
According to Graysons dad, Darren Thomas (who provided the previous details), what happened next was scary: Word of his sons Obama-Schauble comparison spread to Schaubles daughter, Shelbi, who was sharing lunch with her newsman father. And Shelbi was uncomfortable with Graysons statement, saying it felt racist.
Then a teacher was summoned, then the principal, Candace Fleece, then the Newhall School District superintendent, Marc Winger. And that very afternoon, Nov. 4, Grayson was kicked out of Stevenson Ranch for good, his father says, for implying that all black men look alike.
The Blaze asked school officials and Schauble for comment to little avail. Schauble did not respond to interview requests. School board president Suzan T. Solomon noted regret over misinformation out in the press regarding the ordeal but declined further comment. Fleeces office referred the matter to Winger, who offered that there are two sides to every story but declined further comment, citing student confidentiality issues. He provided the following
The Newhall School District regrets that untrue statements have appeared in the media. The District adheres to the privacy requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) as amended (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99), California Education Code sections 49062 et seq., Article 1, Section 1 of the California Constitution and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations that safeguard a students educational records, privacy and confidentiality.
Winger apparently revealed a bit more to a local radio news site, which quoted him as saying, Its not what [Grayson] said, its how he said it I can tell you that there was history and that the student had been counseled and we met with the parents.
Its besides the point, says Darren Thomas, that neither Winger, Fleece, nor Solomonnot even Schauble or his daughterwere within earshot to evaluate how his son originally stated his Obama-lookalike comment. The kicker, Darren says, is that school officials had no basis for determining that Graysons comparison implied that all black men look alike. And then they punished him.
How can you assume the intent of a child? Darren asked. This is the thought police. [They're] not God; [their] bureaucratic brain[s have] melted into a mush of political correctness.
Darren first spoke to Principal Fleece, whom he says assured him that Graysons past misbehaviorwhich included stealing school supplies from a campus store with other students and minor classroom outburstshad nothing to do with the decision to permanently kick him out of the school.
Rather, Darren recalls Fleece explaining, Grayson made the Obama-Schauble comparison in a teasing and mocking way and the school deals with racism very seriously. (Darren adds that Fleece contacted Schauble and apologized for Graysons remark.)
Darren Thomas says he next spoke with Winger, whom he said backed what Fleece told him and added that he was doing Grayson a favor by not noting racism on the paperwork revoking his interdistrict permit, which returns Grayson to his school district of residence. (Failure to maintain acceptable behavior is one reason the Newhall School District stipulates for revoking such a permit.)
Darren says he begged Winger to note racism on the paperwork, adding that if it were that huge of a problem, wouldnt you let the next school know?
According to Darren, he asked the California Department of Education to open an investigation on possible civil rights violations in regard to Graysons situation, and he may pursue legal action as well. (Darren says Liberty Counsel, which handles civil rights cases from a religious freedom and family values perspective, been in touch with him.)
Darren says he met with school board president Solomon last night, but a resolutionnamely, a public apology from Fleece and Wingerseems remote. The Thomas arent interested in Grayson returning to Stevenson Ranch, either. (He now attends Tesoro Del Valle Elementary in Valencias neighboring Saugus Union School District.) In the end Darren says he hopesat the very leastthat similar incidents dont befall other students.
[They]ve empowered a young girl, and all kids connected with this girl, Darren says, [to believe] that If I dont like you, all I have to do is say racism and youre done. (He said the student who told Schaubles daughter about Graysons comment does not like Grayson and, in fact, sent him harassing text messages the following Monday, Nov. 7, celebrating his dismissal. Darren says hes turning over the texts to law enforcement and school authorities.)
Is it because my son is from Alabama originally? Darren says he asked Winger. Is it because Schauble is someone of importance? In Graysons group of friends, every single one of them is of a different ethnicityKorean, Vietnamese, black, white, Hispanic. Our home has always been open to a wide range of people.
That includes Julian Eubanks, a childhood friend of Graysons mother who bunked with the Thomas family for the first six months of 2011 while he looked for acting work.
As a man of color and a close friend to this family, I am [offended] that such a grotesque accusation could be made against any of them, especially my G-Man, Eubanks recently commented on a blog. The so called adults in control of this situation have handled it horribly
they need to intervene and clear this young mans name.
Disgusting.
They need to sue the bullies, the school and everyone else.
Where do these clowns keep comming up with this “good looking” crap?
At best he looks like a 5 year younger version of Ted Williams, the bum with the golden voice.
At worst he looks like a typical Demon.
“Good Looking” like my butt.....
actually, I have noticed that commercials and some news shows use actors that look vaugely like the sitting president during their term of office.
We need separate drinking fountains for them, too.
And they really should have their own schools. Not as good as the schools for Eric Holder's people, though.
OK, So i now read the rest of the story.
Now i have to go and throw up.
Unbeli......Wait nevermind.
NOTHING is unbelievable anymore.
We live in Bizzaro land.
Don’t you know obama is handsome and Michelle is beautiful? How anyone can say that with a straight face is beyond me.
So, the young man is from Alabama, huh? Well, that clinches it. Guilty as hell. We know those Bama boys are racist to the core.
Why they allow such trash in the schools is beyond me.
(You do realize that I am being sarcastic.)
One is a good looking articulate black man
the other is President of the United States.
Let’s see a photo of the guy. We will tell you if he even slightly resembles “0”.
“[Superintendent] Winger apparently revealed a bit more to a local radio news site, which quoted him as saying, Its not what [Grayson] said, its how he said it I can tell you that there was history and that the student had been counseled and we met with the parents.
Would really love to know the details of that history. The link in the story (to the radio site) mentions the kid was involved in a theft from the school bookstore and was accused of making an inappropriate comment to a girl a while back, but that’s about it.
To be honest, I’m not sure what to make of this one. It could be yet another case of PC run amok, but it could also be a case of this kid being of having a genuine history here. I did some substitute teaching when I was in college, and brother, 5th and 6th graders can be some of the very worst in the world when it comes to pushing the limits and seeing what they can get away with.
Whatever the actual scenario, though, I think it inappropriate for the principal and superintendent to summarily kick the kid out without first contacting the parents and discussing the matter with them.
Please Americans, if you have any means at all, pull your children from government schools immediately!
The guy looks exactly like 0bama!
You got that right.
This has become scarily racist : Eternal victims infer events or words based on their ignorance or personal racism, transfer it to others and the "subculture" plus the courts validate the racist stupidity.
How many victims has the word niggardly created so far?
Shouldn't be, if you understand that saying anything remotely otherwise in public would get you accused, arrested, tried and convicted.
Is this kid now a felon?
I thought so too, until I watched today's JAG repeat.
Actor Scott Lawrence (who played Cdr. Sturgis Turner) is even closer in resemblance.
I'm thinking, considering jawline and hairline, that if you produced a composite of Schauble and Lawrence, it would be Obama.
I would love to know the other side of this story. There has to be one...
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