Posted on 03/25/2006 1:43:30 PM PST by Bon mots
ANSONIA — The white student who allegedly threatened and racially insulted a black schoolmate at Emmett O'Brien Technical High School earlier this month acted "on impulse" and now "deeply regrets using the racial epithet," the girl's attorney said Thursday. Jackie Kacinski of Seymour was suspended following the March 1 incident. She faces a school expulsion hearing Tuesday.
The incident is also being investigated by Ansonia police.
Supporters of Janay Edwards of Shelton, the black student, say Kacinski committed a hate crime.
But Kacinski's attorney, Robert Kolesnik Jr. of Waterbury, said in a prepared statement Thursday that Kacinski's actions were "the result of years of gross mistreatment" by Edwards, and the "uncaring, negligent failure of the school to assist" his client, "who repeatedly cried out for help."
Kolesnik said his client was "harassed and bullied" by Edwards for 2 years and that while she reported the incidents to various school officials, nothing was done.
He said the harassment became "so severe" that Kacinski considered suicide.
Kolesnik said his client "finally boiled over and fought back" on March 1.
That happened after he said Edwards called his client a "stupid, white bitch."
In the confrontation, Kacinski reportedly told Edwards that she would get a group of people to burn down her house and that Edwards "better watch her back or she'd be hanging in a tree."
But Kolesnik said those threats were "obviously not genuine and were obviously not going to be carried out." Police Chief Kevin Hale said the investigation of the incident continues.
"We are taking this matter very seriously," said Hale, adding that a number of people will be interviewed in the case.
"The African-American community has a grave interest in the outcome of this case," said Greg Johnson, president of the NAACP's Ansonia chapter.
School officials initially handled the incident as an internal matter before being pressured by Edwards' family and the local NAACP, which pushed for the criminal investigation.
Johnson said his group has also recommended diversity and sensitivity training for O'Brien staff and students.
Kolesnik said the NAACP's "failure to take any steps to learn the true facts" and taking "such a one-sided approach to this type of case is, at best, hypocritical and erodes their credibility as an organization that supports fair and equal treatment."
Lisa Hylwa, the school's principal, could not be reached Thursday for comment.
Well in our culture, you can't hate or be openly racist against anyone EXCEPT whites...nice.
I have no idea who in this case is lying or telling or the truth. They all sound like a bunch of morons.
The second time school officials ignored her reports about being harrassed for being white, her folks should have gotten a lawyer.
The leftists have defined how the game must be played so they shouldn't whine when we use their rule book.
The sad thing is that the press reports that both sides used epithets in the argument, but the force of law comes down on the white kid.
Not to mention the sad fact that a schoolyard spat gets blown out of proportion by the NAACP, lawyers, the local police and they want to give the whole school forced propaganda (sensitivity training).
If you have spent time in and around schools you find these catfights are not uncommon.Most of the time it is intra rather than inter racial but every so often it crosses race lines.
The victim is most likely to be of the minority population of a particular school.For example,a black kid will be harassed constantly at a mostly Asian school but an Asian kid will be tormented and messed with at a mostly black school.We have very few white kids in our district but for the most part they keep to their own little clique.More Mexicans than ever in our town which means more infighting between Nortenos and Surenos.
I agree. The fact that this is even in a courtroom is completely ridiculous. I thank God every day that I don't have to go to school anymore. Don't know what I'll do with kids when the time comes.
Public school hell-hole alert.
So where is the NAACP regarding gangster rap?
Threatening to murder, abuse, etc (and that's putting it kindly) is just fine on a mass scale there...
"The African-American community has a grave interest in the outcome of this case," said Greg Johnson, president of the NAACP's Ansonia chapter.
Hmmm. Threats are no longer threats if the attorney says they aren't going to be carried out? I guess my definition of threats isn't the same as his..
Back up a bit with that statement. I am all for discussing racial issues in a frank manner, but your statement sounds a bit like Strom Thurmond circa the 40's.
Excuse me, but this happened in South Carolina in 2005 and I can assure you the parent of the child that was attacked could care less about what Strom Thrumond or anybody else did back in the 40's.
You know exactly what comment I was referring to. #14, removed by moderator. I was not referring to the above comment. You are excused.
"Why can't we all just get along?"
Thanks!
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