Former Mifflin Principal Claims Discrimination
This is outrageous! The woman who was principal at the time of an alleged sexual assault at *Mifflin High School (the one being charged for not reporting the crimes to police) is claiming that she is being targeted because she's a black woman. Regina Crenshaw's lawyer on Wednesday entered a pretrial motion to dismiss the charges of failure to report child abuse. Her attorney said Crenshaw has been singled out and prosecuted because she is a black female while other administrators in similar situations were not.
This issue is not about black or white, racism, or even discrimination. This is an issue of responsibility. The bottom line is this: This woman failed to do her job. Instead of doing what she was supposed to do (protect the children of her school) she opted not to report a crime for fear of any negative publicity. And how does she handle her failure? She is saying that the only reason she's being charged with any wrongdoing is because she's a black woman.
"IT'S A CONSPIRACY!!!"
Is this not the tone in America these days? Why can't anybody accept responsibility anymore? I was watching an episode of Andy Griffith last night. You know what, GOD BLESS the Andy Griffith Show! I wish more shows were like it these days. Anyway, in this particular episode Opie had done something wrong (I think he broke a window). Andy basically told him that he would have to accept responsibility for his actions and make amends. A guy standing nearby (who himself had just broken a law) told Andy to let Opie go -- you know, "bail him out." Andy's response was that Opie has to learn to "stand on his own two feet."
Those were days when responsibility, integrity, and respect were the defining traits of most people's character. Today, however, things have changed. Instead of owning up to our shortcomings or mistakes we blame someone else, hire a lawyer, and try to slither our way out.
For example: Do you remember the teenagers who were garage jumping in Florida earlier this year? Do you remember the one, Timothy Paul Bargfrede, who didn't make it across and ended up falling six stories to the ground? Well he survived, but his parents' attorney, Vincent D'Assaro, filed a lawsuit against the city of Orlando and the private garage owner. D'Assaro said the fence guarding the garage was "very, very short" and inadequate to prevent a teen from (deliberately) making the jump. The family said "both garages need to take responsibility." ....... *sigh* So I guess the owners of the parking garages, along with the City of Orlando, are the ones to blame for this kid's actions instead of the parents or the teen himself???? Give me a break!
Last night, after our devotions, my wife and I spent about an hour confessing certain things to each other that needed to be confessed. We had failed each other in certain areas, and confessing these failures was hard to do. But you know what? There is something redemptive about admitting when you're wrong. To deny yourself the luxury of blaming someone else and taking on the cross of responsibility for your own actions initiates something holy in your relationships with God and others. There is something fundamentally selfless to admit when you're wrong.
I can only hope that we Christians can have an impact on this culture. Will we be any different than they? Will we be humble enough to accept the blame? Will we be selfless enough to admit when we are wrong? Maybe if we would have just the slightest trace of the humility of Christ, who accepted the blame for things He never did, we might see redemptive change in ourselves and in our relationships with God and man.
God help us.
*For more, see Glenn Beck on the Mifflin High School Rape Issue
4 Comments:
I could not agree with you more. Your last paragraph especially rings true.
I agree Sean. (Period)
Just a little FYI though, in the Mifflin case, and not that this changes the situation, there was a superintendent in the building making the decisions. The principal, and assistant principals did what they were told by their boss. Then the assistant pricipals were transfered, and the principal was fired.
The superintendent, so far, has not been mentioned in the media, and I do not know what is happening to him.
I did not know that Crenshaw had filed suit until I read your post, and I have no insight as to her intentions.
I am merely pointing out that there is a lot more to this story than meets the eye. As is the case with most situations.
I think that Crenshaw needed to be fired, I think that the assistans, and the superintendant do too.
-Matt
Matt,
Thank-you for the clarification. The bottom line is that a crime occurred to a child entrusted to the care and protection by school officials and no one did anything about it and no one is accepting responsibility. The Columbus City school districts have a track record of corruption and this incident is a glaring example of the systematic breakdown from the top to the bottom.
I guess part of my outrage was the fact that she was playing the "race card." Give me a break.
I continue to agree with you 100% on this matter Sean.
What I find just as outrageous is the legal system in this country, in regards to this kind of suit.
I have had to fight three lawsuits for different types of discrimination from former employees. (I won all of them, as they were all frivolous) The reasons that most employees file discrimination lawsuits in Ohio are this:
1) In the state of Ohio there is no such thing as wrongfull termination. We have what is called the "right to work" act. Essentially, it says that you have the right to quit a job with or without notice, and with or without reason. Therefore, an employer has the right to terminate you with or without notice, and with or without cause or reason. (The exception to this is if you have a contract for your job, then the contract can state different terms.)
So if you feel that you are wrongfully terminated, your ONLY recourse is one of two things. You can either accept it and move on, or you can hire an attorney who will file a discrimination suit for you.
2) Second reason. Many times, (In all three cases I fought), the Civil Rights Commission will foot the bill for all your legal cost. In fact, the Civil Rights Commission will make a ruling outside of the court system, and "they" will punish you without the judicial system, and you have to fight them with an attorney. Your attorney then fights for you, within the CRC's system! If you are fighting a Civil RIghts case, it can cost thousands and thousands of dollars, and the CRC pays the employee's bills (essentially your tax dollars at work), and the employer pays his/her own.
All three of my cases were founf to be "without warrant" and the cheapest one cost me $7,500 to fight. It cost the employee $0.
So, as much as I am outraged with this Mifflin School thing, it grieves me every time I see a discrimination suit filed for being terminated fom a job. More than likely, the attorneys told the client that if they want to fight their employer, the only way to do it is to file some type of discrimination charge, and by the way, if you do that, it is free.
The entire system is so unrighteous, and so far from what our founding fathers wanted. As an employer in a Godless society, it is scary to hire anyone.
I don't want to drag this debate on, or to give Mrs. Crenshaw any excuse whatsoever. She did not uphold her responsibility to the child. (period) And I do not know anything about her charges, or why she filed them.
Okay.. I am done venting.
-Matt
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