Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Statement of Facts for West Bend False Racism Accuser

This is very telling.  Here are some highlights. 

At 2:12 and 53 seconds cameras show the 15 year old student entering the stairwell. The cameras do not show any students following her into the stairwell. At 2:13 and 49 seconds outside surveillance cameras show the victim walking to a car in the parking lot.

At approximately 2:15 p.m. the 15 year old and her mother reported the egging incident to school officials. School officials checked the stairwell and did not find any egg shells in the stairwell. They observed a spot of liquid on the stairs that they described as an egg mixture.

So there was nobody else in the stairwell and she reported the incident all of 1 minute and 11 seconds after she exited the building. 

On Thursday, October 9, 2008 at approximately 9:20 a.m. the 15 year student reported she was walking down some stairs when a male came behind her, pushed her down, and stated “put this on the news.”

[...]

A school official was in the hallway and was watching the 15 year old student. The school official reported that no one stopped and talked to the 15 year old while she was in the hallway.

Completely fabricated.

On Monday, October 13, 2008 the 15 year old student stated that at 9:15 a.m. a male student walked past her in a hallway and made an offensive statement referring to her race.

[...]

That male was interviewed and he denied making any such statement. During the interview officers learned this subject has a step-father and sisters that are African-American.

Yeah… uh huh.

On Wednesday, October 15, 2008 the 15 year old student reported that at approximately 10:15 a.m. a female student bumped her and stated “I’ll teach you about showing your face around here.” A school official was following the 15 year old and he did not observe anyone bump the 15 year old, nor did he hear anyone say anything to the 15 year old girl. Investigators viewed the surveillance from the hallway. They observed the 15 year old in the hallway, and no one is observed bumping her. The surveillance also depicts the school official walking behind the 15 year old.

Lie.

As mentioned above video surveillance shows the victim made false allegations. We interviewed students who have lockers in the vicinity of the alleged victim. None of the students reported seeing or hearing anyone threaten or make inappropriate comments to the alleged victim. We interviewed present and past African-American students of the West Bend High Schools. None of these students gave any statements that supported the claims made by the 15 year old female in the above incidents. We briefed school staff and had them pay special attention and later follow the 15 year old in an attempt to identify possible suspects. Not only did the staff not observe any violations, but they were following the student when she made false allegations.

Bam. 

This doesn’t look like a case of a girl trying to get attention and the whole thing snowballing.  This looks like a deliberate attempt to create a pattern of harassment for which they could sue the district.  Furthermore, the mother was clearly in on it and driving it.  These are just a couple of racial con artists. 

The West Bend East administration deserves a lot of praise for handling this just right.  They took the accusations of racism seriously and investigated them.  They went further to actively monitor and supervise the girl to make sure that she was not being harassed.  Their actions have saved the taxpayers of West Bend a lawsuit and they deserve to be commended.

(9) Comments
Posted by Owen at 1748 hrs
Culture + Law + Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

  1. Sometimes it is good to sit back and let “the system” work.  After initially hearing the allegations, and being in West Bend, I started being a little more observant at some of the public places in town, and noticed quite a few “mixed” groups of young people.  My first inclination was that she was being harrassed/bullied for reasons other than race, good to hear that actually there was nothing of that sort happening.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 21, 2008 at 1830 hrs


  2. It is good to hear that there are still school officials who acts on racism. Even if it turned out false, at least they were able to investigate and not shrug it off.

    Posted by che of teak furniture on October 21, 2008 at 1942 hrs


  3. School officials did well in this situation.

    The best way to protect a kid or an/the accused is to take the matter seriously,  investigate quickly and impartially.

    That is also the best way to avoid a lawsuit form the “victim” or the accused.

    Side note: My feelings are that the students would have enforced the out of hand students doing this to her.

    Unfortunately, for the other black kids in this school, or anywhere else this story played out, it will be harder for them to be taken seriously if the situation was real. Crying Wolf! is never a good strategy.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 21, 2008 at 2005 hrs


  4. Thats some pretty good documentation.  Suprising but when I assumed this was a kid in need of attention I was giving her and her mom ENTIRELY too much credit…

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 21, 2008 at 2042 hrs


  5. Now I want to know the fines and possible jail time for filing false reports, lying to police, and tarnishng the reputations of all those folks as well as the district. Racial attacks are indeed wrong but why do we treat false accusers any differantly than actual attackers? The effect is the same. If you attack someone because of their race, sexual orientation, etc, it is to use that individual to instill fear in that group but if you use the legal system to falsely accuse someone because of their race, sexual orientation, etc you are given a pass? In this case they are getting a couple of obstruction tickets but I am curious why we have enhancers for racial issues everywhere else but in the case of a false accusation. Here they went after a group, a school. Imagine if it had been more targeted. Reputations, personalities, relationships, can all be destroyed and the result is a simple ticket that won’t be paid anyway.

    I just am continuously amazed at how certain groups find it so easy to destroy using a scattergun attack hoping somewhere, sometime, something will stick while not having to feel any consequences of such actions.

    Posted by fishaddict on October 22, 2008 at 1107 hrs


  6. Sharpton sighting in 10… 9… 8… 7….

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 22, 2008 at 1502 hrs


  7. No Sharpton sighting yet, but our local version of Al, Eugene Kane, in his column this morning is making some veiled threats of “protests” by African Americans to take place in West Bend…..

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 23, 2008 at 0850 hrs


  8. Yeah, as a student of West Bend east for Four years, (i ahve been out for a little over 2 years) but much hasn’t changed since then. False alagations and lieing to the police is a crime, but the minute she is prosecuted, it will be considered racism, which is obsurd. For once the West Bend Police did a damn good job on something. I hope they protest, because myself and several others will be sure to protest the protestors.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 23, 2008 at 1113 hrs


  9. I just looked at the Kane column - I guess it doesn’t take much to have a “major happening” in this area - he actually links this situation to the “Jena Six”?  - for pete’s sake, someone allegedly got egged/pushed/harassed.  No one is talking about attempted murder.

    If there are “protests”, I would suggest that it be combined with an Obama appearance in West Bend - we could use the excitement.  Have the “protest” at the high school.  Within view of the high school is the Old Courthouse Museum - the tower has balconies facing four directions - Obama supporters could lay prostrate on the lawn of the courthouse museum - Obama could be standing on the east balcony.  He could spread peace and goodwill (the wealth spreading comes later - I think after the first 100 days of office) over West Bend.  With the right timing & cooperation from the weather, you can get a nice sundown which makes for an excellent visual backdrop to the Old Courthouse Museum.  Heck, the thought of a nice fall sundown glowing from behind Obama might even make my leg tingle too, not just Chris Matthews’s.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 23, 2008 at 1211 hrs


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