I Call This Vile Bullying

[first published: September 19, 2008]

This article appeared in the Pasadena Weekly, our "Alternative" weekly, which basically all of the journalistic community in Southern California has sanctified.

What I mean is, no investigation has been initiated, no investigative journalistic article* or essay, from the thousands of journalists in all of massive Los Angeles... [do you get the picture? its really big] has been written, (written down at least).

*except, by Susan Henderson

Not one elected leader spoke up, at least that I have heard of [I would welcome correcting on this].

Not one religious leader spoke up, at least that I have heard of [I would welcome correcting on this].

Not one artist spoke up, until now, at least that I have heard of [I would welcome correcting on this].

Not even enough criticism even has been issued, from the local "tongues" - i.e. "us"

of this open bullying of our public school district, PUSD, by the Pasadena Weekly as is evidenced by this 2006 article. "Violence of the tongue is very real..." wrote Mother Theresa, "wounding and creating bitterness that only the grace of God can heal".

This article is "violence of the tongue":
• wounding? PUSD - yes. The children of PUSD - yes as well.
• creating bitterness? in the community against PUSD? - yes as well.

mission accomplished.

I call this bullying. I call this writing bash journalism.

I also call this right-wing propaganda [the Right having viciously attacked public education all over the Internet (media!) to an alarming degree. Here "they" are attempting to demean public education via sensationalistic and abusive tabloid media.] This is part of a larger, Southland (and beyond) problem, of an over-abundance of "hate-media" flooding the airwaves.

I also call this, racism.

I also ask why a man who was suing the school district was used as a "source" for articles on the organization he was suing all along.

I also call this, unacceptable.

- - - - - - - - -

excerpts:
"That stuff is going to haunt him for the rest of his life. I just figured the more information people have, the better off we all are. People ought to know what they're getting," Amy said.

Amy made headlines earlier this week when he sued the district for not releasing documents regarding the PUSD's All-Star Marching Band in this year's Rose Parade.

Going through withdrawal

Clark takes himself out of the running for Cleveland schools CEO post
By André Coleman

Pasadena Unified School District Superintendent Percy Clark's harshest critic may be responsible for Clark staying in Pasadena, at least for the time being.

Clark has withdrawn his name as a candidate for the CEO position at the Cleveland Municipal School District after members of a search team there learned of a sex and drug scandal involving Clark when he worked in the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township in Indianapolis.

Rene Amy, who runs an Internet listserve on education, said he contacted the Cleveland Plain Dealer after reading stories in that paper about Clark's candidacy and told a reporter where to find stories about incidents that cost Clark his superintendent's position in Lawrence Township.

"I guess I should have kept my little mouth shut," Amy said.

Amy said he wasn't shocked that Clark had withdrawn his application for the job in Cleveland, a hiring competition in which Clark placed in the top five of 38 candidates.

"That stuff is going to haunt him for the rest of his life. I just figured the more information people have, the better off we all are. People ought to know what they're getting," Amy said.

Clark did not return calls for comment.

Schools spokeswoman Janet Pope Givens confirmed Clark has withdrawn his candidacy for the Cleveland job, but would not elaborate.

According to one source who asked not to be identified, Clark withdrew from the running shortly after a reporter with the Plain Dealer called Clark to inquire about a drug overdose he suffered following public exposure of his affair with a Lawrence school district subordinate. Clark worked in Lawrence Township from 1982 to 1996.

In Pasadena, Clark came under intense fire after the Board of Education unanimously voted to follow his recommendation to shutter four elementary schools to close a $6.5 million budget deficit. Layoffs and cutbacks were all part of a budget-cutting process sparked by a severe decline in enrollment. Then, in December, the Altadena Town Council had its Education Subcommittee investigate the possibility of seceding from the PUSD.

Marvin Edwards, a member of Hazard, Young and Attea Associates, the firm heading up the search for a new CEO for Cleveland schools, confirmed Clark's withdrawal, but declined to elaborate.

Two people who were interviewed by the executive headhunting firm said they spoke of the affair and the subsequent drug overdose, which was covered extensively by the Indianapolis Star.

Amy made headlines earlier this week when he sued the district for not releasing documents regarding the PUSD's All-Star Marching Band in this year's Rose Parade.

03-02-2006

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