When Jennifer Sergent’s 13-year old daughter came home from Ione Junior high the day after the election and said her teacher called her a racist, the Ione mom and Mule Creek Correctional Officer was floored. But she was even more shocked to learn of her and her daughter’s “unfair” portrayal in Friday’s edition of the Ledger-Dispatch, which stated that school officials said the girl had a history of behavioral problems. When contacted by phone, the school’s principal, Dr. Bill Murray, says the “behavioral problems” comment did not come from the school and also indicated that he had taken steps to resolve the issue with the teacher. It all began with a complaint to Murray on November 5th, that the girl’s computer class teacher, Kelleen Farrell, had called her a racist in regards to the girl’s questions about why people were crying over Barack Obama’s win. Additionally, the girl claims that Farrell made inappropriate comments in relation to the girl’s support of Proposition 8, the controversial item that will now ban same-sex couples from legally marrying. The 13-year old told her parents that Farrell said, “I hope you grow up to be gay so I can laugh at you when you can’t be with the one you love.” The girl’s parents, Steve and Jennifer Sergent, say they only want the situation to be resolved, and say that other children from Farrell’s class have reported similar situations to their parents. Murray claims that he did arrange for the student and teacher to have a meeting at lunch-time, but since that meeting did not involve the principal or a parent, the girl felt uncomfortable attending the meeting by herself. Sergent says because the principal, nor the teacher, returned her calls, she went to the school last Monday to resolve the issue, which ultimately ended in Sergent being escorted off school grounds by an Ione police officer. The girl’s father, Steve Sergent, relayed the entire story at last Wednesday’s school board meeting, but feels it didn’t do any good as he was only directed to fill out a complaint form. By Jen Wilson.
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When Jennifer Sergent’s 13-year old daughter came home from Ione Junior high the day after the election and said her teacher called her a racist, the Ione mom and Mule Creek Correctional Officer was floored. But she was even more shocked to learn of her and her daughter’s “unfair” portrayal in Friday’s edition of the Ledger-Dispatch, which stated that school officials said the girl had a history of behavioral problems. When contacted by phone, the school’s principal, Dr. Bill Murray, says the “behavioral problems” comment did not come from the school and also indicated that he had taken steps to resolve the issue with the teacher. It all began with a complaint to Murray on November 5th, that the girl’s computer class teacher, Kelleen Farrell, had called her a racist in regards to the girl’s questions about why people were crying over Barack Obama’s win. Additionally, the girl claims that Farrell made inappropriate comments in relation to the girl’s support of Proposition 8, the controversial item that will now ban same-sex couples from legally marrying. The 13-year old told her parents that Farrell said, “I hope you grow up to be gay so I can laugh at you when you can’t be with the one you love.” The girl’s parents, Steve and Jennifer Sergent, say they only want the situation to be resolved, and say that other children from Farrell’s class have reported similar situations to their parents. Murray claims that he did arrange for the student and teacher to have a meeting at lunch-time, but since that meeting did not involve the principal or a parent, the girl felt uncomfortable attending the meeting by herself. Sergent says because the principal, nor the teacher, returned her calls, she went to the school last Monday to resolve the issue, which ultimately ended in Sergent being escorted off school grounds by an Ione police officer. The girl’s father, Steve Sergent, relayed the entire story at last Wednesday’s school board meeting, but feels it didn’t do any good as he was only directed to fill out a complaint form. By Jen Wilson.
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