Probe follows squashed protest

Among issues: Some staff lack American Sign Language fluency

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

State officials are looking at practices at the N.C. School for the Deaf after administrators last week squashed a protest planned by high school students and possibly some staff members.

Four students were suspended and three staff members put on administrative leave last week after school administrators stopped a protest that would have disrupted classes, said Dwight Pearson, director of the Office of Education Services, the state department that oversees the school.

Several students planned the protest to raise concerns they had about practices and policies at the Morganton institution, including cell phone use, athletics, quality of education and ability to communicate with all members of the staff, Pearson said.

He said students were not suspended for planning a protest but for "harassing other students." Neither Pearson nor school officials would say what prompted staff members to be put on leave, citing personnel laws, but said they were being investigated with regard to a single incident related to the protest.

Amid last week's controversy, Linda Lindsey, the school's director, said she would step down from the top post April 1 to take a job with the Office of Education Services in Raleigh. Principal Janet McDaniel will be interim director while the state launches a national search to fill the role.

Lindsey said the administration heard about the protest, which was planned to take place during the school day on Feb. 25, a few days beforehand.

"We became aware that (the protest) might involve a number of people from off campus," Lindsey said. "Monday was an operational day for us, and the safety of our students and staff is paramount all the time."

To learn more about the planned protest, administrators decided to talk with boarding students, who spend the week at the school and go home on weekends, when they returned to campus Sunday evening, Lindsey said.

About 20 high school students met with staff at the campus chapel and broke into small groups to talk about their concerns, Lindsey said. About 35 high school students live on the campus during the week, she said, and those who didn't know about the protest or didn't want to participate in the meeting were excused.

Students were separated during the meeting, Lindsey said, and created a list of wants and needs.
"We were trying to let it be the kids' meeting," she said.

Though some of their requests included being able to watch R-rated movies and play Mature-rated video games, other concerns revolved around quality of education and ability to communicate with administrators, said David Abundis, whose 15-year-old daughter, Danielle, is a sophomore at the school.

The school has procedures in place for students to bring their concerns to administrators, Lindsey said, such as going through representatives on the student body or by talking to or e-mailing staff requests for meetings.

Another big concern for some of the students and parents, Abundis said, was that Lindsey and some other staff were not fluent in American Sign Language.

"It's only fair for them to have administrators they can communicate with," said Abundis, who lives in Charlotte. "That's why the students are there in the first place."

Pearson and school administrators held a meeting with about 20 parents Thursday at the school to talk about the protest and any concerns. Because students who attend the school are from all over the western part of the state, not all parents were able to make the meeting.

Several issues were raised by parents, Pearson said, and in response state officials are planning to do an analysis that would look at executive communication, ways to improve education, fostering more parental involvement and getting all staff members involved in the total school program.

"We'll be looking at all the issues that are contributing to challenges at the school," he said.

About the N.C. School for the Deaf
The school, established in 1894, is one of two state institutions for the deaf and hearing impaired and serves day and boarding students ages 5 to 21.

The Morganton campus, about 70 miles northwest of Charlotte, caters to about 100 deaf and hearing-impaired students from across Western North Carolina and operates under the state's Office of Education Services in Raleigh.

The other facility, the Eastern N.C. School for the Deaf, is in Wilson and was established in 1964.
SOURCES: N.C. School for the Deaf and Eastern N.C. School for the Deaf

All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.