St. Augustine High School is a Catholic school in New Orleans infamous for its continuing use of corporal punishment.
A couple years back, education consultant Dr. Monica Applewhite was hired to review the school's paddle policy. Applewhite's findings were unfavorable to this procedure.
Now an alumni association for St. Augustine grads is suing Applewhite just because her report is unfavorable to the school.
I wonder what Louisiana's rules against SLAPP lawsuits are. If I was the judge, I'd fine the living dickens out of the alumni association and its lawyer for filing such an obviously frivolous suit.
And why does the alumni association even think it has standing to sue if the alleged "victim" is the school? Shouldn't the school be the plaintiff instead? Not like it's any less frivolous if the school sues. Then again, I've noticed that if a school does anything stupid, that seems to be a ratification of the act's legitimacy in the eyes of the media.
If St. Augustine's alumni association wins its suit, that's a sure sign our country's judicial system is at a new low.
(Source: http://www.wwltv.com/news/St-Augustine-alumni-suing-doctor-who-conducted-corporal-punishment-review-122900574.html)
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Consultant sued for criticizing paddling
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Fascist discipline policy...check
ReplyDeleteSupport for it by the media...check
Frivolous lawsuit to shut critics up...check
Diagnosis: Brossart syndrome!
There's a blog post with a link to one of the documents the plaintiffs filed at http://facebookwatcher.blogspot.com/2011/06/st-augustines-high-school.html . The lawsuit does not exactly seem well thought out. and Aymond recently said that he'd also heard from students who'd been injured.
ReplyDeleteI was going to let this go, but that can't happen. I am an alumnus of St. Aug and respectfully I must challenge your take on this situation.
ReplyDelete1. I spoke to a junior who says that behavior among the younger students (6th through 9th graders) has gotten worse since this fiasco started.
2. St. Augustine students and alumni have been lauded for YEARS because of how we conduct ourselves in public, in school, and in the workplace. One visitor walked through the hallways and thought school was out of session because it was so quiet. As an alum, I explained to him that students were in class listening while teachers were teaching. SOME of us call that education.
3. The paddle is not a first or sole option in the discipline policy. Teachers who abuse the policy are, and have always been, taken to task or let go.
4. Parents sign an agreement to allow the use of the paddle. Currently parents are considering pulling their kids out of the school, because THEY see the difference in discipline.
5. Alumni point to the school's discipline policies as a key factor in their success paths. My brother, who is a graduate, said that Marine Corps boot camp was "almost easy" for him because of St. Aug.
6. Students are treated with respect and dignity. Sidney Barthelemy, former mayor of New Orleans, said he was surprised when his teachers referred to him as "Mr. Barthelemy". That practice still exists.
7. You will not find alumni sitting in corners crying in the fetal position because of the paddle. That goes directly against the archbishop's claim that the paddle compromises self-esteem.
8. The school has consistently maintained a collegebound rate of 95% for years. Our graduates dot the college landscape from Harvard to Stanford. The other 5% normally move on to serve our country in the military with many achieving prestigious ranks.
9. For almost 35 years St. Aug had more Presidential Scholars than any other Louisiana school. Every year, we produce National Merit Scholars and our students collects thousands of dollars of scholarships. I believe the class of 2011 received about $5 million in scholarships.
10. The injuries of students that the archbishop heard from had not been reported to the State of Louisiana, as required by state law, according to reports. What gives?
It's interesting that we live in a society where parents of all walks of life are so willing to force their kids to play in sports that could paralyze them or end their lives at any given point but a whack on the butt is the end of the world as we know it.
Our gripe, as alumni, is about the archbishop's painting a picture of random brutality when that is far from the case. I know the facts about the school's track record of discipline. I'm very suspicious of Dr. Applewhite's report.
What we cannot understand is this...There are so many other options out there besides paddling that have less potential for abuse. Why does any school today need to paddle??
ReplyDeleteTo Aonymous. Yes there are other options other than paddling. But why remove something because others who have no real vested interest in the success of these students, subjectively determines it to be negative. St. Augustine is not a public school, as such students are not forced to attend.
ReplyDeleteParents do, however, send their students there both for the prestige and the discipline, which are undoubtedly intertwined. Now it seems that that prestige and discipline are under attack. To be sure, a way of life is under attack. At the outset of this debacle, the Archbishop of New Orleans attributed the violence in New Orleans both directly and indirectly to the paddling at St. Augustine. He provided no proof however, and later retracted the statement, issuing a formal apology.
This sort of "smart" subjective observations of the African American Community has no place in modern day America. A delicate approach to any issues regarding the rearing of African American youth (especially in the South) should be approached with the utmost care. It is a shame that the Archbishop believes that this is the most pressing issue facing our community, as there are still schools in the New Orleans area, under his supervision, who have reputation for not admitting African Americans. This, I would argue, has far more reaching impact on the phycological health of African -Americans, than physical discipline. However, there is little to no action being taken to address these concerns.
There are countless studies that show that African-Americans suffer from depression at a far higher rate than other groups (which some hypothesize stems from inherited depression that is directly relatable to slave era African-Americans). I digress, if you're not from New Orleans or from Louisiana, then you may not understand. However, if you are, it would behoove you to check out St. Aug's history, check out the Alumni, the charity, the athletics, and see for yourself that its more than about paddling kids. Its about a way of life.
Chuck Toney
St. Augustine High School Class of 2002
Southeastern Louisiana University Class of 2006
Southern University Law Center Class of 2011
For the record, paddling was a frequent occurrence in Campbell County, Kentucky, when I attended school there.
ReplyDeleteIt did not work out well. At all.
I attended St. Augustine High from 1983-1987. I never witnessed one incident of abuse. The teachers were professional, encouraging, and the environment was always discipline. The paddle for nearly 60 years but it's not the only mode of discipline at the school.
ReplyDeleteSt. Augustine student body, alumni, and community are in favor of keeping the paddle.
We want to keep this practice!!
Proud graduate
C/O 1987
I went to several schools that had corporal punishment. I DID see abuse at my schools.
ReplyDeleteIf it's abuse, it's abuse, and students have a basic right to be free from it.