A pair of incidents have recently landed Conroe ISD in the news. In one, a Conroe ISD trustee argued that displays of “racial inclusivity and pride” in classrooms raised their concern and should be removed. In the other, a Conroe ISD bus aide was caught on a bus camera striking a student and has since been fired.
ABC-13 reported that the trustee, Melissa Dungan, wants an existing policy stating that political displays in the classroom are not appropriate to be taken to include a poster showing the hands of people of different races. When pressed on the issue, Dungan would not commit to calling the poster objectionable, instead telling the outlet that the board should adopt a stricter standard and adhere to state standards that bar teachers from putting up any displays not related to what they are teaching.
Dungan, who ran for her position as a trustee as a “Christian conservative” is part of the “mama bear” takeover that the school board has had to deal with recently. In November 2022, Dungan and two other candidates, Tiffany Nelson and Misty Odenweller ran and won on conservative platforms focused on safeguarding children from what they described as radical indoctrination. Based on Odenweller’s comments to ABC-13 where she asks if it is legal for the poster to be displayed, at least one other “mama bear” supports Dungan’s position.
Following a viral video, Conroe ISD fired one of its bus aides after they were depicted on camera striking a student with an object while other students watched. The district has not yet released the name of the ex-employee, according to reports from KPRC-2 but students say they have never witnessed anything like what they saw on that bus ride.
Alexa Perez, a 17-year-old student in Conroe ISD, told KPRC “I was honestly shocked, I never expected that I would see someone that is supposed to be a role model and a leader in our school, like a staff member. I would never think that they would put their hands on a kid,” Perez recalled. “He was going at it, he was just mercilessly hitting this kid.”
Conroe ISD officials say that they are working with the Conroe Police Department to file the appropriate charges based on the video evidence. In addition to being investigated by the CPD, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Public Integrity Section is also investigating the former employee.
Conroe ISD discussed its next steps in a statement released on Aug 10: “We are disturbed by this unacceptable behavior which is not representative of our hundreds of hard-working transportation staff. The individual is no longer employed by the District, and the Conroe ISD Police Department is completing their investigation with the expectation of pursuing criminal charges.”
from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/fOzrUmH
via FWG
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