To whom it may concern,
On Weds Oct 6th 2010. Both my son's were RPC from D. O. H. S. Thursday morning I called to schedule a appt. with the Dean Ms. K , her secretary told me she was busy all day with other apts. I ask if my son who is a senior would be able to go to his homecoming dance, and she informed me that he would not be able to attend. And that they would refund my forty dollars. I told her I am not concerned about the money, that I was more worried about the young girl who has her dress and heart set on Homecoming. She placed me on hold and came back and told me sorry. I called a few minutes later to speak with Mr. C the other Dean who was on vacation; I ask to have Ms. K call me back. I waited all day with no response from her.
At this time I felt angry, that she could not even take a few minutes out of her day to deal with a concerned mother...
Monday Oct. 11th, 2010 I called the Dean's office and scheduled our parent teacher conference at 12:30 pm.
I had enough time to speak with my son's and find out what they did. My oldest who is a senior said he wrote on the bathroom wall with a pen, 3 letters. He did not lie to the Dean, because that is how I raised them. Always tell the truth it will get you a lot further than lying. My son was wrong and did a foolish thing and there will be consequence's for his action.
My youngest son the Jr. said he wrote on paper, and that was why he was RPC. That he never tagged as what the RPC note states.
Now back to the day of Oct. 11th - Ms. K takes me and my oldest son in her office and tells him thank you for his cooperation, and telling the truth, and then tells him he is being recommended for expulsion. We are both in tears. I am in total disbelief and know at that time my son is being singled out because he spoke the truth. My son is lacking credits and trying extremely hard to graduate with his class, he is taking other classes to obtain this. He tells her this is what the truth gets me???
At this point as a mother who raised her sons with morals and ethics wishes so badly she would have taught them to lie their asses off. She tells my son we have proof Micheal. Micheal responds, “the only proof you have was me being honest”. This is the truth. She had none but his integrity, and used that to support her own needs to better her career, or use him as a scare tactic for future kids.
I asked her as she is a new Dean and had only been with the school a week, if she even bothered looking at his accomplishments, his attendance, how last year he received student of the month, not once but twice. She responded she does not do that. That is irrelevant to this situation. I understand that what my son did was wrong and if he had not done it in the first place we would not be in this office as of now. But she is about to jack up a 17 year old boy’s life because of his honesty. Something we lack as we age.
So Ms. K isn't done yet, she then tells me and my son to meet officer ? And he takes us to a room. And Imagine this!!!!! My son is Arrested/ Detained/ read his rights. And then given a ticket...
BECAUSE HE WAS HONEST!!!! Something I taught my kids, now I so regret.
He is told to write a statement. Now do I as mother tell my child to lie? And go against every moral and show my child that this is how the world works. NO I tell him to write what happened. That he wrote on the bathroom with a pen, the same type of pen you write with everyday.
Now remember I haven't even had the discussion with her regarding my younger son. My world has just been turned upside down in a matter of an hour, and now I have to go back in with this woman who has just destroyed my oldest son's life, by showing him that the truth only gets you nowhere..
I feel I am about to have a nervous breakdown and feel my knees trembling and hands shaking. But I have to go back in with this lady so she can rip the other piece of me apart.
I proceed into her office with my younger son who said he wrote on paper and that is why they RPC him.
She begins to tell him the same thing, thank you for your cooperation, but Austin you have been called the ring leader of all of this. He giggled as in disbelief and she said this isn’t funny Austin look at your mother.
He tells her I don’t think it's funny that “I just don't believe you”.
I ask her for proof and she doesn't have it on her. That’s because there is none, she has a piece of paper that he wrote on. I tell her when I am in conference calls guess what I doodle. And I draw on paper, so I must be a tagger then. She puts him on suspension for ten days for writing on a piece of paper.
I have a lot of concerns with this Deans action's...
1. Knowing what you were about to do why in the hell would you bring my oldest in first.
2. She has lied to me and my son's, she labeled my youngest by affiliation.
In the real world we have a justice system that does that, but this Dean, deemed herself the jury.
3. She never returned my phone call. And told me we could not have handled this over the phone. I told her that wasn't what I wanted. A simple return call would have showed me some sort of empathy. This is something Ms. Kamrowski lacks.
4. She has lied and lied again, about how she doesn’t make the decision to expel but then on my youngest suspension she used the same code #28. So there is proof.
5. She didn’t take the time to look at either of my kid’s history before she made a judgment. She reacted on her own beliefs, to make herself look good.
6. She just taught everyone in that school to lie when in trouble, it gets you further.
7. She is depriving my son of his education, because of his honesty. Fact if he didn’t tell the truth he would have been suspended for 10 days.
8. She used her authority to make a statement or to better herself. This is a proven fact because out of all the kids involved the only one expelled was the one who spoke the truth.
We wonder why our youth is screwed up. It’s Deans like her who react before knowing, finding or using judgment before they tear apart a kid’s life.
She had other options, but the only option she was after was herself.
Again, please do not mistake my thoughts as dismissing my son’s actions. What he did was wrong. But to use his honesty against him is a little disturbing, especially when he is the only young person out of 5 who spoke the truth regarding the matter at hand. And he is the only student who was expelled.
I have learned one thing out of this. Teach your kids the 5th amendment, never admit fault.. It will be used against you at a later time.
This is something Ms. K failed to tell my son when she integrated him Oct 6, 2010, and then prosecuted him Oct 11th. It’s the same thing but usually there are hearings/ lawyers/ and a jury involved, not ones opinion …
