Students Protest Ongoing Racism and Discrimination Within the Maricopa County Community College District (Phoenix)
On October 12, 2004, one day before the presidential debates in Phoenix, concerned students, educators, parents and citizens will stage a public demonstration against discrimination and hate on the campus of Glendale Community College (GCC) in Glendale, Arizona
Phoenix, AZ ( PRWEB) October 11, 2004 -- Students will take matters into
their own hands in protest of disparaging remarks toward ethnic minorities and
lack of disciplinary action by community college administration to improve a
growing climate of discrimination and fear within the ten campuses of the
Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD).
For one solid year,
ethnic minority students and educators have been the recipients
of
disparaging remarks by GCC Math Professor, Walter Kehowski. Mr. Kehowski
continues to send correspondence via college e-mail and maintains an MCCCD
hosted website of white supremacy and hate.
“You almost always have to
[be] a Marxist whore to get an Education, English or non technical degree
nowadays,” writes Professor Kehowski.
A separate transmission illustrates
Mr. Kehowski’s sentiments toward the ethnically diverse,
300,000 student body
population within MCCCD:
“La Raza, Muslims, Blacks, and other minorities:
milking the white man for everything they
can get---with his willing help,”
writes Kehowski.
MCCCD policy for educator sponsored websites and e-mails
does not coincide with this
continuing practice but has not enforced it’s own
policies. The following excerpt was sent to
MCCCD faculty from a Faculty
Executive Council Meeting:
“It was stated that the current policies are
not enforced because in the past, when an
attempt was made to enforce the
policies, there was an outcry against the disciplinary action. Council discussed
the recent faculty website that was viewed by some students as
racist and
thus had created a hostile environment. Council was asked if it was willing
to
support the enforcement of email/web use policies. The point was made that
new policy
did not need to be created for an issue that happens about once a
year.”
Educators and students have repeatedly filed complaints and made
public pleas to the
Governing Board with little or no response from MCCCD
officials. Judy Poggi and David
Rodriguez, GCC faculty, have recently filed
charges of retaliation after bringing the effects of the disparaging remarks to
light. They claim their professional careers have been in
jeopardy as a
result of speaking out.
“This community college district (MCCCD) has
created a hostile environment that is
damaging the teaching and learning for
students, faculty, and staff,” states Early Childhood
and Child Family
Studies faculty, Judy Poggi.
“Why are my tax dollars being used to host
web pages and distribute e-mail messages
that attack Women, Gays, Blacks,
Latinos, Chinese, and Muslims,” asks David Rodriguez,
GCC faculty
librarian.
The public demonstration will expose and illustrate the climate of
fear, discrimination and lack of action to create an inclusive learning
environment within MCCCD. The protest will begin
at 11:00 AM on the campus of
GCC followed by a rally at 12:00 noon.
Los Angeles filmmaker and civil
rights activist John Carlos Frey will be participating in the
demonstration
amongst other community leaders.
Editor’s Note:
Press
Inquiries:
John Carlos Frey
Gatekeeper Productions, LLC
e-mail
protected from spam bots
213-324-6101
David M. Rodriguez
GCCFaculty
Librarian, Former Libary Department Chair
623-845-3125 Office
602-380-3821
Cell
e-mail protected from spam bots
Judy Poggi
Early Childhood and
Child Family Studies Faculty
602-377-114
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/10/prweb166570.htm