"Taunton officials dispute reports on Jesus sketch; Say boy not suspended, no evaluation ordered" by David Abel, Globe Staff | December 16, 2009
TAUNTON - City officials sharply disputed yesterday widely distributed reports that a local elementary school suspended a second-grader and required the boy to undergo a psychological evaluation for drawing a picture of Jesus on the cross.
??????????
Kind of an important part of the story, no?
The story, initially reported by the local newspaper, raised questions of religious bias days before Christmas and was broadcast by local television stations and other news media. Making the story more compelling, the boy’s father held court for much of the day at his girlfriend’s apartment, granting interviews to reporters from Providence to Boston, demanding that the school district compensate him for his family’s pain and suffering.
“It hurts me that they did this to my kid,’’ Chester Johnson, the boy’s father, said in an interview with the Globe. “They can’t mess with our religion. They owe us a small lump sum for this.’’
But school officials say that the account in yesterday’s Taunton Daily Gazette was rife with errors and that the father’s description of what happened is untrue.
“The report is totally inaccurate,’’ Julie Hackett, superintendent of the Taunton public schools, said in an interview in her office yesterday. “The inaccuracies in the original media story have resulted in a great deal of criticism and scrutiny of the system that is unwarranted.’’
Don't worry, you get used to them.
Dino F. Ciliberti, editor of the Gazette, did not return calls yesterday.
Hackett said the student, age 9, was never suspended and that neither he nor other students at the Maxham Elementary School were asked by the teacher to sketch something that reminded them of Christmas or any religious holiday, as the Gazette and other media reported and the father suggested, although his story changed as he explained it....
Notice how Christmas is such a bugger while Hanukkah is not?
She said the drawing was seen as a potential cry for help when the student identified himself, rather than Jesus, on the cross, which prompted the teacher to alert the school’s principal and staff psychologist. As a result, the boy underwent a psychological evaluation.
She declined to comment on the results of the evaluation or whether the teacher had reason to believe that the student was crying out for help. The boy’s father showed reporters a report indicating his son was not a threat to himself or others and could return to school....
School officials said the newspaper had an ax to grind, citing an opinion piece Ciliberti posted yesterday on the Gazette’s website, in which he called the school’s actions “a shame’’ and argued that the district “turned this into a major story.’’
Hackett said the Gazette published its story without giving the district time to investigate the allegations. “The approach that is often taken is that an editorial or article in the local newspaper is completely inaccurate, but it gets published before anyone checks the facts,’’ she said.
Or they IGNORE, LIE and DISTORT them!!!
Maybe Taunton has other things to worry about at the moment?
"Taunton airline parts plant will close" by Associated Press | December 17, 2009
TAUNTON - Executives at a Taunton airline parts manufacturer say they plan to close the plant, putting more than 100 people out of work.
Hey, that's what happens when you taunt the Lord, right?
Lightning bolt from the sky.
Esterline Haskon Aerospace sent a letter to employees saying the operation is closing because of the recession, price competition, and decreased demand for the rubber seals the company makes for airplane doors and windows. Operations will be consolidated at a larger facility in Brea, Calif. The date of the shutdown has not been determined, but the company said workers will be given 60 days’ notice. Plant manager Vito Gallo told the Taunton Daily Gazette that terms of the shutdown and whether employees will be offered severance or jobs elsewhere within the company have not been determined.
--more--"
Merry Xmas, Taunton.
