Letter on school problems takes winding path to Journal

Letter on school problems takes winding path to Journal

November 22, 2001

By Aspen C. Emmett
Journal Staff Writer

A letter addressing racial tensions at the high school from five MCHS faculty members never reached its intended destination, apparently be-cause of an ill-mannered colleague.

The letter written by Lou Ann Burkett was never sent to school-board President Steve Hinton because it was defaced, according to Burkett. However, the letter, thought to have been destroyed, was mailed anonymously to the Journal and offered not only many suggestions for overcoming problems involving racial issues at the school, but also suggested strife among faculty and staff members.

The letter proposed cultural-diversity programs and activities that promote tolerance and acceptance in response to a widely debated remark by Principal Mark Rappe in which he used the term "Navajo gypsies" to refer to highly mobile students.

At no point did Burkett’s letter take a stand as to whether the disputed term "Navajo gypsies" was racist or inappropriate.

While the letter was laid out for signatures in the teachers’ lounge, someone wrote on it, "This should have stayed in the teacher meeting, then none of this crap would be taking place!"

Someone, apparently a different individual, wrote, "Ditto!" beneath.

Burkett said she disposed of the letter and does not know who did the graffiti, nor does she know who sent a copy of the letter anonymously to the Journal.

Burkett confirmed, however that she had written the letter and it had been signed by four other teachers who no longer wished to put their name to the letter.

Surprised that the letter was being circulated in the community, Burkett was concerned that she was left to stand alone on its contents.

"Someone must have taken it out of the trash," she said.

"I had intended to (send it), but then it got graffitied on and I thought, ‘Well, I’m not getting any staff support for that,’ and I talked to the other folks that had signed it and a couple of them asked that their signatures be removed so I threw the letter away. I didn’t feel like standing on my own on it, I wanted it to be a group."

Hinton did not return phone calls to the Journal Wednesday. Re-1 Superinten-dent Bill Thompson said he was not aware of the letter.