Theodore's World: Students Suspended For Talking About Nooses

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November 26, 2007

Students Suspended For Talking About Nooses


Lee's Summit West High


Students Suspended For Talking About Nooses
Fox news

Accusations of racism in a Lee's Summit high school have lead to suspensions, but now the parents say their kids were unfairly punished.

There's apparently been some racial tension in the band at Lee's Summit West, specifically on the drum line. Students were talked to a couple weeks ago because both the black and white kids were using the "n word" and the band director told them to stop. But then talk about a noose landed a couple kids in big trouble.

Travis Grigsby loves playing drums, but he and his friend Alex Coday weren't able to play for two weeks after they were suspended. It started after the band's performance at a football game. Some kids on the drum line said they were talking about the best knots to use to tie up the drum equipment.

"Someone asked if anybody knew how to tie a noose and Travis did admit he knew how to tie a noose," Kim Grigsby said.

Travis' mom said her son is almost an Eagle Scout, he knew how to tie it, but told his friends he wouldn't because you could get in trouble for that. Later, a black student on the drum line told the teacher he was offended.

"Travis was accused of using a racial slur for saying the word 'noose.' Then he was suspended for 10 days," Kim said.

She said the school district accused the boys of having a racially charged conversation about nooses, but Travis and Alex insist that's not what happened.

"I don't feel they let Alex or Travis tell their side of the story," Kim said.
Alex's parents wrote to the district saying this is pushing the kids apart instead of bringing them together. Other kids and parents agree.
"We just want what's fair for our boys," Kim said. "They're good boys, get good grades, participate in school activities."
The school did shorten the kids' school suspension to only five days, but it will affect their grades.
"They are being punished beyond what is even near reasonable," Kim said.

The school district said it can't comment because of privacy issues, but said no one is aware of any racial tensions at the school. The administrators said they did investigate it thoroughly.


Wild Thing's comment........

I hope and pray at some point in the future Americans will throw off the chains of this PC nonsense. The left has every intention of shutting down any speech they dislike.

Let’s see, anybody heard the song “Dang Me Oughta Take a Rope and Hang Me”, “The Old Home Town Looks the Same” Tom Jones singer. “Hangin Tree”, Marty Robbins. And I can remember metal lunch pails with western scenes which included a noose. I refuse to cave in and give up parts of my culture that another race wants to co-opt and brand as evil.

Posted by Wild Thing at November 26, 2007 12:55 AM


Comments

Aw...jeeezzzzz. As a boy growing up in Colorado, I / we have made plenty of "nooses". Does that mean I am a bad person? That's just the way we played.

This Halloween we made a dummy and a noose and hung it in the tree. The only comments I got were from teens and parents who complimented me on how well made he/she was.

Tell these yo-yo's to get a life. Most of my ancester's were probably shot or hung. You don't see me out there claiming whatever.

Posted by: SSgt Steve, CLC at November 26, 2007 07:58 AM


There are lots of jobs that use "NOOSES." Ranchers, cowboys, those on ships, etc. Come on, NOOSES is NOT a bad word.
They were talking about tying up drum line equipment for crying out loud!
And Sgt Steve, I grew up in Colorado, too--near the foothils and razorbacks on the way up to Morrison, Dillon, etc. (2 miles from the Coors brewery--lucky me, huh?)
We had a Future Farmers of America club and they used NOOSES all the time to round up cattle.
This PC crap is getting out of control.

Posted by: Lynn at November 26, 2007 08:40 AM


My gosh, what is this nation coming to?

Posted by: BobF at November 26, 2007 09:11 AM


They are banning Words now. This is censorship regardless how you spin it. So I guess the fraternity Kappa, Kappa, Kappa is out ?

So now along with banning books by Mark Twain and others they should be able to promote their twisted, noose-like, perverted feel-goodism through out the country. Only trouble with this is the whole country will have been weakened to the point where any resistance is futile.

Posted by: Mark at November 26, 2007 10:25 AM


It is a sign of weakness to let words bother you. We had a similar situation locally with a reading of Mark Twain in school. One Black student was offended. Then it seems that his mother was a Black racial activist and a convert to islam. The school administration could not back pedal fast enough. These protestors have an agenda to tear down the system just because they think they can do it.

If I had kids they would go to private school.

Posted by: TomR at November 26, 2007 12:00 PM


What a load of crap!!!!!!!!! Unless today's kids have come up with a new derogatory meaning for "noose" (remember when gay meant "happy?), this is going way overboard!!! And don't you just love how these idiots always hide behind lame excuses (privacy issues)!!! And if there aren't any racial problems at the school, why did these two kids get suspended???? Sheesh!!!!! Enough to make the Pope swear!!!!!!

Posted by: John at November 26, 2007 12:13 PM


This is what happens when you give pubic headed morons the mandate of authority, the Barney Fife Syndrome prevails.

Posted by: Jack at November 26, 2007 02:15 PM


Race-baiting egomaniacs have squandered the good will of Americans like me - sympathetic to their cause(s), and have turned the entire Civil Rights efforts of the last generation into a mockery, a charade and a joke.

No matter who it is, when you shine the spotlight of "specialness" on any group, whether race or athletes or entertainment celebrities, most of them turn into yammering, infantile buffoons.

The noose issue is worse to this extent: Race problems will never improve until the "specials" begin to take themselves and their causes seriously...from education performance to illegitimacy to crime and to failure.

I'm sick of the whole goddamm thing. Enough is enough. At some point you have to just drop out and save yourself.

Posted by: Rhod at November 26, 2007 05:43 PM


I don't know about nooses, but I hate meeces to pieces.

Posted by: Vinnie at November 26, 2007 07:49 PM


Reason number five million, six hundred and forty-two for Why I Homeschool.

Sgt Steve and Lynn: cowboys did use nooses, and there were many black cowboys (a fact that is either downplayed or ignored these days). So to make this into a racial issue is actually an insult to the black Americans who helped build the West.

But beyond that, how is it that children in a country that ostensibly promotes freedom of speech can be suspended from school for. . . speech? Can you say, hypocrisy?
I knew you could.

Posted by: Trish at November 26, 2007 07:50 PM


As a Lees Summit Parent it is inconceivable to me that our children have to watch their conversations so closely that using the word "Noose" is grounds for a 2 week suspension, racially charged or not. What other words are out there that carry similar penalties.

A two week suspension carries serious consequences to any student trying their best to qualify for scholarships or to just get accepted into a good college, shouldn't the School District publish which words carry such stiff penalties in advance so that both students and parents are aware of them.

That of course will never happen, because the Lee's Summit School District wishes to maintain the illusion that their schools are places of learning where differing opinions can be openly discussed for the purpose of educating our children. In such an environment a list of words that bring a 2 week suspension for their mere mention in conversation could not exist, as the freedom of speech is essential to a quality learning environment.

Why do school administrators always hide behind their blanket policies, this time it’s, "We cannot comment because of privacy issues". I personally experienced these outlandish blanket policies when I had a conversation last year with a school administrator at Lee's Summit North. I found what she was telling me was so outrageous that I felt I needed to get it down on tape.

When I told her I wanted to tape what she was telling me, she said the district has another blanket policy which said she could not allow me to put anything she said on tape, and if I insisted on taping what she said, our discussion was over. But for the record, what the administrator told me is that in student disputes, there is no such thing as an innocent party, unless an administrator is there to witness the dispute.

This incident boils down to another word, "FEAR". After the widespread "Jena 6" news coverage where there was a nationwide outcry about a noose being hung from a tree, the Lee's Summit School District is afraid of being perceived as racist if they ignore this use of the word "Noose" in the boy's benign conversation. Remember, in student disputes, the school administrators don't believe there are any innocent parties.

In this case, the school district is more afraid of the legal consequences of not acting than the effect of their actions on these unfortunate students.

What are the limits of Political Correctness? As a high school student, I know I found the word "Homework" offensive, can it be added to the district's taboo word list? I bet the district’s students would support that move.

Posted by: Steven Ashley at November 26, 2007 11:07 PM


"What other words are out there that carry similar penalties."

I don't know, but the next time I hear the word "chihuahua" uttered at my kid's school, I'm suing the shit out of them.

I hate those little fuckers.

Posted by: Vinnie at November 26, 2007 11:47 PM


SSgt Steve, that is neat what you did for Halloween.

Posted by: Wild Thing at November 26, 2007 11:55 PM


Lynn that is so neat.

Lynn and Seve, I love that you got to grow up in Colorado. I love it there.

Posted by: Wild Thing at November 26, 2007 11:57 PM


Bob, it is totally insane, this pc stuff.

Posted by: Wild Thing at November 26, 2007 11:58 PM


Mark, I am going to rebel, yep. I have no intention of stopping words like this.

Noose Noose Noose Noose Noose Noose Noose

hahaha eat your heart out PCer's .

Posted by: Wild Thing at November 27, 2007 12:00 AM


Tom, I agree, if we had kids it would only be Private school for them. I hope it is not happening there too.

Posted by: Wild Thing at November 27, 2007 12:02 AM


John, I agree!

I was watching one of the old classic films a month ago. In the movie Fred Astair
(not sure of spelling of last name) he said "I am so gay, I am in love." I started to laugh because the whole meaning of that word Gay has changed and if a teen were to watch the film today they would need a new dictionary for what it used to mean.

Everything the left touches with their PC stuff gets ruined.

Posted by: Wild Thing at November 27, 2007 12:09 AM


Jack...."Barney Fife Syndrome prevails".....it sure does.

Posted by: Wild Thing at November 27, 2007 12:11 AM


Rhod, thanks, I am sick of it too.

A woman had an ad in the paper for " hard workers need apply", it was for a job on the docks. She was told a few days later she had to change her ad, because to say Hard Workers would offend people that did not want to work hard.
I almost fell off my chair when I heard about this. It is totally nuts and dangerous to see PC take over in every area.

Posted by: Wild Thing at November 27, 2007 12:17 AM


Vinnie, "meeces to pieces". hahaha me too.

Posted by: Wild Thing at November 27, 2007 12:19 AM


Trish yes there sure were black cowboys and they had nooses too. This whole thing is an insult to anyone with a brain and there is no way I will ever cave in to their baloney. I have had enough of this crap.

Posted by: Wild Thing at November 27, 2007 12:23 AM


Steven Ashley, nice to meet you. Thank you for your input. I would have done what you did too, and try to tape the conversation. I agree with you.

LOL love what you said about homework. hahaha

Posted by: Wild Thing at November 27, 2007 12:26 AM


Vinnie, "chihuahua" hahahahaha

Posted by: Wild Thing at November 27, 2007 12:28 AM


Steve, next time you meet with them, take a tape recorder and don't let them know your taping them.

Posted by: BobF at November 27, 2007 09:32 AM


I go to this school and didn't even know this happened until I watched it on the 10 o clock news lol this is ridiculous, it wasnt a slur at all, it was about tying knots, I'm a boy scout too, you learn how to tie knots in scouts lol

Posted by: andrew at December 3, 2007 07:05 PM