Secret Service Questions Students because of classroom discussion

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

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From: "Robert J. Berger" <rberger () ibd com>


Secret Service Questions Students
Posted: May 7, 2003 at 6:18 p.m.
http://www.kron.com/global/story.asp?s=1268949&ClientType=Printable

OAKLAND (KRON) -- Some teachers in Oakland are rallying behind two students
who were interrogated by the Secret Service. That followed remarks the
teenagers made about the President during a class discussion. The incident
has many people angry.

For years the classroom has been the setting for the free expression of
ideas, but two weeks ago certain ideas led to two students being taken out
of class and grilled by the United States Secret Service.

It happened at Oakland High. The discussion was about the war in Iraq.
That's when two students made comments about the President of the United
States. While the exact wording is up for debate, the teacher didn't
consider it mere criticism, but a direct threat and she called the Secret
Service.

Teacher Cassie Lopez says, "They were so shaken up and afraid."

Now, other teachers are coming to the aid of the two students and crying
foul.

"I would start with the teacher, she made a poor judgement," Lopez says.

Teacher Larry Felson says, "What we're concerned about is academic freedom
and that students have the right to free expression in the classroom."

Even worse, they say, is the fact that the students were grilled by federal
agents without legal counsel or their parents present, just the principal.

"When one of the students asked, 'do we have to talk now? Can we be silent?
Can we get legal council?' they were told, 'we own you, you don't have any
legal rights,'" Felson says.

"We don't want federal agents or police coming in our schools and
interrogating our children at the whim of someone who has a hunch something
might be wrong," Lopez says.

The union representing Oakland teachers requires that students be afforded
legal counsel and parental guidance before they're interrogated by
authorities. It's too late for the two involved in this incident, and
teachers say it's something they'll carry with them for years.

"I tell you the looks on those childrens faces. I don't know if they'll say
anything about anything ever again. Is that what we want? I don't think we
want that," says Lopez.
--
Robert J. Berger - Internet Bandwidth Development, LLC.
Voice: 408-882-4755 eFax: +1-408-490-2868
http://www.ibd.com


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