tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733429075782869952.post1062028940276630640..comments2023-03-30T07:28:03.924-07:00Comments on Iason De Silentio: CSW affairs: An Alumnus Viewpointjglchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13017375649006769250noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733429075782869952.post-71967398735377959822009-02-11T14:43:00.000-08:002009-02-11T14:43:00.000-08:00Hi Jason, it's nice to hear from you. I think ...Hi Jason, it's nice to hear from you. I think it's awesome that you're writing so much about this. Everyone at Charter and even in Delaware is pretty worked up about this topic.<br><br>The main conflict everyone is concerned about is not whether or not Mr. Russo was guilty of the supposed acts he was following through, but the lack of information the Board gave. They gave absolutely NO real proof or evidence to prove their point. So when these board members start accusing Mr. Russo of this and that without giving us proof, we, as the students, naturally defended him. Most of us, for that matter. Personally, I'm standing by and supporting Russo until the Board issues out concrete evidence that Mr. Russo did in fact sexually harrass and everything else he was accused for.<br><br>As for our reactions today, I was absolutely AMAZED with how passionately yet maturely the student body reacted. When I walked into school, several senior council members were standing by the doors and handing out tiny slips of paper that said "Support Mr. Russo! Report to the auditorium after homeroom for a student meeting. We have the right." All through homeroom people were running around, inquiring their classmates of what their decision was: to skip first period or to go and support Mr. Russo. I was mainly caught up in the dilemma because I was afraid my first period teacher would get angry and assign extra work to those not present in class. However, Doctor Hollstein (temporary principal) sent out an email to teachers forbidding them from assigning detentions/extra work to those students not present first period.<br><br>So of course, I went to the protest! We first gathered in the auditorium, and EVERYONE was wearing white, holding signs, etc. I would say about half the student body was there. And only one staff member was there: Doc Hollstein. Right away, senior council members spoke to us about how we were here to demand justification of Mr. Russo's termination in support of him. They also mentioned that honestly, we probably wouldn't be able to make much of a difference, but this way at least our voices could be heard. We also signed a petition to get the permission to get an investigator to investigate what truly happened. Doc Hollstein then came up and gave a really nice speech, saying that he was supportive of our decision, but that after this period, we must remain respectful of those against Mr. Russo and carry on with our academic obligations.<br><br>Finally, when the media arrived (whom senior council member had contacted last night), the crowd moved outside, to the bleachers next to the football field. Chants were chanted ("who do we want? RUSSO! when do we want? NOW!; we want the truth! we want the truth!" etc. etc.) and students spoke to us and pumped us up, and it was pretty darn EPIC. After the media came and took pictures/video, we went back into school and the rest of the day went smoothly.<br><br>I just received a message from one of the creators of the protest saying that we may have actually impacted the board, but if we really care, we would write to the board. I feel like this is certainly not the end of this whole situation, and yes, in the likely fact that Mr. Russo stays terminated from Charter, he won't be going down quietly until the truth finally comes out.Radhikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596449499899239517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733429075782869952.post-20962405031085979662009-02-11T14:47:00.000-08:002009-02-11T14:47:00.000-08:00Sorry, I just realized I made a mistake, I wrote:A...Sorry, I just realized I made a mistake, I wrote:<br>All through homeroom people were running around, inquiring their classmates of what their decision was: to skip first period or to go and support Mr. Russo.<br><br>But that makes no sense... I meant:<br>All through homeroom, people were running around, inquiring their classmates of what their decision was: to skip first period and go and support Mr. Russo, or stay in class.Radhikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596449499899239517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733429075782869952.post-81431542884886904882009-02-11T15:56:00.000-08:002009-02-11T15:56:00.000-08:00I'm glad you and so many other alumni remain i...I'm glad you and so many other alumni remain interested in Charter's future. I certainly am.<br><br>Here's what I think. The Board is the legal authority that determines hiring and firing at Charter. Serious allegations have been made against Mr. Russo to federal authorities (and the Board may be in trouble for <b>failure</b> to act on the accusations. The EEOC will evaluate the allegations, and until they release their findings it would be completely inappropriate for the Board to discuss particulars. In the mean time, the Board took the action that they felt was necessary to ensure that Charter will function they way it should.<br><br>On the subject of sexual harassment - you, Radhika, and most other people supporting Mr. Russo or demanding more information fail to grasp this very vital point: you have <b>no need whatsoever</b> to know the particulars. They are being handled by the appropriate legal authorities, which do not include the students or alumni. Finally, what proof do you want? What do you feel is "concrete"? Proof is determined by the EEOC and the Board, not public opinion. Clearly, they felt there was sufficient evidence. That is all there is to it. Mr. Russo is not coming back.Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08381694301980265832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733429075782869952.post-45477623583946845522009-02-13T20:13:00.000-08:002009-02-13T20:13:00.000-08:00Will - You are wrong in saying we have no need to ...Will - <br><br>You are wrong in saying we have no need to know the particulars of the sexual harassment suit. Indeed, its an open secret that it was Donna Urban who filed it, and it was essentially a big middle finger using her as the secretary for the board. A woman scorned, as it were, is not the most reliable source of a sexual harassment claim. In the US though, the woman is 9/10 going to be assumed correct in a he said / she said.<br><br>Additionally, we all know there were other reasons that the board fired Mr. Russo - essentially, he wanted one direction and the board wanted another. This was sleezy legals twisting the spirit of the law into their own use. I, for one, have no real hope for charter without its two major creators - Ron Russo and Greg Meece. The school will most likely turn into what St. Marks did after Mr. Russo was run out - crap.Kerrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09004758010891207942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733429075782869952.post-7483785477637572792009-02-18T00:20:00.000-08:002009-02-18T00:20:00.000-08:00Kerri,Shame on you for: a) Posting the name of the...Kerri,<br><br>Shame on you for: <br><br>a) Posting the name of the woman you believe accused Mr. Russo of sexual harassment on the Internet. Even in court cases, the names of alleged victims of rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment are often not legally released to the public in order to protect their identities. Eventually this happens in high profile cases such as that of Kobe Bryant, which is hardly on the same public scale as the issue at hand, which concerns a very small, tight-knit community.<br><br>b) Making blanket statements on the basis of your preconceived notions as if they construct the reality of this issue. "A woman scorned, as it were, is not the most reliable source for making a sexual harassment claim": you mean to completely discount the validity of a claim that you admit you know nothing about on the flimsy basis of your stereotypes about women.<br><br>c) Not acknowledging the right to privacy of whoever made the claim not only by posting her name on the Internet, but also by assuming your purported need-to-know is more important than her right to privacy. This issue is certainly one that can be healthily debated, but should not be rationally dismissed as a non-issue.<br><br>d) Saying this -- "In the US though, the woman is 9/10 going to be assumed correct in a he said / she said." Words cannot begin to express how wrong this idea is. You will never find the evidence to back this preposterous statement up; in fact, you may find quite the opposite if you try. Most who encounter sexual harassment as well as other forms of sexual violence do not, in fact, report, because they are aware of the stalemate that will be reached if it becomes a case of "he said/she said." I encourage you to take a violence against women class in college.<br><br>Take care.<br><br>Charter `05Thehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12760038771107778300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6733429075782869952.post-44926777846096000262009-02-21T11:40:00.000-08:002009-02-21T11:40:00.000-08:00Will-I largely agree with you about your approach ...Will<br><br>-I largely agree with you about your approach to this sexual harassment issue. Your suggestion that Kerri might "take a violence against women class in college" is advice that, indeed, ought be echoed to many of us.<br><br>That said, my primary concern in these issues is not the veracity of the sexual harassment claim (note: <em>not </em> claim<em>s</em>). That is, in fact, the precise issue which I want to avoid.<br><br>With some time having passed since this issue came to light, and now that I have heard from different voices in the community, I have grown increasingly convinced of two things: (1) the seeming facts of the environment at CSW are difficult to pick out, and highly colored by one's relationship to the situation, and (2) the ostensible reason for Mr. Russo's dismissal is by no means the only, or even central, conflict at hand.<br><br>So I am far more interested in transparency in these other issues. Yes, an allegation of sexual harassment - and I feel warranted in asking ourselves to be reminded that we are still dealing with a <em>claim</em> - is something to be dealt with seriously, and I am, in fact, quite interested that this is done, not only for the sake of other Charter faculty, but for the sake of Mr. Russo himself.<br><br>That said, the other issues surrounding Mr. Russo's dismissal seem highly pertinent, and underdeveloped.Grand Master - 108 Tongues, Bustout! Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13017375649006769250noreply@blogger.com