Howard Thurman was a theologian, civil rights leader, philosopher, educator, and prolific author, probably best known for his 1949 work Jesus and the Disinherited.
Many years ago, I was introduced to a poem by Thurman titled 'When the Song of the Angels Is Stilled' and it has stayed with me all these years. I'd like to share it with you today.
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and the princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among people,
To make music in the heart.
Terry
Thursday, December 27, 2018
Friday, December 21, 2018
Word of the Day: REPUTATION
The long-running (and still far from over) Catholic Church sex scandals are well-documented and well-known around the world. In the United States alone, there are roughly 165 dioceses with at least one accused priest in them. Within the diocese where I live -- I am no longer Catholic -- there have been more than fifty priests accused, including the one who tried to abuse me almost forty years ago. (Fortunately, it did not get very far because I walked out, but I was still shaken by it.) Some have died; some were defrocked; some were sued; some cases were settled. Some of the priests abused one individual and some abused more than one. Some of the abuses were over shorter periods of time and some went on for decades.
Globally, sexual abuse claims have been made in approximately twenty countries, excluding the U.S.
The 2015 Oscar-winning film 'Spotlight' looked at the sex abuse scandal that rocked the Archdiocese of Boston in the early 2000's when the Boston Globe newspaper uncovered a decades-long pattern of relocating priests who were accused of sexual misconduct in an attempt to keep the abuses quiet. (It is a well-done film which I recommend seeing.)
Prior to his stepping down over five-and-a-half years ago, Pope Benedict XVI had written a letter in the Fall of 1985, when he was still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, to a Bishop in Oakland, California, regarding the possible removal of a priest for such accusations. At the time, Cardinal Ratzinger was the head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is in charge of the promotion and defense of Catholic doctrine. In his letter, Cardinal Ratzinger argues against the removal, citing "the good of the Universal Church" and the "detriment that granting the dispensation can provoke within the community of Christ's faithful". As if putting salve on a wound, Ratzinger suggests providing the one petitioning for the priest's removal "as much paternal care as possible". However, in the same sentence, he adds that the Court (within the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) is "accustomed to proceed keeping the common good especially before its eyes".
This past Summer, the Pennsylvania state Supreme Court released a report stating more than 300 Catholic priests in that state had sexually abused children over the course of seven decades and, like in Boston, church hierarchy had done what they could to cover it up.
And just two days ago, the Illinois State Attorney General Lisa Madigan released a preliminary report that says there are more than 500 Catholic priests who have still not been identified by the church. Accusations have been made, according to the report, against 690 priests total, but church officials have said only 185 stand accused. Only. Madigan said that the Catholic Church cannot continue to "prioritize criminal clergy or ... the preservation of their assets." Not only are the actions of these abusers immoral and illegal, but the investigation also showed that none of Illinois' six dioceses have any policies in place that would hold any church official involved in covering up such abuses accountable for doing so. None. Not one. Zero.
And that is just one state in one country.
You might draw a parallel to the idea of shareholder value in business, which basically means that a company's greatest success is in how much it benefits its shareholders. Imagine the Catholic Church is the corporation and the Pope, the cardinals, and the bishops are the shareholders.
A report was commissioned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and compiled by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice which studied sexual abuse by priests and deacons between the years 1950 and 2002. Released in 2004, the lengthy report showed that the percentage of priests accused of sexual abuse ordained in the 1980's had dropped to 8% (from a high of 23% and over 25% of those ordained in the 1950's and 1960's, respectively). It had dropped even further among those ordained in the 1990's, down to 2%. While even 2% of those ordained possibly committing sexual abuse is still too high, if this downward trend has continued, it is one positive sign of progress.
That same U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were, at their fall gathering last month, going to address how to deal with allegations of sexual abuse. The Vatican's Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People (nicknamed the Dallas Charter), which was released sixteen years ago, addressed what to do regarding accusations of clergy, but gave no guidelines regarding accusations against bishops. The Conference was going to address allegations against bishops. One of the proposals was to give authority to a lay commission to investigate allegations against bishops. What was the Vatican's response? Ordering the Conference to not consider any proposals of how to respond.
There appears to be several reasons for this. First, since it sees the issue of sexual abuse by clergy as a global problem, the Vatican feels it should be dealt with globally. Just two months prior to the fall gathering, Pope Francis had called for the presidents of all of the Catholic bishop conferences in the world to assemble in Rome in late February of next year to address this serious issue. Second, having the laity involved in this kind of oversight is a non-starter for the Vatican. (So, lay persons serving as Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, one of the sacraments of the church, is fine, but serving as faithful overseers is a no-go?) Third, the move by the Conference may have been seen as an overreach or usurping the authority of Rome. I think the proposal of a lay commission is a good one. Why couldn't such a proposal, if passed, be brought to the February 2019 conference in Rome as a proposal there? That is not usurping authority, but this third point smacks of an it-only-counts-when-the-boss-does-it mentality.
There is and has been a lot of talk of keeping the reputation of the Catholic Church untarnished. There is nothing wrong with wanting your entity to have a name in good standing. In fact, that should be a goal, whether it be through involvement in your community, providing good service, rectifying any problems, and putting forth your best efforts in the first place. There are, however, other means of trying to do so that are deceptive, fraudulent, or even downright nefarious. How this epidemic has been allowed to fester, mostly untreated, has been due to nefarious practices.
I think, in the most basic sense, that wanting problems to go away is not a bad thing. Honestly, who wants more problems to come their way? Dealing with them to correct mistakes and trying to cover them up are means to a common goal, but the two are not comparable. Even though institutions, including The Church at large, are made up of people and people make mistakes and nothing is ever perfect, society does hold those institutions to a higher standard, rightly so. When something goes wrong, those institutions had better deal with those instances swiftly and properly. The Catholic Church did not do so regarding sexual abuse by its clergy.
If the Catholic Church was concerned about its good name, it needed to deal with this head-on ... no short cuts, no deceptions, no hiding. Sure, some of its faithful might have left at just the news of sexual predators being among the ranks of its clergy out of fear or disillusionment. That is not unusual since that kind of behavior is not welcome in society. The Catholic Church acted out of fear. How many times have we seen that responding out of fear can have devastating results?
Had the Catholic Church shed light on the problem, addressed it right up front, perhaps even sought counseling for clergy that had committed these abuses, or perhaps who were contemplating it, it would have shown that straightforwardness and compassion, not shadows and cover-up, were right practices. It would have shown that such behavior was unacceptable in the church, as in society, and that the faithful would know their religious leaders had their backs. The Catholic Church could have been one of the beacons in the world by shedding light on this issue. Yes, it would have lost some of its numbers, but its reputation would have been untarnished. Instead, it put its proverbial lamp under a basket.
This is the legacy the Catholic Church has brought upon itself.
Terry
Globally, sexual abuse claims have been made in approximately twenty countries, excluding the U.S.
The 2015 Oscar-winning film 'Spotlight' looked at the sex abuse scandal that rocked the Archdiocese of Boston in the early 2000's when the Boston Globe newspaper uncovered a decades-long pattern of relocating priests who were accused of sexual misconduct in an attempt to keep the abuses quiet. (It is a well-done film which I recommend seeing.)
Prior to his stepping down over five-and-a-half years ago, Pope Benedict XVI had written a letter in the Fall of 1985, when he was still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, to a Bishop in Oakland, California, regarding the possible removal of a priest for such accusations. At the time, Cardinal Ratzinger was the head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is in charge of the promotion and defense of Catholic doctrine. In his letter, Cardinal Ratzinger argues against the removal, citing "the good of the Universal Church" and the "detriment that granting the dispensation can provoke within the community of Christ's faithful". As if putting salve on a wound, Ratzinger suggests providing the one petitioning for the priest's removal "as much paternal care as possible". However, in the same sentence, he adds that the Court (within the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) is "accustomed to proceed keeping the common good especially before its eyes".
This past Summer, the Pennsylvania state Supreme Court released a report stating more than 300 Catholic priests in that state had sexually abused children over the course of seven decades and, like in Boston, church hierarchy had done what they could to cover it up.
And just two days ago, the Illinois State Attorney General Lisa Madigan released a preliminary report that says there are more than 500 Catholic priests who have still not been identified by the church. Accusations have been made, according to the report, against 690 priests total, but church officials have said only 185 stand accused. Only. Madigan said that the Catholic Church cannot continue to "prioritize criminal clergy or ... the preservation of their assets." Not only are the actions of these abusers immoral and illegal, but the investigation also showed that none of Illinois' six dioceses have any policies in place that would hold any church official involved in covering up such abuses accountable for doing so. None. Not one. Zero.
And that is just one state in one country.
You might draw a parallel to the idea of shareholder value in business, which basically means that a company's greatest success is in how much it benefits its shareholders. Imagine the Catholic Church is the corporation and the Pope, the cardinals, and the bishops are the shareholders.
A report was commissioned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and compiled by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice which studied sexual abuse by priests and deacons between the years 1950 and 2002. Released in 2004, the lengthy report showed that the percentage of priests accused of sexual abuse ordained in the 1980's had dropped to 8% (from a high of 23% and over 25% of those ordained in the 1950's and 1960's, respectively). It had dropped even further among those ordained in the 1990's, down to 2%. While even 2% of those ordained possibly committing sexual abuse is still too high, if this downward trend has continued, it is one positive sign of progress.
That same U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were, at their fall gathering last month, going to address how to deal with allegations of sexual abuse. The Vatican's Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People (nicknamed the Dallas Charter), which was released sixteen years ago, addressed what to do regarding accusations of clergy, but gave no guidelines regarding accusations against bishops. The Conference was going to address allegations against bishops. One of the proposals was to give authority to a lay commission to investigate allegations against bishops. What was the Vatican's response? Ordering the Conference to not consider any proposals of how to respond.
There appears to be several reasons for this. First, since it sees the issue of sexual abuse by clergy as a global problem, the Vatican feels it should be dealt with globally. Just two months prior to the fall gathering, Pope Francis had called for the presidents of all of the Catholic bishop conferences in the world to assemble in Rome in late February of next year to address this serious issue. Second, having the laity involved in this kind of oversight is a non-starter for the Vatican. (So, lay persons serving as Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, one of the sacraments of the church, is fine, but serving as faithful overseers is a no-go?) Third, the move by the Conference may have been seen as an overreach or usurping the authority of Rome. I think the proposal of a lay commission is a good one. Why couldn't such a proposal, if passed, be brought to the February 2019 conference in Rome as a proposal there? That is not usurping authority, but this third point smacks of an it-only-counts-when-the-boss-does-it mentality.
There is and has been a lot of talk of keeping the reputation of the Catholic Church untarnished. There is nothing wrong with wanting your entity to have a name in good standing. In fact, that should be a goal, whether it be through involvement in your community, providing good service, rectifying any problems, and putting forth your best efforts in the first place. There are, however, other means of trying to do so that are deceptive, fraudulent, or even downright nefarious. How this epidemic has been allowed to fester, mostly untreated, has been due to nefarious practices.
I think, in the most basic sense, that wanting problems to go away is not a bad thing. Honestly, who wants more problems to come their way? Dealing with them to correct mistakes and trying to cover them up are means to a common goal, but the two are not comparable. Even though institutions, including The Church at large, are made up of people and people make mistakes and nothing is ever perfect, society does hold those institutions to a higher standard, rightly so. When something goes wrong, those institutions had better deal with those instances swiftly and properly. The Catholic Church did not do so regarding sexual abuse by its clergy.
If the Catholic Church was concerned about its good name, it needed to deal with this head-on ... no short cuts, no deceptions, no hiding. Sure, some of its faithful might have left at just the news of sexual predators being among the ranks of its clergy out of fear or disillusionment. That is not unusual since that kind of behavior is not welcome in society. The Catholic Church acted out of fear. How many times have we seen that responding out of fear can have devastating results?
Had the Catholic Church shed light on the problem, addressed it right up front, perhaps even sought counseling for clergy that had committed these abuses, or perhaps who were contemplating it, it would have shown that straightforwardness and compassion, not shadows and cover-up, were right practices. It would have shown that such behavior was unacceptable in the church, as in society, and that the faithful would know their religious leaders had their backs. The Catholic Church could have been one of the beacons in the world by shedding light on this issue. Yes, it would have lost some of its numbers, but its reputation would have been untarnished. Instead, it put its proverbial lamp under a basket.
This is the legacy the Catholic Church has brought upon itself.
Terry
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
A note to my readers regarding this blog
Dear readers, let me begin by saying I hope your holiday season, whatever holiday(s) you celebrate, is going well. I wish you a happy remainder of the season. (Hard to believe there's only a couple of weeks remaining in the year.)
The saying All good things must come to an end is attributed to the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, first appearing in the mid-fourteenth century. Fast forward to the early twenty-first century, and the same is true here.
After six-and-a-half years, the time has come for The Keyboard Commentarian to end. The above saying is that all good things must come to an end, and I hope this blog has been a good thing for you readers. It has been for me.
That end is not today, however. That will be sometime next month, January 2019. I do not know how many more posts there will be between now and then, but it will not be a case of writing this post and then the New Year's Day post and that's it. (At least two or three that I can think of off the top of my head.)
As sad as I am that the time has come, I look forward to the next few until next month.
Terry
The saying All good things must come to an end is attributed to the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, first appearing in the mid-fourteenth century. Fast forward to the early twenty-first century, and the same is true here.
After six-and-a-half years, the time has come for The Keyboard Commentarian to end. The above saying is that all good things must come to an end, and I hope this blog has been a good thing for you readers. It has been for me.
That end is not today, however. That will be sometime next month, January 2019. I do not know how many more posts there will be between now and then, but it will not be a case of writing this post and then the New Year's Day post and that's it. (At least two or three that I can think of off the top of my head.)
As sad as I am that the time has come, I look forward to the next few until next month.
Terry
Sunday, December 9, 2018
Time of the Year: THE HOLIDAYS
The holidays: two words that invoke a large variety of emotions ... joy, frustration, anger, sadness, depression. What is it about this time of year that brings out such a range of emotions? Certainly, the holidays themselves during this time do not represent that variety. Thanksgiving is a joyful occasion. Both Christmas and Hanukkah have joy and wonder at their respective cores. While Kwanzaa represents reflection and purpose, it is still a joyful celebration of African-American heritage. Finally, New Year's Day is celebrating the start of a new year, something to be celebrated with the promise of what lies ahead. So, from where does all that other stuff people feel come?
For many, the joy is there, ready to go, all one needs do is plug into it. The frustration and anger clearly come from the hectic nature of all the stuff we have to do ... and, dammit, all those other people doing their stuff at the same time! Certainly, the hyper-commercialized nature of the holidays contributes to the anger and frustration. The soulless and anti-family force-feeding of the holiday shopping season to an earlier and earlier time each year extends that anger and frustration, further sullying the season.
All of the above items are external, easily seen, even if we wish they weren't so obvious, as with anger and frustration. What about those things that are internal, those feelings that are far too often left unspoken or ignored? While sadness and depression are not confined to one time of the year, the holidays provide fertile soil for the seeds of sadness and depression to bloom.
While sadness is something we all experience at various times and is normal, depression is an entirely different thing. Sadness, at this time of year, may stem from the loss of a loved one or someone simply unable to make to a celebration, or oneself unable to make a celebration. Many people who do not understand depression view it similarly to how migraines are often viewed as just a headache. Interjections like Why can't you just get over it? and You just want attention are often the bug spray haphazardly spewed at those suffering from depression as though they are some sort of infestation. Those suffering with depression don't often feel like joining in as it is, but shaming them only serves to make it worse.
Even though all of the holidays have joy inherent in them, it is that very thing that often makes those who suffer from depression feel even worse. It is not a case where they want everyone else to be depressed, too, as the bug spray mentioned above often suggests. They do not want anyone to be depressed, including themselves, but they often see their situation as unsolvable or requiring something that would be extremely difficult to attain ... or they simply see their situation in terms of It is what it is and there is nothing to be done.
While they may be surrounded by people who are regularly happy, or at least showing little to no discontent, the holidays, with the joy they bring and all they represent, can be a heavy (or heavier-than-usual) burden. Again, it is not their wish that everyone has a terrible holiday season. They simply want the burden to end. This is not anyone's fault. It is not an argument of banishing the holidays. It is what they feel and if they could snap their fingers and make it go away, they would.
There is also a feeling of being alone and, as we usually see "alone" as merely the absence of others, being surrounded by people is only sometimes a curative and, many times, a short-term curative. It is possible to have people around you (i.e. family, friends, co-workers, fellow students) and, while not actually all alone, still feel all alone. The holidays, with their various abundances of others, and those same others who are more plugged into the season, combine for a difficult tine of the year.
What can we do? Going around and asking everyone if they're depressed is not constructive, and will be seen as odd by most, and asking the same person(s) that same question over and over again will become more annoying than helpful. This is not to say that believing each person needs to deal with their problems is mistaken. Still, we need to be more compassionate. Doing what you can to be as caring and inclusive as possible is the right approach.
Simply taking notice is a great first step, and one that most people miss. It is so easy to let the joy and revelry of the season wash over you, and there is nothing wrong with that, just as it is so easy to let frustration overwhelm you. Taking notice of someone who seems more down than usual, or that someone isn't coming out to as many parties or functions as they used you, is the first step. Then, approach them. Do your best to be conversational and open -- if you're friends already, this should come easily -- and talk about something, anything. If you want to be more direct, eventually ask them if they're doing okay; don't just blurt out the question right away. The person may want to keep what they're feeling secret, so the answer may be Yes. Just let it be. Remember, you are approaching, not confronting. You cannot force someone out of depression -- it is not a case of boredom -- so do not try.
Let them know that you noticed they seem kind of down, or really down, or down more often lately or you've taken notice they're not around as much as they used to be. This may make the person feel like they need to "circle the wagons" even more because they are already dealing with a broken spirit of their own ... or it may be the first crack of light that gets them to open up and confide in someone else. Let them absorb what you say in the manner they will. Offer a sympathetic ear because no one else may have done so yet. Keep in mind that, when it comes to help, "offering" and "forcing" are two entirely different things which will bring about entirely different results.
At this time of year, we often hear of "the Christmas spirit". While the Christmas spirit may cause one to do certain things, buying something being one of those things, it is not tangible. You cannot go to a store or to a website and buy the Christmas spirit. (If I could, I would order it in bulk and have it shipped to everyone on Earth.) Many find it difficult to get into the spirit -- and this may be as much being fed up with the craziness as it can be depression -- and there is nothing wrong with the simple wish for others to be in the spirit as well.
For some of us, it is harder to get into the Christmas spirit because our own spirit is broken or hurting. Solely sharing in the joy is not the only means of living out the Christmas spirit, but showing compassion to those who are suffering more at this time of year is, too.
Terry
For many, the joy is there, ready to go, all one needs do is plug into it. The frustration and anger clearly come from the hectic nature of all the stuff we have to do ... and, dammit, all those other people doing their stuff at the same time! Certainly, the hyper-commercialized nature of the holidays contributes to the anger and frustration. The soulless and anti-family force-feeding of the holiday shopping season to an earlier and earlier time each year extends that anger and frustration, further sullying the season.
All of the above items are external, easily seen, even if we wish they weren't so obvious, as with anger and frustration. What about those things that are internal, those feelings that are far too often left unspoken or ignored? While sadness and depression are not confined to one time of the year, the holidays provide fertile soil for the seeds of sadness and depression to bloom.
While sadness is something we all experience at various times and is normal, depression is an entirely different thing. Sadness, at this time of year, may stem from the loss of a loved one or someone simply unable to make to a celebration, or oneself unable to make a celebration. Many people who do not understand depression view it similarly to how migraines are often viewed as just a headache. Interjections like Why can't you just get over it? and You just want attention are often the bug spray haphazardly spewed at those suffering from depression as though they are some sort of infestation. Those suffering with depression don't often feel like joining in as it is, but shaming them only serves to make it worse.
Even though all of the holidays have joy inherent in them, it is that very thing that often makes those who suffer from depression feel even worse. It is not a case where they want everyone else to be depressed, too, as the bug spray mentioned above often suggests. They do not want anyone to be depressed, including themselves, but they often see their situation as unsolvable or requiring something that would be extremely difficult to attain ... or they simply see their situation in terms of It is what it is and there is nothing to be done.
While they may be surrounded by people who are regularly happy, or at least showing little to no discontent, the holidays, with the joy they bring and all they represent, can be a heavy (or heavier-than-usual) burden. Again, it is not their wish that everyone has a terrible holiday season. They simply want the burden to end. This is not anyone's fault. It is not an argument of banishing the holidays. It is what they feel and if they could snap their fingers and make it go away, they would.
There is also a feeling of being alone and, as we usually see "alone" as merely the absence of others, being surrounded by people is only sometimes a curative and, many times, a short-term curative. It is possible to have people around you (i.e. family, friends, co-workers, fellow students) and, while not actually all alone, still feel all alone. The holidays, with their various abundances of others, and those same others who are more plugged into the season, combine for a difficult tine of the year.
What can we do? Going around and asking everyone if they're depressed is not constructive, and will be seen as odd by most, and asking the same person(s) that same question over and over again will become more annoying than helpful. This is not to say that believing each person needs to deal with their problems is mistaken. Still, we need to be more compassionate. Doing what you can to be as caring and inclusive as possible is the right approach.
Simply taking notice is a great first step, and one that most people miss. It is so easy to let the joy and revelry of the season wash over you, and there is nothing wrong with that, just as it is so easy to let frustration overwhelm you. Taking notice of someone who seems more down than usual, or that someone isn't coming out to as many parties or functions as they used you, is the first step. Then, approach them. Do your best to be conversational and open -- if you're friends already, this should come easily -- and talk about something, anything. If you want to be more direct, eventually ask them if they're doing okay; don't just blurt out the question right away. The person may want to keep what they're feeling secret, so the answer may be Yes. Just let it be. Remember, you are approaching, not confronting. You cannot force someone out of depression -- it is not a case of boredom -- so do not try.
Let them know that you noticed they seem kind of down, or really down, or down more often lately or you've taken notice they're not around as much as they used to be. This may make the person feel like they need to "circle the wagons" even more because they are already dealing with a broken spirit of their own ... or it may be the first crack of light that gets them to open up and confide in someone else. Let them absorb what you say in the manner they will. Offer a sympathetic ear because no one else may have done so yet. Keep in mind that, when it comes to help, "offering" and "forcing" are two entirely different things which will bring about entirely different results.
At this time of year, we often hear of "the Christmas spirit". While the Christmas spirit may cause one to do certain things, buying something being one of those things, it is not tangible. You cannot go to a store or to a website and buy the Christmas spirit. (If I could, I would order it in bulk and have it shipped to everyone on Earth.) Many find it difficult to get into the spirit -- and this may be as much being fed up with the craziness as it can be depression -- and there is nothing wrong with the simple wish for others to be in the spirit as well.
For some of us, it is harder to get into the Christmas spirit because our own spirit is broken or hurting. Solely sharing in the joy is not the only means of living out the Christmas spirit, but showing compassion to those who are suffering more at this time of year is, too.
Terry
Monday, December 3, 2018
Word of the Day: VIOLATED
Days ago, a story came out of Minneapolis that is truly disturbing. It occurred at Osseo Senior High School and involves a transgender female student. The part of the story that is in dispute at this point is whether or not the student was banned from using the girls' bathroom. The student says she was; the principal and school board says she wasn't.
A video recorded by the student was posted online. The retweet of the video (shown below) was posted by someone other than the student.
On the school's website, a posting from the principal, Michael Lehan, addressed the situation.
Principal's Message to Families Regarding Nov. 28 Incident
Dear Osseo Senior High families:
I am aware of social media posts that significantly misrepresent an incident that
occurred at school on Nov. 28. It’s important for you to know that no students
were barred or banned from using any bathroom at Osseo Senior High.
I sincerely wish I could say more, but for data privacy reasons, I cannot provide
details about a situation involving a specific student.
What I hope you already know is that we work every day to create an inclusive
school where students feel welcome and respected. Our staff regularly works
with individual students and families who have varying needs, including needs
related to identity.
I also want to assure you that staff intervenes in the use of restrooms only in
situations such as the following:
• Concern about the safety of students, staff or community members
• Illness or health-related issues
• Suspected illegal activity
Respectfully,
Michael Lehan
Principal
Osseo Senior High
Principal Lehan is trying to address a serious situation, but his response, while not terrible, doesn't fully address the situation. Let's look at what points Principal Lehan makes in his online message.
He mentions no students were banned from using any bathroom at the school. As I've mentioned, the student herself disputes that. He gives data privacy as his reason for not going into any further detail. This may be due to either not divulging the identity of an underage student or, in light of the school board and school district making no other comment, to not divulge the names of the adults who entered the bathroom. While understandable in the case of the student, why keep the adults' identities quiet if they were presumably acting properly?
Principal Lehan goes on to mention their work to make Osseo Senior High School inclusive, welcoming, and respectful, even working with those with needs, including identity. It might be important to note here that Osseo School District is no stranger to controversy regarding LGBT issues. Thirteen years ago, a student group, Straights and Gays for Equality (SAGE), was not allowed at the Maple Grove Senior School (a school in the same district as Osseo Senior High) to freely promote their events. The group complained that other groups (i.e. synchronized swimming team, cheerleading squad, and Black Achievers group) could promote their events, but not them.
The school district initially said the other groups were allowed to promote their events, including announcements over the school's public address system, and allowed access to the school's facilities because those groups were viewed as curricular activities. Lawyers for SAGE (including some parents) disagreed and argued those groups were not connected to, or stemmed from, any particular classes. A lawsuit was filed by the ACLU in 2005 on behalf of SAGE, claiming the school violated the federal Equal Access Act. The presiding district judge ruled in favor of SAGE and issued a temporary restraining order against the school the following year.
The Osseo School District filed appeals against the injunction, but were unsuccessful every time. In the Fall of 2007, a permanent injunction was issued, giving SAGE the same rights of promoting and equal access as other groups throughout the entire school district.
While the SAGE fiasco more than a decade ago and the current issue of this transgender student may or may not be the only issues the district has had on its hands, how this student was treated is nothing short of disgraceful. If Principal Lehan is correct, exactly how is what happened to this student showing inclusiveness? I would hardly call this treatment welcoming, rather more along the lines of the antithesis of respectful.
And is this occurrence an example of working with this student to address her needs? Hardly. What this showed is that this student's needs, at least on this day, fell somewhere in the spectrum between irrelevant and non-existent.
Per the principal's online message, what threat did this transgender student pose by going to the bathroom? An olfactory offense? She did not appear to be sick or unhealthy in any way, so is her going to the bathroom going to make anyone else sick? (Maybe if she had a cold and touched a lot of common areas, like handles and knobs, or coughed without covering her mouth.) Also, what law did she break?
And what warranted having three adults enter the girls' bathroom, two of whom were male, and open the door to the stall she was in? Seriously, what??!!!!
I realize that transgender public bathroom access is a huge national issue. Transgender people are people and, as such, they have to go to the bathroom just like anyone else. Overzealous arguments against equal access have an inherent presumption of a lower moral character on the part of the transgender individual. If you looked, I'll bet that the vast majority of those who commit such acts are not transgender persons (called, as of late, cisgender). Whenever I hear arguments about soliciting sex in bathrooms (public lewdness), my answer is always four words: Former Senator Larry Craig.
If you would like to let Principal Michael Lehan know your feelings on this, here is the contact information:
His E-mail address is lehanm@district279.org
The high school's phone number is 763-391-8500, and its fax number is 763-391-8511.
If you would like to let The Osseo School District ISD 279 know your feelings on this, here is the contact information:
Its phone number is 763-391-7000
Its E-mail address is WeListen@district279.org
Terry
A video recorded by the student was posted online. The retweet of the video (shown below) was posted by someone other than the student.
A transgender female student @ Osseo Senior High was ostracized by administration, violated, and put out of school for using the Girl's bathroom. 🤬— Kenidra4Humanity (@KenidraRWoods_) November 29, 2018
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/Pkh46MAjJP
On the school's website, a posting from the principal, Michael Lehan, addressed the situation.
I am aware of social media posts that significantly misrepresent an incident that
occurred at school on Nov. 28. It’s important for you to know that no students
were barred or banned from using any bathroom at Osseo Senior High.
I sincerely wish I could say more, but for data privacy reasons, I cannot provide
details about a situation involving a specific student.
What I hope you already know is that we work every day to create an inclusive
school where students feel welcome and respected. Our staff regularly works
with individual students and families who have varying needs, including needs
related to identity.
I also want to assure you that staff intervenes in the use of restrooms only in
situations such as the following:
• Concern about the safety of students, staff or community members
• Illness or health-related issues
• Suspected illegal activity
Respectfully,
Michael Lehan
Principal
Osseo Senior High
Principal Lehan is trying to address a serious situation, but his response, while not terrible, doesn't fully address the situation. Let's look at what points Principal Lehan makes in his online message.
He mentions no students were banned from using any bathroom at the school. As I've mentioned, the student herself disputes that. He gives data privacy as his reason for not going into any further detail. This may be due to either not divulging the identity of an underage student or, in light of the school board and school district making no other comment, to not divulge the names of the adults who entered the bathroom. While understandable in the case of the student, why keep the adults' identities quiet if they were presumably acting properly?
Principal Lehan goes on to mention their work to make Osseo Senior High School inclusive, welcoming, and respectful, even working with those with needs, including identity. It might be important to note here that Osseo School District is no stranger to controversy regarding LGBT issues. Thirteen years ago, a student group, Straights and Gays for Equality (SAGE), was not allowed at the Maple Grove Senior School (a school in the same district as Osseo Senior High) to freely promote their events. The group complained that other groups (i.e. synchronized swimming team, cheerleading squad, and Black Achievers group) could promote their events, but not them.
The school district initially said the other groups were allowed to promote their events, including announcements over the school's public address system, and allowed access to the school's facilities because those groups were viewed as curricular activities. Lawyers for SAGE (including some parents) disagreed and argued those groups were not connected to, or stemmed from, any particular classes. A lawsuit was filed by the ACLU in 2005 on behalf of SAGE, claiming the school violated the federal Equal Access Act. The presiding district judge ruled in favor of SAGE and issued a temporary restraining order against the school the following year.
The Osseo School District filed appeals against the injunction, but were unsuccessful every time. In the Fall of 2007, a permanent injunction was issued, giving SAGE the same rights of promoting and equal access as other groups throughout the entire school district.
While the SAGE fiasco more than a decade ago and the current issue of this transgender student may or may not be the only issues the district has had on its hands, how this student was treated is nothing short of disgraceful. If Principal Lehan is correct, exactly how is what happened to this student showing inclusiveness? I would hardly call this treatment welcoming, rather more along the lines of the antithesis of respectful.
And is this occurrence an example of working with this student to address her needs? Hardly. What this showed is that this student's needs, at least on this day, fell somewhere in the spectrum between irrelevant and non-existent.
Per the principal's online message, what threat did this transgender student pose by going to the bathroom? An olfactory offense? She did not appear to be sick or unhealthy in any way, so is her going to the bathroom going to make anyone else sick? (Maybe if she had a cold and touched a lot of common areas, like handles and knobs, or coughed without covering her mouth.) Also, what law did she break?
And what warranted having three adults enter the girls' bathroom, two of whom were male, and open the door to the stall she was in? Seriously, what??!!!!
I realize that transgender public bathroom access is a huge national issue. Transgender people are people and, as such, they have to go to the bathroom just like anyone else. Overzealous arguments against equal access have an inherent presumption of a lower moral character on the part of the transgender individual. If you looked, I'll bet that the vast majority of those who commit such acts are not transgender persons (called, as of late, cisgender). Whenever I hear arguments about soliciting sex in bathrooms (public lewdness), my answer is always four words: Former Senator Larry Craig.
If you would like to let Principal Michael Lehan know your feelings on this, here is the contact information:
His E-mail address is lehanm@district279.org
The high school's phone number is 763-391-8500, and its fax number is 763-391-8511.
If you would like to let The Osseo School District ISD 279 know your feelings on this, here is the contact information:
Its phone number is 763-391-7000
Its E-mail address is WeListen@district279.org
Terry
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