Guardian tells school board about teacher remarks in class

Leona Givens, the aunt and guardian of an 11th grade student at Belleville High School, waited patiently until the end of Monday’s school board meeting to tell board members about what’s been happening in one of her niece’s classes. And, ask them for help.On Dec. 6, a large crowd attended the second meeting of a Sumpter Township committee appointed to do fact-finding into the new Michigan Marijuana Facilities Licensing Act and prepare a packet of information for the township board.
Township Supervisor John Morgan had appointed the committee which was to meet on the first Wednesday of each month to gather information.
At this second meeting of the group, however, chairman Trustee Matthew Oddy announced that although Supervisor Morgan was not present, he has asked the committee to expedite its work and wrap up preparation of an information packet to the board by Jan. 17.
The committee was not asked to recommend a decision to the board for opting in or opting out of MMFLA.
Oddy set 6:30 p.m. meetings for Jan. 3, 10, and then the wrap-up on Jan. 17. According to its published schedule of meetings, the township board’s next meeting after that date would be Feb. 13.
Oddy directed Police Chief Eric Luke to come up with information on the impact to the police department, using his best guess at the number of facilities that might be approved. Chief Luke had said earlier that it’s hard to estimate the impact if he didn’t know how many facilities there might be in the township.
Oddy directed Fire Chief Joe Januziak to estimate the impact on the fire department, using his best guess.
He directed Ken Bednark and Deb Callison to put together the letters and communications from the community.
Oddy asked Trustee Sheena Barnes to work with Supervisor Morgan on estimating the administrative cost to the township, “a kind of a guess.”
Oddy directed township attorney Rob Young to check with neighboring communities on their decisions.
Youung said he has exhausted that kind of information. He said Sumpter has to come up with the type, number, and location of facilities. He said it makes a lot of difference if the township has one facility or 30.
“It doesn’t make sense to me to make a lot of money and spend it all on enforcement,” Young said.
Young said they need proposals and an idea of what the facts are.
“We already had somebody propose 70,” Oddy said.
Young suggested Trustee Barnes could suggest how many facilities Sumpter could have.
“The state has taken the MMFLA regulations seriously, more than the MMMA,” Young said. “They created a very serious set of regulations. We have missing pieces.”
Oddy asked Barnes to bring a number by Jan. 6.
Oddy turned to planner Christopher Atkins to look into ordinances.
“There are lots of things to think about,” Atkins said. “Do we have the land? There are no ordinances out there yet. We have to figure out what zoning to put it into.”
Oddy said those communities who jumped into MMFLA eight months ago will be well on their way. A proposal on the number can estimate the impact.
“We need something to the board by Jan. 17,” Oddy said.
Young said he and Atkins could sit down with Trustee Barnes to work out some numbers, “some reality.”
Bednark asked where to direct the residents to send their comments and was told they could be mailed to the supervisor at the township hall or sent to [email protected] .
Deputy Supervisor Karen Armatis was sitting behind the committee members, taking notes for the absent supervisor.
At the first meeting of the committee in November, 15 minutes of public comment was allowed at the end of the meeting. At the Dec. 6 meeting, Oddy called for public comment from the large crowd at the beginning of the meeting. The meeting closed at 8:10 p.m., 25 minutes longer than had been planned because of all the comment.
The first speakers complained about the smell of marijuana farms in their neighborhoods and worried about if they would be able to sell their homes if the wind is blowing the wrong way when people come to look at the house.
“I don’t have a problem with growing,” she said. “But, I want it inside.”
Adrianne Slaughter said she was speaking for the Murray and Slaughter familes in support of medical marijuana which is good for people. She asked the township to opt into MMFLA, but said the families would support whatever the township decides.
She said in the 2.5 acres to the north of her home, the first year she smelled the marijuana growing, but over the next two years she could not longer smell it.
“I like smelling the dirt,” she said, noting in a controlled facility, you have filters.
Oddy said the MMFLA does allow outdoor growing.
David Hartford of Chelsea spoke of the value to the township opting in would bring.
Kurt Milhouse of Karr Road asked the committee to make sure it is a level playing field, with nobody being allowed to have all three facilities. He said those opting in now will make more money because the price will continue to plummet.
“Everyone here should be able to make money he said. “It’s a niche market. The odor is manageable.”
Milhouse said he would continue to attend the meetings and he would like to provide information to the committee.
Mary Ban said she was talking with a man who lives near Denver and his community had opted out. She said he told her so many high schoolers go out to lunch and do “vapors” and when they come back to school they can’t function.
“It’s kind of a warning,” she said.
Ban also said FDIC banks will not accept funds from marijuana growers because it’s an illegal substance.
“It concerns me that we are trying to put the cart before the horse … Federal law supercedes …” she said.
Young said if there’s room for states to regulate, it’s always a conflict. “It’s a very
complicated issue,” he said.
She suggested a Dollar General store, like in New Boston, be invited into Sumpter since they are seeking to go into rural communities.
Andre Watson of Sherwood Road said medical marijuana is not a magic fluid, but it’s a unique opportunity for Sumpter to take advantage of. He said this is a part of America where wealth is really growing anud he doesn’t know if union jobs will be here in the future.
“If it starts to terrorize the community, clamp down,” Watson said, adding he is looking at the future of the community
Givens said the student’s mother died early this year and she is responsible for her 16-year-old niece. What is happening to her is not right, she said.
Givens said on Nov. 21, in her niece’s history/government class, the teacher was conducting class and set it up as a lesson in slavery. She said she learned the next day that the teacher asked her niece if she was ready to reproduce, with a comment on a sex organ. Givens said he also said, “White people like to grill. Black people like to barbecue. I like barbecue.”
The teacher is white and the student is black and, Givens said, this comment indicated he liked black women. She said his comments raised alarm bells. She said he also has asked about who the teen lives with and how many people are in her home, getting entirely too personal.
It was Thanksgiving break, but she voiced her concerns as soon as possible to the assistant principal and principal.
She said the teacher didn’t come in on Monday or Tuesday and her daughter was transferred to another class, away from her peers. Then the teacher went on with his class without discipline.
She felt the teacher should have been put on leave while the investigation continued, instead of continuing to teach.
Givens said her niece had gotten a B+ in the class and then the teacher changed it to a D-. The student was getting punished instead of the teacher, she said.
“I called the superintendent and there was no call back,” she told the board. Supt. Pete Kudlak was pointed out to her at the board table and she continued, “I left at least four messages for you.”
Supt. Kudlak said he got none of the messages, but he had heard about the situation.
Board President Keith Johnston said the protocol is to go through the assistant principal and principal with complaints and then to the superintendent. If the superintendent doesn’t do anything, then the issue can be brought to the board.
Givens said that’s what she has done.
“Make an appointment with Mr. Kudlak first, before coming to the Board of Education,” Johnston said, adding he does not intend to shut her comments down now that she is before the board.
Givens said the teacher has talked to other students unprofessionally as well, telling one boy with droopy pants to “Pull your pants up or I’ll slide something in ’em.”
“Supt. Kudlak has to hear two sides,” Johnston continued.
Givens said 17 students have been interviewed and eight children said he did say those things to her.
Supt. Kudlak asked for her phone number and he said he would call her and talk to her about it.
“I gave the school an ample amount of time,” Givens said after the meeting. “Next, I’m going to TV-2 News.”