NEW YORK (FinalCall.com) - Officials at Columbia University and the NYPD’s hate crimes unit say they are investigating the hanging of a noose on the office door of a Black female professor on Oct. 9.
The noose was found on the door of Teachers College professor Madonna Constantine who teaches a class on racial justice and has written several books on the topic, according to her online faculty biography.
The suspected hate crime comes less than two weeks after the appearance at Columbia University by Iranian President Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and the discovery afterwards of racist and Islamophobic graffiti at the same Teachers College, ranked the best graduate school education program in the nation.
Columbia University students staged a demonstration on the night of Oct. 9, chanting, “Not in my school!”
On the morning of Sept. 28, a janitor found a noose inside a locker room used by police officers at the Village of Hempstead police station in Long Island. Half of the officers serving on the Hempstead Police Department are people of color, 40 percent of which are Black, according to officials.
The New York daily Newsday recently reported that the U.S. Department of Justice and the Nassau County District Attorney’s office have created a joint task force to investigate the incident.
News reports indicate there is suspicion that the target of the noose was newly appointed deputy chief, Willie Dixon. At a press conference held on Sept. 29, Mr. Dixon, a 27-year police veteran, stated that he would not be intimidated: “The hangman’s noose is the ultimate symbol of disgust if you know American history, especially if you are Black.”
On Sept. 20, Brooklyn Councilman Charles Barron, speaking to the hundreds that had gathered at Brooklyn’s Borough Hall, opened his speech with: “Welcome to Jena, New York.”
Councilman Barron shared what happened to a young Black man in Oceanside, Long Island, who was arrested on assault charges after he was assaulted by a gang of Whites. Aloysius Staton, 24, could face up to 25 years in jail if convicted, according to Marc Claxton of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care.
The councilman then explained that on Sept. 11, a group of White men allegedly attacked several Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) Black basketball players and their coach.
“So, we don’t have to go to Jena to be brutalized,” Councilman Barron observed.
At a press conference on Sept. 19, BMCC coach Chester Mapp, 49, told reporters he had never witnessed the racism displayed as he did that day. “I’ve been all over this country playing sports, but never in my born days have I seen the kind of racism I witnessed right here in New York City,” Mr. Mapp stressed.
Several players had left practice and as they walked passed a bar, a group of White men shouted “n----rs” and “this is what slavery feels like.” According to the young Black men, someone in the crowd threw a bottle at them.
The young men say as they proceeded to their subway station they were jumped by “six” of the Whites. Marquis Scott, 18, the son of a New York City policewoman, said he was knocked to the ground and stomped. “When the police arrived they immediately handcuffed me,” Mr. Scott said. He was charged with misdemeanor assault, his attorney Benita Zelman told The Final Call.
“I am the victim and I get arrested,” Mr. Scott stated at the press conference.
Ms. Zelman explained that the initial police reports did not mention that the “n” word was used, which would make it a “bias crime.”
“It is outrageous that these young men and their coach were victims of a hate crime and the police wanted to sweep it under the rug,” commented Ms. Zelman.
Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-Queens), the deputy speaker of the council sent out a press release on Sept. 26, calling for the Manhattan District Attorney to drop the charges against Mr. Scott. In addition, he said, “As a New Yorker, I am appalled that such an attack would occur on the streets of New York City, much less on Sept. 11.”
Ms. Zelman has since informed The Final Call that the NYPD has charged the Whites with a hate crime, which is a felony. “What is outrageous is that the district attorney’s office has yet to indict them on the hate crime charge, and issue orders of protection against the White males, who also attend BMCC,” Ms. Zelman said. She added that her client, Mr. Scott, is suing the police for assault. Calls to the Manhattan district attorney’s office were not returned.
“Clearly, once again, the mindset of the NYPD is that all African American males are predisposed to be criminals,” Councilman Comrie told The Final Call.
“I think what has happened is that in New York we have had a protracted period without any really meaningful organizational push to address the issues of racism, but Jena has forced us to confront it head-on,” Mr. Claxton said.
The noose was found on the door of Teachers College professor Madonna Constantine who teaches a class on racial justice and has written several books on the topic, according to her online faculty biography.
The suspected hate crime comes less than two weeks after the appearance at Columbia University by Iranian President Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and the discovery afterwards of racist and Islamophobic graffiti at the same Teachers College, ranked the best graduate school education program in the nation.
Columbia University students staged a demonstration on the night of Oct. 9, chanting, “Not in my school!”
On the morning of Sept. 28, a janitor found a noose inside a locker room used by police officers at the Village of Hempstead police station in Long Island. Half of the officers serving on the Hempstead Police Department are people of color, 40 percent of which are Black, according to officials.
The New York daily Newsday recently reported that the U.S. Department of Justice and the Nassau County District Attorney’s office have created a joint task force to investigate the incident.
News reports indicate there is suspicion that the target of the noose was newly appointed deputy chief, Willie Dixon. At a press conference held on Sept. 29, Mr. Dixon, a 27-year police veteran, stated that he would not be intimidated: “The hangman’s noose is the ultimate symbol of disgust if you know American history, especially if you are Black.”
On Sept. 20, Brooklyn Councilman Charles Barron, speaking to the hundreds that had gathered at Brooklyn’s Borough Hall, opened his speech with: “Welcome to Jena, New York.”
Councilman Barron shared what happened to a young Black man in Oceanside, Long Island, who was arrested on assault charges after he was assaulted by a gang of Whites. Aloysius Staton, 24, could face up to 25 years in jail if convicted, according to Marc Claxton of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care.
The councilman then explained that on Sept. 11, a group of White men allegedly attacked several Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) Black basketball players and their coach.
“So, we don’t have to go to Jena to be brutalized,” Councilman Barron observed.
At a press conference on Sept. 19, BMCC coach Chester Mapp, 49, told reporters he had never witnessed the racism displayed as he did that day. “I’ve been all over this country playing sports, but never in my born days have I seen the kind of racism I witnessed right here in New York City,” Mr. Mapp stressed.
Several players had left practice and as they walked passed a bar, a group of White men shouted “n----rs” and “this is what slavery feels like.” According to the young Black men, someone in the crowd threw a bottle at them.
The young men say as they proceeded to their subway station they were jumped by “six” of the Whites. Marquis Scott, 18, the son of a New York City policewoman, said he was knocked to the ground and stomped. “When the police arrived they immediately handcuffed me,” Mr. Scott said. He was charged with misdemeanor assault, his attorney Benita Zelman told The Final Call.
“I am the victim and I get arrested,” Mr. Scott stated at the press conference.
Ms. Zelman explained that the initial police reports did not mention that the “n” word was used, which would make it a “bias crime.”
“It is outrageous that these young men and their coach were victims of a hate crime and the police wanted to sweep it under the rug,” commented Ms. Zelman.
Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-Queens), the deputy speaker of the council sent out a press release on Sept. 26, calling for the Manhattan District Attorney to drop the charges against Mr. Scott. In addition, he said, “As a New Yorker, I am appalled that such an attack would occur on the streets of New York City, much less on Sept. 11.”
Ms. Zelman has since informed The Final Call that the NYPD has charged the Whites with a hate crime, which is a felony. “What is outrageous is that the district attorney’s office has yet to indict them on the hate crime charge, and issue orders of protection against the White males, who also attend BMCC,” Ms. Zelman said. She added that her client, Mr. Scott, is suing the police for assault. Calls to the Manhattan district attorney’s office were not returned.
“Clearly, once again, the mindset of the NYPD is that all African American males are predisposed to be criminals,” Councilman Comrie told The Final Call.
“I think what has happened is that in New York we have had a protracted period without any really meaningful organizational push to address the issues of racism, but Jena has forced us to confront it head-on,” Mr. Claxton said.
By Saeed Shabazz
3 comments:
Westchester "Black Watch:
You are spreading gross untruths to promote your black agenda. Shame on you. Give it up if you ever want racial harmony in this country.
Here is what really happened in Jena:
Chronological Order of Events
Concerning the “Jena Six”
Editor’s Note: Because of the overwhelming number of requests
from outside media and other individuals/groups, the Jena Times
has compiled a chronological order of events from last August
until now concerning events surrounding the “Jena Six.” This
feature was compiled from news stories appearing in this
newspaper, whose information came directly from investigators
with the LaSalle Parish Sheriff’s Department, the Jena Police
Department, the LaSalle Parish District Attorney’s Office, LaSalle
Parish School System officials, and from information obtained
from US Attorney Donald Washington and FBI Agent Lewis
Chapman. We believe this to be a nearly accurate depiction of
events during this past year.
August 30, 2006: During a Wednesday assembly of all males at
Jena High School, many items were discussed concerning rules
and policies of the school for the new school year. Such items
included dress codes, etc. Near the end of the assembly, one black
student jokingly asked Assistant Principal Gawen Burgess if black
students were permitted to sit underneath the tree in the center of
the square located in the center of the campus. The question
evoked laughter from everyone at the meeting, including the black
students, with Burgess responding, “Don’t even go there. You
know you can sit anywhere you want.” Burgess and the rest of the
students knew the remark was made to gain laughter as a joke, not
as a serious question. A couple more jokes were also made (not
about the tree) before the lighthearted assembly was dismissed.
August 31, 2006: On this Thursday morning two “hangman”
nooses were found hanging from the lone tree in the center of the
area known as the Square, located on the center of Jena High
School’s campus. Some students had arrived and saw the nooses,
but as soon as they were brought to the attention of school
officials, they were removed. Students that arrived after 7:55 a.m.
did not even see the nooses, as they had already been removed.
The three white students who placed the nooses in the tree were
identified by school officials, a school/state/FBI investigation was
held, and they were removed from school with a recommendation
by Principal Scott Windham for expulsion. A hearing by an
expulsion committee ruled against expulsion and instead
suspended the three students for nine days at an alternative facility,
two weeks of in-school suspension, and a number of Saturday
detentions. They also had to undergo evaluations from licensed
professionals. The committee’s investigation revealed there was no
racial motivation behind the nooses and that the incident was a
prank. “To say that these students were simply ‘slapped on the
wrist’ is a grave misconception of what punishment actually took
place,” said LaSalle Superintendent Roy Breithaupt. The
overwhelming majority of students at Jena High School did not
even know about the nooses until the following week, when it was
published in daily newspaper reports and TV programs.
An external, criminal investigation did take place in the days that
followed the nooses being found, with police, including an agent
with the FBI, interviewing the three students. All agencies
concluded the same: The noose incident did not meet the criteria
for a federal “hate” crime and although it was a terrible act that
should have been punished within the school system, it did not
warrant criminal charges from either the state (local district
attorney’s office) or the federal government. (It was learned later
that the US Attorney’s Office did review the noose incident
through its civil rights division and also came to the same
conclusions.)
With so much emphasis on the nooses in this case, LPSB Child
Welfare Supervisor Melinda Edwards said it might surprise
everyone to learn that the three students did not have a knowledge
of black history in relation to that hanging of black citizens in the
south during the civil rights movement.
“We discussed this in great detail with those students,” Edwards
said. “They honestly had no knowledge of the history concerning
nooses and black citizens. This may seem hard to believe for some
people, but this is exactly what everyone on the committee
determined.”
She also said that once the historical significance of the nooses was
revealed to the students and how it was considered a tremendous
insult to those of the black race, they showed great remorse.
“When they were told about the historical relevance of the nooses
and how others would interpret their actions, they really were very
remorseful,” she said. “I can honestly say that these boys regretted
tremendously ever hanging those nooses.”
September 1, 2006: Some black students have said they
participated in a “protest” at the school this day in response to the
noose incident the prior day. They said they met underneath the
tree in an act of solidarity; however, this was the only report of
such a protest. The school officials note that if such a protest was
conducted, it apparently did not disrupt school enough to draw
their attention to the incident as no report of such as protest was
noted by administrators or teachers at the school. For the most part,
the majority of students at JHS still did not even know about the
nooses being hung.
The following four days, September 2-5: There were no reports
of violence or confrontations in the town or at JHS. Students were
out of school on Monday, September 4, and on Tuesday, the school
did report one fight at school, but it was not linked to the noose
incident. However, on Tuesday night, September 5, several black
parents and students attended a rally at the L&A Missionary
Baptist Church to discuss the noose incident and how to respond.
The event was covered by this area’s daily newspaper, which
published an article on Wednesday, describing the noose incident
as “racial.” Television stations then caught on to the story, and
segments were broadcasts that same day, again describing the
incident as racially motivated. It should be noted that no law
enforcement agency, including the FBI, has determined the noose
incident to be racially motivated.
September 6, 2006: The result of the media coverage was a tense
atmosphere at the school Wednesday, September 6, where at least
two fights occurred between students. One of those altercations
was between a white girl and black girl, and another sent a white
student to the emergency room for stitches to the back of his head
after he was hit from behind while walking to class in a hallway.
Because of the media attention, police officers from the Jena
Police Department and the LaSalle Parish Sheriff’s Department
stayed at the school most of the day, especially during time when
students were out of classes. The tension also prompted Principal
Scott Windham to call an assembly of all students, where he,
LaSalle School Superintendent Roy Breithaupt, and LaSalle Parish
District Attorney Reed Walters addressed students. A faculty
meeting was also held that afternoon, setting new duty posts for
teachers and requiring all male teachers to be on duty at all times.
September 7, 2006: On Thursday, September 7, as the media
continued to flame the racial winds, police officers were again at
the school as students arrived and stayed throughout the day until
they left to go home. There were no reports of any misconduct
related to the noose incident. But because of the area-wide media
attention, a football game between the Jena Junior High School
Giants and the Vidalia Junior High School Vikings, that was to
have taken place at JHS, was cancelled.
September 8, 2006: Shortly after students arrived to school on
Friday, the school went into “lock-down” mode after a report was
received that a student had brought a gun to school.
For approximately three hours, students stayed inside classrooms
as police officers searched the school grounds and students for
weapons. No such weapons were found, but a large number of cell
phones were confiscated. It is against state-law to bring cell phones
on campus.
Because of the large array of rumors that circulated during the
week, culminated with all types of reasons why the school went
into lock-down mode Friday morning, parents began arriving at the
school by 11:15 a.m. to check their children out of school.
Some 150 students did not even show up to start school Friday,
and by the time over 160 more students checked out (in about 30
minutes) following the lock-down, well over half of the student
body at JHS was not even in school by Friday afternoon.
Classes had been reduced in size drastically, with some classes
with 26 students enrolled having only four or five in attendance.
The massive exodus from JHS prompted Superintendent
Breithaupt to make a radio statement on KJNA shortly after lunch
Friday. In his radio broadcast with Owner-Disc Jockey Larry
Evans, Breithaupt said:
“The LaSalle Parish School System has a history of providing
inclusive and safe schools and we’re committed to this tradition.
“It’s very unfortunate that we cannot control everyone’s behavior
and we cannot control what people say sometimes, but we’re very
confident in the fact that we have very safe schools. “Jena High
School is a safe school and we have confidence in the
administration and the teachers because we know these are
individuals whose primary concern is to protect students and
provide for their needs and provide them a quality education. And I
can tell you that at Jena High School you will find a safe school
today. We have local law enforcement on duty just to make sure
things are going right. The school was inspected by our local law
enforcement and found to be safe. There have been no major
incidents over the last few days, so there is really no justification
for any alarm on the part of any parent or anyone caring for a
child. We’re closely monitoring the situation at Jena High School.
I just returned from JHS myself – had lunch there – and I found
everyone to be very calm and looking forward to the ballgame
tonight. And I can tell you that JHS, at this present time, is a very
safe learning environment. As a matter of fact, the most protected
place children can be today is at school. I’ve seen teenagers driving
vehicles up and down roads, driving at high rates of speed, and I
know that if those children would not have been checked out of
school, they would be in the classroom where they would be
learning and taking advantage of the opportunities we have for
them.” The superintendent further stated that parents need not fear
for their students and their reaction by pulling them out of school
simply had no justification. “It’s unfortunate that things like this
happen. I understand that parents want to protect their children but
sometimes, due to the fact that we cannot control rumors and we
cannot control information that is false, people are given
information that is not necessarily correct. In this particular case, I
think there is much concern on the part of many people that really
has no justification. They (parents) can be confident in the fact that
we’re going to provide a quality education to the students of
LaSalle Parish and our primary concern is that we have good, safe
schools that provide students everything they would have need of,”
Breithaupt concluded.
That night, the week ended with a strong police presence at the
Jena-Buckeye football game, but nothing out of the ordinary
occurred at the game.
On the sidelines during the game, one Jena player stated that all of
the things being said about the school in the media and around the
parish is simply not true.
“Sure, there may be some whites that don’t like blacks, and there
may be some blacks that don’t like whites, but that is a very small
minority here,” the player said. “At JHS, we’re neither black or
white…we’re black and gold!”
September 18, 2006: Black parent Tracey Bowen addressed the
LaSalle Parish School Board at their regular monthly meeting
concerning the noose incident. Bowen said that she was there on
behalf of all parents, defending her and several other black parents’
recent cries of racism following an incident at JHS where two
hangman’s nooses were discovered at the school.
“Everyone says that we went overboard but I don’t believe we
went overboard with this,” she said. “Right is right – no matter
what color you are.”
Three white JHS students were suspended following the incident
after it was discovered their motivation was not racism but rather a
prank taken from a movie.
Bowen contended that even if it was a prank, the punishment
warranted much more, given the history of American racism
against blacks.
“We’re all equal and we only want what is right,” she continued.
“What goes for one goes for all.”
Bowen read from a prepared statement and that took less than five
minutes to read. Approximately ten other black supporters were
there with her.
Following her statements, the board thanked Bowen for her
comments and moved to the next item on the agenda. Because the
issue involved students of a school, board members are prohibited
from discussing them or information about the incident in public
due to confidentiality reasons.
September 9-November 30, 2006: Despite the media promoting
racial tension, there were no such reports of any violence or
destruction during this time period. Disruptions at school were
only those of typical disruptions, nothing related to any racial
divide, thus, putting to rest any speculation that there was true
racial tensions in town.
Late September-Early October, 2006: Although the specific date
cannot be verified, an assembly of all students was called by
school officials at JHS where various officials addressed the
student body. Those speaking included sheriff’s detectives Paul
Smith and Jimmy Arbogast, Principal Scott Windham,
Superintendent Breithaupt, and LaSalle Parish District Attorney
Reed Walters.
The assembly was prompted when police were called to the school
to calm down a student who was fighting and when police got
there the student allegedly tried to hit Detective Smith. Although
Smith did not arrest the juvenile (who would later be implicated as
one of the “Jena Six”) he felt the need to call the assembly and
requested the DA to come and speak to students.
Walters said that he’d been preparing an aggravated rape case that
morning when he received the call. Such a case in Louisiana could
subject the accused to the death penalty.
“I had been handed an aggravated rape case where an 18 year-old
had allegedly had sex with a 12 year-old and I was concentrating
on that,” the District Attorney Reed Walters said. “This is the type
of case that can subject one to the death penalty in Louisiana so I
was very much involved in deciding how to proceed with the very
serious case when I got the call from Paul.”
“So, here I am thinking about this case and what to do,” he
continued. “Should I or should I not seek the death penalty and in
the middle of all this Paul (Smith – then LPSO detective) calls and
says we need you to come to the school. I thought to myself, I
don’t want to go to the school right now, but he said he really
needed my presence there.”
LaSalle Parish Sheriff’s Detective Jimmy Arbogast said that
tensions were high on the campus on that particular day and the
purpose of the district attorney coming to school was to calm
everyone down.
“Everybody was upset and Paul just wanted Reed to explain to
them that they have to think about their actions,” he said. “Reed
talked about the case he was looking over that day and was
explaining to them that they would be held accountable for their
actions.”
Walters said that he did mention the death penalty case before the
students, although he did not divulge any details about the case.
While he was talking to the students, he contends some of the
students were not paying him any attention.
“What happened was, two or three girls, white girls, were chitchatting
on their cell phones or playing on their cell phones right in
the middle of my dissertation,” he remembered. “I got a little
irritated at them and said, ‘pay attention to me. I am right now
having to deal with an aggravated rape case where I’ve got to
decide whether the death penalty applies or not.’”
The DA said that his purpose in his speech was to allow the
students to see the very serious consequences that certain actions
would have. Furthermore, even though the DA didn’t mention any
names associated with the rape case, several in the auditorium who
were related to that white man and white girl involved in the rape
case, apparently figured out what case the DA was referencing
even though he never mentioned any names or other vital
information about the case.
“The reason I know this is because after I left I had to go back to
the school to talk with those certain students and their mothers to
calm them down,” Walters said. “I would assume that when I made
the statement concerning my pen they thought I was talking about
their relative.”
“I’m trying to help Paul and Jimmy and the school by saying I
want you (students) to call me before you do something stupid,” he
said. “If you don’t, then I have to go based on what the facts are. I
was trying to impress upon the kids to please think before you act.
That was the context of what took place that day.”
To emphasize his point and to grab the attention of the uninterested
white girls, the DA said he pulled out his ink pen and made a
statement that many in the black community felt was aimed at
them.
“As I got aggravated with the white girls, I made reference to the
aggravated rape case and say, look, I can be your best friend or
your worst enemy,” he said. “With the stroke of a pen I can make
your life miserable so I want you to call me before you do
something stupid. But that last part never gets reported.”
Also contrary to reports concerning the DA’s speech to students,
Arbogast notes that the black and white students were not sitting in
segregated fashion as many say.
“If I remember correctly, they came into the auditorium and sat by
classes, such as homeroom classes,” the detective said. “The
whites and blacks were scattered throughout the auditorium and he
never focused on any one particular group when giving his
speech.”
Walters said he just remembers walking up and down the left aisle
of the auditorium while talking when he noticed the three white
girls not paying attention to his speech.
“If anything, I was focused on the girls when I said the pen
statement and not any of the black students in the assembly,” he
said. “In all actuality, if I hadn’t been dealing with the aggravated
rape case I would have never even thought about saying that
statement.”
Arbogast said that he is very confident that the DA was not
addressing black students.
“Look, these are kids,” Arbogast said. “That’s what the DA was
trying to explain is that if they come up here and do something
stupid then its going to affect you from now on. Every time you go
to get a job, every time you go some where, you don’t want
something (criminal history) following you around.”
Smith said that the reason for having Walters speak before the
students was to simply have them stop and think about the
consequences of inappropriate actions.
“In my theory of calling him up there was to get him up there and
explain that there are consequences of their actions and hopefully,
it would ease the tensions,” Smith said. “Maybe they would stop
and think, hey, we can’t be acting like this.”
Walters also noted that this was not the only time he’d addressed
students.
“I have spoken to students on several other occasions,” he said.
“My purpose is simply to have them to think before they act. This
pen is a pretty important instrument in my hand. I can help you or I
can hurt you. It’s up to you. It’s not up to me.”
November 30, 2006: Around 4 a.m., Thursday, November 30, the
Jena Fire Department received an alarm that the main, two-story
academic building of Jena High School was on fire. They arrived
to find the building nearly engulfed in flames and soon called for
every fire department in the parish to respond for assistance.
Within 20 minutes, departments from across the parish converged
on the scene to assist with the fire.
At total of 98 firefighters from 15 different departments and 32
other assistant personnel fought the blaze until it was finally
extinguished around 11 a.m. Officials from the Louisiana State
Fire Marshal’s Office were also at the scene, and quickly
determined the cause of the fire – arson.
According to sources, one fire was started in the main office
complex of the building, specifically in Principal Scott Windham’s
office. There were also multiple fires set on the second floor in
various classrooms. The result was a fire that firefighters in the
parish have only read about or watched training films on.
There still have been no arrests made in connection with the arson
fire and officials do not believe it is related to the noose incident.
November 30th also marked the changing of command at Jena High
School, as Principal Scott Windham was promoted to a position at
the school system’s central office and was replaced by new JHS
Principal Slick Joiner.
December 1, 2006: The first time law enforcement officials used
the term “racial tensions” was in describing the events of the
weekend and subsequent Monday, in which several black-white
altercations occurred. LaSalle Parish Sheriff’ Department
Investigator Paul Smith said the unusual racial unrest throughout
the community started Friday night, December 1, at a private party
held at the Jena Fair Barn.
“The facility was rented by a woman who was throwing a party for
her daughter,” Arbogast said. “During the course of that party that
night, where both blacks and whites attended, Robert Bailey, Jr.
and some other friends came to the party seeking a mutual friend
inside the party.”
Walters said that according to the statement given by Robert
Bailey, Jr., he was asked to leave by the person who was giving the
party.
“My understanding of the case is that the mother was going back
inside to get the friend and the defendant (Justin Sloan) comes out
and hits him (Bailey),” Walters said. “A scuffle ensues and then
Mr. Bailey leaves. All of this took place outside of the fair barn.”
The DA noted that this was not a fight because Robert Bailey did
not swing at Sloan or fight back.
“He did not do anything,” Walters said. “Robert Bailey, Jr. was the
victim of this incident. He was hit by the defendant’s fist, knocked
down, some type of scuffle occurred, then Mr. Bailey left.”
The police and DA noted that contrary to reports since the incident
that a beer bottle was used in the attack of Bailey, Bailey’s own
statement written after the incident said that he was hit only with
the fist of Sloan.
“There was no statement given by the victim at that time that any
weapon was used in the attack,” Walters said. “There is nothing in
his statement that says ‘he hit me with a beer bottle.’ He did not go
to the hospital for stitches and there is no medical evidence other
than this was a simple battery.”
Walters said that Sloan was arrested for simple battery, prosecuted
for simple battery, pled guilty to simple battery, and was sentenced
for simple battery.
“As part of his sentence, he was made to apologize to Robert
Bailey in open court,” Walters said. “In sumassion, it started as a
simple battery, the evidence supported a simple battery, and it was
prosecuted as a simple battery. It was only after the fact, after the
‘Jena Six’ began to receive national attention that I heard that a
beer bottle was involved and stitches were involved. So, I checked
with the local hospital and there was no medical evidence to
support the accusation.”
Justin Sloan, 22, of Jena, a white participant of the party, was
arrested by the sheriff’s office in connection with the fair barn
fight, and this event led to other attacks throughout the area.
“Sometime later that night, there was another incident near the fair
grounds but there were no arrests made in connection with that,”
Smith said.
December 2, 2006: On Saturday night, December 2, another
altercation occurred at the Gotta-Go Grocery, a convenience store
near the Jena Airport, that resulted in three Jena High School
students arrested on several charges and the victim having to be
treated at the hospital for injuries.
The victim, Matt Windham, alleges that three black males attacked
and robbed him while the three accused are claiming self-defense.
Both the victim and those arrested offered different statements to
police, however, two eye witnesses to the event unrelated to the
victim or those arrested, gave a report of the incident that
corresponded with the victim.
Those arrested include: Robert Bailey, Jr., 17, of Jena; Ryan
Simmons, 17, of Jena, and Theodore Shaw, 17, of Jena. All three
are students at Jena High School and each were charged with
second-degree robbery, theft of a firearm, and conspiracy to
commit second-degree robbery.
No reports of any fights or attacks were noted for the following
day, Sunday, December 3.
December 4, 2006: On Monday, December 4, one of the most
violent attacks in Jena High School’s history was orchestrated by
seven black students on a lone white student, according to
authorities.
The attack came less than four hours after students were allowed
back on campus following the arson fire of JHS. According to
witness statements, at the end of the lunch period, the seven
students jumped a white male student, beating him unconscious
with him having to be carried from the school by ambulance to the
emergency room. Trial testimony later identified Mychal Bell as
the first of the group to strike Justin Barker, hitting him so hard
from behind that it knocked him immediately unconscious. Other
participants in the attack then joined Bell in kicking and stomping
Barker as he lay defenseless and unconscious on the ground.
Although Barker was released later that day from the hospital, it
was reported that he continues to suffer pain from the attack. He
did attend a senior class ring ceremony that same night, but had to
leave early because of pain.
Shortly after the incident, sheriff’s detectives arrested Robert
Bailey and Theodore Shaw again in connection with the attack,
along with JHS standout football player Carwin Jones, 18, of Jena,
Bryant R. Purvis, Mychal Bell, and two juveniles.
The seven were originally arrested for second-degree battery
related charges, however, LaSalle Parish District Attorney J. Reed
Walters made the decision to up the charges to more serious
offenses.
All seven were arraigned on charges of conspiracy to commit
second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder.
Walters charged juvenile Mychal Bell as an adult while the other
two remain in juvenile court.
Mychal Bell, 16, of Jena, another standout JHS football player, had
his bond set at $90,000.
Total bonds on each of the students from the Gotta-Go fight and
the JHS attack were set at: Jones - $90,000; Bailey - $138,000;
Shaw - $130,000; Purvis - $70,000; and Simmons - $60,000. (It
should be noted that portions of some of the students’ bond were
from the event at Gotta-Go Grocery, making them higher than
others.) No information was available concerning bond on the
other juvenile.
Investigator Smith noted that since the JHS attack on December 4,
there have been no other reports of violence in the Jena area
connected with the incidents.
From all evidence gathered by law enforcement detectives, the
violent attack of Barker by seven black students at Jena High
School December 4 is not linked to the arson fire that destroyed the
main academic building four days prior or the hanging of a noose
at JHS in August.
U.S. Attorney Donald Washington has stated on numerous
occasions that no where in any witness statements concerning the
attack is there ever any reference to the noose incident in August,
thereby, discounting the attack was related to the noose hangings.
Investigator Paul Smith of the LaSalle Parish Sheriff’s Department
said the investigation so far has revealed no link between the fire
or noose incidents and several fights throughout Jena over the
previous weekend involving white and black students of JHS.
December 7, 2006: Approximately 35 ministers and lay-leaders
from many Jena-area black and white churches met for over an
hour last Thursday night, uniting in their efforts to promote peace
among all citizens.
The ministers met at Trout Creek Baptist Church to start a new
ministerial alliance group for Jena churches of all denominations
and racial-ethnic groups. The meeting occurred just days following
racial unrest throughout Jena, specifically involving students at
Jena High School.
“We’re not here to talk about what has happened, but rather what
we can do to address those issues from a spiritual basis,” Jena First
Baptist Church Pastor Dominick DiCarlo told the group. “This is a
spiritual problem and there is no other institution appointed by God
to deal with the heart problem of man other than His church.”
DiCarlo said he believes all area ministers must unite to combat
the spiritual forces that are attacking area young people and there
must be a unified front for the sake of the entire community.
“We want to implement Biblical solutions and stress the value of
powerful prayer among all believers, white and black,” he said.
By the end of the meeting, the group agreed in wording for a
resolution to be printed in the newspaper (see resolution inside this
issue) with all ministers’ signatures attached.
The clergy also agreed to address the situation from their
individual pulpits during Sunday services, encouraging their
members to pray and to seek peace among students and adults.
They also organized a prayer time last Sunday, December 10, at
the four different schools in Jena – Jena High, Jena Junior High,
Jena Elementary, and Good Pine Middle School.
At JHS alone, over 200 people from all denominations and racial
groups met to pray for the school, its students, teachers, and
administrators. Joiner even opened the doors of classrooms so
people could walk inside each room and pray. The end of the event
had all participants joining hands in the school square for a time of
corporate prayer.
On Monday of this week, administrators invited all area ministers
to have lunch at Jena High with the students and teachers.
December 13, 2006: Approximately 600 Jena residents filled the
Guy Campbell Memorial Football Stadium Wednesday night,
December 13, for a community-wide prayer and unity service
sponsored by local ministers.
The new ministerial alliance, consisting of Jena area pastors of
various denominations and ethnic memberships, organized the
event during a special meeting of some 35 pastors and lay-leaders
December 7.
The purpose of the new alliance and the prayer meeting last week
was to unite all Christians in light of recent racial tensions
surrounding Jena High School.
Jena has been plagued in recent weeks with a series of events
containing racial overtones, culminating December 4 with a violent
attack on the campus of Jena High School involving black and
white students. Other events included fights throughout the Jena
area involving blacks and whites, including JHS students, and the
recent arson fire at the school November 30, although so far
investigators have not linked the fire to racial motivations.
“Our purpose here tonight is not to talk about what has happened,
but rather to pray for healing and unity for our community,”
Midway Baptist Church Pastor Rick Feazell said in opening the
service. “This is not a social problem, but a spiritual problem that
can only be solved by God.”
SCHOOL OFFICIALS, POLICE OFFICIALS, AND OTHER
GOVERNING OFFICIALS have all noted that there have been no
racial incidents since the December 4, 2006, attack and subsequent
arrests. However, some time at the beginning of 2007, black
ministers pulled out of the LaSalle Ministerial Alliance and are no
longer participating in the joint ministry.
March 7, 2007: A special meeting was held at Antioch Baptist
Church near Jena for the formation of a LaSalle Branch of the
NAACP. According to president Caseptla Bailey, who is also the
mother of accused student Robert Bailey, Jr., over 100 people,
including adults and youth, paid membership fees to join the
organization. The committee known as the “Jena Six Defense
Committee,” was also formed this night.
March 8, 2007: The first “Free the Jena Six” rally was held at the
LaSalle Parish Courthouse in Jena with about 30 people in
attendance. Along with some of the family members of the black
students accused, members from the national ACLU and state
NAACP were in attendance.
May 2, 2007: Approximately 40 people attended a rally on the
steps of the LaSalle Parish Courthouse Wednesday afternoon,
calling for the release and charges dropped on six former Jena
High School students.
Some of the parents and family of the six accused students were at
the rally, however, a large portion of those attending were from
outside of LaSalle Parish.
Groups represented included the NAACP, ACLU, and the National
Action Network.
June 25-28, 2007: The trial of Mychal Bell, the first of the Jena
Six to go to trial from the December 4, 2006, attack, was held
during this week. An all-white jury was selected, however, it
should be noted that no potential black jurors showed up for jury
duty, although several were summoned. Bell’s charges were
reduced from attempted murder to aggravated second-degree
battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated second-degree
battery. He was convicted of both counts.
July 26, 2007: A community education forum was held at Good
Pine Middle School led by US Attorney Donald Washington and
FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Lewis Chapman. At this
forum, Washington said his office’s civil rights division has
investigated all of the events in Jena during 2006, including the
noose incident, the fights throughout town, and the December 4,
2006 attack. He said there were no civil right violations in any of
the incidents…making specific reference to the noose incident. He
also said the FBI has investigated the school system, police
departments, sheriff’s department, district attorney’s office, and the
28th Judicial District Court system and found no violations of civil
rights in any area.
July 31, 2007: An estimated crowd of 300 people descended upon
the lawn of the LaSalle Parish Courthouse Tuesday, July 31,
demonstrating their support for the black Jena High School
students charged in connection with an attack at the school last
December.
The protesters came to Jena from all over the country, including
California and Washington, D.C., although only around 10
residents of LaSalle Parish were present. Most of those were
family members of the students accused in the attack.
The protest was called for a day when Mychal Bell was originally
set to be sentenced following his conviction of aggravated seconddegree
battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated second-degree
battery during a jury trial in late June.
August 5, 2007: Rev. Al Sharpton made his first official visit to
Jena, preaching in a service at Trout Creek Baptist Church during
their Sunday morning service.
August 14, 2007: Rev. Al Sharpton made his second visit to Jena
bringing with him Martin Lurther King, III, during a town hall
meeting at Antioch Baptist Church on this Tuesday night.
August 24, 2007: Mychal Bell was back in court on a series of
motions from his new pro-bono attorneys. They were successful in
getting on the conviction counts thrown out, the conspiracy to
commit aggravated second-degree battery, but Bell still faces
sentenced on the aggravated second-degree battery count on
September 20. He faces a maximum jail time of 15 years. It was
also revealed during the hearing that Bell has a violent past as a
juvenile, with at least four different violent arrests. He was also on
juvenile probation during some of those arrests, and was on
probation when the December 4, 2006 attack occurred.
September 12, 2007: Rev. Jesse Jackson made his first appearance
in Jena during a meeting with some 300 people at Good Pine
Middle School Sunday afternoon. The next day, he held a press
conference/rally at the LaSalle Parish Courthouse with family
members of the Jena Six.
September 14, 2007: LaSalle Parish District Attorney J. Reed
Walters issued his first public statement on the events of this past
year, noting the noose incident did not constitute a federal or state
offense, and the attack at JHS on December 4, 2006, was exactly
that…and not a “school-yard fight” that has been repeatedly
reported in the news media.
The Third Circuit Court of Appeal announced on this date they
have overturned Mychal Bell’s conviction and have thrown it out.
They ruled the matter should have been handled in juvenile court
and sent it to that jurisdiction for prosecution. Walters said he
would appeal the decision to the Louisiana Supreme Court.
September 20, 2007: Around 15,000 people from across the
nation and world were in Jena for a large demonstration/rally in
support of the “Jena Six.” This is the day Mychal Bell was to be
sentenced prior to the appeal court decision September 14. Even
though the conviction was overturned, organizers for the massive
demonstration continued with the rally as planned. The rally was
peaceful, as predicted by organizers.
September 27, 2007: Mychal Bell was released on $45,000 bond
before a crowd of family and friends and a large contingency of
national and local media. He appeared in front of the LaSalle
Parish Courthouse alongside Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Lurther
King, III, before going home after 10 months in jail.
====================
As far as the noose incident at Columbia is concerned, the University refused to release the video tapes to the local authorities. They were clearly hiding something. Could it be that Ms. Constantine hung the noose herself ? The whole matter has been covered up.
The Westchester "Black Watch" is as racisct as the NAACP, Black Miss America, the countless "Historically Black Colleges", 100 Blacks in law enforcement, and on and on.
Greetings
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