Another great Czar appointed – safe schools for SOME coming your way. [Archive] - The Orange Mane

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Bob

09-28-2009, 11:43 AM

This admin, should not shock anyone with their appointments, but cant they stop appointing radicals and start appointing Dems? The fact that he’s gay doesn’t bug me, but I am unsure about his willingness to protect young folks from statutory rape, based on his past actions (if true.)

Here is one of the latest choices: Kevin Jennings.

“Perhaps the most dramatic illustration, however, of Jennings’ unfitness for a “safe schools” post involves an incident when he taught at Concord Academy, a private boarding school in Massachusetts. In his book One Teacher in Ten (the title is based on the discredited myth, now abandoned even by “gay” activist groups, that ten percent of the population is homosexual), he tells about a young male sophomore, “Brewster,” who confessed to Jennings “his involvement with an older man he met in Boston.” But at a GLSEN rally in 2000, Jennings told a more explicit version of “Brewster’s” story. Jennings here quotes the boy and then comments: “‘I met someone in the bus station bathroom and I went home with him.’ High school sophomore, 15 years old. That was the only way he knew how to meet gay people.”

Did Jennings report this high-risk behavior to the authorities? To the school? To the boy’s parents? No -- he just told the boy, “I hope you knew to use a condom.” Sex between an adult and a young person below the “age of consent” (which varies from state to state) is a crime known as statutory rape, and some states mandate that people in certain professions report such abuse.

I do not know if “Brewster” was below the age of consent, nor whether Jennings was a mandatory reporter or violated mandatory reporting laws. When members of the National Education Association protested an NEA award to Jennings because of this incident, Jennings called the criticism “potentially libelous” and a GLSEN lawyer demanded a retraction. But when officials at Concord Academy -- the school where Jennings had taught -- were asked about the scenario described in one of Jennings’ accounts, a school spokesman said that such an incident should be reported.

In any case, public service requires adherence to a higher ethical standard than bare compliance with the law. Instead of veiled threats, Jennings now owes the public a thorough explanation of the “Brewster” incident. Regardless of the law, a 15-year-old who meets sexual partners in a bus station restroom requires more than a condom to be “safe.”

Kevin Jennings has neither the temperament nor the ethical standards needed for public service. His history suggests a commitment to serving only one narrow part of the student population, not all students. He is unfit for the post to which he’s been assigned, and Secretary Duncan should withdraw his appointment at once.”

Rohirrim

09-28-2009, 12:51 PM

So, this is the scalp Glenn Beck is going after this week?

epicSocialism4tw

09-28-2009, 01:05 PM

Its about time that our government quit underminding our parents in this country.

When a kid comes into your office with that type of unsettling story where they freely admit that they are involved in extremely dangerous activities, the first priority should be to contact the parents.

Rohirrim

09-28-2009, 01:40 PM

Bob, when you post an article, you need to post the link.

barryr

09-28-2009, 03:49 PM

Had sex as a boy with a man he didn't even know in a public bus station? The guy is sick and would be if it was a heterosexual encounter. Just what we need in public service.

Fedaykin

09-28-2009, 03:51 PM

... Just what we need in public service.

reading comprehension -- you need more practice.

Bob

09-30-2009, 11:46 AM

So, this is the scalp Glenn Beck is going after this week?

This is simple:

If our pres is appointing radical folks to posts that have turned a blind eye to statitory rape (if true) then if you disagree with rape you should standup. If you only standup against party lables, and accept anyone this pres appoints that would make you a sell-out, not driven by principles, but party loyality.

Like ACORN, like Van Jones fight against evil and coruption in your own party, I will attempt to see clearly enough to do the same thing.

Bob

09-30-2009, 11:48 AM

Bob, when you post an article, you need to post the link.

Sorry some radical right wing sight like FOX, but I cant remember where I got the clip now. Is it factual, or has Big Brother started usings newspeak scrubbing?

Rohirrim

09-30-2009, 11:52 AM

Sorry some radical right wing sight like FOX, but I cant remember where I got the clip now. Is it factual, or has Big Brother started usings newspeak scrubbing?

Like I posted in the other thread, even the most friggin conservative media outlet on the planet, CBN, questions Fox's journalistic ethics. Here's what Fox's motto should be: We make up your mind for you. Hilarious!

Bob

09-30-2009, 12:04 PM

Like I posted in the other thread, even the most friggin conservative media outlet on the planet, CBN, questions Fox's journalistic ethics. Here's what Fox's motto should be: We make up your mind for you. Hilarious!

But you cant refute that Obama has appointed this man, who has indeed done these things accused of.... hmmm... typical. back when the monalithic fringe media pushed its "news" that would work. But just like the folks Obama has appointed, his own words will likely condemn him -- call it a scalp if you want, as un-PC as that statement is, but if the fringe media didnt attempt to blackout stories it didint want exposed, Glenn would not have an audiance.

Rohirrim

09-30-2009, 12:10 PM

But you cant refute that Obama has appointed this man, who has indeed done these things accused of.... hmmm... typical. back when the monalithic fringe media pushed its "news" that would work. But just like the folks Obama has appointed, his own words will likely condemn him -- call it a scalp if you want, as un-PC as that statement is, but if the fringe media didnt attempt to blackout stories it didint want exposed, Glenn would not have an audiance.

Uh, no. I don't know anything about it. That's why I wanted the link. :kiddingme

barryr

09-30-2009, 12:18 PM

reading comprehension -- you need more practice.

Yeah, that made sense.

barryr

09-30-2009, 12:19 PM

Bob

10-01-2009, 05:23 PM

Here is another article (this one is from the Washington Times)

By THE WASHINGTON TIMES

A teacher was told by a 15-year-old high school sophomore that he was having homosexual sex with an "older man." At the very least, statutory rape occurred. Fox News reported that the teacher violated a state law requiring that he report the abuse. That former teacher, Kevin Jennings, is President Obama's "safe school czar." It's getting hard to keep track of all of this president's problematic appointments. Clearly, the process for vetting White House employees has broken down.

In this one case in which Mr. Jennings had a real chance to protect a young boy from a sexual predator, he not only failed to do what the law required but actually encouraged the relationship.

According to Mr. Jennings' own description in a new audiotape discovered by Fox News, the 15-year-old boy met the "older man" in a "bus station bathroom" and was taken to the older man's home that night. When some details about the case became public, Mr. Jennings threatened to sue another teacher who called his failure to report the statutory rape "unethical." Mr. Jennings' defenders asserted that there was no evidence that he was aware the student had sex with the older man.

However, the new audiotape contradicts this claim. In 2000, Mr. Jennings gave a talk to the Iowa chapter of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, an advocacy group that promotes homosexuality in schools. On the tape, Mr. Jennings recollected that he told the student to make sure "to use a condom" when he was with the older man. That he actively encouraged the relationship is reinforced by Mr. Jennings' own description in his 1994 book, "One Teacher in 10." In that account, the teacher boasts how he allayed the student's concerns about the relationship to such a degree that the 15-year-old "left my office with a smile on his face that I would see every time I saw him on the campus for the next two years, until he graduated."

Mr. Jennings' denials about these events reveal a lack of remorse. He has not admitted that he made mistakes in this case, and he now refuses to answer any questions about the scandal. Don't forget, this is a presidential appointee we're talking about. Mr. Obama should make clear what his standards are for public servants serving at the pleasure of the president. Encouraging and covering up man-boy sexual activity are serious offenses. The White House should force Mr. Jennings to come clean.

Mr. Jennings has made extremely radical statements promoting homosexuality in schools and about his utter contempt for religion that render him unsuitable for a prestigious White House appointment. His job in the Obama administration is to ensure student safety, and this scandal directly calls into question his ability to perform that job. Mr. Jennings and Obama administration officials refuse to answer any questions about this newly discovered evidence. A lot of Americans want answers about this guy and how he was approved for a job in the White House.

Rohirrim

10-01-2009, 07:17 PM

Anybody who goes to the Washington Times for anything is a fool. It's like asking Glenn Beck for an unbiased opinion. I wouldn't believe anything coming out the media outlet of some rabid, Right wing cultist like Sun Myung Moon. I can't believe anybody else would either. Isn't it strange that the two biggest Right Wing propagandists in America are not Americans? Murdoch and Moon. I doubt most countries would allow foreigners to come into their countries and manipulate their politics the way we allow these two to do.

Bob

10-01-2009, 10:08 PM

The tool who broke the law by not reporting this crime of rape Apologized recently for his actions in 1988. Can i help it that MSNBC wont report the truth he has already admitted to? So do we have to add turning a blind eye to statutory rape to the list of things you ignore? So far we have prostitution of 14 year old illegal’s, human trafficking, and the “incredible revolution” that Chavez has been able to put together – and the list is growing. Are you a Democrat? Great! If so, its time to standup to what your party is becoming, like those in the party 30 years ago would have been able to do. Those that Obama continues to put in positions of power do not represent the Dem party –so why not demand higher standards? Regardless of party – the people he is appointing have histories that imply they will not protect free speech (The FCC Czar) and not protect children (this latest Czar.)

You are not confronting the facts – does Big Brother have that tight a grip on you, and shaping your thoughts that you are willing to sell any decency you have left for some perceived end-game? You will not commit a thoughtcrime for asking for someone better – they don’t have to be a clone of Beaver Cleaver to be pure enough to serve, but they should not be ok when he is being raped. Is there nothing Big Brother can do to concern you?

Rohirrim

10-02-2009, 07:52 AM

Rohirrim

10-02-2009, 07:58 AM

Here's another take:

FACT CHECK: The Right-Wing Smear Campaign Against Kevin Jennings
The right wing has a new target: Kevin Jennings, whom President Obama appointed Assistant Deputy Secretary at the Department of Education for the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools (OSDFS). Jennings has had a distinguished career as a teacher, author, and founder of Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), an organization that works to make schools safe for all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

It is primarily Jennings’ work with GLSEN that has so outraged the far right. The Family Research Council (FRC) launched the “Stop Kevin Jennings” campaign this week, warning that he is a “radical homosexual activist” who has “worked tirelessly to bring the homosexual agenda into our nation’s classrooms.” “His history demonstrates disregard for our obligations to safeguard the health and well being of the student population,” writes FRC President Tony Perkins.

ThinkProgress investigated FRC’s claims and spoke to people who have worked with Jennings. A look at some of the “facts” about him:

FRC CLAIM: “Jennings’ and GLSEN’s concept of ’safe schools’ means special protections for privileged groups (especially homosexuals), rather than safety for all.”

FACT: As the gay son of a Southern baptist preacher, Jennings had a “childhood of prejudice, taunts, and harassment.” As an education leader, he has used those experiences to promote tolerance and anti-bullying measures in schools nationwide. ThinkProgress spoke with Molly Spearman, executive director of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators. Spearman first heard Jennings speak at the 2007 convention of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). Spearman said that she was so impressed with Jennings, she decided to invite him to speak at her organization’s October 2007 summit on bullying:

I was a little nervous, being in South Carolina, a very conservative state. But once again, he handled it extremely professionally. He did a magnificent job, and it was a huge success. We had a waiting list of people who wanted to come. … We had several hundred people there. … He was very very well-received — absolutely rave views. And that was in conservative South Carolina. So he handled what could have been a very sensitive topic in a very professional way that was accepted by everyone.

Spearman added that while Jennings did present statistics on the harassment of LGBT students, he more broadly focused on the bullying of all students, pointing out that it was a problem that wasn’t specifically confined to one group.

- – - – -

FRC CLAIM: “Jennings is viciously hostile to religion.”

FACT: As proof of this claim, FRC points to a passage from Jennings’ memoir:

God…had done nothing but cause me pain and anguish through His inaction and malevolence throughout my childhood. … What had he done for me, other than make me feel shame and guilt? Squat. Screw you, buddy — I don’t need you around anymore, I decided.

As the blog Good As You noted, Jennings was relaying “his frustrations as a gay teen, when his inability to ‘overcome’ his gay desires convinced him that he was detached from God.” FRC also doesn’t bother to include what Jennings writes a few sentences later: that he later returned to religion. “Decades passed before I opened a Bible again.” Jennings later went on to serve as an active member on the board of the Union Theological Seminary (UTS) in New York, the nation’s most prestigious Protestant seminary. ThinkProgress spoke with Rev. Serene Jones, President of UTS, who disputed any claims that Jennings was anti-religion:

In my role as the president [of UTS], and as pastor, I have met few people as deeply Christian and as deeply committed to the work of justice in the world than Kevin Jennings. He’s a man of enormous faith, and not just in terms of prayer and church attendance — both of which he does devoutly — but in terms of his care for the poor, the suffering, the children, the vulnerable in our society. [...]

He’s an active member of the board at Union Theological Seminary and Kevin Jennings tithes, not only in terms of his use of money, but his use of his time and his values and I just wonder how many of the people who are attacking him have taken their own faith serious enough to make the kind of financial, moral, vocational commitment that Kevin Jennings has made with his life.
(Ha! Yeah, no ****, Reverend)

FRC also points to a speech Jennings gave in 2000, where he allegedly said, “We have to quit being afraid of the religious right. … I’m trying not to say, ‘**** ‘em!’ which is what I want to say, because I don’t care what they think! Drop dead!” There appears to be no full transcript available of this 2000 speech; it seems to first appear in a 2002 article on the right-wing website Concerned Women for America. The same day that article was published (4/10/02), Jennings told NPR that he had “no recollection of [that] quote whatsoever.”

- – - – -

FRC Claim: Jennings is “unfit for the post to which he’s been assigned.”

FACT: Jennings, in fact, will be the first head of OSDFS in years to have a background as an educator. His predecessor, Deborah Price, received her BS degree in home economics, worked on the National Prayer Breakfast, on the Senate Republican Policy Committee, and then doing student aid in the Department of Education. Her predecessor, Eric Andell, was a judge from Texas and was eventually fired. He “pleaded guilty in federal court to one misdemeanor count of conflict of interest that included using federal money to pay for personal expenses.” Jennings has received many mainstream education awards, including the Distinguished Service Award of NASSP. ThinkProgress spoke to NASSP Executive Director Gerald Tirozzi, who wrote a recommendation letter on Jennings’ behalf. He said that he has “always been impressed with Kevin and his forthrightness. He’s a very courageous young man.” Tirozzi stressed that Jennings’ work on school bullying made him an ideal fit for this particular position.

- – - – -

As Good As You has noted, FRC and other right-wing sites are trying to take other parts of Jennings’ memoir — such as the fact that Jennings admitted to using drugs while in high school and that he wanted to make sure that a high school student had practiced safe sex — as evidence that he doesn’t have the “ethical standards needed for public service.”

So what is FRC’s real problem with Jennings? Tellingly, FRC Vice President for Policy Peter Sprigg — the author of the anti-Jennings talking points — once said, “I would much prefer to export homosexuals from the United States than to import them into the United States because we believe homosexuality is destructive to society.”
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/03/kevin-jennings/

I would wager that the last sentence in bold pretty much describes where the hysterical, homophobic rightards are coming from on this one.

Bob

10-05-2009, 11:13 AM

This newly appointed czar when he had the responsbility did not protect a teenager from statutory rape... I assume you dont believe it?

Do you want his own confession as well? That can be done, but will you say next that they faked the moon landings as well? Going back to 1984 -- do you remeber teh priciple of doublespeak? I think you might be afflicted with this ideological disease.

What you dont understand is that behavor should matter -- I will admitt that I am far right, fine, but if an appointee who is supposed to protect kids has not done so in the past -- that should be something you have some intellectual curiosity about. He should not be working with kids -- I dont care what party he belongs to, and you should not care either.

Question: If he did this (he did) then should he be appointed to the job?

Question: Why does this admin put people into jobs that have checkered pasts, that make them an easy targets, which distract them from the jobs they were appointed to do?

Question: arnt there a bunch of folks that are left of center he can appoint that don't have a questionable pasts of not protecting kids? How low of a bar does one need?

Question: Is every behavior excused for you, if they happen to be a Dem? And as this appears to be the case -- that might be the root problem in government of both parties today. Why does having a D in front of their name negate statitory rape? Is the end political game more important than protecting kids? How bout this: GET THE END GAME DONE AND PROTECT KIDS -- YOU CAN DO BOTH BY APPOINTING FOLKS THAT HAVE A GOOD RECORD. Isnt that win, win, win for kids, from Dems and R's?