Superintendent advises Alexandria School Board to not talk to the media

[mountaineer]

Superintendent advises Alexandria School Board to not talk to the media
James Cullum
March 15, 2022

The Alexandria School Board on Monday (March 14) was advised against talking to the media, as the Board received a refresher on their operating procedures.

Board members were told that they have to be careful of what they say out of concern for the division as a whole, prompting some members to question toeing the line of Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. and staff.

The Board’s operating procedures stipulate that any questions from media related to personnel, student matters, school programs and exceptional/emergency events should be fielded by Board Chair Meagan Alderton and the ACPS communications team. School Board members are discouraged against discussing division-wide topics in an effort to minimize the fallout of inaccurate information going out into the community.

Hutchings said that the media has taken his comments out of context and that it’s important that media questions be forwarded to his staff. He also said that media training is available for Board Members.

“I think you always have to, because their (media’s) time is actually time-limited,” Hutchings said. “I can just tell you, I get bombarded from people at events as soon I step off the stage, and I say, ‘You gotta wait until I talk to my team first, because I want to make sure what the pros and cons are of it.'”

Member Kelly Carmichael Booz was confused as to whether the Board is being coerced against talking to the press. ...

Full story at ALX Now

This is incredible. Some of these school boards in Virginia are becoming unhinged (see also Loudon County).

[Smokin Joe]

You know something is amiss when school boards need a ministry of propaganda.

[mountaineer]

You know something is amiss when school boards need a ministry of propaganda.

Seriously. Until recently, I was a reporter covering school board meetings. I would have been flabbergasted by such a directive.

[Wingnut]

You know something is amiss when school boards need a ministry of propaganda.

I hear Jen pSaki will be available soon.

[Kamaji]

You know something is amiss when school boards need a ministry of propaganda.

[mountaineer]

It all makes sense now.

   Virginia School Covered Up Sexual Assault That Left Victim Hospitalized
By Inez Stepman
March 18, 2022 6:30 AM

In the national debate over the direction of K–12 education, the battle lines separating parents and institutions are only hardening.

School boards, accustomed to operating without much democratic input and to winning elections with minuscule turnout, are reacting to the sudden spotlight by covering up the consequences of their decisions and hiding crucial information from parents, even when it concerns their children’s safety. In Loudoun County, Va., the district’s cover-up of a sexual assault in a school bathroom became a national story last year and arguably affected the state’s gubernatorial election. Now, a similar case is coming to light in nearby Alexandria.

We have learned that the Alexandria school district and school board withheld information from parents about a violent sexual assault by multiple people in a city high school, one that sent the victim to the hospital and led to a police investigation. Alexandria police have now directly confirmed to Independent Women’s Forum via email that the police arrested a 14-year-old suspect in early December for “aggravated sexua[l] battery, rape, and forcible sodomy” in connection with the October incident at Minnie Howard campus. The police declined to share additional detail about the incident due to the fact that both the victim and suspect are juveniles. And Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) chief of school and public relations Julia Burgos said that “we are unable to provide information regarding specifics about students.”

A recent Freedom of Information Act request also unearthed a concerning series of emails about the reported sexual assault at Minnie Howard High School last October. Among the recipients and participants in the emails are school-board members, the superintendent, the mayor, and Alexandria police. Parents, however, were largely left in the dark. ...

National Review

[GtHawk]

The police declined to share additional detail about the incident due to the fact that both the victim and suspect are juveniles. And Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) chief of school and public relations Julia Burgos said that “we are unable to provide information regarding specifics about students.”

In my opinion once a "juvenile" commits adult crimes, particularly violent sex crimes, they should no longer be considered juveniles and be treated exactly as an adult offender would. Seems there's a lot bad things happening in Virginia schools that's being covered up.

Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time - Yeah, don't do it.

[mountaineer]

Bart Marcois
@bmarcois
Alexandria city police confirmed to IWF that police arrested a 14-year-old suspect in early December for “aggravated sexua[l] battery, rape, and forcible sodomy.” The incident took place in October 2021, at the height of the city’s anti-police crusade.

Alexandria City Public Schools Reportedly Covered Up Assault That Left Student Hospitalized
Chrissy Clark
Contributor
March 18, 2022 1:56 PM

A public school district in northern Virginia reportedly withheld information from parents about a violent sexual assault that occurred in a high school, according to FOIA documents obtained by Independent Women’s Forum (IWF).

Alexandria city police confirmed to IWF that police arrested a 14-year-old suspect in early December for “aggravated sexua[l] battery, rape, and forcible sodomy.” The incident took place in October 2021 at Minnie Howard High School, according to National Review.

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) did not inform parents or students about the incident, though the district’s board members, superintendent, mayor, and the Alexandria police were informed, according to FOIA documents. ...

ACPS’ Chief of School and Community Relations Julia Burgos told the Daily Caller that the district is “unable to provide information regarding specifics about students.” ...

Daily Caller

[Right_in_Virginia]

14 years old  ... the perp was 14 years old. How do you even wrap your head around this?

[verga]

The police declined to share additional detail about the incident due to the fact that both the victim and suspect are juveniles. And Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) chief of school and public relations Julia Burgos said that “we are unable to provide information regarding specifics about students.”

In my opinion once a "juvenile" commits adult crimes, particularly violent sex crimes, they should no longer be considered juveniles and be treated exactly as an adult offender would. Seems there's a lot bad things happening in Virginia schools that's being covered up.

Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time - Yeah, don't do it.

The key word is suspect. Once the person is convicted I agree with you 100%. But until that time you need to protect the identity of the victim and the suspect. I personally know of a case where the girl claimed rape, and it was a case of "buyers remorse". Fortunately there was enough evidence (video, and text messages) to support his version of the events.