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| https://forward.com/news/450438/students-said-their-yearbook-contains-a-hate-symbol-the-district-wont/ |
What's this all about?
On page 75 of Hudson County School of Technology's Class of 2020 yearbook, one student chose an unusual quote to be remembered by: the numerical code used worldwide by white supremacists, skinheads and neo-Nazis, "88".
Angry parents complained directly to HCST Superintendent Amy Lin-Rodriquez. In response, she purported to launch an HIB/hate symbol internal investigation, then procured a legal review of the school's investigation. The legal review unquestioningly accepted the student's claim that "88" is "North Bergen parlance" for "88th Street Park." The "investigation" and legal review raised more questions:
On page 75 of Hudson County School of Technology's Class of 2020 yearbook, one student chose an unusual quote to be remembered by: the numerical code used worldwide by white supremacists, skinheads and neo-Nazis, "88".
Angry parents complained directly to HCST Superintendent Amy Lin-Rodriquez. In response, she purported to launch an HIB/hate symbol internal investigation, then procured a legal review of the school's investigation. The legal review unquestioningly accepted the student's claim that "88" is "North Bergen parlance" for "88th Street Park." The "investigation" and legal review raised more questions:
- Why didn't the student put "88th Street Park" instead of "88"?
- Why use "North Bergen parlance" for a student body that doesn't know "North Bergen parlance"?
- Shouldn't the legal review have questioned the school's conflict in investigating a student with multiple family members employed in County and North Bergen school districts?
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| "88," universal code for "Heil Hitler" came into use after Germany banned display of Nazi symbols |
THE PETITION
The HCST Superintendent's decision to "close" the matter launched a petition, with 1,200+ signatures and counting. The petition simply requests that Lin-Rodriguez do the right thing; acknowledge the harm that was done, apologize, and:
"commit that everyone who purchased a yearbook will have a replacement page mailed to them at district expense... Students should not have to take a yearbook with them for the rest of their lives that remind them of the time the adults let hate speech stand and turned a blind eye. Instead, they should be reminded that the adults in charge took action to correct a mistake and took hate seriously enough to do something to counter it, which is what the replacement page would represent."
"commit that everyone who purchased a yearbook will have a replacement page mailed to them at district expense... Students should not have to take a yearbook with them for the rest of their lives that remind them of the time the adults let hate speech stand and turned a blind eye. Instead, they should be reminded that the adults in charge took action to correct a mistake and took hate seriously enough to do something to counter it, which is what the replacement page would represent."
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| https://www.nj.com/opinion/2020/07/yearbook-page-with-hateful-symbol-must-be-replaced-now-jersey-journal-editorial.html |
And, the Hoboken City Council weighed in, with unanimous passage of this resolution sponsored by Phil Cohen and Emily Jabbour:
What do HCST students think? Some have expressed their thoughts on social media.
GA Note:
For full disclosure, I am a parent of an HCST Class of 2020 graduate. What a terrible injustice that the HCST Superintendent and School Board have done to a wonderful school and its amazing teachers. I fear the impact on the HCST community present and future. It's not too late to do the right thing.
that hurt grandpas feelings. lol
ReplyDeletedoesn't take much.
DeleteIt's great that the Hoboken City Council weighed in but since it's a County school it really is the Freeholder Board that should be weighing in.
ReplyDeleteHas Freeholder Romano spoken up about this issue yet? It certainly would be appropriate for him to make his views known to the public and the school Administration, especially now that the Hoboken City Council's resolution has made it clear that they think this is an important matter to his constituents.
The school dismisses the case and that has almost everything to do with the student being related to several people throughout the Hudson County political system. The school not acknowledging that it is a hate symbol is pure anti-semitism. Regardless if the administrators know or not know what it means, they have to acknowledge the pain this has caused to the students who have gone through plenty this year. High Tech High Administration should be acknowledge by the SPLC as a hate group.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/i-team-sacco-family-ties-extend-deep-in-north-bergen-as-hiring-questions-swirl/1817435/
DeleteSacco has been mayor in North Bergen for nearly 30 years. He had also worked as a school administrator for three decades earning a top salary of about $260,000 in addition to his work as a state senator.
Kathy Somick worked alongside Sacco at the Board of Education. Records show nine of her relatives have jobs at the schools. Somick’s son Edward is a vice principal. His wife and his ex-wife also have jobs. Somick’s two other sons Steven and James also are employed inside the school system, records show. A fourth son, Walter, has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges he falsified time sheets in his job at the North Bergen parks department.
"When you see it laid out that way, it shows pretty clearly that there is favor and nepotism being given to family of people who are political allies of Nick Sacco," said one insider who spoke on condition of anonymity, fearful of retaliation by the mayor or his allies.
"The way that he wields power is through patronage, the use of favors, job placement and the brokering of loyalty," the worker said.
Dozens of taxpayer-funded jobs in North Bergen and Hudson County are held by relatives of Sacco as well as his associates' relatives. Numerous of those jobs have been publicly disclosed with the New Jersey Department of Education.
Nepotism and inbreeding has been the norm in all of Hudson County for decades.
ReplyDeleteSacco could get this done in a phone call. Who are we KID-ing.
DeleteMore of the ongoing "All in the Family" reality TV show.
ReplyDeleteLook at who was approved by NB-BoE as $13 an hour maintenance aide at NBHS.
Go to Resolution No. 12, page 7-8 https://4.files.edl.io/4921/06/02/20/155350-070e617a-f5c4-457e-bf70-09ee2d2e02ea.pdf
omg great catch Anon.....as the Somick turns....
DeleteHoly cow. That's the little shit who deleted his "Twitter" account that had "88" as the caption below his name, after he was outed by classmates on Twitter. But the screencap of this new NB employee's Twitter "88" is still there.
Delete