Detroit school board alleges Gov. Snyder and EMs discriminate against black children
DETROIT, MI — Creating a separate and unequal minority school system. Destroying neighborhood life in Detroit. Potentially allowing former Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh access to students after he was known to have a relationship with a high school student.
These are just a few of the serious charges leveled by members of the Detroit Board of Education toward Gov. Rick Snyder and emergency managers that have been in charge of Detroit Public Schools in a Title VI complaint released Monday.
The 162-page document is a meandering list of accusations from both school officials and anonymous individuals that paint Snyder and the emergency managers as racists looking to destroy public education in Detroit.
One of the most serious allegations in the expansive document is one section alleging former Emergency Manager Roy Roberts allowed Charles Pugh to mentor young men in the school system, despite the complaints of Board Member Lamar Lemmons.
Lemmons said it was well-known Pugh was dating a young man he met through a school program, and that was a cause for concern when it came to his participation in a mentorship program in Detroit schools.
"Pugh openly had young lovers about town who were the same age range as Frederick Douglas students. His sexuality was not the issue. What is at issue is the fiduciary responsibility to maintain a mentor-mentee relationship with students of all ages," Lemmons wrote in the complaint.
"Since Pugh's dating preference seemed to involved (sic) males in the same young adult range, it did not seem the best idea to put Pugh over young adult male students. Roberts went ahead giving special allowances to community influencers on the coalition list. This allowed Pugh his pick of hundreds of students."
Pugh's relationship with a former Detroit Public Schools student became public in 2013 and Pugh quickly fled the city, eventually turning up in New York City. He's never been charged with a crime. The student has sued Detroit Public Schools.
Outside of that allegation, there are plenty of other grenades tossed at Snyder and the emergency managers who have been in charge of the district, including current Emergency Manager Darnell Earley.
Among the accusations is that teachers, parents and elected officials who speak out are yelled at intimidated; the Education Achievement Authority inflates grades of students to get them to graduate; the closing of schools has caused neighborhoods to fall into violence and school buildings in the district are unsafe.
Dave Murray, a spokesman for Snyder, said the rhetoric used by the board was "divisive."
"It's unfortunate that the Board of Education is using divisive rhetoric at a time when so many people are coming together to improve the quality of education in Detroit," he said.
"Gov. Snyder has been working with community leaders and our partners in the Legislature on proposals to give all students in Detroit the best possible education. Detroit needs strong public schools so students are prepared for college and careers, Detroit school board alleges Gov. Snyder and EMs discriminate against black children | MLive.com: