Jesuit High School investigates series of racial incidents on campus

[JonLP24]

Source: The Oreganian

Jesuit High School is investigating a threatening note including racist epithets left in a student's locker, one of three racial incidents that occurred on campus in a four-day period last week.

That student, an African American girl, also received a threatening note at home on Sunday, the school said in a letter sent to parents Monday.

The note was the third incident in four days with racial overtones. On Sept. 29, three teens, unaffiliated with Jesuit, came onto campus and acted in a "threatening, aggressive manner" toward some students, asking where to find the Obama posters, the school said. And on Sept. 30, someone scrawled the first three letters of a racist epithet on a poster about a McCain/Obama Electoral College Brownbag, apparently directed at Obama.

The episodes at Jesuit follow a highly publicized Sept. 23 incident at George Fox University in Newberg, in which workers found a cardboard cutout of Obama hanging from a tree with an "Act 6 rejects" sign attached. Act 6 refers to a program designed to increase the diversity of the student body at the mostly white Christian college. In that case, the four students responsible confessesd and were suspended.

Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/10/jesuit_high_school_investigate.html

[pattmarty]

1. Yep, that's what I'm thinking as this thing goes on.

The way the country's been run for the last 8 yrs (actually in my opinion, 30+ yrs), and with an economic meltdown pending, Obama should be ahead by 20 pts at this date. I believe it is the racial thing out there (not "racist" necessarily) and the networks dishonest polling so they can keep a horse race going to the last moment for ratings. In ANY past election that I witnessed, it would be a blowout at this point.

[54anickel]

2. Where do you suppose they learn shit like this? These are private schools, aren't they?

Schools segregated by $$$"privilege"$$$ on the false premise of a Christian education. I notice a lot of "good Christians" rushing to home school their kids as well.

I think some parent's decision to avoid public education has little to do with instilling Christian morals and values and instead is done to reinforce the parents own prejudice and phobias. So sad to even see this sort of shit in our young people - I thought they were so above this crap. :cry:

[joeglow3]

3. Are you aware of the Jesuits?

I went to a Jesuit high school and a LOT of what I learned was much more liberal and open-minded than any public schools I went to. Plus, the one incident that they were aware of what happened made it seem like it was outsiders perpetuating the attack.

[54anickel]

5. Sorry, you're right and I do apologize - I'm surrounded by fundies here, no excuse for me

going off the deep end. The majority of Christian schools do promote love and justice. I let my own ill-conceived prejudice against the church of my past get the best of me.

Sorry :hug:

[joeglow3]

13. No problem.

I just get defensive because so much of what I have learned (and am very proud of) came from the 4 years I spent at a Jesuit high school.

The important thing is we are all level minded enough to realize the behavior in the story is flat out disgusting.

[Bigmack]

11. I went to a Jesuit HS, too...

and I agree. I can't tell you the number of times that the Jebbies contradicted some of the primitive bullshit the nuns pushed.

Jesuits have a unique ability to wall off - or compartmentalize - religious teaching and reality. They can make seemingly contradictory stuff agree.

A lot of my teachers were very liberal.... within the Catholic milieu, of course.

[Doodler71]

12. Jesuits are different

I attended a Jesuit College and it was there that I came to understand issues of justice, charity, self responsibility, knowledge and improving the lives of those around me.

I have a hard time believe the Jesuit priests will tolerate this.

[hedgehog]

4. Umm, did you happen to notice that the African American girl in question attends this

example of "Schools segregated by $$$"privilege"$$$ on the false premise of a Christian education"? What you say is true about some religious schools. however, the Jesuits have a long history of ensuring that students can work their way though high school.

Edit: your post omitted the mandatory mention of pedophile priests in any post discussing the Catholic Church.

[joeglow3]

6. Our high school was VERY diverse

The Jesuits went out of their way to ensure people of all racial and socio-economic backgrounds could attend. In the past 20 years, they opened a school serving 4th through 8th grade in the lowest socio-economic, mostly minority part of town. Students can attend for very little money and meeting certain criteria gives them free education at the college prep jesuit high school.

Of course, it is an all male school, so you can blast away on how close-minded we were for that. However, we had a LOT of interaction with the 3 different all girl schools and I managed to interact enough to meet my wife from one of the all girl schools.

[54anickel]

7. Please see my post 5. I am terribly sorry and I was wrong. These clips of

Palin inciting hate added to the clips of her church are just messing with my head today.

[hedgehog]

8. Hey - that's why it's called a knee jerk reaction! You're now smarter than you were

10 minutes ago! In today's world, that makes you pretty special!
:)

[54anickel]

10. Thanks Hedgehog! I once thought I was "too cool" for that knee jerk stuff, but I guess once the

right nerve is hit we all become susceptible. I caved. Thanks for helping recoup and move on!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

9. It's Oregon's history of racism surfacing

and an ugly history it is.

I loved living there, but the attitudes of some of the less educated people were truly appalling.