Questions swirl about McKinley student's suspension

  NOTE: Comments on this blog post have been closed. To continue commenting on the situation at McKinley High School, go to this post.

  Buffalo Superintendent James A. Williams and McKinley High School Principal Crystal Barton continue to refuse to comment about the seven-week suspension of senior Jayvonna Kincannon, and the dismissal of volunteer girls basketball coach Michelle Stiles.

   Williams, however, joined Barton at an assembly cum pep rally on Monday, in which he told students not to believe an article in Sunday's Buffalo News. He also called Barton "the best principal" in Buffalo.

   In the meantime, the Board of Education voted on Tuesday to have a committee study some of the issues raised, such as suspension policies and the role of volunteer coaches, while stopping far short of calling for an investigation.

   Are you satisfied with the responses of Williams, Barton and the Board of Education? If not, what do you think should be done?

  … Mark Sommer

Comments

[buffalo teacher]

Reluctantly this behavior of keep quiet and "what happens in the building stays in the building", is second nature in Buffalo schools. Some principals have gone so far as to intimidate teachers who have discussed building situations with their district appointed supervisors. They have announced at staff meetings that it is no one else's business what goes on in their school. Principals have been asked during grievance meetings why choices were made. Their response "I'm the principal and I can do what I want." As a result, there are tiny dictatorships cropping up in Buffalo schools. Please understand, this is not all principals. We have and have had some who truely work hard and for the best of the students. It's a few that ruin it and when they succeed others follow by example. Yesterday during a day filled with scheduled teacher in-services, one principal blocked the driveway of the school's parking lot. Why - because someone had parked in his spot. 95% of the parking lot was empty and special education teachers from around the district were coming to this building and this was their first impression! At times, it feels that some administrators care more about how they are percieved than what is best for the student population. Check out school report cards - how come some have no special needs students listed? Why are teachers told to rethink grades because in the principal's words "it makes us look bad if too many students fail." Teaching is not about appearances. It is about preparing students for the world. If we continually rethink then we let them down.

[Barton Keyes]

"What happens in the building stays in the building" philosophy may not be the only thing at play here. There are other possibilities.
It may well be more than coincidence that the principal at McKinley is also a leader in the Principal's Union. Just imagine what an opportunity this could represent to Superintendent Williams. He comes to the aid of a leader of a union, protects both her repuation and her position, and thereby incurs a debt; an obligation that may come in handy at a later date.
There may be more at play here than right or wrong, the interests of the children versus the interests of administrators. What may be involved is an opportunity to influence the relationship between the administration and a union. The suspended student, therefore, may well have gotten herself involved in a real life civics lesson on how things can really work in the real world. She may well now be playing her small part in a much larger drama.

[Max Perez]

Is Dr. Williams absolutely sure Michelle Stiles is lying about witnessing James Daye leaving a students' residence. Would it not be prudent to ascertain all the facts first before rendering the heavy-handed decision to dismiss the source of the allegation. I am a product of your beloved school system, and I feel that this issue has the potential of becoming scandalous.

A word of advice to the School Board--curtail all support activities until the investigation has concluded.


Máximo Pérez-Tampa,Florida

[catherine murray]

I AM VERY UPSET BY THE RECENT ACTIONS TAKEN AGAINST THIS YOUNG LADY AND THE VOLUNTEER COACH AND THE OTHER GIRLS ON THE BASKETBALL TEAM. I AM VERY IRRITATED BY THIS SEVEN WEEK SUSPENSION THAT IS DEFINITELY UNJUSTIFIED. WE HAVE SEEN ON THE NEWS AND IN THE NEWSPAPER STUDENTS BEING VIOLENT TO THEIR PEERS AND TO THE SCHOOL STAFF AND RECIEVE A SMACK ON THE HAND AND HERE YOU HAVE A STUDENT, NOT A TROUBLEMAKER NOT A CLASS CLOWN BUT A PRODUCTIVE STUDENT BEING PENALIZED FOR TRYING TO STAND UP FOR WHAT SHE AND OTHERS FELT WAS AN INJUSTICE. ISN'T THAT WHAT WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN? WHAT MESSAGE ARE WE SENDING OUR CHILDREN? SHAME ON YOU MR. WILLIAMS FOR STANDING BY AND PRETENDING TO HAVE A BLIND EYE TO THE INTIMIDATION THAT HAS HAS BEEN PLACED UPON THESE YOUNG LADIES. THANKS FOR SHOWING THE STUDENTS OF ALL BUFFALO PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT THEY HAVE A VOICE BUT IT MAY NOT BE HEARD OR ELSE. MRS BARTON YOUR A BULLY JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD. LET'S GET REAL A HOODIE, USE OF A CELL, AND PHONE LEAVING SCHOOL EARLY, ALL WRONG IF TRUE. I THINK FIVE DAYS WAS ENOUGH UNCALLED FOR BUT ENOUGH. SEVEN WEEKS FOR WHAT THATS JUST ABUSE OF POWER.I THOUGHT U WERE IN A POSITION TO HELP OUR KIDS NOT HURT THEM. THE BIBLE SAYS TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN MUCH IS REQUIRED. TO THE SCHOOL BOARD WE ELECTED YOU TO REPRESENT, PROTECT AND INSURE OUR CHILDREN ARE TREATED FAIRLY. iT'S TIME TO DO YOUR JOB. JAYVONNA YOU WERE NOT WRONG EVEN IF THEY PRETEND YOU WERE. JAYVONNA YOUR GRANDMAOTHER NEEDS TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE,IF NO ONE WILL STAND WITH YOU I WILL.

[Liz]

The superintendants behavior, the principals behavior & the boards behavior are all typical of people residing in Buffalo, NY. It's the good old-fashioned attitude of miserable, narrow-minded people in a go nowhwere ghetto town. There are no reprocussions for their actions because they are each in the others pocket! My advice to this young lady is to please finish your HS education whether it be in June or summer school or by earning your GED. And then MOVE FAR FAR AWAY!!!!

[Renee Dawson]

McKinley's Principle Crystal Barton & The Superintendent James Williams both should be FIRED and the boys basketball coach James Daye should be FIRED for having a relationship with a student!!! The principle should've been investigating why Mr. Daye was coming from the house of the girl student on the basketball team. You fire Michelle Stiles because she questioned her girls about the connection between the student & James Daye and then suspend Jayvonna for 7 weeks for requesting a meeting with the the School Board. 7 weeks is unheard of. Students/Parents have the right to call the School Board. Why would they do that to a student especially one that is in her Senior year of high school. They are ruining her confidence, basketball dreams and a chance to go to a good college. Michelle Stiles helped these girls beyond the basketball court. She was a mentor to these girls. Crystal Barton & James Williams, GET YOUR EGO'S IN CHECK!! How dare you hold a pep rally to defend yourselves. This is not a game! It's time for both of them to step down from their positions. What a disgrace to educators!

[Bruce Beyer]

It would seem to me that Buffalo high school students are in need of a Student Union! This is not the first example of Dr. Williams jackboot response to students questioning authority. I would urge students to organize an "all high" conclave to draw up grievances, write a petition, and organaize for their mutual protection.

[virginia mills]

What's going on?I could hardly believe my eyes when i
read Dr.Williams was backing the principal,Crystal Barton,how soon we forget,not too long ago she was all over him,he was all in the paper.Dr. Williams,why isn't there an investigation into this matter,i understood you to state it was all about the students,what's happened in this case?SEVEN WEEKS?YOU KNOW,WRONG WRONG WRONG,SCHOOL
BOARD WHERE'S YOUR VOICE,I SUGGEST TO THIS GRANDMOTHER
TALK TO A LAWYER,HIRE ONE IF NECCESSARY,I HOPE SHE'S GETTING TUTORING.
I THOUGHT MRS.BARTON WAS A GOOD PRINCPAL&FAIR BUT NOW IT MAKES ME WONDER

SOMETHING NEEDS TO HAPPEN QUICKLY&POSTIVELY THANKS

[Eloise]

Thank god Buffalo has a wealth of excellent private schools and pretty good parochial schools!And the growth in charter schools only helps.

[Justice needs to be served]

There are numerous indiscretions and coruption within the Buffalo City School system. Maybe now this will come to a head and the system can move forward to create a better educational base.

Anything from employees having numerous affairs throughout his career, (his name is in the current articles); to a woman that was demoted from principle to asst. principle due to inappropriate conduct, (named in the first article); to preferential treatment of SOME athletes.

To make a complete investigation all of these things need to be looked into! The kids deserve better!

[Paul R. Nevergold]

We expect kids to do dopy things because they are kids. But adults? If the truth is at all close to what has been in the paper, then the adults are behaving dopier than the kids. I can't improve on Rod Watson's commentary, so I won't.

PRN retired teacher

[Happy to retire]

I worked for the Board of Education for twenty-five years and I believe everything I read in Sunday's paper concerning,Michelle Stiles. Pettiness and vindictiveness at the administrative level, is rampant in the school system. I was subjected to it as an employee and as an adult so what chance does a student have? I've called City Hall to speak to an assistant superintendent about greviances on several occasions only to have my complaints immediately conveyed to the principal I was complaining about. Those sorority sisters and their clique mentality are the bane of the school system. They stick together no matter who or what is at stake! The Board is aware of what's going on in the schools, but haven't got the guts to do anything about it. If they did they would have to fire at least half of their staff. Alcoholics, tin-pot dictators, substance abusers and THIEVES(I once had a principal who stole every penny of every fund raiser we had)are running these schools. The Board puts up with these miscreants because they say it's too expensive to fire them. WAKE UP! AND SMELL THE COFFEE. IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE TO KEEP THEM!

No sycophant and glad to be gone.

[Barton Keyes]

This mornings news indicates that Superintendent Williams has admitted to the Board that the dsmissal of assistent coach Stiles was made on the suspicion she was engaged in sexual relations with some underage students. He reportedly also adnitted that this suspicion had NO supporting evidence. If this story is true the School Board is facing a potential law suit that could both wreck careers and blacken the reputation of the school administration.
This entire story is getting truly ugly.

[Justice needs to be served]

Someone needs to stand up to these people involved in this mess!

Mr. Daye was caught by a caring volunteer stepping out on his wife, which he has done NUMEROUS times over the years, and it has ALWAYS been covered up!

This caring volunteer, Michelle Stiles, is now being called a Lesbian. Why? Is it because she likes sports, is athletic, and Mr. Daye feels threatened so he lashes out to try to cover for himself? She was doing the right thing for the kids! Bring one of the girls forward that states Ms. Stiles was inappropriate then Mr. Daye's accusations would become believable. But, that WILL NOT HAPPEN!

For years Mr. Daye has been the "Golden Boy" for some reason. Mr. Daye is a philandering sleaze who cannot keep his hands off women other than his wife.

Then comes Mrs. Barton for continually covering for Mr. Daye, and also for cancelling the BOE appearance the girls basketball players had scheduled for themselves so their questions could be answered. The students were innocently asking "why" and they wanted to get the coach back on the sidelines that has done so much for them by caring.

These slanderous accusations need to be completely and thoroughly investigated. This should include Mr. Daye's conduct toward the students - the threats, and his philandering with adult women within the school. Mrs. Barton's conduct of the length of suspension of Jayvonna, whether home schooling/tutoring was arrnged for her because she was suspended so long, her covering up for Mr. Daye, the call to the BOE cancelling the girls appearance before the board, and the person from the BOE who snitched out the girls for making the call. And another administrator employed at McKinley who has been demoted from Principal to Asst. Principal due to her inept conduct, and now has a lawsuit against the district.

Mrs. Barton and Dr. Williams are arch enemies any other time. Why are they covering for each other now? What are they trying to hide??

Ms. Stiles should be commended for VOLUNTEERING her time and knowledge to these girls that need a positive influence in their lives!! Why are these people crucifying her?

SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING! STAND UP to this corruption. The taxpayers are wasting good money on people that have NO MORAL VALUES! And go against everything we try to teach kids!

[Jen]

The principal and Dr. Williams need to prove their claims or apologize and shut up! This is a disgrace. I do not believe these rumors against Michele Stiles. My daughter has gone to her basketball clinics and I would love to have her at our school. She has a great knowledge of the game and these rumors are sad and I believe untrue.