I have become increasingly concerned about reports I have been receiving from Gay and Lesbian students out at Boxelder Job Corps. Several incidents are of special concern.
One report concerned a gay student who was part of the Culinary Arts program. He had expressed concerns about the sanitary and food safety conditions of the kitchen. On several occasions he and other students had observed the Food Service Supervisor taking food out of the garbage and serving it. He reported it to the administration and nothing was done. When he could get no satisfaction from the administration he called the Health department.
The Department of Health did an inspection, not a surprise inspection but announced in advance. Of course they found nothing as the staff denied everything. At no time were any of the students who observed the infractions ever interviewed.
Several weeks went by and nothing changed in the kitchen. Food safety procedures continued to be ignored. Feeling frustrated, the student again reported it to the Health Department and to the regional office for Job Corps. Rather than investigate and try to get to the bottom of the problem the student was made a target.
The new Center Director was told by the Head Counselor that this was just a problem between the Food Service Supervisor and the Culinary Arts instructor and had no merit. This same Head Counselor has long been the subject of rumors and gossip about his not so hidden relationship with the Food Service Director and also inappropriate behavior with female students and other staff members. He also had been the subject of harassment complaints by other female staff members. Of course nothing ever came of these complaints. A usual procedure for handling complaints at this facility.
The student's complaints were dismissed. Suddenly, this student could do nothing right. Within three weeks after the complaints were dismissed this student suddenly found himself the subject of disciplinary actions and isolation. He was terminated for infractions of "the rules" no less than three weeks after his complaints and attempts to correct what he saw as a serious problem at the Center. He hadn't been a problem before this time. So much for protecting whistle blowers from retaliation.
There seems to be a preference to protect certain staff members even at the cost of public safety and the welfare of the students. The fact that this student was gay also follows a trend that has targeted GLBT students by certain staff members with the tacit approval of the Administration.
The latest incident involved an openly gay student and a teacher at the high school. It seems that this student was pulled aside by his teacher on no less than four occasions and told that he needed to stop being Gay because he was going hell. That teacher informed him that she was a born again Christian and didn't want to have him be gay in her class. As if he had a choice! He reported it and was told by the administration to "suck it up" because if he was going to be gay he needed to get used to it.
This teacher then told him points on his evaluation were docked because he was "too gay." She used this as a justification for the low score. He was usually a high scoring student. The administration allowed this to stand and have done nothing to this teacher.
I seem to recall that both Presidents Clinton and Bush signed executive orders outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation in any federally funded educational facility meaning Job Corps.
Job Corps is a great program designed to help at risk youth to get an education and job training. Unfortunately, bullying and harassment by staff at Boxelder Job Corps has made this much more difficult for GLBT and other students. The administration's willingness to overlook transgressions by incompetent, self righteous and abusive staff members even to the point of throwing students "under the bus" is intolerable and shouldn't be allowed to continue.
One report concerned a gay student who was part of the Culinary Arts program. He had expressed concerns about the sanitary and food safety conditions of the kitchen. On several occasions he and other students had observed the Food Service Supervisor taking food out of the garbage and serving it. He reported it to the administration and nothing was done. When he could get no satisfaction from the administration he called the Health department.
The Department of Health did an inspection, not a surprise inspection but announced in advance. Of course they found nothing as the staff denied everything. At no time were any of the students who observed the infractions ever interviewed.
Several weeks went by and nothing changed in the kitchen. Food safety procedures continued to be ignored. Feeling frustrated, the student again reported it to the Health Department and to the regional office for Job Corps. Rather than investigate and try to get to the bottom of the problem the student was made a target.
The new Center Director was told by the Head Counselor that this was just a problem between the Food Service Supervisor and the Culinary Arts instructor and had no merit. This same Head Counselor has long been the subject of rumors and gossip about his not so hidden relationship with the Food Service Director and also inappropriate behavior with female students and other staff members. He also had been the subject of harassment complaints by other female staff members. Of course nothing ever came of these complaints. A usual procedure for handling complaints at this facility.
The student's complaints were dismissed. Suddenly, this student could do nothing right. Within three weeks after the complaints were dismissed this student suddenly found himself the subject of disciplinary actions and isolation. He was terminated for infractions of "the rules" no less than three weeks after his complaints and attempts to correct what he saw as a serious problem at the Center. He hadn't been a problem before this time. So much for protecting whistle blowers from retaliation.
There seems to be a preference to protect certain staff members even at the cost of public safety and the welfare of the students. The fact that this student was gay also follows a trend that has targeted GLBT students by certain staff members with the tacit approval of the Administration.
The latest incident involved an openly gay student and a teacher at the high school. It seems that this student was pulled aside by his teacher on no less than four occasions and told that he needed to stop being Gay because he was going hell. That teacher informed him that she was a born again Christian and didn't want to have him be gay in her class. As if he had a choice! He reported it and was told by the administration to "suck it up" because if he was going to be gay he needed to get used to it.
This teacher then told him points on his evaluation were docked because he was "too gay." She used this as a justification for the low score. He was usually a high scoring student. The administration allowed this to stand and have done nothing to this teacher.
I seem to recall that both Presidents Clinton and Bush signed executive orders outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation in any federally funded educational facility meaning Job Corps.
Job Corps is a great program designed to help at risk youth to get an education and job training. Unfortunately, bullying and harassment by staff at Boxelder Job Corps has made this much more difficult for GLBT and other students. The administration's willingness to overlook transgressions by incompetent, self righteous and abusive staff members even to the point of throwing students "under the bus" is intolerable and shouldn't be allowed to continue.
1 comment:
Thank you for the reach out. Its good to know I'm not alone in my fight against the prejudice I and other GLBT students face here at Boxelder Job Corps. But this wasn't the only insident with me. I was also confined to the center because I am a profetional drag-queen and the way i dress "is an embarassment to the center". Or that I am taking small practical jokes like hate mail from other students, or your offending people because you're gay, to seriousely. Boxelder has also gone as far as telling me my medical health wasn't their problem when I had to get my 6-month aids test like all homosexuals with my past should.
Love Ya Gay Pride
Aaron Jones
Post a Comment