THREE ARRESTED DURING SCHOOL BOARD MAYHEM
The Herald-Sun/Bernard Thomas
By Mindy B. Hagen and Katie Hagen : The Herald-Sun
mhagen@heraldsun.com
Apr 29, 2005 : 12:40 am ET
DURHAM -- Three people were arrested and scores of protesters exchanged shouts with police Thursday night as the Durham school board held its first meeting under new rules governing public comments.
Arrested were Steven Matherly, Curtis Gatewood and Carol Walthour.
School board member Jackie Wagstaff said late Thursday that Matherly was charged with second-degree trespassing and disorderly conduct.
Gatewood, a minister and former head of Durham's NAACP branch, was charged with obstructing justice.
Walthour was charged with inciting a riot and assault on a government official after she cursed and argued with a police officer who tried to get her to leave the grounds of the school office building downtown.
Wagstaff left the meeting after the outburst and headed to the Durham County Jail. Around 11 p.m. she said about 10 members of Concerned Black Citizens, a group that has attended recent board meetings to oppose the new comment policy, were headed to Duke Hospital.
Wagstaff said Walthour started feeling faint and having heart trouble while being booked at the jail, and that an ambulance was called to take her to the hospital.
Wagstaff blamed the chaotic scene and arrests on the school board's new policy, which only allows public comment on items scheduled on the agenda.
"It's asinine to think that Durham Public Schools would create this kind of mayhem just because they don't want to listen to people anymore," she said. "If those board members don't listen to those parents who come here over and over again, this will continue to happen. What's the next step, to put a gate up around the Fuller Building? They took it to the extreme tonight."
The meeting opened with stern warning from board chairwoman Gail Heath, who has struggled to maintain order at past meetings. Concerned Black Citizens members have yelled and held up signs to call for Superintendent Ann Denlinger's ouster and for an investigation into their complaints about problems at Shepard Middle School.
As Heath called the meeting to order, the front rows of the room were covered with citizens holding neon signs criticizing the superintendent and school system.
One sign read, "A parent has a better chance of being arrested at the school house than at the crack house." Another simply said, "Oust Ann."
The outbursts erupted during a discussion of the budget, when Donald Hughes, Wagstaff's son, approached the podium. He started the crowd in chanting, "Lift the Ban and Fire Ann," as Sheryl Smith, another frequent board critic, was removed from the room after verbally sparring with Heath.
Moments later, as Matherly's comments veered away from the budget, Heath ordered him to sit down. Instead, he sat in front of the room and refused to leave. At that point, three officers entered and handcuffed him as a group of about 15 supporters followed him out the door.
Hughes refused to leave the room until Heath ordered him to.
As bedlam raged in the hallway outside the meeting room, Hughes tried to get back inside and continued screaming at Heath. With officers threatening to arrest the Hillside senior for inciting a riot, Wagstaff and Minnie Brown pinned his arms and prevented him from heading toward the police.
The group then flooded into the parking lot and stood on steps directly beneath the meeting room's window chanting, "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Ann Denlinger's got to go."
They moved to the street corner and began singing hymns such as "We Shall Overcome" through a megaphone.
At that point, about 10 more Durham police officers arrived and asked the group to disperse. After several warnings to leave, the mob erupted, and police and protesters shouted at each other. Gatewood and Walthour were arrested.
"They were asked to leave because they were causing a disturbance," police Lt. C.N. Cates said.
Before going to the jail to wait for charges to be filed against Matherly, Gatewood and Walthour, Hughes said he was at a "loss for words" to describe his reactions.
"It's a shame," he said as Wagstaff stood close by. "We just want the chance to express our opinions. The last I knew, we had the opportunity to protest in America. Somebody is going to pay for this. You are not going to do away with our rights and get away with it."
Hughes said school board members have themselves to blame.
"This all started because of the public comment policy," he said. "They disregarded the public, and therefore, they have this problem on their hands."
By Mindy B. Hagen and Katie Hagen : The Herald-Sun
mhagen@heraldsun.com
Apr 29, 2005 : 12:40 am ET
DURHAM -- Three people were arrested and scores of protesters exchanged shouts with police Thursday night as the Durham school board held its first meeting under new rules governing public comments.
Arrested were Steven Matherly, Curtis Gatewood and Carol Walthour.
School board member Jackie Wagstaff said late Thursday that Matherly was charged with second-degree trespassing and disorderly conduct.
Gatewood, a minister and former head of Durham's NAACP branch, was charged with obstructing justice.
Walthour was charged with inciting a riot and assault on a government official after she cursed and argued with a police officer who tried to get her to leave the grounds of the school office building downtown.
Wagstaff left the meeting after the outburst and headed to the Durham County Jail. Around 11 p.m. she said about 10 members of Concerned Black Citizens, a group that has attended recent board meetings to oppose the new comment policy, were headed to Duke Hospital.
Wagstaff said Walthour started feeling faint and having heart trouble while being booked at the jail, and that an ambulance was called to take her to the hospital.
Wagstaff blamed the chaotic scene and arrests on the school board's new policy, which only allows public comment on items scheduled on the agenda.
"It's asinine to think that Durham Public Schools would create this kind of mayhem just because they don't want to listen to people anymore," she said. "If those board members don't listen to those parents who come here over and over again, this will continue to happen. What's the next step, to put a gate up around the Fuller Building? They took it to the extreme tonight."
The meeting opened with stern warning from board chairwoman Gail Heath, who has struggled to maintain order at past meetings. Concerned Black Citizens members have yelled and held up signs to call for Superintendent Ann Denlinger's ouster and for an investigation into their complaints about problems at Shepard Middle School.
As Heath called the meeting to order, the front rows of the room were covered with citizens holding neon signs criticizing the superintendent and school system.
One sign read, "A parent has a better chance of being arrested at the school house than at the crack house." Another simply said, "Oust Ann."
The outbursts erupted during a discussion of the budget, when Donald Hughes, Wagstaff's son, approached the podium. He started the crowd in chanting, "Lift the Ban and Fire Ann," as Sheryl Smith, another frequent board critic, was removed from the room after verbally sparring with Heath.
Moments later, as Matherly's comments veered away from the budget, Heath ordered him to sit down. Instead, he sat in front of the room and refused to leave. At that point, three officers entered and handcuffed him as a group of about 15 supporters followed him out the door.
Hughes refused to leave the room until Heath ordered him to.
As bedlam raged in the hallway outside the meeting room, Hughes tried to get back inside and continued screaming at Heath. With officers threatening to arrest the Hillside senior for inciting a riot, Wagstaff and Minnie Brown pinned his arms and prevented him from heading toward the police.
The group then flooded into the parking lot and stood on steps directly beneath the meeting room's window chanting, "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Ann Denlinger's got to go."
They moved to the street corner and began singing hymns such as "We Shall Overcome" through a megaphone.
At that point, about 10 more Durham police officers arrived and asked the group to disperse. After several warnings to leave, the mob erupted, and police and protesters shouted at each other. Gatewood and Walthour were arrested.
"They were asked to leave because they were causing a disturbance," police Lt. C.N. Cates said.
Before going to the jail to wait for charges to be filed against Matherly, Gatewood and Walthour, Hughes said he was at a "loss for words" to describe his reactions.
"It's a shame," he said as Wagstaff stood close by. "We just want the chance to express our opinions. The last I knew, we had the opportunity to protest in America. Somebody is going to pay for this. You are not going to do away with our rights and get away with it."
Hughes said school board members have themselves to blame.
"This all started because of the public comment policy," he said. "They disregarded the public, and therefore, they have this problem on their hands."
posted by Durham Community News @ 6:38 AM
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