So in history my class is doing a mock trial on racism (very risky) so below is most of the info on it.
ATTENTION: THIS CASE IS NOT REALLY!!! I REPEAT THIS IS FAKE NOT REAL!!!!!
Info: {My teacher wrote this}
Court case “Johnson vs. Libertyville Schools, SC” (2012) “What if?”
Background of the case: Libertyville, S.C. has a population of around 45,000 within the city and suburban areas. One year ago, the school system appropriated federal funds ($3.2 million/part of the stimulus money) to make school improvements. This included some new construction, but mostly monies for school improvements in already existing structures.
The student population numbers 8, 275. There are four elementary/intermediate schools, two middle schools, and two high schools in the system. One on the east side of town (which has traditionally been the more affluent part) which is East Liberty High (Home of the Eagles) and on the west side of town (Formerly the segregated part of town until the 1960s) there is Raymond High School (Home of the Lions). This school, along with one of the elementary schools, became “integrated” in 1968 with forced busing and rezoning.
Still to this day, due to the proximity of homes, socioeconomic make up etc. The dynamics of the schools are as follows:
East Liberty High: 88% White, 4% Foreign nationalities, 1% Native American, 7 % African-American
Raymond High School: 77% African-American, 10% White, 13% Foreign nationalities, 0% Native American.
Another statistic also needs mentioning. Incidence of violence has been tracked over the last three years in the school system. Note the following chart:
As report to the town council as of January, 15th 2012:
East Liberty High: 2009 2010 2011
School fights: 7 5 8
Drug related: 13 17 13
Cyber bullying: 28 32 38
Bomb threats: 1 2 5
* two knives were confiscated in 2010.
Raymond High School: 2009 2010 2011
School fights: 20 15 19
Drug related: 31 22 17
Cyber bullying: 6 5 9
Bomb threats: 1 0 0
* four knives were confiscated in 2009, and two in 2011.
Detector locations-
It was decided by the town council that with part of the federal funds, a number of metal detectors would be purchased (11 of them). These are stationary monitors fixed and established as doorway units. Of the 11 purchased, six were placed in the main entrance ways and sports entrances of Raymond High School, and four were placed in East Liberty High main entrance ways. (The last one was placed in the main school office complex’s main entrance).
Though both schools have two resident (SRO) or Student Resource Officers provided by the town, it was decided to contract an outside security service to provide extra staff in the mornings to monitor the detectors. This was provided by Williams Security Company.
The incident- March 15th, 2012 NOT REAL!!!
On the unseasonably warm morning of March, 15th, 2012 school started as usual across the system at 8:00 a.m. At Raymond High School’s south wing entrance was stationed one of the detector units, and Officer Bill Roberts of William’s Security Service. Roughly only 40 students pass through this rarely used entrance in the mornings, being that most of the student parking lots are on the other side of the school. Officer Roberts, reported checked several students during the morning rush.
One of the students who came through that entrance of the morning in question was Josh Bumgarner. Josh is a 17 year old white student who was a leading academic student in a school which was predominately minority based. Josh’s reputation as being one of the best and most behaved students was well known. He had already been approached by several community groups in the area for possible scholarships. Yet,
while going through the metal detector, with only a minute to go before the tardy bell, Josh was not fully checked. As he passed the detector, the buzzer went off. Josh quickly said that it was his “new calculator” that triggered the alarm and pulled it from his pocket. At that, officer Roberts who knew Josh well, let him pass and make it to class just in the nick of time.
At 11:35, during the last lunch period, Josh Bumgarner quietly made his way parallel to the lunch line, pulled a knife from his pocket and proceeded to repeatedly stab one Stevie Walker (19 years old African-American) in the back along the kidney area.
Stevie dropped to the floor in a bloody scream. It was ascertained later that Stevie had bullied Josh in the locker room during his 9th grade year, and random bullying on the way home (walking) had been occurring over the years since. Josh had kept totally quiet to any school personnel about this, and only a few students knew of it at all.
By the time the ambulance had arrived at the scene, Stevie had died and Josh had been taken into custody.
Two months later, Josh Bumgarner was sentenced to life in prison for 1st degree premeditated murder. Yet, it is at this point that rumors, and other information came to Stevie’s maternal grandmother Liz Johnson’s attention that this tragedy could have been avoided had proper procedures (on several levels) been followed.
In this mock trial we are doing I have a character her name is Sandy Jacobs. Sandy Jacobs witnesses the stabbing.
My teacher wanted us to sort of write a script of what we would say when we would go up to the stand.
Here it is:
Attorney - What did you see that day?
Sandy Jacobs: Well in 1st block in math class Josh was really silent usually he would always answer the morning math questions, but that morning he said nothing like he was lost in his thoughts. Then later day during lunch Josh had walked over from the food line and went up to Stevie with a knife and .... Josh starred to stab him.
Attorney - How was Josh acting that day?
Sandy Jacobs: Well like I said he was really quiet he didn’t really talk much like he usually does. During lunch he looked nervous and angry.
Attorney - Do you know Josh personally?
Sandy Jacobs: Not really I only have lunch and math with him, we don’t really talk unless I’m asking for help on a math question.
Attorney - What did you do when you saw the stabbing?
Sandy Jacobs: I was shocked and terrified. I couldn’t move or speak. It felt like time froze. Then I heard a scream and everyone started running, my mind was blank, and my feet moved on their own I ran out of the lunchroom and outside into the parking lot with everyone else.
So tell me what you think I know there is a lot of reading. My teacher says that we might dedicate this in honor of the Columbine High School massacre MAYBE we are not quite sure yet we have to see how it goes.
Updated:
So We finally finished it and made the movie but I don't have it yet.
~Alice
