District vows to examine complaints

June 16, 2006

By PAT LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com

The outrage was expected. The hail of accusations was not.

Nepotism, ineffectual leadership, poorly educated students and the lack of minority employees were among the charges fired at the New Castle Area School Board Wednesday night.

The critics -- members of the city's black community and its NAACP chapter -- were there in support of Jacqueline M. Respress.

"I never expected (the meeting) to be somewhat of an indictment of the entire district," Superintendent George Gabriel said.

Respress, the district's junior high principal, had been rejected in her bid to become administrative assistant to the superintendent.

"When is the nepotism going to stop?" asked Bell Avenue resident Shirley Booker. "When are we going to start hiring people for what they know and (not) who they know?"

Speakers, such as Jesse Moss, accused the district of catering to its black students' athletic abilities rather than their academic potential.

"We have athletes in our school system that as long as they're performing well on the field ... they're OK, but their grades stink," the Boroline Street resident said.

"They're not even going to college; they don't have nothing going for them right now.

"They were your best athletes that were used, exploited one might say."

Gabriel found the comments unsettling.

"I'm very disturbed that the people that spoke at the board meeting have that perception of the district," he said. "We make every effort to teach and educate our kids regardless of their race.

"The comments were very divisive."

Board President Fred Mozzocio said the district would not accept or encourage lax standards. He said the community must alert the district of past and present problems.

"I guarantee you this board will take action."

However, he added, the school system is not a 24-hour parenting service.

"This school district doesn't have control of those kids after school and in the mornings to make sure they go to school," he said. "It goes back to home, the parents and the role models."

Sidney McKnight, of Smithfield Street, noted a disparity between the number of black students and black teachers.

"In a district where there is 10 percent African-American students, I do believe the New Castle Area School District can do better than what they are doing," he said.

Gabriel said the district is actively seeking minorities. He said that in 2004, he asked Respress to work with local colleges and universities to recruit black candidates for teaching positions.

"She brought back zero candidates."

"We have made that effort," he said of recruiting black applicants. "I never told her to stop trying to recruit."

Gabriel said the complaints will be investigated and addressed.

"I will follow up on each and every criticism that was made, and see if there is any merit to it. If there's anything there, I want to find out."