A white female Youth Services Officer called a group of Connecticut Juvenile Training School residents porch monkey. To make matters even worse a employee of CJTS on Oct.30th talked about the term -and climate on campus that produced it- on WFSB Ch.3 television station. After the broadcast the talking head Department of Children & Families publicity spokesman gave the usual reply " we intend to investigate this issue." There has been more than enough time for DCF to review residents, YSOs, etc. What is the hold up regarding a definitive decision? It is incomprehensible that administrators of state agencies allow racial epithets to be used, then not declare what the discipline will be for doing so.
When employees of color make marginal mistakes DCF / CJTS management invokes the spirit of Judge Roy Bean to pronounce disciplinary measures. Now a decision in the case of a white employee saying "porch monkey" is treated differently : what is the message being given out by DCF / CJTS to employees with such a non-decision?, residents do not matter or possibly it is okay to use terms like "porch monkey." Oh by the way, let us not forget a certain employee of color defending the white employee's use of porch monkey as " a mere slip of the tongue." From several accounts the white YSO knew exactly what she said and the residents even told her about that term.
A final thought on this matter leads thinking people to conclude a double standard exists within those segregationist walls at CJTS. Hell, seems as if certain employees get to do whatever they want---toward people of color. For example for years one white YSO wrote racially tinged notes about empoloyees of color. When heat of public opinion revealed what was going on, then management took a stance on that issue. Now here we are talking about "porch monkeys." And nothing will be done from a discipline viewpoint about this racially charged term until people complain.
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