WORKPLACE BULLYING TOWN HALL REVEALS PERNICIOUS RACISM

State Representative Matthew Ritter held a Workplace Bullying Town Hall January 27, 2014 in Hartford, Connecticut- at a library on Albany Avenue. People arrived at the starting time of 5:30pm and spoke until 7:00pm. A room full of people [most of them women & men of color] described the pernicious effects of how workplace bullying often masquerades as a new racism. Places that were named as workplace bullying sites are Connecticut Juvenile Training School, Connecticut Valley Hospital, and Department of Children & Families. Listening to the tales of abuse was indeed hard to endure, but what really struck me is the level of pain heard in people’s voices. At one point a female black former employee of a state agency described moving out of a living situation, borrowing money from friends, and contemplating suicide all because of work place bullying by white administrators.

Then I noticed how all those telling their stories mentioned reprisals from white administrators aimed at black or Latino employees. Several questions for State Rep. Ritter from the assembled audience wanted to know how state agencies can continue to get away with blatant acts of selective racism. Statistics show 70% of terminations at CVH targeted blacks or Latinos, while 66% of DCF disciplines chose black men. In the room members from various CT Unions feverishly took notes while shaking their heads at what was being described: a criminal enterprise using strong arm tactics against employees of color and receiving state & federal funding. How can something like this occur? One thing certainly became clear at this meeting; the problem of workplace bullying is more widespread than first believed within state agencies.

If any meaningful change is to happen concerning WPB then people are going to have to demand change. At this juncture it is acknowledged how only a few people voiced concerns about this issue: and as it continues to meander unchecked, WPB targets people of color and leaves them as shells of humanity. These state agencies have resources to fight voices of dissent, while eliminating jobs of undesirables and cowing other employees with threats. As we prepared to leave the meeting a lady asked one important question “what is it going to take [a tragedy] for someone to address the issue seriously" and do something about it?  She does have a point.

We are faced with a new form of racism in the workplace of 2014. Agencies claiming to care for children and the less fortunate in society are controlled by white administrators acting out a narrative toward blacks that is centuries old. Before people in America prepare to celebrate Black History Month in February. I suggest fighting for racial equality against a new version of Bull Connor and White Citizen Councils within state agencies.

A CONTINUAL NARRATIVE AND BLACK MALE DISCIPLINE AT STATE AGENCIES

A sentient human being has to wonder about the disproportion of disciplinary actions against black male employees within Connecticut Juvenile Training School / Department of Children and Families in Connecticut. There have been numerous lawsuits, demonstrations, media reports, employee complaints, hunger strikes etc to highlight the racial animus at these two agencies. I would like to offer a theory about why the racism might be happening. In America it is documented that a continual narrative in the thinking of whites allowed in the past slavery, lynching, inhuman working conditions against African sold as slaves. The white narrative justified this barbaric treatment based on stereotypes of blacks being lazy, less than human, child like in their thinking or sinister in nature. That narrative allowed slavery to take root in the South for several hundred years and of course helped serve white people's material interests.

In contemporary society it is not politically correct to mention racism. Indeed, the Eden like atmosphere at DCF /CJTS lulls a person into thinking there are no real concerns, until you look at data which reveal 66% of all disciplinary actions target black males. Employees of color only make up between 44-45 % of the employment force. How can the termination, reprimands and other measures be justified? It all goes back to a continual narrative in the thinking of whites in charge of both agencies.

America did not acknowledge for years racial problems existed until the hideous secret could no longer be swept under the social rug. Blacks marched, sang, protested and died for a right to be viewed as human. Claims of no racial problems come out from mouths of DCF / CJTS officials with relative ease. Yet for years a continual narrative of heavy handed tactics against black males persists. Let me look at it another way. Trayvon Martin was killed by a man in Florida who had a continual narrative in his head which said " he   [Trayvon] looked like a thug. " Republicans introduced legislation to have voters [ in black voting districts ] to show special identification in order to vote. These narratives from mostly white Republican males claimed such ID would help with voting integrity. Yeah right. If we juxtapose these stories next to what is happening on the DCF Plantation then it is evident a continual narrative about blacks is the norm in America.

In the final analysis something is wrong at these state run facilities when allegations of racism keep coming to the forefront.

WHILE YOU HAVE A DREAM, THEY HAVE A SCHEME

The date of January 20, 2014 is celebrated in America as Martin Luther King Day. Finally America pays tribute to a black man that sacrificed his life for the betterment of African -Americans, not only in the South but the entire country.  All over America black folk will wear colored robes, sing " we shall over come", read MLK speeches and then go home. At Connecticut Juvenile Training School and Department of Children & Families MLK ceremonies are in full bloom with administrators paying lip service to a black hero. In the after glow of pious platitudes from white administrators [ and their high paid Negro sycophants ] where are voices of state employees of color in opposition to current racism within both agencies?

 It is quite sad to have personally witnessed how employees of color cowed before white administrators at DCF / CJTS. Documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act describe vividly how 66% of all disciplines on the DCF Plantation are aimed at black males. Yet their are only a few voices of protest; to be honest employees of color are reduced to ciphers, amorphous beings used to keep order at CJTS and enhance massa's DCF empire in Connecticut. While Negroes throughout the DCF Plantation quote from King's " I have a Dream Speech" plantation management seems to have a scheme. Their plan consists of striking fear into employees in a variety of methods.

They use policy and procedure as means to punish employees of color who forget their place. This means being investigated, written reprimands, or termination.

They send out memos to other DCF Plantations aimed at line staff and making employees responsible for what is going on , while overlooking management incompetence.

They use other colonized minded Negroes to report on co-workers, thus being kept abreast of what goes on with the natives.

They deny 20 plus years of lawsuits, media reports, and personal testimony about racism within DCF.

Yeah management allows black employees to have a dream but thwart any form of resistance with a scheme. I must point out that any oppressor can only get away with what is allowed by the masses. And certainly it has to be highlighted how employees of color willingly condone- through silence - atrocities committed on a daily basis. While blacks / other employees celebrate King in spirit, there is no inclination to follow his footsteps in reality. At this juncture Negro employees at the DCF / CJTS plantation are content to be abused while earning a paycheck. Slavery even in a golden cage is still something to denounce: Martin Luther King stood up for a cause while his descendants on the DCF Plantation are afraid to even think of denouncing racism. You can hear black employees whisper about mistreatment when ol' massa is not around. Hell, this blog receives e-mails daily about the blatant racism that exists at CJTS. Yet, nary a peep or whisper comes out of the mouths of full grown men or women about injustice. If black employees want to pay homage to MLK go right ahead. Just remember while you have a dream, they have a scheme.

THE REAL PROBLEM ACCORDING TO FRONT LINE STAFF

The DCF Plantation blog has been contacted by several Youth Service Officers at Connecticut Juvenile Training School about the memo below. I will not mention the names of the YSOs, but will mention their particular Unit and comments.
Female YSO Unit 6B said- " how come DCF always places blame on front line staff ?"

Male   YSO  Unit 4D said- " for years management allowed the things in this memo to occur & ignored it."

Male YSO    Unit 4B said- "seems to me Katz is cracking down now when management did not
                                           discipline people they favored. One YSO hit a kid in 2009 and got 10 days off."

Female YSO Unit 6C said.- "now that the DCF plantation blog is exposing management as inept memos like
                                            this appear. This is a joke."

Female YSO Unit 5B  said- " DCF is targeting certain YSOs in this memo but not management."

Male    YSO Unit 5C  said- " hell, only when things were unraveling did such a memo come out."

Male    YSO Unit 5D   said- " no one mentioned the things Operations Staff got away i.e. computer use etc.
                                                Now people want to correct things that were part of past practice."                    
                           



DEPARTMENT of CHILDREN and FAMILIES
Making a Difference for Children, Families and Communities
Joette Katz
Commissioner
Dannel P. Malloy
Governor
MEMORANDUM
TO: Connecticut Juvenile Training School Staff
FROM: Joette Katz, Commissioner
RE: Expectations
DATE: December 31, 2013
The mission of the Connecticut Juvenile Training School is to provide a safe, secure and therapeutic environment for male youth as well as to furnish opportunities for growth and success. National best practices interventions and standards are integrated into facility operations with the goal of reducing risk of re-offending, preparing youth for community re-entry and developing positive youth outcomes. This mission is achieved by our many dedicated staff who believe in this mission and who work extraordinarily hard each day for the young men in our care and custody. The success that many of our young men have achieved is a direct reflection of our work and the connection to the changes that have occurred in the regions and within DCF.
In the past year, there have been some actions by certain staff that are damaging to this mission and serve to erode the progress occurring within CJTS. There have been allegations of abuse and neglect; lack of supervision that has resulted in youth being injured; language grievances regarding how staff speak to youth; lack of immediately reporting or accurately reporting incidents and overall a sense that some staff are not here at CJTS for the benefit of the youth we serve. These behaviors will not be tolerated.
It is the responsibility of each employee to become familiar with and adhere to department and work site policies and procedures that explicitly inform staff of expectations as state employees and behaviors that are not permitted. Incorporated among them is the mandate that employees are not to neglect their duties. Neglect of duty includes being inattentive to job functions and responsibilities; leaving a duty station or assigned responsibility without permission; failing to follow prescribed department or work site policy relevant to job duties and responsibilities; or any other activity deemed by the department administrator to endanger the health, safety, or wellbeing of clients or staff. If an employee is found to be in neglect of his/her duties, disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, may be taken. It would seem obvious that watching television or using a computer for personal enjoyment while on assignment constitutes a neglect of duty, but apparently, the recent rash of such behavior by staff who were supposed to be monitoring youth at CJTS has necessitated a reminder and this message. Additionally, any employee who engages in workplace violence will also be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal. Moreover, managers and supervisors who learn of such deviations must immediately evaluate, investigate, report and take appropriate action in response thereto. Again, these are obvious employment conditions that have been set forth in our employee handbook as well as our HR policies, but recent allegations of abuse and the failure to immediately report same require this reminder.
Because of these recent deviations from policy, there will be adjustments made to the way we monitor and supervise. I anticipate that these modifications will cause some consternation but am confident that they will ultimately set a better tone and make all of us more accountable. We each are here at DCF to act in the best interest of children and must behave in ways that fundamentally advance the therapeutic work occurring within CJTS. You are part of a facility that has achieved many significant changes and have helped to elevate the expectations about how youth are to be treated within secure care. I am confident that I speak to the majority of you at CJTS when I express my gratitude for the difficult work you do and for the majority of you at CJTS when I remind us all that there can be no excuse or room for behaviors that jeopardize our mission

CORNELL LEWIS GIVES A SPEECH ABOUT CLASS DIVISIONS & THE DCF - CJTS PLANTATION

The purpose of publishing this speech is to highlight class divisions in state agencies. It is also serving notice to Department of Children & Families plus Connecticut Juvenile Training School that their attempts to silence me [ through job loss & making it impossible to work with youth ] is not going to work. People in the community are listening to a voice the oppressor is afraid of. The packed room erupted in applause after the speech.

GREATER HARTFORD CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL
 Speech given January 8, 2014 Hartford, Connecticut -- 77 Huyshope Avenue

Introduction: I want to thank the Greater Hartford Central Labor Council for the privilege of speaking here today. In America the Union has helped millions of workers earn a decent living and overcome management abuse of employees. However, some state agencies is seeking to erode gains using a tactic of class division.  Let us consider three things today: struggles to overcome management employee abuse, management within state agencies creating class divisions, the need to continue fighting management and raise uncomfortable questions.

In point number one I read Philip Foner’s book History of the Labor Movement in the United States volume I [ from colonial times to the founding of the American Federation of Labor ]. Foner describes the embryonic beginnings of Unions. He describes the struggles of people losing jobs, the sacrifices of enduring long strikes, how a group called the factory girls fought for less work and equal pay. Foner wrote how our present educational system was established by the Union plus workers seeking a better life for their children. Foner then highlighted that Unions sought to destroy class divisions in workplaces. Union workers described management was the upper class [ with resources & power ], workers the lower class with no power or resources. A herculean struggle took place by the masses to end class divisions. However, it seems as if now we are satisfied with past victories while class divisions are making in roads in workplaces. In Greek mythology Argus is depicted as a giant with 100 eyes who was made guardian over Io.We [ Union members]  must be Argus eyed [ observant; vigilant ] about class divisions.

My second point is how management within state agencies creates class divisions.  I obtained through Freedom of Information request, documents showing how the Department of Children & Families plus Connecticut Juvenile Training School created class divisions among workers. Management at both agencies favored one group over another; at CJTS you have a hierarchy of administration, clinicians then Youth Service Officers [ line staff ]. CJTS gave clinicians power over YSO’s thus creating class divisions. This is strange seeing how clinicians... YSOs should work in tandem. The administrators and clinicians receive top pay, while YSOs receive lower pay  with more disciplinary actions. My final point is the need to continue fighting management and raise uncomfortable questions. Please do not stop fighting management about their divisive policies. Those FOI documents I obtained describe how 66% of DCF / CJTS disciplinary actions target black – Latino men. Such unfairness causes divisions in the workplace. State agencies are not feudal European kingdoms with serfs. There is a need to “agitate / educate” employees about class divisions.
The Union in 2014 cannot think past strategies will or can work against employers in this society. Where are new tactics? One man said “it is one thing to shout slogans and sign manifesto statements. It is another thing to spend long days / nights seeking solution to problems.”  I am out of time. Let me move swiftly, finally but reluctantly to a conclusion. If Union members fail to curtail employer’s tactic of class division then those words of T.E.Lawrence will come back to haunt us:
 “Yet when we achieved and the new world dawned,
  The old men came out again and took our victory,
   To remake in the likeness of the former world they knew.”

PUBLIC RELATIONS MOMENT BUT IGNORING REAL ISSUES

The DCF Plantation blog was contacted January 2, 2014 about Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy coming to speak at Connecticut Juvenile Training School. For many years Murphy championed the causes of common people and fought against gun violence in Hartford. In short, Senator Murphy is a good man. Staff writers for DCF Plantation blog wondered however if Murphy is aware of the racism, bias, vitriol and mis-management going on at CJTS. I am sure Murphy was sincere in giving a speech to residents at the school on CJTS grounds; wanting these kids to succeed as responsible citizens is a goal of Murphy's. Also, a round table discussion with various political dignitaries took place and looked at a state wide reduction in high risk youth returning to incarceration. A feel good scene at CJTS with all the fancy hoopla.

It must be noted however in the last five years CJTS has been rocked by a class action lawsuit, employee hunger strike, protests outside the CJTS facility, negative media coverage and a white female employee calling residents of color "porch monkeys." Ergo, it is safe to conclude the invitation for Senator Murphy to speak is nothing but a public relations moment.. but ignoring real issues. In examining the visit of Murphy it appears no Youth Service Officers were invited to the public relation event; take note other important administrators from the DCF /CJTS plantation attended. This method of not having front line staff at such events is by design, CJTS cannot afford to have anyone comment negatively with media present.

Such deceit is part of oppressors methods in hope of fooling the masses. Give the appearance of tranquility and happiness at CJTS, while underneath this facade, a cauldron of racial animus  is threatening to boil over.
In closing let me point out that all is not well in Eden ( CJTS ).

CONNECTICUT VALLEY HOSPITAL PLANTATION

This column appears in the January 2 - 9 edition of the Hartford News. Please forward widely!

David Samuels
Founder
Community Party
https://twitter.com/CommunityParty1



                                                                                     Connecticut Valley Hospital Plantation


Connecticut Valley Hospital management's response to the Community Party's December 19 report on the racist disparities in terminations and wages at CVH (data analysis by Adam Osmond) was to send out mass emails to employees, in which they continue to talk vaguely about "changing the culture" at the hospital. CVH started their "Achieving Excellence Together" campaign in response to the introduction of workplace bullying legislation at the State Capitol. The Department of Administrative Services, which oversees state facilities like CVH, has testified against strengthening the currently toothless employment laws, which would provide viable legal options to bullied employees. DAS claims that they already have mechanisms in place to address racism and bullying, but DAS is the violator. It is preposterous to leave it up to the violator to police the problem that they created; that's the ultimate conflict of interest (fox guarding the henhouse, etc.). The statistics at CVH and the Department of Children and Families are overwhelming evidence that DAS isn't doing squat; they're only interested in limiting state employers' exposure to legal liability.

The Department of Health and Human Services states that workplace bullying is the equivalent of domestic violence. CVH's self-serving campaign is akin to a physically abusive husband bringing his wife flowers and candy, promising her that the beatings will stop and he will change. CVH's own workplace bullying survey results (which they tried to suppress) show that over 80% of employees view CVH management as retaliatory bullies who perpetuate a culture of abusive workplace conduct. CVH fires Black employees at a rate of 70% compared to just 22% of whites. 70% of the employees who earn $120,000 or more per year are white, compared to a mere 3% of Black workers. Blacks are 30% of CVH hires yet they are disciplined at a rate of 39%, which is 10% more often than all other employees. White CVH employees are promoted at a rate of 56%, dwarfing the numbers for Blacks (30%) and Latinos (8%) combined. This structurally racist pattern was also discovered at DCF by Adam and Cornell Lewis. The data is available at Cornell's DCF Plantation blog.  http://www.dcfplantation.blogspot.com/  CVH management is talking out of both sides of their mouths. They claim to want to "change the culture" at the hospital, while they simultaneously pay their team of attorneys to defend them against legal complaints by workers regarding their racist, bullying behavior. None of the CVH management emails to employees have addressed the racial disparities that we have discovered.

 "Changing the culture" at CVH means acknowledging and remedying the egregious racial disparities in terminations, disciplinary actions, wages,  promotions, hiring and employment in addition to ending the cowardly, despicable management practice of manipulating policy and procedure to target workers, especially Black males. Promising to be kinder, gentler plantation owners isn't good enough. The internal CVH emails that my co-worker John Hollis and I obtained through the Freedom of Information Act show what CVH executives and managers say when they think that no one is looking. Rosa Badillo and Carlos Vargas, who complained about racism against Latinos by their bosses in a column I wrote about CVH last year, were mentioned in an email exchange between a CVH executive and a manager. The executive forwarded the column to the head of Rosa and Carlos' department and gave that manager permission to forward the piece to Rosa and Carlos' other bosses. Rosa and Carlos have both experienced retaliation from CVH since the column was published. This is an ongoing pattern.

As I reported in my last column, the CVH manager who said in an email exchange that "something must be done soon" about me in response to a grievance that I filed called the CVH police on me in retaliation for my activism. This manager made the ridiculous claim that I threatened her in a 2012 column on workplace bullying at CVH, where I made a reference to the spree killing by James Holmes at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. Here is the exact quote from that column. "Last week a Connecticut Valley Hospital manager called a staff meeting which appeared to be a veiled attempt to respond to the Community Party's release of the CVH workplace bullying survey results and our July 19th Hartford News column on abusive workplace conduct at CVH ("Connecticut Valley Hospital: Poster Child for Workplace Bullying"). She spoke at length about CVH "owning" internal emails and "partisan political activity" being unacceptable. I will address that individual in this forum. Workplace bullying isn't a partisan political issue, it's a public safety threat. The mass shooting which took place on July 20th in Aurora, Colorado underscores how vulnerable we all are to violence in public places. There is clearly a structured effort among CVH management and selected employees to intimidate individuals who speak out against abusive conduct at the facility."

After the column was published, a CVH police officer visited my office and questioned me. He offered to take me to a private area but I insisted that our conversation take place in full view of my co-workers. The officer immediately said that the CVH police had reviewed my column and did not find my commentary to be threatening in any way. When I asked why then was I being questioned if I wasn't suspected of intending to commit workplace violence the officer said, "I'm just doing my job." This manager's actions demonstrates the pathology of those who engage in abusive workplace conduct. She knows that I live in Hartford yet she did not call the Hartford police, which would have been the logical move if she honestly thought that I had threatened her life. If I was actually a threat, it would have been imperative that she act quickly to ensure that I did not arrive on the CVH campus and inflict harm on her or others. She instead waited until I came to work and then contacted the CVH police, who she knew she could manipulate with the backing of CVH management.


This individual's compulsion to show employees who's the boss resulted in a childish, ineffective attempt to embarrass and intimidate me in front of my co-workers. CVH emails show that she has continued to target me since that pathetic display, and that the executives who are claiming to want to change the hospital's bullying culture are collaborating with her. It's not hard to see why 85% of CVH workers fear retaliation from CVH management if they report that they have been bullied. This manager is desperately trying to maintain the status quo. She is the best example of why legislators must act in 2014 to begin the process of empowering employees who are subjected to abusive workplace conduct. CVH's sham morale campaign will not help anyone but the megalomaniacs who are currently operating with impunity. Over 200 people in the United States committed suicide as a result of workplace bullying in 2008, the highest total since these deaths have been tracked. The changes which are desperately needed at CVH, DCF and the rest of the state employers must be implemented by the Connecticut General Assembly.

We'll present more information on structural racism at CVH in the coming weeks, as we're in the process of analyzing data regarding hiring and employment at the facility. State Representative Matt Ritter will host a workplace bullying town hall on Monday, January 27, 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm at the Albany Branch library, 1250 Albany Avenue in Hartford. If you’re being bullied at work by co-workers and/or your employer, this is an opportunity to tell your story and be a part of a discussion about solutions. Check out the Albany Branch website for directions. http://www.hplct.org/locations-hours/Albany

Stay tuned for updates on the Safe Work Environment Act and the Trayvon Martin Act, which we'll introduce during the 2014 legislative session (starts February 5th). Check out CP's Stop Racial Profiling - Obey the Law! Facebook page for more info on the Trayvon Act. http://www.facebook.com/PennAct   Follow CP on on Twitter for state, national and global headlines.  https://twitter.com/CommunityParty1 Listen to WQTQ 89.9 FM for CP's public service announcements on our racial justice initiatives. https://www.facebook.com/wqtqfm Contact us at 860-206-8879 or info.community.party@gmail.com. Happy New Year!


Resources

Freedom of Information Act website:

http://www.ct.gov/foi/site/default.asp

Workplace Violence News, featuring resources for preventing workplace violence and bullying:

http://workplaceviolencenews.com/

Twitter page for John McPhilbin, a workplace bullying activist in Australia:

https://twitter.com/JohnMcPhilbin

INCIDENT ON UNIT 6B INVOLVING WHITE EMPLOYEES IS NOT BEING INVESTIGATED

The New Year 2014 arrived with people all over the world celebrating it as sacred. However in the year 2013 certain things continued to happen at Connecticut Juvenile Training School that defies reason. On December 27, 2013 the Unit 6B had a incident involving two residents fighting. At CJTS residents fighting is a normal happening, but YSOs are suppose to monitor activities to prevent such things. Well, the story is told by sources within CJTS that between 9:20pm -9:30pm two residents fought in a bathroom and were not detected by staff. When the altercation become known it seemed strange there was no uproar from management about this incident. Juxtapose this incident with another involving  three YSOs on October 6, 2012. These three YSOs were placed on paid administrative leave in November, after two residents fought in a Multi -Purpose Room ... Unit 4D. Two YSOs in this case were fired and one brought back to work.

I bring this 2012 incident up because DCF / CJTS spared no expense to trumpet their investigation of the 4D incident. However in the incident on 6B a male / female YSO are still working; no lengthy investigation or placing them on paid administrative leave took place. I wonder why? Well, both YSOs involved in the 6B fracas are white, this might be one reason no disciplinary actions took place.The two YSOs from that 4D incident are black and Puerto Rican. Oh, by the way, the YSO that came back to work from that 4D incident is white. It has been widely documented that DCF / CJTS discipline blacks, Latinos and other people of color with more severity than others. Graphs and charts posted on this blog are incontrovertible proof of the bias against employees of color [ data gained through Freedom of Information from DCF ] over several years. These two 6B YSOs are guilty of the same infraction DCF /CJTS vilified those YSOs from 4D about. Yet the punishment for two 6B white YSOs seems more lenient. One black 4D YSO in particular proved to be a thorn in the side of white management at CJTS; going on hunger strikes, holding a rally outside DCF / CJTS, holding a public hearing at the Legislative Office Building about racism in state agencies. And it is reasonable to suspect DCF management used the 4D incident to rid themselves of a black man who dared speak up against injustice.

I do not want to digress from the main point though, another incident happened [ 6B ] where residents were not supervised. CJTS management did not use heavy handed discipline on white YSOs like they have a history of doing to employees of color.We must look for logical reasons as to why management failed to investigate with vigor two newly hired YSOs. This brings to mind another salient point, two YSOs hired within 60-90 days working on Unit 6B without another veteran staff available...If such a thing did happen, is not management held responsible for Neglect of Duty? Hell, those YSOs from 4D were charged with Neglect of Duty. Yet management at CJTS are not called to task for their Neglect of Duty; nor are leaders at CJTS placing 6B YSOs on a hot seat, for failure to do their job the night of Dec. 27, 2013.

Seems as if 2014 will be a carbon copy of 2103 with a white management at CJTS still using a disciplinary boot to kick YSOs of color in their arse.

DCF PLANTATION 5 STILL FACING PERSECUTION

In the year 2010 five brave people of color decided to resist oppression and strike a blow for freedom. They launched a class action lawsuit against Department of Children & Families plus Connecticut Juvenile Training School for discrimination ----racism. Since the DCF Plantation 5 went public with their lawsuit a pogrom (organized persecution  ) by white management has been instituted against these employees. Not a day has gone by in three years where some member  of the DCF Plantation 5 did not face scrutiny or investigation. Former CJTS employee Cornell Lewis fired by CJTS July 17, 2013, both females of the suit were closely watched in 2013. One lady faced humiliation when CJTS administrators removed her from Unit 4 D for investigation which lasted 60 days ( of course she did nothing wrong and placed back on Unit 4 D ). Yes it is always open season on anyone daring to defy the white power structure within DCF / CJTS. The latest persecution against a male lawsuit member happened December 28, 2013.

Sources within CJTS plantation said that an assistance call for help on Unit 5B went out Saturday ( Dec.  28th ). This type of call is common when housing incarcerated youth at CJTS, usually it means a fight etc is taking place. At this particular time a female YSO on Unit 5B attempted to restrain a youth for something, when a member of the DCF Plantation 5 arrived he assisted her. Witnesses report the male YSO escorted the disruptive youth to his room and backed out---without any evidence of injury to the resident. Now here comes the best part of this tale. On December 30,2013 a telephone call is placed to the Connecticut State Police from management at CJTS about  possible injury to a resident. It seems as if the resident on Unit 5B suddenly is claiming a male YSO ( guess who? the YSO male member of the DCF Plantation 5 ) injured him in some way. This is suspicious to the writer of this blog given the call to State Police happened two days after the incident. If this resident was so injured, action needed to be taken sooner. However, it is possible white management concocted their story against the YSO after finding out a lawsuit member was involved. At least five YSOs went to Human Resources to testify on behalf of the accused YSO. Sources reveal that all five YSOs told HR " the YSO under investigation did nothing wrong and followed policy during & after the 5B incident." Such documented testimony did nothing to stop this farce of an investigation.

While DCF /CJTS continue to foster this image of benevolent benefactors of children, their real persona is being revealed daily. With this latest persecution of a male member of the lawsuit the true hideousness of white supremacy  is manifest.

ANOTHER CONVERSATION WITH DCF & THE COMMUNITY IN HARTFORD

A friend sent me a posted Facebook flyer by e-mail today about the Department of Children & Families. The title of this flyer read Home Invasion vs. Home Restoration Controversial community discussion  w/ DCF. This pow wow with DCF is taking place tonight [ Dec. 27, 2013 ] in Hartford at 136 Westland Street, Urban Hope Refuge Church. My friend who sent me the FB page said "Cornell you might be interested in this." At first my reply was brief, but upon reflection, it seemed necessary for a longer reply on FB. Now that reply is going to be part of this blog article.

 DCF uses linguistic acrobatics to quell potential storms or public relation threats to it's hegemony. For several years a small group has publicly taken issue with not only DCF but Connecticut Juvenile Training School about racism etc. Now after a series of negative media stories about racism in both agencies a new strategy has emerged. DCF has launched out into the community with a message of trying to bring people together in understanding. Say what? It is no secret that both DCF / CJTS do not relate to their employees of color very well. And it is also common knowledge how people in Hartford's Northend feel as  DCF invades homes and takes children out for nebulous reasons. Certain people and black churches play directly into DCF's strategy by hosting jive forums for the masters of verbal prestidigitation to attend. For years such talking forums have not caused a noticeable shift in DCF policies, when it comes to firing black male employees at a higher rate (66%) than other ethnic groups. What is really going to change tonight? DCF will trot out talking head representatives to mollify the unwashed masses, leaving them in a somnolent ( sleepy ) state.

Change can only occur when people stop doing what is predictable. DCF is use to picket signs and forums where issues get talked to death, but change is only an after thought. New or aggressive ideas are needed to first rattle the oppressor then topple their power structure. It was two years ago a group went throughout Hartford's Northend knocking on doors --- explaining people's rights versus DCF. In a three month campaign No DCF Zones were created. It caught the attention of DCF and many residents embraced the concept. Volunteers went from Albany & Garden Streets to Vine. Then up Vine to Capen & back to Albany. The Associated Press covered the story and sympathizers  within DCF said " those folks ( hiearchy at Hudson street ) are nervous."

When oppressors want to make inroads in the black community they find willing sycophants in our religious community to lead the way. My grandfather called such religious leaders in league with oppressors " plow horses." Such a term is meant to convey the image of an animal braking up soil for seeds to be planted. And historically black people listen to their preachers instead of using critical thinking & deductive reasoning in solving issues. Now we have Negroes acting like plow horses i.e. preparing the minds of black people to accept vebal swill from DCF. Instead of running to movie theatres watching a story about Nelson Mandela, act in his spirit. Tell DCF to stop invading homes where people of color reside. If black people stood up and collectively confronted DCF there would be no need for another jive forum tonight.

CLOTHING THEIR BIGOTRY IN THE GARB OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

For thousands of years the purveyor of bigotry always found some justification for spewing their hatred. For instance religious zealots used the Bible, nationalism came in handy for expelling " unwanted ethnic groups", a few have declared it is for the good of our country to say such things. Let us not forget endemic racism towards blacks was deemed necessary " in order to raise the barbaric nature of Africans" i.e. civilize them. Always will the oppressor seek clothing their bigotry in the garb of righteousness. For purposes of this discussion bigotry is defined in the dictionary as " the attitude, state of mind, or behavior characteristic of a bigot ; intolerance." And a bigot tends to be - historically speaking- intolerant of people, customs, language or gender. In contemporary society there is a parallel to the term bigotry to be found at Connecticut Juvenile Training School / Department of Children and Families.

At CJTS for instance a number of incidents have occurred where the hierarchical white management refused to address complaints of black employees. What I mean is this, white management paid lip service to complaints but really ignored them. People ask why is it management continues to trumpet trying to rehabilitate youthful offenders but treats employees of color with disdain? The tone deaf attitude of CJTS management toward employees is no anomaly; it is rooted in Americanism that has always clothed itself in bigotry ... then covered it with a fine layer of righteousness. CJTS constantly sends out social media releases which show that agencey in a good light, helping incarcerated youth get back on the right track. Also CJTS has in the past put up smoke screens to confuse outsiders, e.g. a few years ago a Diversity Action Team came into existence. DATsupposedly was a vehicle for promoting diversity on CJTS property. In reality DAT promoted a few ethnic dinners, put up posters of culturally famous people and sent out e-mails about the success of DAT. Well, DAT has faded away like the morning dew when touched by sunlight. All CJTS sought to accomplish was being seen clothed in the garb of righteousness.

Yet while all this visible bait and switch went on, five employees of color filed a class action lawsuit against CJTS, the media reported about several incidents, one employee went on a hunger strike in protest of racism. A white female employee on several occasions called incarcerated youth at CJTS porch monkeys, petitions are sent to Govenor Dannel Malloy & CJTS Superintendent William Rosenbeck, et al. about racism within CJTS / DCF. None of the above mentioned issues were addressed in a meaniful fashion. All issues of racism have been explained away or ignored by white management. Can CJTS / DCF explain why 66% of all disciplinary actions are aimed at black males??

The picture CJTS / DCF presents to the world of a harmonious employee workforce is fictitious. There are festering racial issues threatening to erupt like a volcano.
Perhaps the day will come when people in the larger community will see what DCF Plantation blog already knows, management is "clothing their bigotry in the garb of righteousness.

ANOTHER CASE OF INJUSTICE ON CVH PLANTATION

This column appears in the December 19 - January 2 edition of the Hartford News. Please forward widely!

David Samuels
Founder
Community Party
https://twitter.com/CommunityParty1


                                                                 Workplace Bullying Report: Structural Racism at Connecticut Valley Hospital


                                                                                             

This column appears in the December 19 - January 2 edition of the Hartford News. Due to the holidays, the Hartford News will not be published next week... Community Update: Hartford City Council President Shawn Wooden, who usually avoids the subject of race, actually talked about Black/Latino unemployment during the Fox CT Capitol Report program last Sunday; the topic was the one-year anniversary of the Newtown school shooting. Wooden was asked about possible solutions to gun violence in Hartford. Time will tell if this was merely lip service... I was disgusted by how Face the State host Dennis House treated Kennard Ray during Ray's appearance on the show. Instead of examining Ban the Box and why it's important, House grilled Ray about his already well documented legal history. House didn't ask Ray about then Waterbury mayor Michael Jarjura hiring convicted felon John Rowland to be the city's economic advisor in 2006, and how Ray feels about this double standard. Shameful... In an incredible display of hypocrisy, the Connecticut chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union challenged the Manchester Police Department's conclusion that they don't engage in racial profiling. The MPD released a report last week. http://www.courant.com/community/manchester/hc-manchester-racial-report-1213-20131212,0,5333497.story  ACLU legal director Sandra Staub is a member of the Connecticut Racial Profiling Prohibition Project, a bastardization of the Community Party's Penn Act advisory board provision that was passed by the Connecticut General Assembly in 2012. The advisory board colluded with lawmakers to repeal CP's enforcement language this year. In my opinion, Staub isn't interested in stopping racial profiling. She's using the issue as a political football to advance her career.   https://www.facebook.com/notes/stop-racial-profiling-obey-the-law/racism-report-penn-act-advisory-boardwest-end-civic-association-members-push-bac/569676799748837 We'll keep an eye on this story. The advisory board has recently met a couple of times; we'll comment on the meetings after we review the videos, which are available on the Connecticut Network website. Enter "racial profiling" in the search engine. http://www.ctn.state.ct.us/ondemand.asp  CP will introduce our Trayvon Martin Act in 2014.  https://www.facebook.com/notes/stop-racial-profiling-obey-the-law/support-the-trayvon-martin-act/535126163203901


This week we'll present data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request which we submit as proof that Connecticut Valley Hospital, like the Department of Children and Families, is engaging in structural racism. The data analysis was done by Adam Osmond. Adam found that CVH fires Black employees 42% more often than whites. Overall Blacks are terminated at a rate of 70%, compared to just 22% for whites. Blacks are subjected to disciplinary action at a rate of 10% more than other workers. 70% of the CVH employees who make $120,000 per year or more are white, only 3% are Black. CVH initially withheld the race of workers when they sent us the disciplinary records; we had to make a second request. Now it's easy to see why. Emails that my co-worker John Hollis and I have obtained from CVH show that CVH managers are constantly monitoring my social media activity in an attempt to manufacture some type of complaint against me, either internally or through legal action. Our co-workers at CVH report that one of the managers who is spying on me was recently suspended for falsifying documents. After reading a couple of emails I was so disturbed by the level of hyperscrutiny, I immediately informed John and the president of our union local that I wanted to file a grievance. A CVH affirmative action "investigative report" described me as having a "preoccupation with race and racism." The facility ruled that I was discriminating against a white co-worker who in my opinion received preferential treatment from CVH. This employee filed an affirmative action complaint in retaliation for me filing the same complaint against her. My complaint was denied. I'm currently going through more emails with the intention of filing additional grievances, based on whatever else I find. "Highlights" include a discussion about my 2012 column on CVH employees Rosa Badillo and Carlos Vargas, who complained about racism by their bosses. The email revealed that my column was forwarded to Rosa and Carlos' bosses and that CVH attorneys had been consulted about a possible "response" to me (whatever that means). There was zero discussion about investigating Rosa and Carlos' allegations. Another CVH manager said that "something must be done soon" about me because I filed a grievance, which is my right as a state employee. This is the same manager who called the CVH police on me in retaliation for one of my columns about workplace bullying at the facility.
 
Yet another CVH manager talked about wanting to put me on the "hot seat" after I filed a grievance about my 2012 service rating. I consider this language, like the aforementioned comment by the other manager, to be threatening. The Office of Labor Relations recently sustained my grievance, changing my Fair rating to Good. Finally there was an exchange where CVH managers talked about targeting me for doing an interview with a radio station on the same day that I called in sick. Apparently they believe that calling in sick is the equivalent of house arrest. The emails show that the managers continued listening to the interview even though it was obvious to anyone that I was on the phone, and was not present at the radio station. The managers knew from monitoring my social media pages that the interview was going to be about the latest developments with the state racial profiling law; the manager who said "something must be done soon" about me quoted my post promoting the interview verbatim. My question to DMHAS commissioner Pat Rehmer is why were so many managers spying on me when they should have been working? John discovered a breach of his confidential health information in an email where he was being disparaged by (you guessed it) the CVH manager who wants "something done soon" about me. The breach was pointed out by another CVH manager who was clearly annoyed at having to respond to a work email at 6:30 in the evening. Cornell Lewis filed an FOI request and obtained emails from the Department of Children and Families which showed that DCF used similar tactics against him. Cornell was fired by DCF in retaliation for speaking out about structural racism at that facility, a claim which has been supported by hiring, promotion and disciplinary records he obtained from DCF through FOI requests. If you would like to file an FOI request to get information from your employer, you can get details here. http://www.ct.gov/foi/site/default.asp   Despite the results of CVH's own workplace bullying survey (which they tried to suppress) that found 80% of employees view managers as bullies who perpetuate an abusive work climate, and the disciplinary data we have obtained which they also attempted to conceal, CVH management continues to deny, deny, deny. THIS IS MADNESS. http://hendu39.wordpress.com/2013/12/17/connecticut-valley-hospital-workplace-bullying-survey-results/  CVH supervisors and managers portray John and I in emails as potentially violent, incompetent troublemakers, while workplace bullies among the rank and file who act as their agents receive preferential treatment, including swift promotions and glowing service ratings.

Workplace bullying is the equivalent of domestic violence. The Department of Health and Human Services is quite clear on this issue. "(Workplace bullying) has many of the same characteristics of domestic violence – the abuser uses intimidation and manipulation to get what he or she wants."  http://www.foh.hhs.gov/eapnews/consortium/dealing.html  CVH is the poster child for workplace bullying in this state. The Connecticut General Assembly must pass strong anti-bullying legislation in 2014. CP's Safe Work Environment Act includes a provision which would establish an advisory board that will work every year to address abusive workplace conduct. Workplace bullying is a layered issue; one bill will not eliminate this problem. Currently the laws are totally rigged in favor of the employer. Workers are powerless. Legislators, the ball is in your court. Visit Cornell's DCF Plantation blog. http://www.dcfplantation.blogspot.com/  MoveOn.org has started an online petition in support of Verizon employees who are being subjected to workplace bullying. http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/bullying-at-verizon-enough.fb76?source=s.icn.fb&r_by=5851225  My message to CVH management is do your worst. CVH employees continue to provide John and I with information about discrimination and bullying by you. You're also being watched closely. The content of your emails, coupled with the ongoing reports by our co-workers, support our belief that your "Achieving Excellence Together" campaign, which includes"Building Collegiality" training, is a smokescreen designed to defeat workplace bullying legislation. The information that we have obtained via FOIA is further proof that the concept of an employer policing itself is preposterous. We're building a coalition to support the bill. We intend to educate the public and legislators about the cowardly, reprehensible management practice of manipulating policy and procedure for the purpose of targeting employees, especially Black males. Happy hunting. http://www.dcfplantation.blogspot.com/2013/08/black-men-are-still-meeting-same-fate.html



State Representative Matt Ritter will host a workplace bullying town hall on Monday, January 27, 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm at the Albany Branch library, 1250 Albany Avenue in Hartford. If you’re being bullied at work by co-workers and/or your employer, this is an opportunity to tell your story and be a part of a discussion about solutions. Check out the link to the Albany Branch website in our Resources section for directions. Stay tuned for info on the Safe Work Environment Act and the Trayvon Martin Act, coming in 2014. Listen to WQTQ 89.9 FM for public service announcements on CP's racial justice initiatives. You can contact us at 860-206-8879 or info.community.party@gmail.com .


Resources

My 2012 Hartford News interview with Connecticut Valley Hospital employees Rosa Badillo and Carlos Vargas about racism by CVH managers against Latinos:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/david-samuels/special-report-racism-homophobia-at-connecticut-valley-hospital/10151418650215432

Albany Branch library website:

http://www.hplct.org/locations-hours/Albany

Adam Osmond's CT Lottery Watchdog Twitter page:

https://twitter.com/CTLotteryWatch








                                                                                                         
 
                           

CT TRUTH FORCE SEEKS ANSWERS ABOUT ATTENDANCE SHEETS

The  following letter was e-mailed to state officials shortly after DCF Plantation posted a story ( 12-9-13 ) about possible irregularities in attendance sheets at Connecticut Juvenile Training School by a Unit Leader in administration.

William Rosenbeck, Superintendent

Connecticut Juvenile Training School

To Mr. Rosenbeck:

As the CT Truth Force we would like to bring some issues regarding Connecticut Juvenile Training School (CJTS) to your attention. As mentioned in previous communications, we are concerned with racial inequities at the Department of Children and Families (DCF), particularly for employees of CJTS. We have seen evidence of a recurring practice of discrimination against employees of color, particularly Black male employees. We have been closely following the case of Minister Cornell Lewis who was unjustly dismissed from his job at CJTS as a result of his activism on behalf of himself and fellow employees.

Now, another matter has come to our attention. Through the Freedom of Information Act, the attendance records of a Ms. Jane Markovitz were obtained by the blog “DCF Plantation.” We believe these records bring up some questions regarding the management of CJTS. After examining the attendance information, we believe that Ms. Markovitz was allowed leniency in her use of time off, leniency that has not been afforded to other employees. We would like to know if indeed Ms. Markovitz received special allowances, and if so, why? If you deny that she was allowed extra time off, could you please explain the inconsistencies in the record?

With the economy of this state being as fragile as it is right now, we believe that these records should be carefully audited with a discerning eye for any inconsistencies. If the management of CJTS wishes to prove that their work policies are equitable, we do need an explanation for the seemingly liberal use of time off by Ms. Markovitz. Thank you.

Signed,

Joanna Iovino

CT Truth Force

CC:  Joette Katz, DCF Commissioner

       Kevin Lembo, Connecticut State Comptroller

ARE THESE ATTENDANCE SHEETS IN NEED OF SCRUTINY??

 It has come to the attention of DCF Plantation blog that irregularities might be present in these attendance sheets of a Connecticut Juvenile Training School Unit Leader. We encourage readers to use the codes provided to compare with the attendance sheets and draw conclusions; notice the inordinate amount of sick days and Worker Compensation days taken, etc. Also days taken off after working holidays ( extra pay ).

==========================================================================


TIME REPORTING CODE LIST

STANDARD WORKERS’ COMPENSATION ATTENDANCE CODES

These two lists are used by employees at Connecticut Juvenile Training School for purposes of using codes & acronyms for time sheets. All codes displayed on the time sheets being questioned are from the above mentioned lists.

SFAM---------SICK FAMILY

ULTAR------- LAW TARDY UNPAID

FMLA--------- FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT

VCMV--------- FMLA COMBO MEDICAL VACATION

PCMP----------FMLA COMBO PERSONAL LEAVE

CU-------------- COMPENSATORY TIME USED

WSPC----------- WORKERS COMPENSATION. DR.APPOINTMENT

                           ½ DAY MAX

RLDY---------- REGULAR LIGHT DUTY

WCDIR---------- WORKERS COMP. TPA ( third party administrator) 
                           DIRECT PAY

SFMS------------ FMLA FEDERAL MEDICAL SICK

** LFRL IS A CODE LISTED ON THE TIME SHEET BUT IS NOT

     SEEN ON ANY OF THE TWO DOCUMENTS ABOVE.

** ALSO CODES OTI50 & OTIFO ARE LISTED ON TIME SHEETS

     BUT NOT ON ABOVE LISTS

 

Click here to access the file.

LACK OF FAIRNESS ON UNIT 4D AFTER ALTERCATION

Several reliable sources working at Connecticut Juvenile Training School report that a fight broke out on Unit 4 Delta recently. Several residents tried to injure a peer but wound up putting a male YSO out of commission-due to head injuries. Work at CJTS is not easy for YSOs but it is part of what people sign up for. The real issue during this mele focuses on what happened when a YSO was hurt enough to be taken off that campus by ambulance ( sources report ). In the words of other employees " during the time the YSO was being assaulted another YSO did not respond quicky enough to prevent injury"; at CJTS if you do not respond quickly enough during any fracas management usually disciplines that slow responder i.e. write up, verbal reprimand or more. In this 4D scenario no manager at CJTS reprimanded the male YSO for being sluggish in responding to a serious situation. This is unusual and not the norm but let us look at the fact that non responder is a white male.

There is a history of people of color being discplined at CJTS for not responding to emergency situations where injury might occur. There is never any hesitation about discipline for blacks or Latinos; now the situation involves a white male and management does nothing. Is there a reason for the delay? At this juncture my only concern is for fairness from management when dealing out discipline. You cannot justify such double standards and still claim " like Caesar's wife to be above suspicion." History records Caesar's wife Calpurnia escaped scrutiny after his murder due to high moral character; CJTS has a record of of dealing negatively with employees of color. Ergo, how can this agency claim to not be biased?

Watch closely for more developments in this 4D case of a white male YSO non responder escaping punishment. Oh by the way, why is the white female YSO who called residents of color " porch monkeys" still working on her Unit in building # 5? She used racial epiteths and still is working on Unit until the investigation is complete. Meanwhile back at the ranch, employees of color have been removed from their Unit for rumors of using profanity toward residents. Again a double standard for those that are white.

THE COLONIZED MIND ON THE CJTS PLANTATION

The distinguished psychiatrist Frantz Fanon wrote profound words in his 1961 classic Wretched of the Earth. In this literary masterpiece, Fanon deconstructed the colonized mind.

“The gaze that the colonized subject casts at the colonist’s sector is a look of lust, a look of envy. Dreams of possession. Every type of possession; of sitting at the colonist’s table and sleeping in his bed, preferably with his wife. The colonized man is an envious man.”

The book Wretched of the Earth has always given me pause to think about colonized minds. In America black people whose ancestors were brought from Africa as slaves were stripped of a worldview to be replaced by something else. That something else is the lust or yearning after what the colonizer has i.e. language, customs, material items, or worldview. With this being said, it is easy to understand why some Youth Service Officers at Connecticut Juvenile Training School do not resist the oppression they suffer. Let me be clear.

The colonizer has provided YSOs at CJTS with a living caring for incarcerated residents ( mostly residents of color ). Thus employees on the lower economic scale at CJTS can dimly see hopes of living like upper management. Yet this "lusting" as Fanon called it inhibits people from pointing out oppression; to voice concern about injustice might cause retaliation by management, ending a lifestyle of some comfort. If YSOs took a correct view of what goes on in their environment they cannot not deny being in the grip of a colonized mindset. To embrace a colonized worldview makes you a prisoner of the oppressor ; you will accept trinkets and items from hands determined to keep a foot on the neck of employees.

In order to transcend a colonized mind people must embrace goals or ideals higher than what they see oppressors holding. However in order to aspire to higher ideals people must seek to be free of shackles on the mind. After all Richard Lovelace said "stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage." When and if YSOs wake up to reality they will discard the colonized mind Fanon writes about.

A THRILLA WITH DIPILLA: CRACKS IN THE CJTS PLANTATION WALL

The DCFplantation blog received information that Youth Services Officers at Connecticut Juvenile Training School are upset with management. Let me be clear. YSOs apparently have an axe to grind with Assistant Superintendent John Dipilla; they have stated this publicly at CJTS and in the community. This is interesting because YSOs open anger toward Dipilla marks the first time that rank & file employees have shown such bravery. I have not asked for specific details of what stoked the anger of YSOs, clearly something happened. And this latest development did not happen in a vacuum because activists prepared the soil through praxis ( protests, hunger strikes, petitions etc ). Now clouds of dissension appear on the plantation horizon. By the way the YSOs leading the charge are black, white, Latino, male & female. People are not ready yet to let their faces be seen--and this is okay.

At this juncture certain YSOs are seeking e-mails and text messages of Dipilla through the Freedom of Information Act hoping to reveal problems at CJTS. We have seen and heard over the years there are problems at CJTS with bias / racism and most recently a white staff calling residents of color porch monkeys.
 Wonder what these brave YSOs know about Dipilla?
Stay tuned.

LETTER FROM CT TRUTH FORCE

When I first came to Hartford, I decided that it was time for me to go from talking about injustice with friends and family (letting those conversations wither away and die eventually) to taking action. And one of the first people who came to my attention was Minister Cornell Lewis. I sent him a message, asking if I could set up a meeting with him, and after a series of questions designed to prove my mettle, he agreed to my request. We ended up meeting in a Dunkin Donuts with some other members of an activist group, people who had worked with Minister Lewis before. We talked about the racism experienced by employees of color at CJTS (particularly Black male employees) and composed a letter to DCF as the CT Truth Force.
We sent ample warning to DCF and CJTS management that if our concerns were not addressed, there would be a series of actions taken against the agency. We hand delivered our message to DCF commissioner Joette Katz’ office. We stood out in front of CJTS on a cold day with bullhorns and signs to show our concern. DCF and CJTS refused to address our complaints, just as they have repeatedly refused to address the complaints of racism that emanate frequently from CJTS employees.
We had an eloquent argument…. We asked how CJTS employees of color could act as positive role models for the children they were charged with caring for if they were being oppressed by management. We cited statistics that proved that disciplinary procedures in place were disproportionately harsh on men of color. We had support from the community, from  former  and current CJTS employees, and we even were able to have a hearing held at the Legislative Office Building. But, alas, it was all to no avail.
Rather than addressing the concerns of Minister Lewis and other CJTS employees, the management decided to fire the man. They took advantage of an opportunity to exploit an incident at CJTS to put the man out of work. But, Minister Lewis is not a quitter. He is still committed to fighting for justice for CJTS employees.
The CT Truth Force decided to compose a petition to William Rosenbeck, CJTS Superintendent, Joette Katz, DCF Commissioner and Dannel Malloy, CT Governor. We gathered the signatures of concerned community members, and sent the petition to the offices of all three of those designees. What has the response been??
Silence.
Once again, DCF has proved that it does not hear nor does it feel obligated to address their employees concerns. Pretty typical, but we will not be dissuaded.

ARE THERE REASONS FOR THANKSGIVING ON THE PLANTATION ?

While watching sports television a few days ago I noticed a commentator expressing blessing for Thanksgiving. He waxed eloquent about how everyone has something to be thankful for. Then my thoughts wandered to Connecticut Juvenile Training School employees. What do they have to be glad about during this time of Thanksgiving Day? One definition of the "First Thanksgiving" is shown below and it is noticeable 90 Native Americans were at the table [ hell, Native Americans helped Pilgrims survive ].
The event that Americans commonly call the "First Thanksgiving" was celebrated by the Pilgrims after their first harvest in the New World in 1621. This feast lasted three days, and it was attended by 90 Native Americans (as accounted by attendee Edward Winslow) and 53 Pilgrims. The New England colonists were accustomed to regularly celebrating "thanksgivings"—days of prayer thanking God for blessings such as military victory or the end of a drought.

On the CJTS plantation for several years employees of color have made complaints ( documented ) about racial bias, management using policy & procedure against employees as weapons, favoritism toward certain employees etc. For the most part a white management has turned tone death to entreaties, pleas, prayers or activism by employees. A class action lawsuit against CJTS by employees of color is still pending. Most recently CJTS was forced to deal with a white employee who repeatedly demonstrated negativity toward YSOs of color. Hey, let us not forget the white employee that called male residents of color at CJTS " porch monkeys."

In light of all these things going on within CJTS where are the blessings? Maybe employees can point to the old tired mantra " I have a job and food on the table." But what about all the injustices continually seeping out of the plantation into the public domain? The porch monkey comment was subject of a WFSB channel 3 broadcast on October 30th... 11:00pm ( WFSB led off with exculsive of comment as main story ). If workers are segregated along class lines at CJTS, racial epitheths hurled at residents, management using policies against employees as a form of workplace bullying- are there reasons for Thanksgiving on the plantation? Pilgrims gave thanks for their first harvest in 1612, at the table were Native Americans. At CJTS plantation the management gives thanks for expanding a facility to take in more youth. White management gives thanks for holding on to a power base -using youth of color as commodities for federal & state monies- and not sharing it with people of color. At CJTS you can bet no people of color will sit down at the table where true power is shared. When white management holds up hands to heaven to give thanks it is meant to be exclusive not inclusive.

In conclusion, the question must be asked of readers.

ARE THERE REASONS FOR THANKSGIVING ON THE PLANTATION?

STEVE PERRY IS RIGHT

This column appears in the Nov. 27 -  Dec. 5 edition of the Hartford News. Please forward widely!

David Samuels
Founder
Community Party
http://www.facebook.com/CommunityPartyAction
                                                                                       

                                                                                                 
                                                                                                               Steve Perry is Right


The headline is not a misprint. Capital Preparatory Magnet School Principal Steve Perry is absolutely right when he says that he should not be the sole focus of public education advocates. Perry was at the center of controversy last week following the Hartford Board of Education's decision to reject Perry's proposal to create his own charter school management company and take over SAND Elementary School. The day after the board's decision Perry posted a message on Twitter. Perry said, “The only way to lose a fight is to stop fighting. All this did was piss me off. It’s so on. Strap up, there will be head injuries.” I was among those who called for Perry's suspension. After reading Perry's defiant tweets last Friday, I came to the conclusion that he was correct when he said that his opponents should not fixate on him. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

I submit that what public education advocates should do is use the events of last week to amplify their general message about the racist, profit-driven charter school industry that Perry represents. There should be more discussion about how Wall Street uses Blacks like Perry as cover while they exploit low income communities of color, and how Wall Street is using Blacks like Perry as a weapon in their war against public employees. Perry is a pawn (albeit a well paid one) in the Wall Street campaign to privatize city and state services and drive down wages and benefits. Activist Josh Blanchfield's response to my tweets about backing off of Perry was spot on. Blanchfield said, "Perry is a geek show in the corporate carnival of education reform. A freakish distraction. Stay or go, the systemic problems remain."

Public education advocates do an excellent job of making their case against charter schools. Perry has been playing the martyr on his Twitter page, using the outrage over his tweet to enhance his image as the Black man who is persecuted by whites because he is articulate. Perry has painted whites who oppose charter schools as racist. That's an interesting claim from someone who is staunchly anti-union and is working diligently to privatize education, considering the fact that unionized public sector jobs such as teaching comprise the largest source of employment for people of color.

The website politic365.com reported on the importance of public sector jobs to Blacks and Latinos during their coverage of the federal government shutdown.
"Government jobs remain a major source of employment for African Americans and a much smaller but still significant front of work for Latinos... Steven Pitts, an economist and labor policy specialist at the University of California Berkeley, has said repeatedly that government employment — be it at the local, county, state or federal level – together constitute the largest single employer of black men and women living in the United States. Between 2008 and
2010, nearly a quarter of all working African Americans were public sector employees. White workers are employed by a wider variety of industries.
The steady spate of government job cuts since the end of the Great Recession has also contributed mightily to the nation’s still critically elevated black and Latino unemployment rates."

The charter school industry has been rocked by a scandal involving Beverly Hall, a champion of school privatization. Black Agenda Report commentator Glen Ford reported on the indictment of Hall on charges of racketeering, theft, influencing witnesses, conspiracy and making false statements.
"Hall was a high-rolling player in the nationwide criminal enterprise to destroy public education and replace it with a privately managed, but publicly financed, system. She wound up being hoisted on her own petard, her career wrecked by the same high stakes testing regime that she supported to the hilt, and on whose altar she had sacrificed – fired – 90 school principals and countless rank and file teachers. Hall was caught in the minefield of No Child Left Behind and President Obama’s Race to the Top, trapped in a web of deceit.

"A key purpose of high stakes testing is to 'prove' that conventional public schools are inferior to the charter model, and that incompetent or uncaring teachers and their unions are the heart of the problem. The testing regimen is designed to fail large numbers of schools, so that they can be replaced with charter operations. Beverly Hall carried out a reign of terror in her overwhelmingly Black Atlanta district. Every public school teacher understood the rules: if your students get a low score, you are out the door. In return for torturing her teachers, superintendent Hall was awarded accolades and goo-gobs of bonus money and lucrative speaking engagements. She was a kingpin of the privatization gang, not too many notches below Michelle Rhee.

"But Beverly Hall was trapped in a contradiction. In order to fulfill her commitment to the corporate charter school mob, she had to use her powers as superintendent to disrupt the educational process and make teaching a living hell. However, if she was to further her personal reputation as a school administrator, Hall needed the students in her district to register ever higher scores on the tests. She had to prove, by the numbers, that Race to the Top worked – when clearly it does not – or wind up in the same trash heap into which she was so eagerly throwing her teachers. Since the students could not facilitate her crime by actually achieving the impossible scores, Beverly Hall had to rely on the lowly, terrified teachers to work her scam. Thus, she became the Superintendent of Cheating, and is now free on $200,000 bail."

The Walton family, who own the Wal-Mart chain, have invested huge sums of money in charter schools. The Waltons are notoriously anti-union; they closed a Wal-Mart store in Canada when workers there tried to unionize. Wal-Mart employees in this country who have organized reported vicious retaliation from Wal-Mart management, including termination. Actor Aston Kutcher recently called out Wal-Mart for their low wages, which has resulted in workers being forced to rely on cash assistance. This issue was underscored when a Wal-Mart store in Canton, Ohio started a food drive to benefit employees who can't afford food as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches. The Huffington Post reported on a study by members of Congress.

"Walmart wages are so low that many of its workers rely on food stamps and other government aid programs to fulfill their basic needs, a reality that could cost taxpayers as much as $900,000 at just one Walmart Supercenter in Wisconsin, according to a study released by Congressional Democrats.
Though the study assumes that most workers who qualify for the public assistance programs do take advantage of them, it injects a potent data point into a national debate about the minimum wage at a time when many Walmart and fast food workers are mounting strikes in pursuit of higher wages."  
Wal-Mart workers nationwide are once again organizing Black Friday strikes to protest the company's poverty wages. It's pretty easy to connect the dots, as the Walton family is making big bucks while they impose their business model on this country's education system.

Public schools have serious problems, including segregation and discriminatory disciplinary rates. However the charter school industry is not the cure. If charter school advocates and investors truly were acting in the interests of Black and Latino children, they would be working on the local, state and federal level to eradicate poverty. Poverty is a huge factor in the performance of public school students in communities of color. You will rarely even see the word poverty on Perry's Twitter page. The child poverty rate in Hartford is 53%. Blacks and Latinos earn approximately 60 cents for every dollar whites make and possess about 10 cents of net wealth for every dollar whites have. A community resident who posted a response to a Washington Post editorial on Perry's tweet made an insightful observation on how charter school supporters, Democrats and Republicans have avoided talking about poverty and racial economic disparity.

"Just one more example of why, when it comes to the school reform movement, it is necessary to abide by that old truism: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
I just came back from a meeting in DC where I heard House and Senate committee staffers, both Democrat and Republican, blather about school reform. Of course, none of them had any actual experience in education. So depressing. No one actually wants to try to understand the effects of poverty on children, their brain development, and the really long and hard work required to overcome them (or why schools cannot single handedly solve the social pathologies arising from extreme income disparity). Instead, both Ds and Rs spout their magic one-size-fits-all solutions: vouchers, charters, privatization, or whatever. They just want to declare victory and move on -- until the problem comes back around again."

I have presented facts which show that school privatizers will only exacerbate racial and class inequity in this country. Steve Perry is a megalomaniacal, profiteering workplace bully, and he should be held accountable for his behavior. However public school advocates should not allow themselves to become so consumed by their justifiable anger toward this man that they lose sight of the big picture. The community must be educated about Perry's puppet masters, who are using racialized politics and parents' understandable desire to see their children prosper as a means of undermining democracy, rolling back the gains of workers and turning education into just another profitable commodity for a corporate state.
 
Stay tuned for info on CP's Safe Work Environment Act and Rep. Matt Ritter's workplace bullying town hall, coming in 2014. Check out CP's A Public Bank for Connecticut page.  http://www.facebook.com/PublicBankCT  Follow CP on Twitter for state, national and global headlines.  https://twitter.com/CommunityParty1  Contact us at 860-206-8879 or samuelssloflo@aol.com.



Resources:

Archive of Black Agenda Report commentary on charter schools:

http://blackagendareport.com/search/node/charter%20schools

Huffington Post report on Wal-Mart workers being forced to rely on cash assistance:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/31/walmart-taxpayers-house-report_n_3365814.html

Salon report on the planned Black Friday strikes by Wal-Mart workers:

http://www.salon.com/2013/11/21/wal_mart_labor_group_promises_1500_black_friday_protests_next_week/

Black Youth Project report on the impact of poverty on children attending Philadelphia public schools:

http://www.blackyouthproject.com/2013/11/povertys-affects-on-children-attending-philadelphia-public-schools/

Characteristics of fascism which are a result of corporatism:

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article7260.htm