Gang initiation or horseplay?
Posted on Sunday, February 25, 2007
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/45885/
BENTONVILLE — Parents of four Bentonville High School students believe their children’s expulsion has more to do with the color of their skin and manner of dress than alleged gang activity at the school.
The parents say their children are among at least seven Hispanic students expelled after incidents on Jan. 25 and 26. The students are now attending the Regional Education Alternative Program. REAP is an alternative education program for at-risk students who have been expelled from their home school. Held in Rogers, REAP is a joint effort between the Rogers, Bentonville and Springdale school districts.
The parents are appealing the punishment. An appeal will come before the Bentonville School Board in early March.
Bentonville Superintendent Gary Compton previously said several students were suspended in connection with alleged gang jump-ins at the school. The term “ jump-in” refers to initiating a person into a gang by gang members beating him. The incidents occurred at BHS over a two-day period in January. Compton said the incidents were caught on the school’s surveillance system.
The parents — who have seen the surveillance recordings — say the tapes do not show their children committing violent acts.
Compton declined to comment on the parents’ allegations, saying it is inappropriate to comment because of the appeal.
“ I understand their concern, but it is being appealed to the Board of Education, ” Compton said. “ The board members know of the incident but haven’t seen the tape, and neither do they know the specific details of the incident. ”
Compton said he viewed the tape once.
Compton denied a request from a Daily Record reporter to watch the recordings. Compton said the recordings have been viewed by some people within the school district but have not been released for public viewing.
On Friday, Compton asked the school district’s attorney to review whether the recordings are public documents as defined by the Arkansas Freedom of Information act and other laws. Late Friday afternoon, school district attorney George Spence said the recordings are part of the education record under federal law, exempting them from the FOI.
Bentonville Police Chief James Allen said his department does not have a copy of the tapes. Allen originally said that police were not investigating the situation. On Friday, he said an investigation is under way.
Compton said 10 students are shown on the recordings. Punishments for each were handed out individually based on the level of each student’s participation in the incident.
Julio Zamora, the father of a 15-year-old sophomore, said he saw a video of children playing in a stairway. Zamora claims a school resource officer told him the actions are indicative of a beating. Zamora and the boy’s mother, Otilia Hernandez, said there is no violence on the tape.
“ I saw kids hanging around, and a young girl was seated on the stairs, ” Zamora said through an interpreter.
The students were out of camera range, and that’s where school officials and the resource officer claimed the jump-in occurred, Zamora said.
Claudia Armendariz said her daughter is the girl sitting in the stairway. Accused of being a lookout, her daughter was expelled. Armendariz disputes that her daughter is involved in any gang activity. Her daughter is in the video, but it doesn’t show her as a lookout, Armendariz said.
Armendariz believes the video shows her daughter in a position where she could not have been a lookout.
“ Apparently my daughter has eyes in the back of her head if she’s watching for anything, ” Armendariz said.
“ My daughter absolutely is not involved, ” Armendariz said. “ She’s a hard-working girl with an after-school job, and I’m incensed at my daughter’s treatment. ”
Salvador Carranza’s son was also expelled.
There are two recordings of the alleged incidents — one made Jan. 25, the other on Jan. 26.
Carranza also denies that the recordings show any gang initiation.
The parents say the video, at times, shows the students in the stairway, but they are generally out of the camera’s field of view. When the students come back into camera range, the parents say, one boy is rubbing his hair.
Carranza said a school resource officer explained that the boy made those movements because he had just been beaten. The recording also shows another student hitting himself in the hand, an action now being taken as the teen rejoicing and showing how he beat on the other student, Carranza said.
Salvador and Ruth Bonilla are the parents of the 16-yearold who they were told is the alleged gang leader. The Bonillas don’t believe their son has any connection with gangs.
The parents believe another student, who has problems with the Bonilla’s son, pointed the finger at him.
When Zamora, Armendariz and the other parents watch the tapes, they see teens playing, not supposed gang members.
Community activist Jim Miranda of Bella Vista said he talked with Compton, who assured him there are no gangs at the high school. “ You don’t have any cause to be concerned, ” Miranda claims Compton said to him. “ They are not known as troublemakers. ”
Miranda said a friend asked him to assist the families.
Miranda said there is no name for the so-called gang. The students are not displaying any gang signs or wearing gang-affiliated clothing, Miranda said.
The parents say the baggy clothing their children wear is simply fashion, not an outward display of gang affiliation.
If the students are not troublemakers or gang members, Miranda said, he wants to know the reason for the expulsions.
The Bonillas’ neighbors — Theodore Hoeller and Susie Hoeller — came to the defense of the Bonillas’ son.
Susie Hoeller testified at the hearing; her husband could not attend, but he submitted a notarized affidavit. Susie Hoeller said she saw the recording during the hearing. She does not think it should be the basis of suspending the students.
“ I saw the video, ” Hoeller said. “ If I was on the School Board, I wouldn’t have suspended them. ”
The president of their neighborhood also testified on behalf of the teen during his expulsion hearing, according to (Susie ) Hoeller.
Compton said he did not want to downplay the incident; however, he said he does not believe there is a gang problem at the high school.