[HPN] Help, Don't Jail homeless people, Sharpton tells Cleveland NAACP FWD FWD

[Tom Boland]

Civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton recently visited
Cleveland, Ohio and criticized Mayor Michael R. White's
recently imposed strict policy concerning homeless people.

``If we've got enough money to build jails, we've got enough
money to create programs for homeless people, and to create
shelters for them and training for them,'' Sharpton said,
speaking at the NAACP event.

http://newsfinder.arinet.com/fpweb/fp.dll/$stargeneral/htm/x_dv.htm/_ibyx/cg0302
6/_itox/starnet/_svc/news/_Id/639009121/_k/LPjH8o0rgmSm3Uu3
FWD  Associated Press - AP Wire Service - Feb 10, 2000

SHARPTON CONFRONTS SCHOOL OVER PUNISHMENT OF BLACK STUDENTS

By M.R. KROPKO
Associated Press Writer

CLEVELAND (AP) _ Civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton
intervened Thursday in a suburban high school's sex scandal,
alleging that the superintendent singled out black students for
punishment.

Sharpton, with Cleveland NAACP President George Forbes at his
side, walked onto the grounds of Euclid High School, located in the
intergrated suburb of Euclid, and was stopped by the school's
security officers.

They were asked to leave but refused, demanding to speak with
Superintendent Kurt Stanic.

``It would seem to me he would respect the NAACP and all of us
and say, 'Let's have open dialog, I have nothing to hide.' To send
storm troopers out here to tell us to leave the property doesn't
sound like somebody to me who can defend their position,'' said
Sharpton, of New York.

Moments later, a security officer invited Sharpton, Forbes and
parents of some of the suspended or expelled students to a meeting
room in the district's administrative offices.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
has alleged that only black teen-age boys were expelled or
suspended either for having oral sex recently with one white girl
inside the school, or for witnessing what occurred and not
reporting it to school officials.

Stanic read a prepared statement saying that all students who
participated in what he said was ``inappropriate behavior'' were
appropriately punished. He refused to be more specific, saying the
school district was protecting the privacy of the students
involved.

Sharpton alleged the girl did not receive discipline as severe
as the boys, then asked whether any white student other than the
girl involved was suspended or expelled.

Stanic said there was only one white students who participated
and that student was expelled, but he did not specify it was the
girl.

Forbes, the former Cleveland City Council president who now is
the outspoken leader of the NAACP's Cleveland chapter, said the
school district did not investigate completely.

``We have kids who will verify that white kids participated and
saw and you found no reason to take action,'' Forbes said to
Stanic. ``That's just basically unfair. That's just basically
racist.''

Stanic responded, ``We don't have any facts to demonstrate what
you are saying.''

Stanic invited Forbes to submit information Saturday, when the
disciplined students will have an appeal hearing. Forbes accepted
the offer.

Earlier Thursday, Sharpton was featured at the Cleveland NAACP's
speaker series. After going to the high school, he stopped by the
Cleveland ``Free Stamp'' sculpture downtown to criticize Mayor
Michael R. White's recently imposed strict policy concerning
homeless people.

``If we've got enough money to build jails, we've got enough
money to create programs for homeless people, and to create
shelters for them and training for them,'' Sharpton said, speaking
at the NAACP event.

AP-CS-02-10-00 1807EST
Received  Id AP100041BFCC5378 on Feb 10 2000 17:16

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