MCC Blaming and Shaming the Victim?

[XLFD]

This story has seen some legs on our Facebook page the Ludington Pitchfork, but hasn't really been discussed here at the Ludington Torch, so here's a brief synopsis.  The parent of a girl going to MCC Upper Elementary (grades 3-5) related to the school board that he was upset with the way an incident played out.  His daughter was using the bathroom when a male janitor entered who had been employed for over thirty years.  

The girl allegedly was freaked out when the janitor asked whether she was afraid of him, and told her that she should be when she said no, remaining in the bathroom for longer than he should.  She related the harrowing experience to her parents.

The parents met with Principal Kevin Kimes, Superintendent Mount, Scottville Police Officer Jason Williams, and the custodian, who resigned before the meeting closed without disputing the allegations.  The father was upset that the custodian had been allowed to work during the interim time.  

Some of the discussion went to social media, with a variety of viewpoints that many in the school took as defamatory towards the long-term employee who was thought well of by many.  In answer to some of this, the local paper printed a letter from the principal of the lower elementary Chris Etchison's Letter to the Ed,  and then on Monday and Tuesday of this week, printed a letter from Principal Kimes that effectively said the same thing in praise of the former custodian as Etchison's.

Neither of the principals' letters had any empathy directed towards the little girl whose interrupted bathroom break started the ball rolling.  Some view the principals' praise of the janitor who made a 'mistake' and negligence of what effect it had on the young girl as a red flag.  One of those is Angela Serna, a candidate for the Ludington Fifth Ward council seat in Ludington, who has told me that she knows neither of the parties involved in this incident, but she is shocked by the reaction of MCC schools.  Her opinion, taken from the pages of todays City of Ludington Daily News (COLDNews), explains why she feels the way she does:

Do you agree with her or not?  The Ludington Torch is currently looking to get the police incident report generated from this incident.  For some reason, they extended the period for a response for ten more business days.  We will likely share that and the parents' views in the future.  

[Willy]

This is definitely a teachable moment. Hasn't the twisted left been trying to convince everyone that It's OK for people to use the bathroom of the gender they choose? That might be what the janitor was doing or he might have been trying to make a point of how insane this type of thinking is. What he has accomplished is to bring this twisted logic to a head and expose it's underbelly. I don't know if this was his intention but he certainly has shifted the focus on the gender ID crap. My problem with this is he had no right to involve the girl and should have chosen a different method to make his point if that was what he was doing.  Just think about what the girl said. She stated she was not afraid when she should have been very afraid. She obviously has been influenced by media support of the twisted left. All of this perverted logic being puked up by progressives is affecting the children.

[XLFD]

When I look at the reactions of the school's progressive leadership I can't help thinking that they have brought into that line of thinking.  Consider, the custodian could have said that he was identifying as a woman that day, so in the progressive mindset, there would have been no problem with him entering and being frank with the girl.  

However, we both know that if there is some 62 year old man who identifies as a woman when it's convenient to do so, we should be very afraid of that person, as there is something faulty in their wiring.  But Mount, Etchison, and Kimes all face a conundrum in this matter, since current MI BOE guidelines state:  "Students should be allowed to use the restroom in accordance with their gender identity...  districts are reminded that current interpretation of federal civil rights laws protect the right of transgender students to use the bathroom of their gender identity if they so choose."

If they express a concern like Angela's for the girl, then they are effectively going against the nonsensical dogma that sees boy/girl school restrooms as unfair to kids with gender dysphoria.  People looking at the large price of the LASD's modifications and plans for new school buildings have to realize that a significant portion of the money will be used in adapting the school restrooms and locker rooms of the future into ones that can accommodate all of those dozens of new gender classifications.  

[stump]

I don't think there is enough information to make judgement on either involved. Was the rest room closed for cleaning? checking supplies ?   and the girl went in?  Why didn't the janitor upon seeing the girl just apologies and leave?   We need the late Paul Harvey for the REST OF THE STORY.

[XLFD]

Stump, my intention is to get the rest of the story.  To answer your questions from what I've seen on initial reports and from someone involved in the situation, the restroom wasn't closed for cleaning and the girl was already in the bathroom when the custodian entered.  There is a dispute as to whether he announced his presence before entering to do his job, but generally none about the exchange.