Detroit activist convicted of disorderly conduct
A Detroit activist has been convicted of disorderly conduct at a public meeting after an incident in which she hit a school board member with a grape during a contentious Detroit Public Schools board meeting. Agnes Hitchcock will have to pay a $250 fine and was given six months of unsupervised probation for the misdemeanor charge, she says. In the incident that drew national attention, Ms. Hitchcock threw grapes at school board members at a meeting when they approved a plan to close dozens of district school buildings this fall. The majority of board members agreed the closures were necessary because of declining enrollment and budget problems. "The lessons for our children prevail," says board president Jimmy Womack, reacting to the verdict. "This shows there are consequences to the actions we take. It's just regrettable (Hitchcock) has no remorse for attacking school board members." Ms. Hitchcock, the founder of a group named Call 'em-Out that says its mission is to hold elected officials accountable, says she plans to speak at the board's next meeting.
Detroit News By Jennifer Mrozowski
[Editor’s Note: By way of background, the first NSBA resource below includes an article focusing on the need for school closings in Detroit and other urban districts. The second includes an article by three Cleveland school board members on their experience with school closing decisions.]
Urban Advocate By Del Stover
Leadership Insider By Margaret Hopkins, Rashidah Abdulhaqq, & Willetta Milam