Students in Mississippi, We are proud of you!!
The students of MSD (Mississippi School for the Deaf) did the extraordinary! It requires courage to stand up for the human right to sign language. Read about it! http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=5740834
WLBT-TV (NBC 3, Jackson, Mississippi)
Tuesday, November 28, 2006, 6:00 pm CST
Bert Case reporting
[Transcript of live news program:]
HOWARD BALLOU (anchor): The Mississippi School for the Deaf was the scene of an unauthorized protest today. About 20 students demonstrated their displeasure over some deaf school teachers who are unskilled in sign language.
MAGGIE WADE (anchor): WLBT was invited to the protest by the students and the school superintendent. But Bert Case tells us in tonight's top story, not everyone was happy about our cameras being on campus, particularly the State Superintendent of Education.
BERT CASE (pre-recorded):The students didn't protest in front of the school at the time we were told they would. So we decided to go into the administration building to see why and try to talk to them. We were invited into the conference room by Dr. DeLores Mack-Smith, Superintendent of the deaf school.
DELORES MACK-SMITH: So I would like to invite you in.
CASE: Alright.
CASE: We were told Dr. Daphne Buckley, the State's Superintendent of Special Schools would come and talk with us. She did.
DAPHNE BUCKLEY: I'll be glad to talk to the students and see what's going on with them.
CASE: Are you aware that there are concerns here about teachers not being able to sign properly and teachers not being qualified to teach deaf students?
BUCKLEY: Excuse me. [Looks at the camera. Removes cell phone from pocket. Looks at cell phone display and walks off camera.]
[Deaf student screams in background.]
CASE: We heard that one of the students who wanted to talk with us had been threatened with expulsion. They had to use our sign language interpreter to speak with the upset student. [Screeching voice.] They put Dr. Hank Bounds, State Superintendent of Education in Mississippi, on the phone with me.
CASE (talking on telephone): I believe that they have a first amendment right to do that Dr. Bounds.
CASE: He told me I was completely out of line, going to the school and trying to talk with students. He was in Tupelo [Mississippi].
[Loud voices raised in protest.]
CASE: [While] this was happening inside, the students came outside and started protesting. There were about 20 of them. Their interpreter told us what they were shouting.
(Voice of interpreter): We have a lot of frustrations. We need to tell them what our frustrations are.
CASE: Finally, they were told, through our interpreter, to go back inside or be subject to the punishment in the student handbook.
BUCKLEY: If they don't come inside, then we're going to have to apply what's in our handbook.
CASE: They obeyed. Bert Case, WLBT News at the Mississippi School for the Deaf.
http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=5740834
(Click on "Deaf School Protest" to watch video.)
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