Ranger Mom
08-15-2003, 01:54 PM
Someone forwarded this to me and I have since seen it on two different websites. If it is true, then I find it very sad!! Is there more to the story than what we are reading??
LET MY PEOPLE GO
There has been an ongoing battle being fought by the Breckenridge Independent School District to prevent a Family from an "Exodus". It happens that due to several years of economic and social problems and disasters, a local Breckenridge family made a decision to leave and move to
Eastland. This decision was met with strong opposition from the Breckenridge ISD due to the solo fact that this economically stressed family
has three talented male athletes. Breckenridge ISD refused to sign a release allowing the boys to participate in athletics in the Eastland ISD. From the Father's accounts, the oldest son did leave the town in the spring of 2003
and moved to Sweetwater with a relative in order to escape some social problems. The Parents are saying that the independent Exodus of their son
was foiled when the Athletic Department of Breckenridge made several calls to Sweetwater. This intervention from Breckenridge caused the son athletic and academic difficulties and he returned to Breckenridge. In the fall of
2003, the athletic department did not allow the elder Son to play Football, because of hard feelings among other team players.
In June of this year, economic hard times fell upon the family. They lost their rented home due to an eviction. The Dad and mother had lost their
jobs due to economic down trends in the community. The father made a very difficult decision to send the boys out to live with friends while the father and mother literally lived in their car for almost a month. The
Father of this family made a journey to Eastland Texas to pawn some of his goods for one night's lodging in a motel. While in Eastland, he inquired
about job possibilities. The prospects of work seemed positive and he and his wife made a decision to relocate. When the Breckenridge ISD discovered this, they tried to talk him out of the decision, asking him to remain in Breckenridge and commute. " The family opposed this suggestion, due to the father's medical condition not allowing him to drive for a distance.
The family made the move to Eastland, settled into an apartment, scraping together funds from the son's summer job and selling of all they could put together. The entire administrative staff of Breckenridge gathered together
and has since made extensive efforts to create turmoil for this family. The parents contend that the Breckenridge ISD has contacted the State UIL to file a complaint against the Eastland ISD for recruitment violations. "They interrogated one of the boys without parental consent, then twisted his comments and presented statements they recorded as evidence to a District
8-2A. Committee.
On Tuesday night, all administrators of District 8-2A met in Eula ISD to make a decision on the Breckenridge allegations. The Superintendent and
Members of the Athletic Department were present and openly read their allegations. Several individuals spoke to the committee giving testimonies. The father got up before and committee and tearfully stated how difficult it
was to look his boys in the face and tell them he had no place for them to live nor food to eat. He expressed his desire to make a new start and put
his family back under one roof. He spoke of the heartbreak it was to see his son not play football last fall. He expressed the fear he has of his son's not being active in sports and losing their academic interest. When he sat down, all were asked to leave the room and allow the committee to enter into an executive session to make a decision. After 45 minutes of the
closed-door session, everyone was called back in to hear the decision.
The committee made the determination that Eastland ISD had done nothing wrong and was not guilty of recruitment violations as alleged by the
Breckenridge ISD. The committee however with a 4 to 2 vote made a determination different from the allegations presented and determined that
the family moved to Eastland for athletic reasons and determined that the freshman and senior sons were declared ineligible for athletic competition
for one year. The members in opposition were citing they felt the family's move was purely for Athletic purposes. The parents quickly questioned the validity of a vote by members of the same district members where the boys would compete. The dejected family dropped their heads and left the meeting in near tears.
Where has man's compassion gone for his fellow man? Where are the feelings of our Education community today? Where is the concern today for the attitude of doing what is best for the kid. How can a "committee" rule be used to prevents a family from bettering themselves, from maintaining their family unit and keep a man from doing what is best for his family.
In the 9th chapter of Exodus, GOD tells Moses to command to Pharaoh to 'LET MY PEOPLE GO"
<small>[ August 15, 2003, 02:01 PM: Message edited by: Ranger Mom ]</small>
LET MY PEOPLE GO
There has been an ongoing battle being fought by the Breckenridge Independent School District to prevent a Family from an "Exodus". It happens that due to several years of economic and social problems and disasters, a local Breckenridge family made a decision to leave and move to
Eastland. This decision was met with strong opposition from the Breckenridge ISD due to the solo fact that this economically stressed family
has three talented male athletes. Breckenridge ISD refused to sign a release allowing the boys to participate in athletics in the Eastland ISD. From the Father's accounts, the oldest son did leave the town in the spring of 2003
and moved to Sweetwater with a relative in order to escape some social problems. The Parents are saying that the independent Exodus of their son
was foiled when the Athletic Department of Breckenridge made several calls to Sweetwater. This intervention from Breckenridge caused the son athletic and academic difficulties and he returned to Breckenridge. In the fall of
2003, the athletic department did not allow the elder Son to play Football, because of hard feelings among other team players.
In June of this year, economic hard times fell upon the family. They lost their rented home due to an eviction. The Dad and mother had lost their
jobs due to economic down trends in the community. The father made a very difficult decision to send the boys out to live with friends while the father and mother literally lived in their car for almost a month. The
Father of this family made a journey to Eastland Texas to pawn some of his goods for one night's lodging in a motel. While in Eastland, he inquired
about job possibilities. The prospects of work seemed positive and he and his wife made a decision to relocate. When the Breckenridge ISD discovered this, they tried to talk him out of the decision, asking him to remain in Breckenridge and commute. " The family opposed this suggestion, due to the father's medical condition not allowing him to drive for a distance.
The family made the move to Eastland, settled into an apartment, scraping together funds from the son's summer job and selling of all they could put together. The entire administrative staff of Breckenridge gathered together
and has since made extensive efforts to create turmoil for this family. The parents contend that the Breckenridge ISD has contacted the State UIL to file a complaint against the Eastland ISD for recruitment violations. "They interrogated one of the boys without parental consent, then twisted his comments and presented statements they recorded as evidence to a District
8-2A. Committee.
On Tuesday night, all administrators of District 8-2A met in Eula ISD to make a decision on the Breckenridge allegations. The Superintendent and
Members of the Athletic Department were present and openly read their allegations. Several individuals spoke to the committee giving testimonies. The father got up before and committee and tearfully stated how difficult it
was to look his boys in the face and tell them he had no place for them to live nor food to eat. He expressed his desire to make a new start and put
his family back under one roof. He spoke of the heartbreak it was to see his son not play football last fall. He expressed the fear he has of his son's not being active in sports and losing their academic interest. When he sat down, all were asked to leave the room and allow the committee to enter into an executive session to make a decision. After 45 minutes of the
closed-door session, everyone was called back in to hear the decision.
The committee made the determination that Eastland ISD had done nothing wrong and was not guilty of recruitment violations as alleged by the
Breckenridge ISD. The committee however with a 4 to 2 vote made a determination different from the allegations presented and determined that
the family moved to Eastland for athletic reasons and determined that the freshman and senior sons were declared ineligible for athletic competition
for one year. The members in opposition were citing they felt the family's move was purely for Athletic purposes. The parents quickly questioned the validity of a vote by members of the same district members where the boys would compete. The dejected family dropped their heads and left the meeting in near tears.
Where has man's compassion gone for his fellow man? Where are the feelings of our Education community today? Where is the concern today for the attitude of doing what is best for the kid. How can a "committee" rule be used to prevents a family from bettering themselves, from maintaining their family unit and keep a man from doing what is best for his family.
In the 9th chapter of Exodus, GOD tells Moses to command to Pharaoh to 'LET MY PEOPLE GO"
<small>[ August 15, 2003, 02:01 PM: Message edited by: Ranger Mom ]</small>