Thursday, June 2, 2016

Two Sides To Every Story

Peter Hechenbleikner and Alisa Brewer at last night's SB meeting

At last night's Select Board meeting, after confirming a new Town Manager, Chair Alisa Brewer brought up the school issue that has caused consternation over the past ten weeks and has now grown into a full fledged public relations nightmare.

School Committee member Vira Douangmany Cage issued Amherst and Pelham officials a vitriolic statement urging them to address the Aisha Hiza school stay away order as a social justice issue.  And to remain silent is to endorse the injustice.

After a brief discussion the board asked Temporary Town Manager Pete Hechenbleikner to write up a response for their June 6th meeting although Ms. Brewer seemed to suggest a resolution of the matter may happen before then.

In response Mr. Hechenbleikner said, "Select Board is not privy to a lot of the details.  If social injustice is being done then silence is not appropriate.  I know more than the Select Board, and there’s no social injustice being done."

Aisha Hiza begs to differ:

Click to enlarge/read

56 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Bullying is the use of force, threat, or coercion to abuse, intimidate, or aggressively dominate ..." (wikipedia)

Can someone please enlighten us, why Aisha's statement to our town manager is not considered "bullying?"

Anonymous said...

Now she's claiming she was arrested? Really? What a crock!

Anonymous said...

Oh my...was ms hiza arrested?

Anonymous said...

His childlike response "I know something you don't know"
Is all we need to know-He should've remained silent...
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than speak and remove all doubt."

Anonymous said...

....and the Gazette, always so late to the show.

http://www.gazettenet.com/Stay-away-order-against-Pelham-mother-issued-with-advice-of-Pelham-and-Amherst-Police-2561452

Katrina van Pelt said...

Pretty damning article towards Geryk's statements in Masslive today. Pelham Police said they determined it to be a school issue and there were no written recommendations given. The publicity is indeed bad for Amherst IF it turns out elected officials on committees acted to protect their own at the expense of someone's civil rights.

Anonymous said...

I don't know all the details here but it'shard not to notice the difference in skin colors on each side of this dispute. What's going on?

Anonymous said...

"Good for your own people"
You are not making your case.

Unknown said...

Yes, every side has a story but, who is the arbiter that decides which version of "the" story is the most accurate?

Anonymous said...

Katrina was ms hiza arrested?

Katrina van Pelt said...

4:24 Hiza is calling them out, it may come across as bullying to you, but unless their conscience is stirred, she has no power over them. That is NOT the case with Geryk...She has tremendous power, and how she wields it could indeed be considered bullying, intimidating etc....I see a difference, even if you don't

Katrina van Pelt said...

5:14 my guess would be, Facts.

Anonymous said...

Um, yeah.

Just read the "damming article" and it NOT at all.

If you have to lie, or exaggerate to support your "side", maybe there's a problem...

Anonymous said...

Katrina I didn't see anything damNing towards geryk on maaslive...?

Katrina van Pelt said...

here's something i find interesting from the story in the gazette....a quote from Geryk “Law enforcement officials reviewed the situation in late March. With their knowledge of information not available to school staff or the public, as well as their expertise, the police determined that the safety concerns were credible and a stay away order was recommended,” Geryk said........hmmmm.how could the P.D.S be complicit in deciding the merits of the order if Geryk enacted it almost two weeks prior? this quote says they met late March.....Just WOW, if true!

Anonymous said...

She must have missed that he said it wasn't a "social" injustice before she read him the riot act. There is a difference.

Anonymous said...

Larry,

Can you tell us if Ms. Hiza was arrested? I had not seen that before at it pertains to the the stay-away order. Was it a Freudian slip? Have you done or will you do any research to determine if she has ever been arrested? And, if was connected to violence? Oh my gosh, did Ms. Hiza herself just shed light about why she was ordered to stay-away?

Thanks,
Very concerned parent...

Larry Kelley said...

No.

I believe she was using a metaphor.

Anonymous said...

That she wrote she was arrested says it all. What other lies is she telling?

Anonymous said...

Very bad metaphor for an AHS graduate!

Anonymous said...

I am not so sure about that Larry especially since the police seem to have other information that the school was not privy to...

Anonymous said...

That's not a metaphor she's using. A metaphor for what? It's an outright lie.

Anonymous said...

She has never been arrested in the literal sense--She says what has happened to her is she was arrested--thrown off of all school grounds, including the school her first grade child attends--and held for an unlimited time--never told the length of her sentence--her offenses--never given an opportunity to know her accusers or accusations,aka no due-process. This is wrong--there are no two ways about it--What I do not understand is how a whole town (of mostly upper class, white, professors, white collared workers, and plain prissy people) can sit back and say nothing. Two and a half months of being put through hell. All mothers out there; just try sending your child into a building you have been banned from under threat of police arrest. It is unconscionable! This is all based on racism--white supremacy in action--What does it take to make it any clearer? The big bad, scary Black woman speaks-"Help-help officer--she is looking at me sideways--she is speaking much too loud--I don't know what to do--protect me!" Wa la!-- two police departments are stupid enough to collude with the paranoid superintendent and back up this order. Wake up people--racism is alive and doing quite well in Amherst, MA. 6:47 pm--There is NO other information the police have. There is no record--no criminal activity--there is nothing they have to justify this injustice! The only rational--and soon I hope all readers of this blog will see too--is--this is how racism works.

Anonymous said...

I remember when people were all riled about geryk because they thought she was coddling minorities! Can't win I guess!

Anonymous said...

There is a notion in the radical black community....see Bernie sanders rallies...that no one can criticise black behavior with out being racist. Good luck with that!

RKA45 said...

@anon 736
I agree with you 100% percent.. almost.. There are many from our town supporting Aisha. Not enough though.. Second.. The pelham police came forward and said they didn't advise Maria on this matter.It is in a masslive article that Gary told Maria is was a school issue and he did not paperwork on the superintendents concerns. I am a tax payer and I am in Pelham I am very upset for my town what The SI has done making this decision that will financially effect our school, our town, our reputation. Many of us have written letters and emails to the Reg and the PSC. We have written letters to the SB of Pelham. Her actions were to intentional punish and back Ms Hiza into a corner and bully her into submission have not gone unnoticed. The cost of Ms Geryk's Decision financially to our town and school are more than we get for the child from school choice. SHe has cost the school money. She has cost our school it's reputation. There are many Parents of pelham that don't have the whole story. They love our school and think Aisha was wrong and Maria is right. When all the information comes out and it will I can tell you a lot of people will no longer be bashing this mother. Unfortunately as proved last week none of us "white " parents have been in Aisha's shoes and can't imagine being there. A white mom last week threatened a child.. FOR REAL ON PROPERTY and faced Zero consequences. Of course Aisha feels she is treated differently because of her skin color when these inequities happen. Many people in our communities believe she must have been dangerous.. This was proven not true by Maria's indecisive decision making during the stay away order. "Yes Aisha you can go to the play.." "No Aisha you cant bring your daughter to school" "Yes Aisha you can bring your daughter to school.." "No Aisha you cant go to school committee meetings."; "Aisha you will be arrested if you go on school property "; " Yes Aisha you can attend the Black Scholar Rising Celebrations" Aisha was never a danger She just wouldn't kiss the feet of the Queen.

RKA45 said...

Aisha feels like she was arrested and put in a jail cell with no one to help her. She has never been actually arrested.

RKA45 said...

@ Tim Atteridge I am sure lawyers or the court of law would view all the records , the witness statements, and anything else that is considered relevant like inconsistent behaviors or decisions..etc. I was reading the Marcel Cyr case in Vermont very similar.. to this one.. and the basically looked at the inconsistency in testimonies and looked at behaviors, statements, witness statements and the hearsay that couldn't be sorted out wasn't considered.

Anonymous said...

From today's Mass Live article:

"Pelham Police Chief Gary Thomann said police met with school officials but did not generate a written report. He said it was a school issue."

Anonymous said...

BORING... Let's move on.

Anonymous said...

Rka45 I am personally tired of Pelham living off Amherst real estate taxes. You all should go bye bye and good luck!!

Anonymous said...

WOW someone should report The parent who threatened the child to the police! Now that's a crime!

Anonymous said...

We pay more taxes than you do..for no services.. We don't live off of Amherst taxes that would be illegal

Anonymous said...

I agree so why wasnt it done? Secondly when the person who was supposedly threatened is advocating for Aisha .. There is inconsistencies.. In Chestnut Streets reasoning

Anonymous said...

Does Pelham pay the same per pupil in the region as amherst?

Anonymous said...

Idk that numbers but we pay. Unfortunately we are married...like and old fashioned arranged marriage..I am sure we pay the same as Shutesbury and Leverett but in not sure. I would love to know.

Anonymous said...

Nice catch...Katrina. I would like to know the exact dates. Those are the kind of inconsistencies courts and lawyers like

Anonymous said...

Yawn - time to move on people.

Super Geryk knows ~exactly~ who it is said...

Someone simply loooooves "using" the police...



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ28PkXShzg



Don't they?



-Squeaky Squeaks

Anonymous said...

She has never been arrested in the literal sense.

She has never been actually arrested.

Finding out for sure if anon is lying is easy: public records.

Dr. Ed said...

Larry, I think I know what really happened and why Aisha is using the term "arrested" and people need to be careful with this "both sides of the story" stuff because Caligula is going to look a LOT worse if the other side actually comes out.

Larry, it's something so disgusting that YOU aren't going to want to wave the American flag anymore, something that bad -- something out of the worst of the Soviet Union.

I'm not going to say anything more.

Anonymous said...


There are a lot of black people who "get loud" over anything and this alone can scare a rabbit back into their hole. Unless your Larry Kelly then you just kick them in the head. Then get a rematch and kick em in the head again.

Anonymous said...

What we need is a warrior for peace and racial justice. Someone who can teach us how to go from coward to warrior. Put on your social justice face paint. What we need is Calvin Terrell. Ha! As the great Buggs Bunny would say - What a bunch of maroons. What a bunch of ignoranomous'.

Dr. Ed said...

"She has never been arrested in the literal sense.
She has never been actually arrested.
Finding out for sure if anon is lying is easy: public records."


Ummm -- no. Not all arrests are public arrests -- some are secret arrests.
It sounds like Orwellian Paranoia, but, unfortunately, such things do exist.

Anonymous said...

Poor Maria. She has endured a lot in this town and kudos for her for not backing down. What a tough job. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Truly a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" position she's in. I think she's fundamentally honest and doing the best anyone would do in her position. If it were a man, no WAY would she be attacked so viciously.

Can't this town get behind ANYONE that isn't a Vince or Vira or some other borderline whack job?

Larry Kelley said...

Oh I don't know, Alberto Rodriguez was pretty much cut to pieces.

Anonymous said...

She did not get arrested. I think it would of almost been better for her if she had. At least then she would have been provided due-process, unlike now where team Geryk has not provided that.


Pelham Police Chief Gary Thomann said police met with school officials but did not generate a written report. He said it was a school issue.

Anonymous said...

@anonymous 8:35am
Poor Maria.....do you know what Team Geryk has done to many families in the district. The only difference between this situation and others is that Aisha Hiza won't go away and good for her!

Anonymous said...

anon @ 8:35: I think (nearly) everyone was behind and respected Mr Musante.

Dr. Ed said...

"Poor Maria. She has endured a lot in this town and kudos for her for not backing down."

Caligula is a ruthless bully who adopted a "scorched earth" policy towards everyone who doesn't kneel before her, and that has finally caught up with her.

The wise, professional administrator would never have let herself get into this confrontation, and would have gracefully backed down upon learning how badly she (or her staff) had screwed up.

Instead Caligula, like Nixon, sought to "cover up" her mistake by making more and even more mistakes -- to the point where she has now painted herself into a corner.

"What a tough job."

What a lucrative job -- she's paid more in one year than some people earn in an entire decade. What's more, she can retire and get 80% of it, for life.

"Truly a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" position she's in."

Particularly now that her lies are catching up with her.

"I think she's fundamentally honest and doing the best anyone would do in her position. If it were a man, no WAY would she be attacked so viciously."

She's an incompetent schmuck who never should have been hired -- and if male, never would have been. Her only qualification was that she'd been an assistant supt -- and she'd never been hired for that were she male. (Definitely wouldn't have been...)

And as to her honesty, Adolph Hitler was fundamentally honest in that he didn't embezzle or anything -- it's the fascist manner in which she does her job that people have issues with.

If the Hiza matter involves what I think it does, the Hitler analogy is quite fair. Dig, Larry, dig because this will be something far worse than racism. Far worse than even the most virulent aspects of racism, and the worst part is that this crap is actually legal. (Vera, you will agree with me on thid.)

Larry, the problem with the _Dredd Scott_ decision wasn't that it upheld slavery (which would have been bad enough) but that Scott lacked standing -- that he didn't have the right to bring the suit on his own behalf. Essentially that he wasn't a human being -- with the 14th Amendment being written to reverse this.

Well, I'm talking about something as outrageous as this -- dig, Larry, and I think you will find it. Ask yourself how Caligula can get away with treating Aisha as if she was something less than an emancipated adult and you will both see what I mean and why I consider it worse than racism.

Anonymous said...

Is everybody on here nuts? Amherst bends over backwards to protect the "less-privileged" in this town, unless they're white. I know first -hand of someone who's daughter was sexually harassed for a lengthy period of time at Fort River, both in person and on the internet; this was when Vermin-Jones was there, he refused to do anything because the harasser was a "poor minority." This individual eventually had to contact the police, they were so loath to be involved in a school matter but it got the job done. The point is that just because the police deferred the situation back to the school doesn't mean squat, they just don't want to go there. Hiza can sign away her rights and release the transcripts, then people can make informed decisions. All this speculation is happening in a vacuum right now.

Anonymous said...

DIG LARRY DIG DIG DIG....you dig?

Dr. Ed said...

11:16 -- there is a different police attitude toward adults than toward minor children -- for a whole bunch of reasons, many legal.

Anonymous said...

YES AND INJUSTICE IS INJUSTICE AS WELL.. Please explain how one parent can receive a ban for being vocal about the school inability to keep her young child safe while another parent who threatens a child on school property faces no consequences? I'm confused the later seems much worse than the first.

Anonymous said...

As always the conversation is one sided - both about Hiza and the other parent - you don't have the information folks and until you do, please refrain from perpetuating falsehoods - what you read on the blog here and in the newspapers isn't always factually accurate - often not -

Dr. Ed said...

So, everything Caligula says is one-sided too....