Mishka Zena

October 25, 2006 1:30 PM

Dear Colleagues, Gallaudet Faculty Who Voted to Remove Dr. Fernandes
from Her Post as Gallaudet’s Incoming President:

I apologize now for what will be a difficult, incoherent read—I am
under pressure to get this out to as many people as possible, all the
while answering students’ and parents’ questions. Feel free to pass
this on—blog it, media it, and especially get it to parents and
families who can make an informed decision about when to suggest that
their students leave the university until it is safe.

On my drive in to work this morning I received several messages from
students telling everyone to go to the MSSD/Brentwood gate to help
students who were being roughed up by Gallaudet University campus
security–the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and a group of non-DPS
men, some of whom were identified by witnesses as Physical Plant
Department (PPD)staff. I talked to many people (the “PPD” men, DPS
officers, witness students, injured students, Student Health Services
(SHS) staff, DC ambulance drivers, and DC police) involved in the
situation to get this story to you as fast as possible.

When I arrived about 9:40 am, I saw students and others running away
from the gate. Student witnesses told me that several students were
injured when they were awakened and forced to leave the gate area. They
told me that there were about 8-10 uniformed and easily identifiable
DPS
involved in taking over the gate. Witnesses also told me that there
were
around 30 men, some of whom were still standing around and who
identified themselves to me as GU PPD.

At around 9:50, I began a discussion of GU DPS officers and, after
identifying myself, asked them what happened, to which they answered
“I don’t know” and “nothing.” Then I asked them (even though
I
knew the answer) if any students were injured, to which they answered,
“none.” As we were talking, three DC Ambulance drivers approached
us
and asked if there were any injured students, to which the GU DPS
officers answered, “no.” I interrupted and told the DC drivers that
there were at least 3 injured students who were had been recently
escorted by Dr. Sue Mather—and were in the SHS at that time. The DC
drivers asked me where SHS was and I explained. But since getting
through the gate was impossible they asked if there was another way to
get there. The two DPS officers were silent and I volunteered to lead
the way in my car, which I had parked a few yards away down the street.
So, I, not the GU DPS, escorted the ambulance drivers to our injured
students—me clearing the way—waving to cars to make way for the
large vehicle. That’s sad.

The SHS is where I met two of the injured students who told me their
story. One says he was awakened around 8 am to the feeling of things
being thrown on his tent. When he unzipped and looked out, he was
frightened as he saw around 8 DPS officers and PPD men (he can identify
some of the men present but did not know their names), with personal
vehicles parked nearby. He and another injured student told me that the
cars contained construction supplies that they were using to throw at
the students tents, including 3-5 inch diameter metal pipes. As
students
resisted by holding onto the gate, the “PPD” men yanked and shoved
them. Then, the gate was pulled open over the foot of one student, who
was treated at SHS and sent to Suburban hospital. While the mob of DPS
and others shoved, yanked, and otherwise roughed up these groggy
students, one group of men railed passed a student (I interviewed this
student) with a metal pipe, ramming him in the knee. This student was
later seen at SHS and was told to find a ride to Suburban Hospital to
get an X-Ray for a possible fracture. SHS staff told me that this was
administrative procedure for non-emergency injuries. I left as he was
standing back at the gate waiting for his ride. That’s sad too.

Media cameras, interpreters, bloggers, witnesses and supporters were
all
there when I left at around 10:50.

Here are my questions—which might be yours too:

Students in charge of the locked down at the gate tell me that they had
a promise from GU administration that there would be warning before
force was used to remove them. Why was there no warning given?

When I asked Bubba Smith of the DPS about this he told me that he was
not aware of this agreement and suggested that he was less than
satisfied with his connection to our GU administration. What is the
truth here?
Was PPD involved in roughing up our GU students?
Were DPS involved in roughing up our Students?
Did this mob of PPD and DPS bring interpreters with them?
Where was Mercy Coogan during this?
Where was Dr. King?
Where was Dr. Fernandes?
Where are they now?
Where is the statement on the website for parents to get straight
answers?
Where is the information for the rest of the GU community?
If you go to the Gallaudet Home page and click around, you will see
this:

Need to contact us?

A phone bank has been set up to have a central location where parents
and other persons can call with questions or concerns. Please feel
free
to use any of the below methods to contact Gallaudet University.  They
will be operational 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.

Off campus, toll free: 877-822-0680 (v/tty)
On campus, x5811 (v/tty)

But you won’t get any info there. Where can anyone go to get the
straight story on this dangerous situation? When a concerned parent
called the 877 number at the Provost’s office at 12:30 today and
asked
for an update on the emergency at the MSSD gate, the person answered
that she didn’t know. That “something about the gate being
blocked” was going on. When the parent said she needs details, the
person told her to call DPS. Why are parents given the run around and
why do I, one dumb teacher, know more than the Provost’s office? Who
is in the Provost’s office anyway?

Why is there no information on the Gallaudet Home page?
Why is there no email update on the lack of safety for our students?

Did IKJ order this sort of roughing up or, worse, did he not order it
and these are rogue officers and staff working on their own?

Who is working with victim students and other GU students who are
afraid
and confused about what is going on?

A student who came to my office to deliver homework and to find out
what
I knew–just suggested to me that GU community go to the blogs for the
best update on what is going on at Gallaudet. This is true, sad, and
scary.

Now do people understand why 82% of the voters think that JKF needs to
be removed? This University is not a safe place for students or its
workers—besides the fact that we have leaders who are not and cannot
lead. That’s the saddest part of all.

Dr. Kathleen Wood

Associate Professor at GU

Department of English, 17 years

Mother of two elementary Deaf students

Email Contact: mishkazena@aol.com