Paris, Texas:
https://www.paristexas.gov
I signed a petition at change.org:
http://www.change.org/...
on behalf of an African American high schooler, Joe (Joquan Wallace) who was assaulted, according to witnesses, by his principal and a guard. He had had permission to go to the bathroom, yet was followed by a guard - spied on and harassed - and not allowed to go back to his classroom.
They are trying, according to the petition to deprive him of his high school certificate and a scholarship to continue his education - seemingly for refusing to go the the principal’s office after being harassed and according to witnesses having had his head beaten against a wall.
There is a video. But no one is allowed to see it. And the School Superintendent’s office and the mayor’s office seem to be in denial. The D.A.’s office would not tell me if Joquan is being charged, instead I was referred to their web site,
http://co.lamar.tx.us on which I couldn’t find any reference to Joquan Wallace on the Judicial Records link ( last name first, then comma, then initial)
I just don’t want another youth unfairly derailed from a promising future to become prison fodder. The superintendent of schools’ office told me I have it wrong - it’s not racially motivated because the hired police man at the school is also African American. But that proves nothing to anyone. Anyone can be racist. And activists in the town of Paris suggest that racism is not unknown in their town.
D.A. - Lamar Couty Gary Young (R) (903) 737-2458 / 737-2455
http://theparistexaschroniclehome.blogspot.com/... :
Paris Independent School District followed a new public school trend by hiring its own police force in October of 2013. The District insisted that this move was about safety and would have nothing to do with discipline.
On February 24, 2014 Paris High School senior Joquan Wallace asked his last period teacher if he could use the restroom. He was given permission. What happened next borders on bizarre.
According to Joquan, he used the restroom farthest away from his classroom. He said the restroom he used was the least used. Joquan stated that he heard someone come into the restroom and leave out. He said that when he left the restroom, PISD Police Officer Joey McCarthy was standing outside the door waiting on him.
Joquan gave The Paris Texas Chronicle the following statement:
“When I left the restroom, Officer McCarthy asked me where I was supposed to be. I told him I was on my way back to class. He asked me who my teacher was. I told him Mr. Bowlings. He asked me why I was using this restroom instead of the one closer. I told him because I had to do number two. He told me that he had came in and looked at me under the stall and that my feet were not turned in the direction of doing number two. I just walked back to the classroom. When I tried to go in, Officer McCarthy started grabbing me. I told him don’t touch me. He left and I went into the classroom. He came back with the principal, Gary Preston. Mr. Preston asked me to step out of the room. I did. Mr. Preston asked me what was going on. I told him that the police officer was messing with me about using the restroom, which I had permission to do. Mr. Preston told me to go to the office. I said let me get my stuff. School was about to be let out and I didn’t want to leave my phone and stuff at school."
Joquan also stated: "I was going in to get my stuff and suddenly Mr. Preston and Officer McCarthy grabbed me and I was put in a headlock and they started slamming me against the wall and they slammed me on the table and hit my head and it started pounding. They threw me against other things in the room. I didn’t understand what was going on. At some point they had me hanging over the stair rails in the hall. Somebody put handcuffs on me and they took me to a police car. I asked could I call my dad but they wouldn’t let me. I told Officer McCarthy that the handcuffs were hurting. He grabbed at them and made them tighter. He took me to the police station and started writing stuff. He said Oh you hit me. I said “Huh, when did I hit you?” He told me it didn’t matter. He kept picking at me and telling me he got me now and asked why did I want to call my daddy earlier and did I think my daddy was going to come and beat him up or something. Then he locked me up.” A few hours later my mom and dad came and got me out of jail and took me to the hospital because my head, back, and hand was still hurting.”
http://theparistexaschroniclehome.blogspot.com/...
I can’t find out what’s going on. Whether this is resolved or not.
If anyone knows how to figure this out please pick up this story and write another diary on it.
Thanks!!!!