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12-22-2004, 11:51 AM
http://www.dailycamera.com/bdc/schools/article/0,1713,BDC_2488_3410499,00.html
School harassment debated
Peak to Peak parents, students disagree on religious bullying allegations
By Amy Bounds and Aimee Heckel, Camera Staff Writers
December 19, 2004
LAFAYETTE — The passing periods at Peak to Peak Charter School on Friday morning looked like a typical teenage stampede.
Despite recent hype that the Lafayette school is plagued by so-called "fundies" — fundamental Christian bullies — no cross-bearing gangs plowed through the halls.
More cars in the parking lot bore stickers supporting U.S. troops and John Kerry than Jesus Christ. Only one Suburban sported call letters for a Christian radio station.
Yet some parents say Peak to Peak isn't a typical public school. They say it's Boulder Valley's de facto Christian school, paid for by tax dollars.
Their basis: Allegations of repeated incidents of religious bullying, the most recent of which led to a young girl attempting suicide and a police investigation. Accusers say the school's Christian reputation stems from a religious culture that has pushed some teachers to quit and families to pull their kids out.
Peak to Peak board members say the school, at Public Road and Emma Street, was founded by parents with a shared academic, not religious, vision. Board members do not attend church together, the school follows the same rules as other public schools and it embraces diversity, officials say.
Chris Howard, a parent and founder, said the founders were parents who had helped start other schools and programs and saw a need for a K-12 school. Charters are independently operated, publicly funded schools overseen by school boards.
"The founders were a very diverse group of people," Howard said. "Peak to Peak was modeled after the successful programs we already knew."
School officials acknowledge the 5-year-old school's Christian image but say they don't know its origins.
Howard said it may be because the school attracts Christian families who like the focus on "character education," which teaches children about basic human values, including honesty, courage and respect. Peak to Peak's character program is part of the curriculum.
"There are people of all religious backgrounds, and there always have been," Howard said.
Teaching or preaching?
During lessons on evolution in the science class, students regularly snicker, Peak to Peak teacher Steve Goldhaber said. Several parents said students persistently disrupt science classes with "creationist" outbursts and religious arguments.
When Ayn Dalgof was a first-grade teacher's aide at Peak to Peak in 2002-03, she said parents — who could influence teacher salaries — regularly grilled teachers on their religion. During the holidays, decorations, songs and stories had a Christian theme, she said.
"There was an underground that pervades the entire school of Christian philosophy and a lack of respect of other beliefs," Dalgof said. "It comes from their parents."
She said she was asked to leave because of parent complaints about her teaching methods, although she didn't receive complaints from teachers or the principal.
Jim Griffin, director of the Colorado League of Charter Schools, said the allegations of Christian bias seem far-fetched.
He said charter schools, just like other public schools, are governed by constitutional limits on religion. The mere size of the school — 1,174 students this year — makes it unlikely that most board members or students attend the same church, Griffin said.
Secondary Assistant Principal Kanesha Baynard said the school's academic excellence and high standardized-test scores are another indicator that Peak to Peak isn't a hotbed of harassment.
"I don't know how our kids could do so well if they felt so fearful," she said. "I don't know how they could focus on their studies."
In the halls
After school Tuesday, an overwhelming majority of students and parents who were interviewed said they'd never witnessed religious harassment. Sarah Bird, 14, said the rumors made her angry because she doesn't think the school has a problem.
"The small minority always seems to be the ones who get talked about," Sarah said. "Kids are going to be kids, no matter what school you're from."
Derien Jastrzebski, a sophomore at Peak to Peak, said there's a "huge" Christian culture at the school but also students who practice other religions.
"I was surprised when all this came out," she said. "I don't see it happening. The popular group is rude to everyone, but they don't pick on someone because of their religion."
But one boy sitting alone at the edge of campus Tuesday told a different story. The 13-year-old stared at his lap and nervously plucked the grass while he talked about the popular "fundies" who regularly push him and his friends around.
"They're in your face, kind of rude about it, saying 'You're going to die, you're going to burn in hell,'" said the boy, dressed in all black. The Camera is withholding his name out of concern for his safety.
He said two years ago in sixth grade, it was the other way around. The Christian students got picked on. They had no friends. But as their circle of friends grew, now about 60 strong, so did their influence.
"This is kind of like their revenge, I guess," the boy said.
Harassment reports
Parent Louise Benson said her son, who no longer attends Peak to Peak, was bullied in 2003. The then-13-year-old was arrested on allegations that he threatened online to kill the bullies. The criminal case against him was later dropped. He also threatened to kill himself because of the harassment.
"My son was told you're going to hell if you don't believe, you're the child of Satan," Benson said. "There gets to be a point where kids can't take it anymore."
One eighth-grade girl recently slashed her arms with a knife and threatened to kill herself if forced to return to the school. Her mother said she was tripped, jabbed and subjected to relentless verbal abuse, including being called a lesbian and a pagan.
Benson, who considered filing a lawsuit against the Boulder Valley School District, is in settlement talks after rejecting the district's initial offer. She said Peak to Peak needs to revamp its contract, including adding anti-bullying programs and firing the current administration, which she said didn't discipline the problematic students.
"They just were a brick wall," she said.
Another father, who asked to remain anonymous, echoed Benson. He said the same students pick on his daughter: Even though she's Catholic, they think she should go to their church, he said. The father said his daughter has been bullied since sixth grade and, despite his frequent calls and e-mails to administrators, the abuse continues.
"If they take more action than they currently have, there's the fear of admission that they were aware of the problem before and did nothing about it," he said. "To be honest, I don't know how much the administration is involved or if they do walk through the world with blinders on so they can honestly say, 'I don't know.'"
He said he thinks a religious group might be using the school as a way to "have a private school but not have to pay for it."
In addition to the harassment, he and Benson said the school's pro-Christian leanings make a hostile environment for non-Christian students. They said students have distributed fliers for religious activities, student presentations often have religious themes and some events used to be held at a nearby church. The school's auditorium is still under construction.
Roughly 5 percent of Peak to Peak's middle-schoolers requested to leave the school during the 2002-03 school year, a slightly higher percentage than in other area middle schools, district numbers show. About 1 percent of Louisville Middle School students and 3 percent of Angevine students requested a transfer.
A Louisville mother who is Buddhist called her daughter's three months at Peak to Peak "a nightmare." She said the school had obvious fundamental Christian undertones. Parents frequently talked about church, and their children were out of control in class, said the mother, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"I think they put so much stress on these little ones that they just snap," she said.
Judd Golden, chairman of the Boulder County chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said he has received complaints from Peak to Peak parents and students for the last three years about religious harassment that's not taken seriously enough by the administrators.
"We think they're failing to adhere to religious neutrality," Golden said. "Students' religious beliefs are being demeaned."
He said the repeated complaints led him to the conclusion that there must be tacit support for Christian bullying at the school.
School district: No evidence
Anecdotes aside, the Boulder Valley School District said there's no evidence of a Christian bias at the school.
The district's middle-level director, Ellen Miller-Brown, looked into the most recent complaint and praised the school's administrators, saying they're taking the allegations "really seriously" and are trying to get to the bottom of it.
Students aren't coming forward to back up the allegations, Miller-Brown said. Peak to Peak's school board members and administrators said they have received a landslide of e-mails supporting the school, but no additional complaints.
Still, the school said it plans to improve student training about bullying.
Principal Tony Fontana said he is looking into reinstating surveillance cameras, starting a middle-school peer mediation program, and asking parents and students to sign contracts pledging themselves to a harassment-free school.
Administrators also are visiting classes and asking students to write anonymously about harassment incidents on index cards. Tip boxes were set up so students may anonymously report concerns.
School harassment debated
Peak to Peak parents, students disagree on religious bullying allegations
By Amy Bounds and Aimee Heckel, Camera Staff Writers
December 19, 2004
LAFAYETTE — The passing periods at Peak to Peak Charter School on Friday morning looked like a typical teenage stampede.
Despite recent hype that the Lafayette school is plagued by so-called "fundies" — fundamental Christian bullies — no cross-bearing gangs plowed through the halls.
More cars in the parking lot bore stickers supporting U.S. troops and John Kerry than Jesus Christ. Only one Suburban sported call letters for a Christian radio station.
Yet some parents say Peak to Peak isn't a typical public school. They say it's Boulder Valley's de facto Christian school, paid for by tax dollars.
Their basis: Allegations of repeated incidents of religious bullying, the most recent of which led to a young girl attempting suicide and a police investigation. Accusers say the school's Christian reputation stems from a religious culture that has pushed some teachers to quit and families to pull their kids out.
Peak to Peak board members say the school, at Public Road and Emma Street, was founded by parents with a shared academic, not religious, vision. Board members do not attend church together, the school follows the same rules as other public schools and it embraces diversity, officials say.
Chris Howard, a parent and founder, said the founders were parents who had helped start other schools and programs and saw a need for a K-12 school. Charters are independently operated, publicly funded schools overseen by school boards.
"The founders were a very diverse group of people," Howard said. "Peak to Peak was modeled after the successful programs we already knew."
School officials acknowledge the 5-year-old school's Christian image but say they don't know its origins.
Howard said it may be because the school attracts Christian families who like the focus on "character education," which teaches children about basic human values, including honesty, courage and respect. Peak to Peak's character program is part of the curriculum.
"There are people of all religious backgrounds, and there always have been," Howard said.
Teaching or preaching?
During lessons on evolution in the science class, students regularly snicker, Peak to Peak teacher Steve Goldhaber said. Several parents said students persistently disrupt science classes with "creationist" outbursts and religious arguments.
When Ayn Dalgof was a first-grade teacher's aide at Peak to Peak in 2002-03, she said parents — who could influence teacher salaries — regularly grilled teachers on their religion. During the holidays, decorations, songs and stories had a Christian theme, she said.
"There was an underground that pervades the entire school of Christian philosophy and a lack of respect of other beliefs," Dalgof said. "It comes from their parents."
She said she was asked to leave because of parent complaints about her teaching methods, although she didn't receive complaints from teachers or the principal.
Jim Griffin, director of the Colorado League of Charter Schools, said the allegations of Christian bias seem far-fetched.
He said charter schools, just like other public schools, are governed by constitutional limits on religion. The mere size of the school — 1,174 students this year — makes it unlikely that most board members or students attend the same church, Griffin said.
Secondary Assistant Principal Kanesha Baynard said the school's academic excellence and high standardized-test scores are another indicator that Peak to Peak isn't a hotbed of harassment.
"I don't know how our kids could do so well if they felt so fearful," she said. "I don't know how they could focus on their studies."
In the halls
After school Tuesday, an overwhelming majority of students and parents who were interviewed said they'd never witnessed religious harassment. Sarah Bird, 14, said the rumors made her angry because she doesn't think the school has a problem.
"The small minority always seems to be the ones who get talked about," Sarah said. "Kids are going to be kids, no matter what school you're from."
Derien Jastrzebski, a sophomore at Peak to Peak, said there's a "huge" Christian culture at the school but also students who practice other religions.
"I was surprised when all this came out," she said. "I don't see it happening. The popular group is rude to everyone, but they don't pick on someone because of their religion."
But one boy sitting alone at the edge of campus Tuesday told a different story. The 13-year-old stared at his lap and nervously plucked the grass while he talked about the popular "fundies" who regularly push him and his friends around.
"They're in your face, kind of rude about it, saying 'You're going to die, you're going to burn in hell,'" said the boy, dressed in all black. The Camera is withholding his name out of concern for his safety.
He said two years ago in sixth grade, it was the other way around. The Christian students got picked on. They had no friends. But as their circle of friends grew, now about 60 strong, so did their influence.
"This is kind of like their revenge, I guess," the boy said.
Harassment reports
Parent Louise Benson said her son, who no longer attends Peak to Peak, was bullied in 2003. The then-13-year-old was arrested on allegations that he threatened online to kill the bullies. The criminal case against him was later dropped. He also threatened to kill himself because of the harassment.
"My son was told you're going to hell if you don't believe, you're the child of Satan," Benson said. "There gets to be a point where kids can't take it anymore."
One eighth-grade girl recently slashed her arms with a knife and threatened to kill herself if forced to return to the school. Her mother said she was tripped, jabbed and subjected to relentless verbal abuse, including being called a lesbian and a pagan.
Benson, who considered filing a lawsuit against the Boulder Valley School District, is in settlement talks after rejecting the district's initial offer. She said Peak to Peak needs to revamp its contract, including adding anti-bullying programs and firing the current administration, which she said didn't discipline the problematic students.
"They just were a brick wall," she said.
Another father, who asked to remain anonymous, echoed Benson. He said the same students pick on his daughter: Even though she's Catholic, they think she should go to their church, he said. The father said his daughter has been bullied since sixth grade and, despite his frequent calls and e-mails to administrators, the abuse continues.
"If they take more action than they currently have, there's the fear of admission that they were aware of the problem before and did nothing about it," he said. "To be honest, I don't know how much the administration is involved or if they do walk through the world with blinders on so they can honestly say, 'I don't know.'"
He said he thinks a religious group might be using the school as a way to "have a private school but not have to pay for it."
In addition to the harassment, he and Benson said the school's pro-Christian leanings make a hostile environment for non-Christian students. They said students have distributed fliers for religious activities, student presentations often have religious themes and some events used to be held at a nearby church. The school's auditorium is still under construction.
Roughly 5 percent of Peak to Peak's middle-schoolers requested to leave the school during the 2002-03 school year, a slightly higher percentage than in other area middle schools, district numbers show. About 1 percent of Louisville Middle School students and 3 percent of Angevine students requested a transfer.
A Louisville mother who is Buddhist called her daughter's three months at Peak to Peak "a nightmare." She said the school had obvious fundamental Christian undertones. Parents frequently talked about church, and their children were out of control in class, said the mother, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"I think they put so much stress on these little ones that they just snap," she said.
Judd Golden, chairman of the Boulder County chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said he has received complaints from Peak to Peak parents and students for the last three years about religious harassment that's not taken seriously enough by the administrators.
"We think they're failing to adhere to religious neutrality," Golden said. "Students' religious beliefs are being demeaned."
He said the repeated complaints led him to the conclusion that there must be tacit support for Christian bullying at the school.
School district: No evidence
Anecdotes aside, the Boulder Valley School District said there's no evidence of a Christian bias at the school.
The district's middle-level director, Ellen Miller-Brown, looked into the most recent complaint and praised the school's administrators, saying they're taking the allegations "really seriously" and are trying to get to the bottom of it.
Students aren't coming forward to back up the allegations, Miller-Brown said. Peak to Peak's school board members and administrators said they have received a landslide of e-mails supporting the school, but no additional complaints.
Still, the school said it plans to improve student training about bullying.
Principal Tony Fontana said he is looking into reinstating surveillance cameras, starting a middle-school peer mediation program, and asking parents and students to sign contracts pledging themselves to a harassment-free school.
Administrators also are visiting classes and asking students to write anonymously about harassment incidents on index cards. Tip boxes were set up so students may anonymously report concerns.