OSI HEARING: Surprise Letter

I have spent the last several weeks transcribing my OSI Hearing from a digital tape recording. That’s right, I recorded every last word. I was going to hold off on publishing it, because I take great joy in catching “investigators” in lies. However, I have decided that I will take much more joy in publishing the complete hearing for all to read.

Warning: I am making up new aliases for the students involved in the charges because I have found myself forgetting which old alias belongs to whom. I have also found that I have been inconsistent with some aliases. This shouldn’t be a problem for those who are new to the blog, but might be confusing to those who have been reading it for some time.

For this post, I am starting the transcript 07:23 minutes into the hearing and ending it at 21:51 minutes. At regular points in the hearing, I will include how much time has passed in the hearing.

OSI HEARING CONTINTUED:

07:23

HEARING OFFICER: OK, there were two cases, and I will explain them to you. On 1/23/09 PRINCIPAL P. from IS666Q called in to SCI, that’s Special Commissioner’s Office, the old Ed Stanzik’s office with allegations of misconduct against a teacher, MORIAH UNTAMED. SOREA BENDERS, mother of student MADELENE BENDERS, reported that you told another student…you told her that another student was sexually harassing her daughter, and wanted to meet with her at a diner to discuss the matter. Ms BENDERS then stated that the daughter denied that the student was harassing her and preferred to meet with you in school. OK?

UNION ADVOCATE: Do you mind saying that again?

08:20

HO: Ok, SOREA BENDERS, the mother of MADELENE BENDERS—(to me) MADELENE BENDERS is a student at the school? Ok SOREA is alleging that MS. MORIAH told another stu… told SOREA that another student was sexually harassing her daughter, MADELENE. But MADELENE is denying that it took place.

ADV: …another student was sexually harassing MADELENE?

HO: Right a male student is allegedly sexually harassing, MADELENE.

09:11

Me: What was the date?

HO: 1/23/09

Me: Ok and so SOREA BENDERS, when did she call?

UNION ADVOCATE: SOREA BENDERS, mother of MADELENE, alleges that another student told her, SOREA, that another student is sexually harassing MADELENE, her daughter.

09:45

Silence as we take notes.

11:19

HR: What Principal P. sent in,: “ I am reporting teacher misconduct. MORIAH UNTAMED, a science teacher at IS666, bla, bla, bla, bla, called a parent, SOREA BENDERS, and reported that another student,SILAS PAJECO/ was constantly sexually harassing her daughter, MADELENE BENDERS.

ADV: What I don’t have is that MS. UNTAMED called SOREA to tell the mother that another student told her, MS UNTAMED, that a male student is harassing MADELENE, her daughter.

HO: No. SOREA received a phone call allegedly from MS UNTAMED saying that, giving her a heads up that your daughter is being sexually harassed by PAJECO.

ADV: Right, got it.

HO: When SOREA questions MADELENE, the alleged victim in this case, MADELENE says, no I’m not being sexually harassed by PAJECO, SILAS. That’s about right?

ADV: And MADLENE’S telling this to the mother.

Me: and we think this was in January?

HO: Let me see. This was when it was reported. When the parent, SOREA BENDERS, questioned her daughter, MADELENE BENDERS, her daughter reported to her that SILAS was not sexually harassing her. “I spoke to the daughter, MADELENE BENDERS” (not me, but PRINCIPAL P.. This is what PRINCIPAL P is writing) and she reported to me that SILAS PAJECO had not been sexually harassing her and that they do not even speak to each other in science class. The mother also reported to me that MS UNTAMED requested that she meet with her in a diner, and not in school. The parent refused to meet with her anywhere but in school. The parent has been calling to set up an appointment in the school, but MS. UNTAMED has not returned her phone calls. SILAS PAJECO is a student that mother had a meeting with the assistant principal regarding MS UNTAMED’S teaching and behavior toward her child.

ADV: Sorry, which parent?

HO: SILAS PAJECO is a student. The mother of SILAS PAJECO allegedly had a meeting with the assistant principal concerning MS MORIAH’S teaching and behavior towards SILAS. MS MORIAH never reported the sexual harassment allegation to anyone, as far as staff members or to her specifically, as far as to any school officials. Alright?

ADV: Got it.

HO: Just regarding the initial allegation. How does this sound?


15:00

Me: This is regarding a conversation I had with the mother shortly after I wrote this REERRAL. ( I start looking for the REFERRAL)

HO You can just tell me.

Me: Well, I wrote it down and I made a copy for you. I reported it to the dean.


HO To the dean?

Me: Yeah. It took place probably on the first weekend after October 24. It’s a weekend around October 24. That’s when the phone call took place.

(I find the REFERRAL and hand it to the HEARING OFFICER. He scans it quickly)
------------------------------------------------------------
REFERRAL

Student: Silas Pajeco Date: October 24, 2008
Teacher: Moriah Untamed Time: 3:00-3:45

After school detention with four boys: Jarel Lansin, Alan Pleet, Silas Pajeco, Howard Mahan.

I held these four boys after school for detention because I wanted to let them know what they had to do to get a better grade for the second marking period:

1. Keep up with their homework. Make up missing homework
2. Maintain science journal. Bring it to every class.
3. Stay on task and cooperate to finish the assignment during independent group work.
4. Stop talking and making noise during whole group instruction.
5. Stop communicating with people from other groups during independent group work.
6. Stop yelling and screaming. Keep appropriate voice level for group work.
7. Stop yelling insults like “cow” and “cheeseburger” to other students in the classroom.
8. Stop making inappropriate comments about other people’s bodies or body parts.
9. Stop arguing with the teacher when she gives them directions.
10. Take care of materials: Stop throwing books, rocks, or other materials on the floor. Stop ripping and/or drawing graffiti on station task cards.

In response,

1. Howard Mahan said that I was a liar.
2. Silas Pajeco said that they could say things about me too, and there were four of them and only one of me, so they would be believed and I would not.
3. Silas Pajeco said that all his friends in the class would back him up and no one would back me up.

I am very concerned about the responses of both boys. However, I am especially concerned about the statements of Silas Pajeco, because I feel that he was threatening me and that this constitutes an attempt to intimate the teacher into giving him a passing grade even though he is failing.

Moriah, Untamed

END OF REFERRAL
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HO: Do you want me to have this? OK. I’ll put this with the case. Did you have a conversation, --did you contact SOREA BENDERS?

Me: Yes.

HO: Did you say that SILAS PAJECO was sexually harassing MADELENE?

Me: No, I talked at length with her about what MADELENE was doing as far as her grades. Her grade was somewhat low and she had questions for me about how I graded the homework and the journal, so it was…


HO: OK, and spoke at length regarding her classroom performance, safe to say, academics,
18:03

Me: …Why she was getting the grade she was getting. Or why she got the grade she got. October 31 was the end of the marking period.

HO: Ok classroom performance, academics, I’m going to put classroom performance. That covers the spectrum fairly, right? Did you discuss SILAS PAJECO sexually harassing her?

Me: I didn’t say it was SILAS PAJECO. I said that she was being bothered by some kids, some of the boys. I told her to talk to her daughter, about the fact that she was being bothered by some of the boys. I didn’t name them. I didn’t name them because it was up to MADELENE to name one or more. MADELENE had complained that they had called her a cow… that they…that’s what I remember.

HO: She complained to you?

Me: Yes, she complained to me and she wrote it down on a piece of paper. She complained that “they’re calling me a cow” and something else. I forget. And then the boys in that meeting said that she called them gay and that she had said that they would never be able to get a girlfriend. And so it seemed to me that it had gone back and forth.

HO: Ok, so you’re talking fast, and I want to be able to write some of this stuff down. OK. So far I wrote that you called SOREA BENDERS and talked to her at length regarding classroom performance of MADELENE. You stated that MADELENE was being bothered …?

20:00

Me: …that MADELENE said that she was being bothered by some boys, and that she should talk to MADELENE about it, to see if she wanted to come to school to make any kind of complaint.

HO: OK. So you stated that…

Me: and this is from memory from back in October of 2008. Basically that was what the conversation was, you know, not…

HO: …told by MADLENE that she was being bothered by…

Me:… some boys in the class one or more boys—I can’t remember the exact words from back in October 24, but it was four boys, and I probably would have said more than one and I wouldn’t have named SILAS PATECO because that would just…

21:10


HO: OK you never named SILAS PAJECO.

Me: PATECO….PAJECO?

HO: I believe that’s his name. That’s what you have here. So you never named SILAS PAJECO as sexually harassing MADELENE?

21:23

Me: Not precisely, no. Not his name, no.

HO: Did you say that the boys were sexually harassing MADELENE?

Me: No I said that she was complaining about boys teasing her.

HO: OK, being bothered in the classroom, teasing.

Me: She was being bothered, She was being teased by them.

HO: So no sexual complaint.

Me: No I don’t think I used the word sexual, but again that was back on October 24.

21:51

TO BE CONTINUED