THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 15, 1996 TAG: 9608150344
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: 85 lines
Some black residents, angered by the transfer of an African-American Manteo High School teacher, say they will show their displeasure at the polls.
Last month, a petition was submitted to the Dare County Board of Education, protesting the transfer of Cynthia Fields from the high school to First Flight Elementary.
At Tuesday night's meeting of the board, Manteo residents Beulah Charity and Leon Daniels alleged that the board discriminated against Fields in its hiring and promotion practices.
Board officials declined to comment because the issue is a personnel matter.
``One of the reasons we came before you is we felt it was necessary to have an advocate for the 9 percent minority children in our schools,'' Charity said. ``We feel that any advocate we get for our children - both black and white - will be a benefit to us.''
Charity also took exception to a comment by School Superintendent Leon Holleman. In a letter to Charity, Holleman praised Fields' contributions to ``your community.''
``I think Mrs. Fields is an asset to all of our community,'' Fields said.
Holleman apologized for the ``your community'' reference.
``I certainly made an error in judgment,'' Holleman said.``It was not meant to be degrading in any way. I stand by my record.''
Charity said the issue was larger than the transfer of a single teacher. She alleged that African-American children have to contend with racial slurs on bathroom walls and other epithets.
``This is not about Mrs. Fields,'' Charity said. ``This is about our children. We have racial problems at our school. We've had meetings involving 43 minority children, and nothing was ever done. Nothing has been addressed, and nothing has changed.''
Daniels alleged that since 1992, a number of positions have been created, and filled by individuals who are lesser qualified than Fields. Currently, there are five African-American teachers in the Dare County School system.
``I'm upset,'' Daniels said. ``I don't like the way it was handled.''
He added, ``I served more than 22 years in the Coast Guard, with my life on the line for my county and my country. I was born here. When I left, we lived under a segregated system. But I believe that the system we're under now is worse than when I left.''
Daniels left the board with a point to ponder.
``No longer will the minority community tolerate being treated as second-class citizens because they don't have the correct last name or because of where they live,'' Daniels said.
``We only have 500 to 600 votes,'' Daniels continued. ``But this board won't get them.''
A surprise visitor at the meeting was Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robert V. ``Bobby'' Owens Jr. Owens said the community as a whole needs to address racial problems in the county.
``We cannot run from it, we can't hide from it,'' Owens said. ``But I think we're running from the issue. I'm not here to question an administrative decision. But if we can come together as a community - black and white - we can have the best community in the state of North Carolina.''
Concerning Fields' transfer, Holleman said that because it dealt with a personnel matter, he could not comment. However, he said the system was working to solve any racial problems that exist in the school system.
On an unrelated matter, Kill Devil Hills real estate executive John Stubbings presented the board with a petition asking the panel to make a new beach high school its top priority.
``We want you to put it at the top of your list,'' Stubbings said. ``If you get it on the ballot, a lot of folks will vote to get it passed.''
Stubbings is a former assistant superintendent of the Alexandria, Va., public schools.
Another Kill Devil Hills resident, Ken Johnson, asked the board to probe the cost of one central high school on the beach, rather than two secondary schools.
``I think the taxpayers need to know about the cost of operating one high school in the demographic center of population, as opposed to two high schools located 14 miles apart,'' Johnson said.
In other action, the board:
Unanimously approved a new reading program for the district that incorporates auditory and visual methods of teaching children to read.
Approved the hiring of Tom Skinner as the district's new director of school and community relations. Skinner is currently director of public relations for St. Francis Academy in Salina, Kan. Skinner has experience in both broadcast and print journalism, primarily with the Armed Forces Network in Europe. While his exact salary has not been determined, it will be in the $35,000-$40,000 range. He begins the job Sept. 10.
KEYWORDS: MANTEO SCHOOL BOARD PROTEST RACIAL DISCRIMINATION by CNB