Teacher’s Facebook Postings About Drama Therapy Raise Thorny Questions
Should teachers use Facebook to air their disagreements with parents? When does a teacher’s right to free speech cross the line? The growing use of social networking sites by teachers, parents and students raises some thorny questions.
A case in point is the slugfest going on in Havre de Grace over the controversial drama production known as Drama Therapy.
To review:
Drama Therapy was developed four years ago by teachers and guidance counselors at Havre de Grace High School as a series of short skits that are part drama, part therapy, and mainly written by students. The skits deal with serious issues facing some teens, such as suicide, incest and abortion, but they also include more light-hearted fare. The founders of Drama Therapy expected that some students would seek counseling as a result of seeing the skits. The idea was to help those students.
The skits comprising Drama Therapy changed each year, but somehow the 2009 production was never reviewed by the school principal, the Harford County Board of Education, or any of the layers of administrators in between. Nonetheless, Drama Therapy was shown to the Havre de Grace HS student body, at a school-wide assembly last December.
When parents started asking questions, the school system suddenly came up with the outlines of a plan to do in the future, what, everyone now seems to agree, should have been done in the first place. As a result, Drama Therapy isn’t going away, but it might not be shown during the school day and parents are going to be notified about the content and given the chance to opt-out of the presentation.
Enter Facebook, the social networking site where Drama Therapy was discussed by parents, students and alumni of Havre de Grace High. A page entitled “SaveDramaTherapy” was created after the dust-up became public, and an online petition to save the program was also circulated.
Joining in the Facebook discussions was Havre de Grace High School teacher and English Department Chair, Deb Cummins. Mrs. Cummins was among the founders of Drama Therapy, along with her husband, drama teacher Mark Cummins.
In an undated series Facebook posts, the subject turns to comments made about Drama Therapy in other media by State Delegate Rick Impallaria. Impallaria had reportedly called for staff to be fired and said in a letter posted on The Dagger that he believed Drama Therapy “abused” students.
Posting on a Facebook page, Mrs. Cummins expresses outrage over Impallaria’s remarks. Anger at public officials may be fair game. But Cummins then welcomes help from a Havre de Grace parent who tells Cummins “…if they want blood. I say let’s give them blood”. The parent adds that he is also calling for “a boycott of the businesses of those that started this entire mess.”
It was another Havre de Grace parent, Rachel Tate, who first asked to review the content of Drama Therapy, prompting Harford County Public Schools’ own belated review. Rachel Tate and her husband Chad are also business owners in Havre de Grace.
Deb Cummins doesn’t discourage the boycott, but thanks the parent instead, adding: “Mark is a wreck and God help those who cause anything to happen to him.” Later in the postings, Mrs. Cummins says: “Rachel is behind this, I am certain.”
Someone else adds: “Screw the Tate’s!”
Finally, a student tells Mrs. Cummins that she has his support, along with support from 600 other students. Cummins thanks the student and tells him, “They have gone way too far!”
Mrs. Cummins surely has the right to defend herself and her husband. At the time, she obviously feared for their jobs, not only because of Del. Impallaria’s remarks, but because she and her husband were on the front lines of a program that seemed well intentioned, but lacked proper oversight.
On the other hand, Facebook may not be the right place for teachers to vent. It sends a powerful message when a teacher thanks a parent who plans to fight with blood and boycotts; issues warnings to other parents whom she identifies as her adversaries; and puts it all in writing on the internet. Regardless of the venue, when professional educators involve parents and students in their disagreements with other parents, they can divide a community and create a terrible ripple effect.
Forget Drama Therapy. Imagine that you are a parent at another school, with questions about a different program. You might think twice before speaking up if you thought a teacher would identify you as a troublemaker on a social networking site and rally your neighbors against you, especially when your children have to continue going to school.
The Facebook postings in this case have reportedly been taken down. But as part of a March 9 letter, Delegate Rick Impallaria sent a copy of the postings to Harford Schools Superintendent Robert Tomback. Impallaria also included several comments posted here on The Dagger, although unlike the Facebook postings, the Dagger comments were anonymous. Impallaria says in his letter that policies are needed regarding school employees’ internet communications.
Harford County Public Schools spokesperson Teri Kranefeld didn’t immediately respond to a request from The Dagger for comment.
To be fair to HCPS, school policies may not have caught up with the technology. Or maybe the school system has no ability or no right to control what employees do outside of school.
But in a March 4 press release by HCPS, Superintendent Robert Tomback is quoted saying that he supports “with great conviction” the drama teachers at Havre de Grace High, concluding “…we are certain that their dedication to students will help pull the Havre de Grace community together to the greater benefit of the students and the school.”
At the very least, HCPS may want to reconsider that statement.
Here is a copy of the Facebook postings sent to Dr. Tomback by Delegate Impallaria, a copy of which was provided to The Dagger. The name of the student who posted on the Facebook page has been removed:
March 15, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Del. Impallaria: “Rebuttal to Several Points in Mary-Dulany James’s Letter about Drama Therapy”
Shortly after Del. Mary-Dulany James weighed in late last week with a letter on the Drama Therapy saga, Del. Rick Impallaria offered up this letter as rebuttal:
MDJ states, “…ordinarily state legislators do not, and should not, take it upon themselves to delve into critiquing or censoring local high school theater, particularly in an official capacity.” [paragraph 3]
I heartily disagree. It is the duty of every legislator to investigate how state (and local, insofar as we represent counties) tax money is spent in any area, particularly when constituents have brought abuses to our attention. The parents who initiated the queries into what happened at HdG HS were stonewalled by the school and by the HCPS administration. No information was released until help was requested from the delegate. And the administration tried to stonewall him.
On page 2, paragraph 2, MDJ states, “I have received two detailed letters from a single person expressing concerns about the content of the performance and the process of addressing these concerns.” Now, I have no doubt that the complaint letter was from a single person – I received a copy myself. However, MDJ neglects to add that that “single person” represents many others. That “single person” has taken it upon him/herself to be the point person and push the issue due to the harm done to his/her child by the drama therapy presentations.
In the next 2 paragraphs MDJ says she does not consider the effect of the drama therapy as child abuse. Again, my opinion is totally opposite. Two paragraphs later, discussing the content of the production MDJ states, “’Drama Therapy’ was R-rated with adult language and content, … ‘suitable for mature audiences only’. In high school those attending range in age from 13 to 19…” Is it suitable for 13-year-olds to watch R-rated material? Without their parents’ knowledge? Shouldn’t teachers and administrators who put on this “show” and forced the entire student body to watch be reprimanded? How many parents would allow 13-, 14-, 15-year old teens to watch an R-rated movie? MDJ admits “It seems reasonable to have required some kind of a collaboration with families so that each could choose if they wanted … to … opt out.” MDJ also says, “…my common sense and life experiences tells [sic] me that when you try to blend drama with therapy, entertainment [sic. Do we send our children to school to be entertained, or to be educated?] with raw emotions, and a public forum with..private matters, it will be hard to strike the right balance. … I imagine… [that] it requires considerable expertise and a great deal of care.” It is our contention that drama therapy, as done at HdG HS, was indeed not done with common sense, and that it does require considerable expertise. What are the qualifications of the English teachers who put on the drama therapy to do therapeutic work? They certainly did not foresee the consequences to certain members of the student body in the audience who were greatly upset by what they saw on stage. Does this not indicate a great lack of judgment on their part, and on the part of the school’s administration which failed to oversee their activities?
It is well that the school has begun to take action to address parents’ complaints about the drama therapy program. However, I want to point out that when MDJ says that “All of the school systems’ [sic] actions were undertaken long before without the need for threats”, she is not entirely accurate. Nothing was done, as I said before, to address parents’ concerns until the state delegate began making enquiries. Parents were stonewalled by the school and by the superintendent. And I don’t understand what MDJ means by “threats”. It is not in my power to fire anyone, although I can and do think that those teachers should be fired by those that have the power to do so, if they put the students’ and parents’ safety and interests first, instead of circling the wagons to protect those who have demonstrated academic incompetence and bad judgment.
March 12, 2010 at 11:51 amDel. James: “It May Well Be That Drama Therapy Is Unworkable In A Large Public Assembly”
In the following letter, Del. Mary-Dulany James responds to the controversy surrounding the recent drama production at Havre de Grace High School, known as “Drama Therapy”. A copy of the letter was provided to The Dagger upon request.
Dear Friends:
I watched Havre de Grace High School’s “Drama Therapy” performance this past weekend after being asked by constituents to respond to public comments made by a legislator in the Harford County Delegation. I took detailed notes on each of the seven vignettes. Additionally, I have spoken to some of the parents, read all of the letters and emails I have received (from parents and students), and have interviewed various employees of the school system. To anyone else who would like to share their views, please just give me a call: (410) 841-3331, or email me: mary.dulany.james@house.state.md.us.
Let me begin by saying how impressed I was by the letters I received from the students. As someone who grew up in Havre de Grace and graduated from Havre de Grace High School, I cannot tell you how proud I am to receive such well written, thoughtful correspondences. As you can imagine, I receive a lot of mail, and my alma mater must be doing something right to have educated young people as fine as the ones who have written to me. And of course, I am heartened by the fact that so many young people are engaging in the democratic process. I also want to applaud all of the students who acted in or helped to produce this year’s performance of “Drama Therapy.” It takes a great deal of hard work, hours of after school rehearsal, and courage over stage fright to perform live before hundreds of people. No matter what you do in life, you have taken a big step into being bold that will forever serve you well.
Now ordinarily state legislators do not, and should not, take it upon themselves to delve into critiquing, criticizing or censoring local high school theater, particularly in an official capacity. But somehow, this year’s production of “Drama Therapy” caught the attention of a member of the Harford County Delegation, and it was brought up at one of our regularly scheduled public meetings although it was not on our agenda. It was relayed that a parent or parents had concerns about the production and a request had been made by that single legislator to view a DVD of the performance which was deferred by the Superintendent until a Freedom of Information request was made. This was considered inappropriate by some, but not all, of the legislators present, and as a result, the Chairman of the Delegation sent a letter to the Superintendent requesting that he come to a specifically called Delegation meeting to explain why a DVD was not given to the legislator who requested it and otherwise to discuss Havre de Grace High School’s “Drama Therapy.”
As the second public meeting was not set at a regularly scheduled time, and I was in meetings on the budget, I was not able to attend but did appear at the beginning to let people know I was available to meet and discuss the matter either later that day or back home at another time. As it turned out, the Superintendent was able to bring a DVD of the show to the public meeting which had just finished being produced at Cecil College after some delay due to the blizzard. However, due to technical difficulties, the DVD could not be viewed at the meeting and after the Superintendent was assured that the DVD would not be disseminated beyond the Delegation members, it was left with the Chairman so that each member could see it when their schedules permitted. As it turns out, that was the wisest course of action to begin with as the play is two hours long and there were hundreds of people in Annapolis that day from all over the state (including Harford and Cecil Counties) who were expecting us to attend the already scheduled public hearings, briefings, and meetings.
Since this second meeting, I have read quotes from press releases saying such things as, “the… skit was stupid,” “the teachers who put the program on should be removed from teaching children [and] action should be taken against the administrators… who neglected to adequately monitor their staff” and “the children who participated in the skits, as well as the students who were forced to watch them, were abused.”
Also, I have received two detailed letters from a single person expressing concerns about the content of the performance and the process of addressing these concerns. I have also received 3 letters and 20 emails supporting the production and/or supporting the school, the principal, and the drama teacher. It is because of these facts and under these circumstances only that I feel it is appropriate for me to comment publicly. However, I am speaking only for myself and not for anyone else in the Delegation.
First, I do not believe the teachers who put on the play should be removed from teaching children, nor do I believe that punitive actions should be taken by anyone involved in the “Drama Therapy” production. None of the Harford County legislators have the authority or jurisdiction to fire or punish our local educators; that is an entirely local matter. Those kinds of statements have frightened, angered, and dismayed people back home. Also, the reverberations of such statements can be far-reaching, dissuading people from wanting to work in our schools. This is the last thing I want to see happen.
While the newspaper rarely distinguishes between us, and more often than not lumps all of the members of the Delegation together, there are vast difference between us, most strikingly in how we approach problems and speak to and about people, although you would never know it by the local news coverage. The most destructive comment made was that all young people who attended as well as produced the “Drama Therapy” performance were abused. I have known some of the parents all of my life and their children since they were born, and that statement is unconscionable. Therefore, I want to apologize for all of these types of statements and assure everyone that in me you have a calm, deliberative representative who uses intelligence, facts, and fairness to respond to and help our communities. While we all are allowed our opinions and have protected speech, given the type of media coverage we receive and our status as representatives of all the people of Harford County, it is imperative that we are measured in our conduct and how we express ourselves.
Now to the substance of the production, I must say at times it was jarring and disturbing. As the mother of three, I was moved to anguished tears at a certain point. Its emotional affect on me was how I felt watching the Academy Award winning movie, “Precious,” about an abusive mother and her teenage daughter’s gut-wrenching life. To the extent this was the desired reaction it succeeded with me. I am sure that I am not alone. I can remember my parents telling me I take things “hard,” meaning I’m sensitive. Now, to each his own when it comes to art, but to this day, I will not watch anything I think might be disturbing on a Sunday night because I do not want to start my week off out of sorts. My point is that we all have different temperaments and tolerances that should be respected and accommodated. Some people may enjoy, appreciate, or learn from shocking theater; others may not.
Like the movie, “Precious,” “Drama Therapy” was R-rated with adult language and content, or as they say, “suitable for mature audiences only.” In high school, those attending range in age from 13 to 19, and those age differences alone illustrate that not all teenagers are at the same level of maturity. In addition, one must take into account individual differences in abilities to witness deeply troubling and provocative issues in the setting of a mandatory assembly. Using the R-rating as a guide and a reflection of our shared consensus, it seems reasonable to have required some kind of a collaboration with families so that each could choose if they wanted their sons or daughters to attend the production (at least up to the age of 16 of 17). This is what some refer to as the “opt out” option. Except in unusual circumstances, parental involvement should be a priority.
It may well be that “Drama Therapy” is unworkable in a large public assembly. If so, perhaps it should take place in a smaller setting rather than a large congregation where students can actively participate and discuss the vignettes that were portrayed following the performance.
I understand that the intent of “Drama Therapy” was to be thought-provoking and encourage the audience to reach out for help if needed. I also understand that some of our teenagers are exposed to underage drinking, illegal drugs, loveless or violent sex, abuse and more, and I understand that not all young people have parents or mentors they can talk to about the struggles of growing from childhood to adulthood. While I am neither an artist nor a therapist, my common sense and life experiences tell me that when you try to blend drama with therapy, entertainment with raw emotions, and a public forum with perhaps deeply private matters, it will be hard to strike the right balance. “Drama Therapy” was an ambitions production, trying to do many things all at once. I do not know how you apply therapeutic techniques through live performances, but I imagine, if it can be done, it requires considerable expertise and a great deal of care
As I stated earlier, I have interviewed and spoken with those at the high school most involved in the production along with school administrators. They provided me with a detailed chronology of the events leading up to and since the December 3rd and 4th presentations which include the several subsequent showings of “Drama Therapy” to parents, the substance of conversations with parents, their four-point action plan to improve the program, and the creation of a committee to further identify areas of concern, ways to address those concerns, and ways to foster better communications between the school, the families, and the community. I want to point out that all of the school systems’ actions were undertaken without the need for threats.
While I am still waiting for a few parents to return my phone calls, I believe I have spoken to or heard from a representative of each of the various, thoughtful views on the 2009 “Drama Therapy” performance, all of which are sincerely held. Nearly everyone wants to continue “Drama Therapy” in some form, although it has been suggested that using therapy in the title should be rethought, and those that work on it agree, it can and must be improved. I remain available to anyone who would like to further discuss the program’s past, present, or future, and in the meantime, I support Havre de Grace High School’s committee which is being tasked to address the problems and issues at the local community level. I am hoping that with parent and community input, the drama program in its entirety can be a model for the county.
Sincerely,
Mary-Dulany James
Maryland State Delegate
Harford and Cecil Counties
“The Town Goes to the Dogs & Cats 2010″ Art Reception and Humane Society Fundraiaser in Havre de Grace
From The Art Rooms:
The Art Rooms Professional Art Supplies third annual fundraising event that benefits Harford County Humane Society is underway! This program is judged by Harford Community College Art Department.
Three winners will be selected and will win wonderful art materials gift baskets and/or in-store gift certificates. After the judging of studio hardwoood manikins the public is invited to attend “The Town Goes to the Dogs & Cats 2010″ art reception. The public has the opportunity to purchase these inexpesive one of kind works of art. All proceeds of this programs benefit our local humane society.
The goal is to raised money to help the dogs and cats sheltered at the Harford County Humane Society. Last year The Art Rooms benefit gathered over $700.00 for our local humane society. The reception is scheduled for Sunday, March 21st from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. For more information call The Art Rooms at 410-939-6424.
March 5, 2010 at 5:23 pmHCPS: “Full Confidence” in HdG staff; Changes to “Drama Therapy” Coming
From Harford County Public Schools:
March 2, 2010 at 6:56 pmThe Havre de Grace High School community will come together to implement an action plan developed to make necessary changes to the drama production entitled “Drama Therapy.” After a concerned group of parents and teachers brought forth several issues regarding the drama club production, the action plan was developed and shared with the community to begin implementation.
The annual “Drama Therapy” production, now in its fourth season, grew this year from an evening production to include an assembly-like presentation during the school day. Concerns were raised regarding the process that led to the school-wide viewing of the production. In addition, the appropriate nature of the content, the degree of counseling service or direction provided, and the nature of the “pre-” and “post-” instructional activities were cited as potentially problematic.
The action plan will facilitate improvement of the production review process and will allow the community to collaborate for change. A committee of key stakeholders, including administrators, mental health professionals, teachers, parents, and community members, is being formed to execute the action plan.
Both the Harford County Public School system and Havre de Grace High School have recognized and accepted responsibility for errors in judgment and oversight in validating the materials. Policies and procedures will be reviewed, reinforced, and enhanced as a part of the committee’s work.
Parents and community members came out on both sides of the issue. The Board of Education of Harford County and Superintendent Robert M. Tomback ask the community to work collaboratively and set differences aside in order to focus on the facts and restore the calm which will allow the rebuilding process to move forward for the benefit of the students, the school, and the community.
“We understand parents and teachers feel passionately on both sides of this debate,” said Board President Mark M. Wolkow. “It is time to come together and work toward a solution that will not only benefit the students in Havre de Grace, but better serve all students in Harford County.”
Recently, media outlets reported a statement made by State Delegate Rick Impallaria (District 7) which called for the immediate termination of Havre de Grace High School Principal Patricia Walling and the drama teachers responsible for the “Drama Therapy” production. In addition, he suggested that criminal charges be sought. While acknowledging the need for improved processes and communications, the Board of Education and the Superintendent reaffirmed their full confidence in the leadership abilities of Principal Walling and the competencies of the drama teacher, Mr. Mark Cummins.
“The Board of Education and I support Mrs. Walling, Mr. Cummins, and the drama teachers of Havre de Grace High with great conviction, we are certain that their dedication to students will help pull the Havre de Grace community together to the greater benefit of the students and the school,” stated Superintendent Tomback.
The committee will convene in March and will work collaboratively with the School Improvement Team in order to complete its work by June, 2010. While the “Drama Therapy” program will no longer be implemented in its current format, the work of this committee will determine the nature of changes and the instructional value of future productions. The work of this committee will also be reviewed by the Board and Superintendent for potential application to other assemblies and as a possible model for system procedures and protocols.
Del. Impallaria: “…I Do Believe the Children Who Participated in the Skits…Were Abused”
The following letter was sent from Del. Rick Impallaria to Harford County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Tomback. A copy was provided to The Dagger:
Robert M. Tomback, Ph.D., Superintendent
Harford County Public Schools
102 South Hickory Avenue
Bel Air, Maryland 21014
Dear Dr. Tomback:
I have reviewed the Havre de Grace HS drama therapy tape, and I find very little positive to say about it. It is even difficult to talk about what occurred on stage without using language which is both offensive and improper in any setting, school or otherwise.
In addition to viewing what was on stage, I also paid attention to the reaction of the students both to the skits being acted and to explanations of what they were about to see.
I found nothing improper in the short restaurant scenes between the longer skits, and my comments do not refer to them.
In one skit, two girls read a book on how to treat men. To me this had no educational value. It portrayed women as manipulators of men. No explanation was attempted of what benefits were to be gained from watching this skit.
Another skit had two characters, a young girl upset because her boyfriend would not have sex with her. She complained that his old girlfriend got sex whenever she wanted and was nothing but a tramp. The boy was portrayed as a confused dope who couldn’t make up his mind whether to have sex or not. The girl said she should just dump him for the many guys out there who would have sex with her. Where is the educational value in this? This is portraying women derogatorily as nothing more that [sic] demanding sex toys. The negative character in this, the girl, was shown in a positive light. The positive character, the boy, was represented in a negative light. And who knows what kind of discussions occurred during the writing and rehearsing of this scene? If it were my children who were acting this out, I would be suing the school system, the teachers, and the administrators involved in this.
Another skit, the dying young man and his three friends, actually portrayed something that does happen in real life. However, the profuse bad language employed was not necessary, and once again I must say that at no time did anyone explain the educational value.
In another skit, two male and two female friends in a Starbucks, I had a big question mark as to what it was supposed to be all about. I thought that perhaps this one would not be derogatory, but, true to form, the two nerdy kids, again portrayed in a bad light, walked off to get to know each other better in what I would consider a normal date. The two “cool” kids, within moments of meeting each other and knowing nothing about each other, began making out like two horny sex machines. As I said, I don’t know how you talk about this in acceptable language. Once again, the kids who showed controlled, positive behavior were portrayed negatively, while the two “cool” kids, who acted inappropriately, were again shown positively.
In a skit I call the “Truth or Dare” game, though they used some other name, women were once again portrayed very negatively – as drunk, slutty, irrational, unable to use good judgment. I see no educational value in this, and I don’t believe this accurately portrays the way our children really behave.
The suicide skit was disrespectful to women and disrespectful to the handicapped. Anyone who acted as that girl did toward a handicapped sister would in real life be herself receiving psychiatric help.
I want to know who authorized bringing the gun to school. From the reaction of the students to seeing the gun, it was fortunate that a full-scale panic did not occur. As far as the students knew, the gun was not just a prop, it may have been real. Judging from their reaction, they thought it could have been the beginning of a Columbine incident.
Also, it is quite obvious that the tape was cut and edited at the end of the suicide scene. It was the only editing I saw in the entire tape, which leads me to believe that there is something to hide.
The final skit was just stupid and had absolutely no educational value, other than being slightly comical and satirical.
After viewing the tape, I do believe the children who participated in the skits, as well as the students who were forced to watch them, were abused.
I believe the teachers who put the program on should be removed from teaching children.
Action should be taken against the administrators at Havre de Grace High School who neglected to adequately monitor their staff.
Having participated in theater, I thoroughly understand that what we saw on stage was only a small part of the drama therapy program. 90% of it takes place behind the scenes, and so it is impossible to know what further negative behaviors were being taught to our children.
Yours truly,
Rick Impallaria
Delegate, District 7
cc: Mark M. Wolkow, Board Pres.
Leonard D. Wheeler, Ed.D., Board VP
Ruth R. Rich
John L. Smilko
Alysson L. Krchnavy
Don R. Osman
Thomas P. Evans
David Craig
Havre de Grace Drug Dealer Sentenced to 15 Years In Prison
From the U.S. Attorney’s Office:
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr., sentenced Derrick Lamont Prather, age 33, of Havre de Grace, Maryland to 15 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with the intent to distribute over a pound of powder cocaine.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Harford County Sheriff L. Jesse Bane; Colonel Terrence Sheridan, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Chief Randy Rudy of the Aberdeen Police Department; Chief Teresa Walter of the Havre de Grace Police Department; Special Agent in Charge Ava Cooper-Davis of the Drug Enforcement Administration – Washington Field Division; and Harford County State’s Attorney Joseph I. Cassilly.
“Thanks to the collaboration between DEA and our law enforcement partners, Mr. Prather and his co-conspirators will no longer be able to harm our communities with the poison they peddled,” stated Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Ava A. Cooper-Davis.
According to Prather’s plea agreement, as part of an investigation into drug dealing in Harford County, investigators learned that Candis Mack would be traveling to New Jersey on February 12, 2008 to buy cocaine. As Mack drove back to Maryland, Maryland State Police stopped her car on a traffic violation and seized more over pounds of cocaine and $2,600. Mack was arrested and released after posting bond.
From February 29 to March 3, 2008, Prather and Mack discussed by phone the quantity and price of cocaine. On March 5, investigators searched Prather’s residence and seized over 11 ounces of cocaine, a digital scale, a cutting agent known as inositol and over $10,000.
Judge Quarles sentenced co-defendant Candis Mack, age 34, of Joppa, Maryland to 135 months in prison for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. On April 10, 2009, a jury convicted co-defendants Fernando Alexander Settles, age 28, of Abingdon, Maryland, and Candis Mack’s brother, Winston Charles Mack, age 33, of Edgewood, of drug trafficking offenses and they were sentenced to 240 months and 136 months in prison, respectively. A fourth defendant, Tanya Valencia Mack is awaiting trial.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Harford County Task Force for its assistance in the investigation of this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case and commended Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. Romano, who prosecuted the case.
February 28, 2010 at 2:17 pmMaryland Education Department Defers to Harford Schools on Drama Therapy
In the following letter to Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Nancy Grasmick, a former educator requests an independent investigation into Drama Therapy, the controversial drama production shown to students at Havre de Grace High School at a school-wide assembly held in early December, 2009. The letter to Dr. Grasmick generated a response of sorts. More on that in a minute. First, here’s the letter from Churchville resident, Barbara Falukner-Davis.
Ms. Faulkner-Davis told The Dagger that she first heard about Drama Therapy from an upset friend who is a parent in the Havre de Grace district. Faulkner-Davis is not a parent herself; she says she got involved as a former educator, a taxpayer and a concerned citizen. She says she isn’t trying to get anyone fired, but Faulkner-Davis thinks Drama Therapy should not be shown during the school day and that program’s therapeutic efforts were inappropriate. After viewing a DVD of the production and attending a recent school board meeting, Faulkner-Davis said she didn’t like the attitude of school officials. So she decided to go over their heads, sending the certified letter to the state superintendent on January 30, 2010. A copy was provided to The Dagger upon request.
The Response, Of Sorts
Faulkner-Davis told The Dagger she had been contacted by a few of the elected officials who were copied on her letter, but hadn’t heard back from members of the school board or from Dr. Grasmick.
Faulkner-Davis’s letter was received at the Maryland State Department of Education on February 3, 2010 and was handed off to William Cappe, who is listed in the department directory as a school outreach specialist in the Office of Academic Policy. Cappe told The Dagger in a phone interview on February 22 that he was not planning a response to Faulkner-Davis, but that he had called Harford County Public Schools about her letter.
Cappe said that David Volrath, Harford County Public Schools’ executive director of secondary education, told him that he had spoken to Faulkner-Davis about the letter, which Faulkner-Davis said was not true. Cappe also said that Drama Therapy was a local issue and, “Harford County is dealing with it.” Asked whether the he was done with the matter, Cappe said “We’re done with it, in effect.”
Case Closed?
Up until three months ago, Harford County Public Schools celebrated Drama Therapy and promoted it to the public as part drama, part therapy. It is unclear what training or qualifications the teachers and guidance counselors who developed the program had prior to implementing the program four years ago at Havre de Grace High School.
Drama Therapy was not reviewed by Harford County Public Schools’ senior staff and the content, most of which changes from year to year, was never approved by the General Curriculum Committee or by the school board.
Some of the content appears to have contradicted approved curriculum discouraging underage sexual activity and substance abuse.
Drama Therapy was not previewed by Havre de Grace High School Principal, Patricia Walling. After a public performance on the evening of December 3, Drama Therapy was presented to Havre de Grace High School students at a school-wide assembly on Friday, December 4, 2009.
The founders of Drama Therapy anticipated that some students might need counseling after seeing the production. Drama teacher Mark Cummins urged the 775-member student body, which includes students with special needs, to seek help from the school’s two guidance counselors if necessary. However, immediately following the Friday afternoon performance, the school day ended and students were told to get on buses headed home for the weekend.
Parents were not notified in advance about the content of Drama Therapy; parents were not notified that Drama Therapy would be shown to students during the school day; and parents were not advised after the fact that students had seen a performance that school officials anticipated would be troubling to some students.
It wasn’t until parents started asking questions, that HCPS stopped heralding the program and came up with a radically different “action plan” for Drama Therapy. The action plan does not prescribe a particular outcome. Rather, it provides a framework for decisions to be made a committee being formed to address the future of the program. Parents have charged that the Drama Therapy violated federal laws regarding mental health interventions and that the action plan does not preclude further violations.
Yet the Maryland State Department of Education plans no further oversight, assuming instead that the people in charge of Drama Therapy will handle it properly.
Didn’t assumptions like that cause the trouble with Drama Therapy in the first place?
February 26, 2010 at 11:38 amHavre de Grace Councilman Miller: Hotel Tax Is “Just A Part Of Doing Business”
I’ll add my two cent’s on the “Hotel Tax” debate. I travel a lot with my job. I put together a chart showing the hotel taxes I was charged while traveling for my job. Some of the locations published where the fund collected, most didn’t. Today it’s just a part of doing business and Harford County should join the rest of the 22 counties and Baltimore City and benefit from this funding source. It’s a great source of revenue if used properly.
James P. Miller
Havre de Grace City Councilman
Life Without Parole For Those Accused In I-95 Murder of Havre de Grace Man
From Maryland State Police:
(Bel Air, MD) – A second man convicted in the 2008 murder of a Havre de Grace man was sentenced to life without parole today in Harford County Circuit Court.
Demetrius D. Lovelace, 37, of Temple Hills, Md., was sentenced to life without parole for first degree murder. He was also sentenced to 20 years for armed robbery, to run concurrent with the first degree murder sentence. Lovelace was sentenced to 15 years for conspiracy to commit robbery, which will run consecutive to the armed robbery conviction, but concurrent to the sentence for murder. He received five years for the illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon that will run consecutive to the armed robbery and the conspiracy to commit robbery, but concurrent to the murder.
Judge Thomas E. Marshall, of the Harford County Circuit Court, handed down the sentences today. The State was represented by Scott H. Lewis, Deputy State’s Attorney for Harford County.
Lovelace was convicted and sentenced for the murder of Alan Zurita, 29, of Havre de Grace, Md. Zurita was found on the shoulder of I-95 near Rt. 24 at about 2:30 a.m. on April 1, 2008. He had been shot and fatally wounded.
An investigation into Zurita’s murder by the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit also led to charges against Damon M. Jackson, of Havre de Grace, Md., who was 33 at the time of his arrest one week after the murder occurred. Jackson was convicted of first degree murder in February 2009. He was sentenced in Harford County Circuit Court to life in prison in April of last year.
