"A" is for Reverend Al.

Rev. Al's groups is front and center in Philly again. This time to defend a Frankford High School student who was allegedly set upon and beaten by two school district police officers.

" Supporters of a Frankford High School junior who was allegedly beaten by two school security officers called on Philadelphia Schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman today to launch an independent investigation into the incident immediately.
They also demanded a probe into the alleged "boxing glove beating" of students at Olney High School by a district officer known as "Sarge."

"The schools are out of control and we need to do something about it," said Gregory Brinkley, Philadelphia chapter president of the National Action Network, a civil rights group headed by the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Brinkley led a rally of about 20 mostly network members this afternoon at Frankford High School as classes let out for the day.

Jeffione Thomas, 17, a star running back for the Frankford High Pioneers, admits he was late for school Oct. 29 when the two truancy officers followed him into the building.

Just inside the school doors, Thomas said the two officers "jumped" him and knocked him unconscious. One of the officers put him in handcuffs while the other continued to beat him, Thomas said.

Several students watched as school surveillance cameras captured the episode.

"The beating lasted seven to 10 minutes," said senior Denzel Parker-Dixon. He said it took five administrators to pull the officers off of Thomas.

The assault, Thomas said, left him with a bruised eye and a torn lip that required six stitches.

After being treated at a nearby hospital, Thomas was charged with aggravated assault for allegedly hitting the officers. A court hearing, scheduled for this morning in Juvenile Court, was postponed until Jan. 22."

I know what you all are thinking, and I was thinking the same thing: Those officers should lose their jobs and possibly be prosecuted. But I know some people very close to this case who say that I shouldn't be believing everything that I read. They say that these officers have a tough job and it was the student who instigated the whole thing.

Well I wasn't there, so I am not going to pass judgement. Still, just on its face, it doesn't look good for the school police. Then again I know how the children in Philly's public schools can act. Lately our fair city has been all over the news because of the behavior of some of our students. And you have to wonder how far the the level of frustration is rising with those who are charged to supervise and to teach.

I know who is there now: Yep, Rev. Al's people. "The National Action Network" is in the house.

"At the rally, Brinkley demanded that the security guards be arrested and charges against Thomas be dropped. He said that a school district probe of the incident was "a sham" because district investigators had not spoken with Thomas. He also claimed the investigators had tried to convince witnesses to change their stories.
"We're calling for the DA to convene a grand jury immediately," Brinkley said.

Thomas - in a dark suit, lavender shirt and a paisley tie - quietly watched the rally as his mother and grandmother stood by his side.

Since the incident, he said he has "problems eating a little bit," but his injuries have otherwise healed."

Now Mr. Brinkley was quoted earlier in this article as saying that "the schools are out of control and we need to do something about it." Yes they are, but it's not the school board officers who are out of control, it's the damn kids. These two officers might have been out of control on this particular occasion, but trust me, it's not a pattern. If anything we don't have enough damn truant officers. I will tell you who is out of control Mr. Brinkley; it's the damn thugs who come to school pretending to be students while preventing kids who are there to learn from doing just that.

If these officers acted inappropriately they should be punished. And let's hope that the school board and all concerned conduct a fair and swift investigation into the matter. Having said that, I am going to have to tell the Rev. and his organization to chill on this one. Philadelphia public school children are not the victims of human rights abuses at school. If anything, they are the victims of it at home. [Story here]

Oh, and before I go, there is another story out of Philly that has my attention. It's the series that my local paper is doing on the District Attorney's office, and their lack of convictions for violent offenders. Great series; loaded with stats and interesting reporting.

But here is the thing: And believe me, I have nothing but love for the Philadelphia Newspaper people. (Hell they feature this blog as a link on their web site for crying out loud!) But if they knew that our District Attorney was so bad, why the hell did they endorse her in the past in campaigns for that office? And why is it that they wait until she is leaving to do a report about just how inept her office was?

Come on guys, you are better than that. Next time expose ineptitude when it matters, not when the subject of your indignation is going out the door.