Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 18, 1993 TAG: 9305180300
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MARY BISHOP STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Frank Tyler, with the U.S. Justice Department's Community Relations Service in Philadelphia, left Franklin County on Friday after four days of talks with county residents and officials.
He postponed a Thursday night meeting of black parents and NAACP officials with School Board members and school administrators because, he said Monday, he feared it would become too confrontational.
"I think they're very far apart at this time," he said. "We're at recess as it relates to bringing the parties together . . . to give time for each party to really prepare themselves, to present proposals, to think through it as thoroughly as they can."
Linda White, president of the Franklin County branch of the NAACP, was annoyed with Tyler for calling off the Thursday meeting. "I don't know if he was bought off or he was on the other side or what . . . . This is what the School Board wanted anyway. They wanted to just string things out until the school year was over."
White said her organization refused to name two members of a proposed multicultural commission for the school system because, she said, the NAACP objected to other people who might serve on it.
The NAACP and a group of concerned black parents have asked the School Board to replace several school employees, including high school Principal Benny Gibson, Associate Superintendent Florella Johnson and high school wrestling coach Kris Kahila. They suggested that School Superintendent Leonard Gereau be replaced if the School Board lacked confidence in him, but White said the board declined.
The NAACP also demanded that high school guidance counselors be reassigned and "retrained" and that half of all cheerleading squad members be black. Fourteen percent of students at the school are black.
Tyler would not describe the issues, but he said "lack of trust" is keeping the parties from solving their disagreements. While much of the controversy revolves around the high school, Tyler said some issues lie outside the schools.
He was invited to the county by school officials after black parents complained of racist attitudes at the high school. He spent nearly a week in the county in April and returned a week ago.
"He insinuated himself into this problem," White said Friday. "We didn't ask him to come here."
Tyler said he does not know when he will return to hold further separate meetings with the parties. He leaves today to mediate a hunger strike by Haitian refugees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He expects to be there at least two weeks.
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.