{news} School Threatens To Expel Students

Fri Mar 23 04:29:08 EDT 2007

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-advmessages-0322,0,5998285.story?coll=hc-headlines-local<http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-advmessages-0322,0,5998285.story?coll=hc-headlines-local>


      CONNECTICUT NEWS 

School Threatens To Expel Students
8:21 PM EDT, March 22, 2007 
By ZACH LOWE, The Advocate 

      STAMFORD -- School officials yesterday said they likely would expel any student arrested for leaving racist and threatening voice mail messages with a city teenager last month.

      The messages were left by at least four teenage boys who were together in a car after 11 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, according to police and attorneys involved in the case.

                 
      One of the boys in the back seat was the 14-year-old son of Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy, according to an attorney representing the victim's family and several sources with knowledge of the case.

      The New Haven attorney, John Williams, said police interviewed Malloy's son. Williams questioned why no one has been arrested or disciplined.

      Police have released no details about the case, and there is no evidence Malloy's son said anything on the voice mail messages.

      Williams said the victim's family may file a lawsuit against the city because of inaction on the part of police and school officials -- charges the officials deny.

      Late yesterday afternoon, the victim's family replaced Williams with Norm Pattis, an attorney in Bethany.

      Pattis would not comment on the involvement of Malloy's son, but said he is considering filing a lawsuit accusing the city of violating the victim's right to equal protection under the law.

      "I cannot imagine a situation in which a victim of a racial crime would be sent home and her tormentors would be given the run of the hallway," Pattis said. "It raises serious questions about equal protection under the law in Stamford."

      Malloy released a statement about his son yesterday afternoon.

      "I am today confirming that my son, who is 14 years old, has in fact fully cooperated with the Stamford Police Department in its investigation," Malloy said in the statement.

      The incident involved an argument between two people "with whom my son had no prior involvement," Malloy wrote. "I would like to point out that persons like my son with knowledge of the incident are in some cases juveniles whose identities are not normally reported upon in the media. However, in light of my status as mayor and father, I have decided to issue this statement."

      Malloy said he would not comment on the case beyond the statement.

      Police interviewed at least six potential suspects or witnesses in the case and expect to arrest at least one person early next week, Lt. Sean Cooney, a department spokesman, said Tuesday.

      The boys left three messages on the girl's cellular phone, according to a recording played for reporters yesterday by an attorney for the state NAACP.

      The girl's family contacted the NAACP in February to assist in the case.

      At least four voices are heard speaking in the messages.

      The first message is left by a boy with a deep voice and repeatedly uses a racial epithet to describe the girl.

      The second message includes at least two voices using the same racial epithet and threatening to kill the girl. One of the voices mentions "putting a bullet in your head like Martin Luther King."

      A new voice, higher in pitch than the previous ones, appears on the fourth message and uses the same racial epithet several times. Other voices from previousior messages then join in. 

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