NAPLES — Ten North Naples Middle School students were suspended last week after district officials said they participated in “kick a Jew day.â€
District Spokesman Joe Landon said a student told the dean of students at dismissal on Thursday that she was kicked because it was “kick a Jew day.â€
The following morning Principal Margaret Jackson addressed the entire student body on the morning news regarding the incident, reviewing the code of student conduct, explaining why what happened was wrong, the need to respect one another and possible consequences, Landon said.
Jackson asked that anyone with information on the incident come to the office and speak with her or the assistant principal as they investigated the incident.
As a result, the district determined that 10 students should be punished. The students received a one day, in-school suspension, which was served today. The parents of the 10 students were also called and conferences with the parents followed the phone calls, according to Landon.
Parents of the students who were kicked were also notified of what happened, Landon said.
Landon said until further notice, the school will focus the first 20 minutes of each day on character traits, beginning with respect and kindness. Homeroom teachers will speak with the students about these traits and will focus on bullying prevention, he said. Videos on the topic will be sought out and used as part of the training, he said.
Landon said the first 20 minutes of the school day is normally used for reading time and tutoring time if students need help.
David Barkey, south area council for the Florida Anti-Definmation League, said the organization had been made aware of the incident.
“You are talking about an incident that has anti-Jewish bias if not anti-Semitism. You have Jewish students being singled out, harassed and assaulted,†he said. “If the allegations are true, it is possible these students violated Florida’s new anti-bullying law. And, if students were physically assaulted, it could rise to the level of criminal conduct.â€
Rabbi James Perman, of Temple Shalom in North Naples, called the situation “alarming.â€
“I can tell you this: I haven’t seen anything like it in my 17 years in Naples. No child deserves this kind of treatment,†he wrote in an e-mail Monday. “Their parents are understandably outraged. So far it seems that the school system has taken appropriate measures and we applaud their efforts. At this point, teaching sensitive awareness is more important than punishing anyone.â€
Perman said how the situation is handled is of concern to those at the Temple because it involves children.
“Beyond that, there are critical issues for the entire Jewish community and beyond. ... These are not new issues for us here in Naples,†he wrote. “These 10 kids did not invent anti-Semitism. They found a sympathetic response that was already there on some level.â€
He said the Temple is ready to help.
The Collier County School District has a policy on bullying and harassment. It defines bullying as “systematically and chronically inflicting physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students or employees.â€
Harassment is defined as “any threatening, insulting, or dehumanizing gesture, use of data or computer software, or written, verbal or physical conduct directed against a student or school employee that places a student or school employee in reasonable fear of harm to his/her person or damage to his/her property,†among other things.
The students were disciplined in accordance with the bullying and harassment policy, which can range from “positive behavioral interventions up to and including suspension or expulsion, as outlined in the Code of Student Conduct,†according to the district’s policy.
