Charles E. Johnson

"A list was created, a shared list, by both boys and girls," said Charles Johnson, the Safe Schools coordinator for Vermont's Department of Education."After the list was created, the title was given and it circulated throughout the school.It was perpetrated by a number of participants, both boys and girls."

Though Johnson didn't come to Brattleboro to address this specific incident, "I have been to Brattleboro on many occasions."

"He's
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Johnson said he has seen an increase in various kinds of harassment over the years.He wasn't sure whether there was an actual increase in the numbers of incidents or whether people were more willing to speak up about them.

"We have good laws now," he said."We have good policies and procedures."

Still, he said, many schools are challenged when it comes to creating a safe environment.

"There is almost a wave of incidents in schools in various parts of Vermont where either boys or girls are creating a hostile environment for other students.Across the state we need more awareness in this area."

Johnson assists parents and school administrators in dealing with hazing, bullying and harassment.Sometimes he also serves as a mediator between parents and schools, which he called "a bridge to dialoguing with all parties involved at the same time."

Pulling students, parents and administrators together can help schools get to the bottom of such incidents to determine whether there is something deeper that needs to be addressed.

"It may be some kind of broader dialogue is needed to find out what is being taught regarding these kinds of issues," said Johnson.
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That can partly be blamed on the culture they are growing up in, which can be violent and encourages aggressiveness as a way of solving problems, said Johnson.

While some students may be able to weather such harassment or bullying without damage to their psyches, said Johnson, students "on the edge" can be seriously harmed to the point they might hurt themselves or others around them.
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Students go to school to learn, said Johnson, and they can't do that unless they are in a safe and healthy learning environment."

Charles Johnson, coordinator for the Safe & Healthy Schools program at the Vermont Department of Education, volunteered to help the students work out their differences by talking to each other in a small group.

Invitations were extended to about 25 of the people who were most affected by the fight, including those who participated, and those who witnessed the event.Although not all the students who were invited have attended the meetings, approximately 15 of them have met twice with Johnson, as well as AWARE Coordinator Naima Wade, Principal Jim Day, and various teachers and peer trainers.
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"We've had a good opportunity to talk to students on both sides of the altercation," Johnson said.He said conversation has moved beyond the events of the recent fight to explore other issues students face, such as name-calling, class and social discrimination, and the obvious race factor which has been creating so much controversy.

Johnson said one of the things the group addressed has been perception.

"In our corridors, which are narrow because of the construction, one kid bumps another.Now how do you perceive that?"he said."Was the kid trying to be rude, or was it simply a mistake?If it was a white student who bumped into a black student, is it racial harassment or an accident?

"How do we tease apart the issue of seeing?"Johnson continued.
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Johnson said that so far, with only two meetings under their belts, he feels the process of sharing stories and getting to know each other have had a positive impact on the students.

"There's a certain amount of respect that grows.It's not just a quote on the wall," he said.

Already, Johnson said, the program is tapping into the root of real issues that he said normally don't come up in the classroom, such as why some students insist on using the N-word even when they've been told it's not allowed.

"There's something beyond that that we want to get at," he said, and a suspension doesn't seem to be the way to do it.

Those involved suspect the group to grow considerably, and an established class would be a natural progression based on increased participation and areas of discussion.

"We'll have a very substantial group before we finish," Johnson said.

Charles E. Johnson has become safe schools coordinator at the Vermont Department of Education in Montpelier.Johnson has worked as a management consultant since 1981. (05/00)

Charles Johnson, hired by the state as an education consultant for hazing and harassment and discrimination issues for the DoE, also did not return phone calls from OITM.