A Soldier's Perspective
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CJ’s Speech To The Board
If you missed Cj’s speech to the Huntsville Board of Education live through the website, here is the written version. He did ad lib a few extra points, which is why his time ran out and didn’t get to read the last few paragraphs. But, he still got applause and board members and citizens approached him apologies for his treatment.
Mr. President, members of the board, Superintendent Moore, I come before the board today to bring your attention to a gross injustice being committed in your schools. My name is CJ Grisham and I used to have three kids in the Huntsville City Schools district.
You are already aware of how this began over a simple uniform dispute as other parents have addressed this body before on my behalf and theirs. I went to the next PTA meeting with a camera to protect myself as a result of my treatment following that first meeting. Unfortunately, it turned out that I needed that video because once again the Williams Middle School, Principal Avis Williams, began calling the Army and slandering my name.
A few weeks ago, I had a meeting with the Superintendent and a few other parents. During that meeting, I explained that the principal was calling my employer and asked if that was common practice. She assured me it was not and that she would speak with the principal and let her know that the only person that is to contact the Army about a parent would be her. Well, either she didn’t tell the principal this important rule or the principal simply ignored her. Since this meeting, the principal has called my place of employment twice with baseless accusations.
The environment at Williams Middle School and within Huntsville City Schools was so untenable and intimidating that my wife and I sought to have our kids transferred out of the district. When that wasn’t possible we made the decision to protect our kids – all of whom were straight A students before this issue happened and had NEVER had any disciplinary issues – by sending them to live with their grandparents. We spent over $1,400 to remove them from a school that doesn’t respect its students or their parents. This was not a decision we made lightly and it has resulted in our family being separated until complete our next military move in a few short weeks; a move that was pushed up more than five months solely because of our treatment by this school system. When we took our grievances to the administration, we were assured that steps would be taken to de-escalate the problems, but they only got worse.
Because of these false allegations against me by the principal and/or the PTA president, Angela Thomas, I have been threatened with a General Letter of Reprimand by the military. As a senior non-commissioned officer in the Army, this would be a career killer for me. In 15 years of honorable military service, I have never had these problems. Even in my time here in Huntsville, I have never had problems with school officials until this principal came in. I have gone through great lengths and contributed a great deal of money in support of this school. As a part-time DJ, I have donated my services to the schools free of charge. I have raised thousands of dollars for JROTC cadets. My wife volunteers weekly at the school, assisting the teachers. I have never had so much as a negative counseling against me since I was Private. Everything I’ve done with respect to my military service has been honorable and just. And because of the baseless accusations of ONE principal, my career is being trashed. My career is being trashed because I dared to disagree with a policy. I dared to question the principal. I was never disrespectful, but I was greatly disrespected. I tried to resolve my dispute through the school system while the principal tried to resolve it through the Army.
At a recent PTA meeting, the one in which I brought my camera, I was refused an opportunity to present a motion by the principal herself. She completely violated protocol and rules of order. I was refused an opportunity to intelligently and professionally discuss a policy that was quite controversial to many people. In fact, none of the parents were allowed to discuss it. The principal violated protocol and censored anyone that didn’t agree with her. She created a hostile environment by surrounding the PTA meeting with six security officials and a uniformed police officer, something that I’ve NEVER seen at a PTA meeting in the past. They even tried to get the police to search me as I entered, a violation of my 4th Amendment rights. At the end of the meeting, one of these security guards assaulted my wife and the principal has refused to give us his name. To this date, school officials, to include the Superintendent, have refused to grant me the name of the public school security official that violently grabbed my 5’2†wife and dragged her across a hallway.
Is this common practice within Huntsville City Schools to call parents’ employers when there is a disagreement with a policy? If I worked for the railroad, would she be calling my boss there? Is it common practice to manhandle them at a public meeting and stand in their face during discussion about a controversial policy? Is it common policy for principals to ignore meeting protocol and take over PTA meetings when there is disagreement? Is it encouraged for superintendents to not follow up on promises made to parents or for principals to ignore the superintendent without consequence?
I am not the only parent that is having issues with the principal or teachers at Williams Middle School. Yet, I am the only parent whose employer has been contacted. I have been very open every step of the way and attempted to resolve these disputes within school channels. However, I have continued to be ignored and treated with contempt and disrespect.
I no longer have a child in Huntsville City Schools. I will never have another child in Huntsville City Schools. I will never encourage another family to place their kids in these schools. I could not care less about uniform policies any longer. However, I do care about my good name being smeared in a coordinated effort by one of your principals and my concerns being ignored by your superintendent.
I am here tonight no longer as a parent, but as a citizen. I want the board to know what the actions of this one principal have done to my family. We are now separated from our children by hundreds of miles at a time when I value every day with them that I am not deployed. I can’t in good conscience allow them to stay in this school under these circumstances.
Thank you for your time.
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Hinton
Time to get a lawyer and count some coup.
Linnie
Well said! It’s sad what this has done to your family. The behavior of many, especially the principal is completely unethical and a classic example of unassertive discipline being used not just on children but parents. You have defiantly acted with courage and forbearance.
John
I think it’s obvious at this point (to any educated person, at least) that Prin. Williams has been way out of line in how she’s handled herself in this situation. Thank God I don’t have to entrust my children to the likes of her.
I don’t know enough about the Army to know what CJ can and can’t say about his commanding officers; but those in his chain of command who have allowed this harassment to go on are pathetic. If this is how you go about protecting the rights of soldiers in your charge, I think I’d rather have someone else protecting mine.
Or is it now the policy of the Army that soldiers cannot also be citizens?
Carol Steward
Exceptional CJ; as always you blew them away. Everything you said was so very true and important for the world to know; especially those parents in Huntsville’s School System. Like John, I am shocked at the way the garrison has treated you. Hopefully they will reconsider and realize they are destroying a family’s stability and possibly that family’s faith in the U.S. Army. Is it not enough that you have been separated from your children when you deployed to Iraq and other locations? Now they are at fault for this separation and it is totally uncalled for. May God touch their hearts so that they may reconsider their intentions.
NY-David
Sorry, I can’t type. I’m too busy clapping…..
NY-David
Donna
Bravo CJ…well said! I do hope that things will get settled and something will be done about this principal and her cronies. She doesn’t need to be in charge of that school anymore or for that matter any school!!
The Army needs to quit persecuting you for exercising your 1st Amendment rights!!
Shannon
BRAVO!!!
Thanks for the posting, Emily!
sue05
Great speech CJ. Thanks for posting it Emily! I don’t think there are words to describe the injustice in all of this. I know how much you value Family and I am so sorry you and the kids have to be separated. My good thoughts and prayers are with all of you.
Hilary
So? Have they said anything to you at all since? I am dying to know!
By the way, well said!
Brad
Bravo CJ. First, thank you for your service and all that you have done for our country. Regardless of the issus, you do not deserve the treatment you have received.
Dr. Ann Roy Moore and Ms. Williams should both be fired. Huntsville parents are tired of their dishonesty.
Dave
Just listened to the interview with Emily on WVNN. Infuriating situation.
You are not alone, many of us have fought the Huntsville School system for similar humiliating situations. You seem to have the lead and we support you.
Dr. Moore and the Huntsville school system are an embarrasment to the community and part of the reason for nationwide ridicule for such low academic standards. Listen to the podcast and there are several points where she, holding a doctorate degree, cannot get subject and verb agreement correct.
After this post, I am writing a letter to New Jersey newspapers in and around the Ft. Monmouth area to tell potential BRAC transferees to AVOID Huntsville…go to Madison or elsewhere…just to avoid the Huntsville schools.
I’m retired Army and can relate to the “guilty as alleged” approach the military takes in situations like this. That’s why I don’t miss the military.
Hooz
Bravo! Kudos to both of you for standing your ground and I hope your children are aware of the “Why’s” of the situation. You are setting a fine example of parenting.
As for the Army… I am not surprised at their lack of support. While I was enlisted the walls were covered in posters stating “Family – Our MOST IMPORTANT Unit” and the hypocrisy made me sick. My command treated family like crap. Made me gratefull to be single and childless at the time.
Claire
CJ, I had no idea you and your lovely wife have gone through this. I am beside myself. If there is anything we can do — letters, phone calls, donations for legal costs, anything… please let me know. In the meantime I am praying for you and your entire family. This goes beyond being atrocious!
Another CJ
Blessings to the Grisham family. May you find strength in knowing you have done the right thing. I’m lame at activism but if someone out there wants to set up a “family fund” for you to visit your children, I’m in.
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EHK
Have any of you thought about how negative all of this is? I have been following this story and have never heard of such negative, disgusting behavior come from parents who are supposed to be christian role models for their children. I feel sorry for the school administration who have had to deal with all of this while being distracted from their jobs as educators. Being in the same room with someone who feels the only way to get their point across is to yell, stand in a chair and slam their fist down on a table would make me feel threatened as well. Behavior such as that is completely unacceptable and appauling coming from an “adultâ€. I hope that you all can move on soon and try to focus on the positives in your life and be thankful for all that God has blessed you with.
CJ
EHK, what if I’m a Muslim or Jew? Am I a bad Muslim or Jewish role model too? Can you tell me what these “Christian role models” are? How do you know what religion, if any, I am. Can you explain to me when and where I yelled? What did I yell? Did anyone else yell? In which meeting did I stand upon a chair? Why did I slam my fist on a table? Did I slam my fist on a table?
I’m sorry, but you have no idea what you’re talking about except what you’ve heard. And, of course, you tend to believe ONE ADMINISTRATION over the NUMEROUS parents involved in this case. It’s not just me, I just happen to have been the one with a popular blog to broadcast it and that really steamed their egos.
DCM
Uh, shouldn’t somebody clean off the above posts with all the smut in them?