#superintendent confrontation

[alwaysbewoke]

[projectreclaim]

The far left media has tried to demonize Oklahoma State Alpha Male Superintendent Ryan Walters for leading the biggest and necessary reform on the radical stranglehold on our education system.

Americans have made the resounding choice to return Donald Trump to the White House. His strong message on confronting the problems caused by rampant illegal immigration, an America-first economy, and getting education back on track echoed throughout the country. Now, the time has come to dismantle the Dept of Education, and to defund and call out any school with a woke marxist agenda. We will implement President Trump's America First agenda. This is not bipartisan this is a mandate!

Its time to crush these democrats communist ideologies once and for all.

[todaysdocument]

Statement of Afro-American Patrolmen's League

Record Group 21: Records of District Courts of the United StatesSeries: Civil Case FilesFile Unit: Renault Robinson and the Afro American Patrolmen's League v. James B. Conlisk, et al.

Confidential

[illegible] -24715

For Immediate Release

September 10, 1969

The Afro-American Patrolmen's League has sought a meeting with the Superintendent of Chicago's Ploice Department, James Conlisk, regarding the explosive situation in the Black Community that has reached a critical point. This explosive situation has been developed by the current demands of Blacks to confront a construction industry that has systematically discriminated against hiring of Blacks. The demands are not simply for jobs but for the right to control the hitherto sinister pattern of hiring in the construction trades. If Blacks cannot participate in the construction of their own communities, who shall?

Recent events in Chicago hace amplified the prophecy of the Kerner Report: "We are rapidly drifting into two societies, one Black and one White". The arrest of Rev. Jesse Jackson has, of course, raised grave concern in the Black Community. We, as Black policemen, are attempting to humanize and bridge the gap between the two drifting societies. We want to build a new world with a foundation based on Social Justice as stated in our Declaration of Independence: "All men are created equal and are endowed with certain inalienable rights, among whom are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

For a Policeman to state, "We are only doing our job" is to quite Adolph Eichmann when he defended the extermination of 10 million people. At this critical point in history we Black Policemen are standing up to be counted. People who are denied the right to build their own destinies have few options. In order to survive they must either struggle or surrender.

The Black Community will struggle for the right to construct buildings in Chicago. In struggle the potential for violence escalates. The need for a fair, just and impartial Police Department becomes paramount. We members of the Afro-American Patrolmen's League will continue to work towards that goal. We will no longer allow ourselves to be used as the oppressors of this Black Community in which we live. We will become its protectors.

In our Police Department there are few Black men who are in command positions. The racism of the Construction industry must not be perpetuated by the racism of the Police Department. To be legitimate the Police Department must represent all the people--Blace as well as White. As Rev. Jesse Jackson lies in a sick bed at the House of Correction and as the tension of this city increases, we Black Policemen join with all people of good will to make Dr. Marin Luther King's statement a reality: "Free at last, Free at least, Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

[anonymous-dentist]

Cellbit at the PTA meeting with a plate of Stuff that his boyfriend baked and demanded he give to Bad, who notoriously can’t handle spice. Cellbit isn’t the most welcome person at the PTA anymore now that he’s accepted an administrative assistant position under the evil Superintendent Cucurucho, but they also can’t just kick him out. The PTA may be full of shitheads and bastards, but fake politeness is a vital part of being part of the PTA.

So he shows up with the Stuff for Bad, and he’s immediately getting dirty looks from some of the parents thinking that he’s ‘betrayed’ them- Maxo, for one, and Bad himself.

But because you have to be polite at the PTA meeting, Bad accepts the Stuff.

Cellbit sits in the back of the room, mildly uncomfortable. How is he supposed to keep going to meetings like this when all of his friends hate him? And, for what? A secret investigation into the corrupt school board that he and his sister are working on?

(Superintendent Cucurucho has been embezzling funds from the school to beef up their own finances. And, rumor has it, they’ve been collecting parent and child information and selling it to line their own pockets. The PTA hates them, and so they now hate Cellbit by association.)

The meeting starts. Foolish wants to do a bake sale. Pierre wants to try and talk the high school into starting a robotics club. Baghera wants the PTA to sponsor a letter to the schools’ food providers for more vegan options.

Bad eats the Stuff, and he suggests a bake sale. Foolish jumps out of his chair and very politely tells Bad to suck his dick. (“Wow, Bad! What a great idea! Where did you come up with it?” “Why, thank you, Foolish! I’m just full of good ideas!” “Oh, yeah. Well. There’s something else you’re full of.”)

Cellbit texts Roier. Roier and Jaiden used to come to the PTA meetings, but they… can’t. Not anymore. So Roier is babysitting Richarlyson, because Pac and Mike are out of town at a science convention and Felps is… somewhere else.

Roier sends back a picture of Richarlyson asleep on the couch. Apparently, soccer practice wore him out. Aww.

“Who are you texting?” Maxo demands. “Cucurucho?”

He leers at Cellbit politely. He’s started coming to meetings again just now, years after his son’s death, because a DNA test showed that little Trumpet was biologically related to both Leonarda and Dapped, thus making him an uncle-slash-honorary-guardian. But Roier can’t come because he and Cellbit aren’t legally married yet even though they live together and Richarlyson calls him dad? Fuck off.

Cellbit smiles politely at Maxo. “Just my fiancé. By the way, Max, how’s it going without Sofia? Must have been tough for someone else to get to adopt her. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now.”

Maxo scowls and turns back to the meeting. Now, Foolish and Bad want to do rival bake sales. It’s for capitalism’s sake, or something.

PTA meetings only last an hour. So, when the meeting ends, it’s still light outside.

After the meeting itself ends, all the parents mingle together and eat whatever food they brought.

Nobody comes to talk to Cellbit, though.

He smiles through it, anyway. It’s the PTA, you have to be polite. That’s just how it is. Everyone is too polite to confront him and directly call him a sell-out and a traitor. They just say it with their eyes, and through passive-aggressive, non-specific Facebook posts.

So Cellbit leaves as soon as he can get his plate back. He goes back to his car, he slams his hand frustratedly against the steering wheel, he shouts a little, and then he starts the short drive home.

At least Bad threw up from the spice.

That was pretty funny.

[olderthannetfic]

Re: "people are shocked because the attitude you are describing Kills People. that is not an exaggeration, that is not a joke, and that is not a hypothetical."

I'm the "confused" kpop anon from before. Reading comprehension should be taught more thoroughly in schools, clearly, because it's clear that this person and I agree. The problem is the alienation of "the Self" under capitalism as companies sell fans a mockery of whatever they want via "the idol." What I expressed my confusion about is how kpop fans, really stans in general, don't see how this (the dehumanization of people) is the logical conclusion from their model of business. You have to either reject or accept all of what comes with stan culture. There is no in-between. Companies and stans can't rely or brag about people mass buying albums to then turn around and complain that there's a "dating scandal." Stans are upset because companies have been marketing male and female idols as surrogate boyfriends and girlfriends to fans for decades, so they're upset when they date people and have lies. It forces the fans to confront the reality of their one-sided relationship. It's a toxic culture that the kpop (and western) music industry relies on to keep itself afloat. The entire culture has to change (stop calling them "idols," for a start), but until then, while fans indulge in said culture when it benefits them and selectively opt out when it doesn't, I don't understand why people are surprised. It's like superintendents of a school district being surprised test scores dropped after cutting school budgets for 5 years consecutively. What, exactly, do y'all expect? This is the logical conclusion.

--

[antiporn-activist]

We knew this was coming, and it's here...

Teen Girls Confront an Epidemic of Deepfake Nudes in Schools

Using artificial intelligence, middle and high school students have fabricated explicit images of female classmates and shared the doctored pictures.

April 8, 2024

After boys at Francesca Mani’s high school fabricated and shared explicit images of girls last year, she and her mother, Dorota, began urging schools and legislators to enact tough safeguards.Shuran Huang

After boys at Francesca Mani’s high school fabricated and shared explicit images of girls last year, she and her mother, Dorota, began urging schools and legislators to enact tough safeguards.Shuran Huang

Westfield Public Schools held a regular board meeting in late March at the local high school, a red brick complex in Westfield, N.J., with a scoreboard outside proudly welcoming visitors to the “Home of the Blue Devils” sports teams.

But it was not business as usual for Dorota Mani.

In October, some 10th-grade girls at Westfield High School — including Ms. Mani’s 14-year-old daughter, Francesca — alerted administrators that boys in their class had used artificial intelligence software to fabricate sexually explicit images of them and were circulating the faked pictures. Five months later, the Manis and other families say, the district has done little to publicly address the doctored images or update school policies to hinder exploitative A.I. use.

“It seems as though the Westfield High School administration and the district are engaging in a master class of making this incident vanish into thin air,” Ms. Mani, the founder of a local preschool, admonished board members during the meeting.

In a statement, the school district said it had opened an “immediate investigation” upon learning about the incident, had immediately notified and consulted with the police, and had provided group counseling to the sophomore class.

Tenth-grade girls at Westfield High School in New Jersey learned last fall that male classmates had fabricated sexually explicit images of them and shared them.Peter K. Afriyie/Associated Press

“All school districts are grappling with the challenges and impact of artificial intelligence and other technology available to students at any time and anywhere,” Raymond González, the superintendent of Westfield Public Schools, said in the statement.

Blindsided last year by the sudden popularity of A.I.-powered chatbots like ChatGPT, schools across the United States scurried to contain the text-generating bots in an effort to forestall student cheating. Now a more alarming A.I. image-generating phenomenon is shaking schools.

Boys in several states have used widely available “nudification” apps to pervert real, identifiable photos of their clothed female classmates, shown attending events like school proms, into graphic, convincing-looking images of the girls with exposed A.I.-generated breasts and genitalia. In some cases, boys shared the faked images in the school lunchroom, on the school bus or through group chats on platforms like Snapchat and Instagram, according to school and police reports.

Such digitally altered images — known as “deepfakes” or “deepnudes” — can have devastating consequences. Child sexual exploitation experts say the use of nonconsensual, A.I.-generated images to harass, humiliate and bully young women can harm their mental health, reputations and physical safety as well as pose risks to their college and career prospects. Last month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation warned that it is illegal to distribute computer-generated child sexual abuse material, including realistic-looking A.I.-generated images of identifiable minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

Yet the student use of exploitative A.I. apps in schools is so new that some districts seem less prepared to address it than others. That can make safeguards precarious for students.

“This phenomenon has come on very suddenly and may be catching a lot of school districts unprepared and unsure what to do,” said Riana Pfefferkorn, a research scholar at the Stanford Internet Observatory, who writes about legal issues related to computer-generated child sexual abuse imagery.

At Issaquah High School near Seattle last fall, a police detective investigating complaints from parents about explicit A.I.-generated images of their 14- and 15-year-old daughters asked an assistant principal why the school had not reported the incident to the police, according to a report from the Issaquah Police Department. The school official then asked “what was she supposed to report,” the police document said, prompting the detective to inform her that schools are required by law to report sexual abuse, including possible child sexual abuse material. The school subsequently reported the incident to Child Protective Services, the police report said. (The New York Times obtained the police report through a public-records request.)

In a statement, the Issaquah School District said it had talked with students, families and the police as part of its investigation into the deepfakes. The district also “shared our empathy,” the statement said, and provided support to students who were affected.

The statement added that the district had reported the “fake, artificial-intelligence-generated images to Child Protective Services out of an abundance of caution,” noting that “per our legal team, we are not required to report fake images to the police.”

At Beverly Vista Middle School in Beverly Hills, Calif., administrators contacted the police in February after learning that five boys had created and shared A.I.-generated explicit images of female classmates. Two weeks later, the school board approved the expulsion of five students, according to district documents. (The district said California’s education code prohibited it from confirming whether the expelled students were the students who had manufactured the images.)

Michael Bregy, superintendent of the Beverly Hills Unified School District, said he and other school leaders wanted to set a national precedent that schools must not permit pupils to create and circulate sexually explicit images of their peers.

“That’s extreme bullying when it comes to schools,” Dr. Bregy said, noting that the explicit images were “disturbing and violative” to girls and their families. “It’s something we will absolutely not tolerate here.”

Schools in the small, affluent communities of Beverly Hills and Westfield were among the first to publicly acknowledge deepfake incidents. The details of the cases — described in district communications with parents, school board meetings, legislative hearings and court filings — illustrate the variability of school responses.

The Westfield incident began last summer when a male high school student asked to friend a 15-year-old female classmate on Instagram who had a private account, according to a lawsuit against the boy and his parents brought by the young woman and her family. (The Manis said they are not involved with the lawsuit.)

After she accepted the request, the male student copied photos of her and several other female schoolmates from their social media accounts, court documents say. Then he used an A.I. app to fabricate sexually explicit, “fully identifiable” images of the girls and shared them with schoolmates via a Snapchat group, court documents say.

Westfield High began to investigate in late October. While administrators quietly took some boys aside to question them, Francesca Mani said, they called her and other 10th-grade girls who had been subjected to the deepfakes to the school office by announcing their names over the school intercom.

That week, Mary Asfendis, the principal of Westfield High, sent an email to parents alerting them to “a situation that resulted in widespread misinformation.” The email went on to describe the deepfakes as a “very serious incident.” It also said that, despite student concern about possible image-sharing, the school believed that “any created images have been deleted and are not being circulated.”

Dorota Mani said Westfield administrators had told her that the district suspended the male student accused of fabricating the images for one or two days.

Soon after, she and her daughter began publicly speaking out about the incident, urging school districts, state lawmakers and Congress to enact laws and policies specifically prohibiting explicit deepfakes.

“We have to start updating our school policy,” Francesca Mani, now 15, said in a recent interview. “Because if the school had A.I. policies, then students like me would have been protected.”

Parents including Dorota Mani also lodged harassment complaints with Westfield High last fall over the explicit images. During the March meeting, however, Ms. Mani told school board members that the high school had yet to provide parents with an official report on the incident.

Westfield Public Schools said it could not comment on any disciplinary actions for reasons of student confidentiality. In a statement, Dr. González, the superintendent, said the district was strengthening its efforts “by educating our students and establishing clear guidelines to ensure that these new technologies are used responsibly.”

Beverly Hills schools have taken a stauncher public stance.

When administrators learned in February that eighth-grade boys at Beverly Vista Middle School had created explicit images of 12- and 13-year-old female classmates, they quickly sent a message — subject line: “Appalling Misuse of Artificial Intelligence” — to all district parents, staff, and middle and high school students. The message urged community members to share information with the school to help ensure that students’ “disturbing and inappropriate” use of A.I. “stops immediately.”

It also warned that the district was prepared to institute severe punishment. “Any student found to be creating, disseminating, or in possession of AI-generated images of this nature will face disciplinary actions,” including a recommendation for expulsion, the message said.

Dr. Bregy, the superintendent, said schools and lawmakers needed to act quickly because the abuse of A.I. was making students feel unsafe in schools.

“You hear a lot about physical safety in schools,” he said. “But what you’re not hearing about is this invasion of students’ personal, emotional safety.”

Natasha Singer writes about technology, business and society. She is currently reporting on the far-reaching ways that tech companies and their tools are reshaping public schools, higher education and job opportunities. More about Natasha Singer

A version of this article appears in print on April 11, 2024, Section B, Page 1 of the New York edition with the headline: Fake A.I. Nudes Create Crisis in Schools. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

[seileach67]

Oklahoma’s Anti-LGBTQ Superintendent Confronted to His Face About Nex Benedict’s Death 

[ukrfeminism]

More than a third of all British women who travel by railway are likely to be assaulted during their commute, new data commissioned by the British Transport Police (BTP) has revealed.

BTP data also indicates that most assaults occur during the evening rush hour when trains are packed and busy.

Unacceptable behaviour such as leering, catcalling, touching, pressing, upskirting or indecent exposure is being experienced by women more than ever, with 51% of female victims stating that other rail passengers intervened to try to help.

However, only one in five people who have witnessed incidents of sexual harassment reported it to police.

BTP Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Furnell called on the community to watch out and stand up for each other while catching the train or tube.

“I’ll guarantee that most of us have told our daughters, mums, or friends to be careful on their way home when they’re travelling alone late at night – perhaps to share their journeys and stick to well-lit areas,” he said.

“But we know that sexual harassment and offending can take place at any hour of the day, and our figures show that it’s most likely to happen at the busiest hours when carriages are most full.

“This means we all have a part to play in taking our heads out of our phones or newspapers and being aware of what’s going on around us – and if we see something that isn’t right, doing something about it, whether that’s intervening, if you feel safe to do so or reporting it to police.”

Mr Furnell urged members of the public to report incidents of sexual harassment, whether experienced or witnessed, to the police.

“Driving out this unacceptable behaviour is our number one priority at British Transport Police,” he said, adding: “We will always believe you and take you seriously.”

The BTP survey does indicate that rail passengers are looking out for each other. However, officials are urging the public to report sexual harassment incidents to police so offenders can be held to account.

Chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group Jacqueline Starr revealed that the industry is working hand in hand with BTP to stamp out sexual harassment on trains.

“The latest data shows that harassment doesn’t just happen out of sight,” Ms Starr said.

“Experiences of sexual harassment are sadly a reality for many women, but as an industry, our message is clear: any form of sexual harassment on the rail network is completely unacceptable, and we are working with the British Transport Police to confront this problem.”

Specialist teams of plain-clothed British Transport officers use data provided by the public to target patrols and identify offenders.

On trains, the rail industry and BTP are rolling out a new, ongoing anti-sexual harassment campaign to educate passengers on how to recognise situations of sexual harassment, how to intervene safely, and how to report perpetrators to keep all passengers safe from harassment while commuting to work, home, or wherever their destination may be.

[kasadora]

On Gregory and Passivity

Stupid observation.

But I’ve been thinking about how Gregory is kinda passive and not very proactive in his own life. One of the few times we see him actively going after what he wants is with Janine:

Holiday Hookah: I think this is one of the times he was not pushed by anything. He wanted her and he went after her. It’s a pity he was in a committed relationship lol.

PECSA: Same thing as HH, alcohol makes him really bold. He was not motivated by anything but his desire for her.

Franklin Institute: Even though he did confess his feelings for her, I don’t think he was gonna tell her that day, he was pushed by her giving him the cold shoulder. Or maybe he would have in a different way, and not when tensions were so high, who knows?

But back to him being not so proactive.

What did he do when he realised why he never got the principal job because Ava bribed the superintendent? Absolutely nothing. He didn’t even send hit the superintendent up, knowing very well he would have qualified somewhere else. He didn’t even confront her knowing that.

He knew long before his relationships ended that they were not working but instead of ending them, he just waited to see what was going to happen, granted Taylor actually beat him to it BUT he was just gonna sit there and let it Peter out. He knew he didn’t feel like himself around Amber, which is a valid reason to break up but did nothing about it. I actually think he tried way too hard to hold onto that relationship despite feeling that.

It’s not until season 3 and starting the Garden Goofballs club that he’s actively starting to go after the things that he wants and is making it happen. Even now with him finally admitting that he likes her still and is going to tell her, he chickens out by listening to someone who he admits sucks. He thinks way too much and it’s holding him back a lot. And if you look at him holistically, his entire character and not just his relationship with Janine, it makes sense that he’d “hold off” with Janine because he’s passivity is not reserved for her alone, but for every major decision he makes about his life.

Basically what I’m trying to say that his passivity is very detrimental to him and his progress as a person because it’s not just with Janine, it’s with his entire life. It’s a legitimate pain point that he has and I hope he’s starting to recognise because it should not take him seeing other people have the things that he wants to push. He really needs to start taking shit with both hands lol.

I am once again thinking too deeply about sitcom characters …

[yotsubaclover]

explaining my blorbo associations pt2: jules who i do not draw often im so sorry u look like that babygirl

song: i actually... have never made a jules playlist LMAO my jules brainrot is so academic i could spit theories for him but not songs. so i had to dive into my spotify likes and find something. goldilocks spot is actually from a very old jolyne playlist i made but i think it also fits jules. to me it's a song about being painfully aware of how... average? not-outstanding? just there? you are and the angst that comes with it, the bitterness towards other people (in jules' case, for not seeing him as who he knows himself to be—a noble). but there's also a stubborness and pride that keeps you from fully confronting those feelings/that dilemma and finding peace within it, which is fitting for the persistent turbulence within jules... a lot of this is my (quite liberal?) interpretation tho so yeah

color & object: purple is the color of royalty and lavender is pretty and calming and healing. quite the nice set of descriptions for someone like jules :)

animal: i dont kin assign animals often so this was hard. but i chose raven as a parallel to doves... because jules' dove of happiness was/is rosemarine, and because jules is almost like rose's shadow in many ways... also ravens are kinda bad omens i feel like for all the gentleness jules shows he is also obviously capable and willing to do terrible things, he's selfish and prideful and even a little greedy... and lol i think the negativity also fits some of his self-image

drink: tea! of course! what else would i put

aesthetic: i think classic dark academia with all its elite-ness and occult-ness and general fucked up-ness would be a very average jules genre. smack him in a dark academia plot a la secret history and he's right at home lol. even his fallen noble status makes for an interesting pov in a dark academia story. the genre's potential for class analysis and commentary too is jules de ferrier

other: i think it was a fic which was about jules and perfume which made me think about this association... lavender was the scent too so that is another explanation to the above lol. as for the shadows again it's cos of his duo thing with rosemarine but also everything he does is kind of... in the shadows... he has engaged in shady shit (gang moment???) and is often lurking/observing situations (as the right hand man yk) and also just him looking out for the people he cares about even if in incredibly convoluted ways (see: rosemarine and jules' deal with the thugs who wanted to beat him up when they first arrived at lacombrade). he does the dirty work in the dark or smth like that. tbh there are a lot of oppositions with rosejules, the light/shadow thing is pretty on the nose i think but my favorite is probably the feminine/masculine. (disclaimer thisis an idea spitball Only so pls do not sue me for incorrect use of terminology; im sorry feminist theory i promise ill read more of you BUT a lot of the ideas kind of branch out of 2nd wave ideas/concepts i believe)

because publicly rose seems to take the patriarchal role as the superintendent (ie. being the disciplinarian, having power, being the symbol of the institution) while jules assumes a more matriarchal role as advisor, someone more approachable and "kinder" than the patriarch... then it all gets skewed because of auguste's presence, so they actually switch with rose being "feminized" and jules being "masculinized" but anyway LOL i have many thoughts on this specific kind of. feminist/queer inspired reading of rosejules

i hate his ass so much cos it's so fucking hard to break his character down in a comprehensible way. the thesis topic thing is only partly a joke. i genuinely think with the depths i am going to look at this i can find something in him or maybe im just delusional lmao i probably am

[eaudrey35]

CNN Host CONFRONTS Bible-Thumping MAGA School Superintendent

Oklahoma y'all racked 48 out of 50 n education. Yet y'all want to spend millions n putting Bibles n every classroom. First shouldn't u focus on teaching the children how to read said Bible first. Putting the Bible n every classroom and the children not knowing how to read it defeats the purpose doesn't. Then y'all purchase the Trump Bible at that. Lord they really hate educating children

[cynicalone94]

Obedience

Read on AO3 here.

He has no idea how it had come to this. 

Except that he does. 

A violent drug dealer that he has history with had been found dead a few hours after a confrontation with the man that if he’s being honest had gotten a little out of hand. 

And now he’s on modified duty until his team can prove that he didn’t do it. 

Which means they have to figure out who did kill the scumbag from his long list of other enemies and provide enough proof. 

All while a notable alderman screams up the city with complaints that even drug dealers don’t deserve to be gutted in their homes by the police. 

Honestly, at this point the only reason that Voight hasn’t sent him home is the fact that they aren’t really sure it’s safe to do so. 

He’s trying to stay off the news sites and social media but its hard. There’s only so much he can do since he isn’t allowed to touch anything to do with the case. 

He’s about ready to make his way down the stairs and ask Trudy if he can help with something at the desk when the gate buzzes open, revealing Commander Jenkins, Deputy Superintendent Austin and a very uncomfortable looking pair of patrol officers. 

Jay’s stomach immediately twists.

Voight steps out of his office. 

“It’s been six hours.” he says, arms folded across his chest. 

“You know how it goes with public opinion cases like this.” Austin says, his tone sympathetic but his face anything but. “And in this climate we can’t be seen going easy on a suspect because he’s a fellow cop.”

“So be seen hauling him in for questioning.” Voight snarls. “Oh wait, he’s right fucking here. You want me to go make him camp out in interrogation in case we have any more questions that he hasn’t already answered?”

“Not enough anymore.” Austin says. “It’s time to make an arrest. Show the public that we won’t just close ranks and protect a brother in blue.”

An arrest?

“On what grounds?” Voight demands. “There is no evidence aside from the incredibly tenuous circumstantial evidence that he argued with the victim the day of the murder. A victim who, might I add, probably argued with a lot of people that day.”

“Nobody else was witnessed shoving him.” Austin says. “And Halstead doesn’t have an alibi.”

“You’re just pandering to the public to further your own career.” Voight hisses. “And all the better if it gives you the chance to take a dig at me in the process. But you’re hurting a damn good cop to do it.”

“We have a duty to uphold and honor the law.” Austin says aloofly. “And he had a duty to obey it.”

“Detective Halstead.” Commander Jenkins says, looking uneasy. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to hand over your badge to your sergeant.”

His weapon had been surrendered six hours ago, when it had first been discovered that Jennings was dead. Now his badge too. 

He unclips it from his belt, avoiding eye contact with the rest of his team as he reaches toward Voight. His boss locks his jaw, glaring fiercely at Austin but eventually reaches out and takes it from him. 

“Officer Tanika.” Austin says, no longer making any attempt to hide the glee in his voice. “Search and cuff him.”

This brings a round of protests from his team. Typically when a cop is arrested, being handcuffed in the station is avoided to allow them to maintain some level of dignity. 

Jay isn’t surprised though. Austin wants this to be some big public show. 

Wants to prove to the pubic that he, and by extension Superintendent Greenway, won’t stand by and allow police corruption to run rampant in the department. 

He steps out into the open, placing his hands on the back of his head while the young officer steps forward, searching him with shaking hands. 

He doesn’t know Tanika well but he’s worked with him a few times in the past. Knows enough to know that he isn’t any more okay with this than Jay is. 

But none of them have any choice but to obey Austin’s orders and go along with it until his team can prove that it wasn’t him. 

Voight doesn’t speak again until he’s been cuffed. 

“We’re going to find out who really did this.” he says, his words for Jay as much as for Austin. “And I hope you’ll be prepared to make as a big of a display of admitting that you were wrong when we do.”

“We’ll worry about that step when you do.” Austin says, but any idiot could see the heavy implication of if they do painted over his words. 

“How long do you think you can stall before taking this to trial?” Hailey demands and Jay can’t help but look over at her, pained to see the glassy look in her eyes. 

Hailey is the toughest person he knows but she can sometimes be an angry crier, especially when helplessness is added to the mix. And he knows she hates that her body reacts to the emotion that way. 

“You have to know that this won’t hold up in court.” Adam adds. “Voight’s right, you’ve got nothing.”

“I’m sure homicide will find the evidence that I need while you all scramble for nonexistence evidence trying to prove that your boy is innocent.” Austin says. “In the meantime, get him booked Officer.”

There’s less of a media presence outside the station than Jay had expected but the dozens of civilian protestors that have been there all day kick up plenty of fuss. 

Cellphone cameras still capture plenty of footage of him being shoved into the back of the patrol car and he hates that Austin is getting exactly what he wants. 

Public outcry hasn’t even been that high the few times that he’d been unable to resist the pull of the internet. 

Trent Jennings was a young black man supposedly murdered in cold blood by a white cop. That had given some rise to the level of protests that the alderman had been able to stir up. 

But no spin artist in the world could even try to paint the man as innocent which has made a lot of the protests lackluster at best. 

What it boils down to is that in no way does Austin ‘have’ to do this. He sees a chance to curry public favor and like a lot of the brass, wants to knock Voight down a peg. 

Jay just hopes the man has a plan to walk this back when his team is able to prove his innocence. 

Because they will. It’s only a matter of time. 

He’s jolted out of his thoughts by the squealing of brakes and crunching of metal as the car is t-boned, sending them careening off path and into a ravine. 

He immediately fumbles for the spare handcuff key that he conceals at his waistline. 

He’s not surprised Tanika had missed it, had planned on letting him know it was there before he was taken into the prison to avoid embarrassing the kid but hadn’t wanted to do so in front of Austin. 

He’s glad he hadn’t now as he quickly unlocks the cuffs, calling out for the young officer as he does. 

“Tanika? Hey, come on, talk to me. Are you okay up there?”

He sets the cuffs aside and presses up against the mesh security wall. The car is twisted and damaged but not so much as to provide him a way out of this backseat to check on him. 

Tanika is slumped against the steering wheel, blood running down his forehead and unresponsive to Jay’s calls. 

And then the screech of metal on metal gets his attention and he looks over to see a man in a black ski mask prying the door across from him open. 

“Who are you?” he demands. “What do you want?”

“You’re coming with us.” the man says and Jay looks down at the crowbar. 

It’s a decent weapon but its not a gun and he could probably take the guy. 

“I’m not here alone.” the man says. “You might be able to fight me off but you won’t get past the others.”

Jay sees the others but they’re far enough away that he’s pretty sure if he dropped this guy now he could get away, get to help before they got to him. 

But that would leave Officer Tanika alone with these people and he won’t do that. 

“If you let me radio for an ambulance for him I won’t fight you.” Jay says. “I’ll come quietly.”

The man glances up at the front. 

“He just arrested you. You’d do that for him?”

“He was just doing his job.” Jay says. “He’s hurt and he doesn’t deserve to die. Please.”

The man tilts his head but nods, opening the front door and grabbing the kid’s radio to hand to Jay.

“5021 George. 10-1 at 2650 W Fulton Street. Officer down, need an ambulance and CFD.” 

The radio is ripped from his hands as soon as he’s done and then he’s being pulled out of the car. 

His arms are jerked behind his back and secured with a zip tie. True to his word he doesn’t fight the man, allowing himself to be restrained and then pulled up the ravine.

Now in addition to solving a murder and proving his innocence, his team will have to discover who’s behind his abduction, where he’s been taken and come rescue him. 

Hopefully they can multi-task. 

[beardedmrbean]

A Missouri teacher has been charged with statutory rape for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old student while other students served as “lookouts” — with the boy’s father also facing a felony charge for condoning the disturbing relationship.

Laquey High School math teacher Hailey Clifton-Carmack, 26, was arrested in Garden Ridge, Texas, on Friday after she “was suspected of fleeing the State of Missouri” to avoid arrest warrants, according to law enforcement.

Allegations of the sex crimes committed by Clifton-Carmack first arose on Dec. 7, 2023.

A fellow student reported the alleged illicit relationship to the school’s resource officer, who immediately contacted the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department, court documents show.

The witness then met with law enforcement officials, to whom he showed photographs of his classmate with scratches on his back.

The witness alleged that the “scratches were from Hailey after the confidential victim had sex with her” in the “driveway” of the witness’s home. 

The witness also claimed the math teacher had been in trouble with school administrators in the past for “being too close with students.”

Clifton-Carmack — a recently divorced mother of two — would often wear “tight or low-cut shirts” to show off her “headlights” and “tight leggings that ‘showed off her camel toe,’” according to court documents. 

The witness told investigators the victim was the reason “her divorce was pushed through” and that “Hailey had wanted a divorce due to her husband only wanting to ‘do butt stuff,'” the court document revealed.

Detectives confronted the teacher on Dec. 8, 2023, following the allegations, but she denied having any sexual relationship with any students.

Police confiscated her phone but could not access its contents until a warrant was granted.

After a warrant was issued to access the phone on Dec. 22, police found text messages that showed an alleged relationship was going on between the 16-year-old student and the educator, according to court documents.

Clifton-Carmack left Missouri to visit family in Texas around Dec. 23.

Police interviewed “individuals living at the residence that Hailey was previously living at” in Missouri on Jan. 3, 2024, who shared that she had “moved to Texas to live with her family down there” and “were not sure if she was going to return.”

Warrants were issued for the teacher’s arrest soon after.

Following her arrest in Texas on Friday, she was charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, second-degree statutory rape, sexual contact with a student, and fourth-degree child molestation. Her bond was set at $250,000, according to court records.

She is awaiting extradition to Missouri from the Comal County Jail.

The district’s superintendent, Kent Stoumbaugh, said Clifton-Carmack had not been on school grounds since the allegations were first brought to light, in a statement provided to ABC 17.

“The alleged misconduct is inexcusable and does not meet the professional standards for district employees. The district took immediate action once we were aware of this situation,” Stoumbaugh wrote.

“The employee has not been in the district since December 8, 2023, and we do not anticipate her return.”

Stoumbaugh shared that Clifton-Carmack had worked at the school for about a year and a half, and the job was her first teaching gig.

In a shocking twist, new charges have been brought against the boy’s father, who allegedly revealed to others that he was aware of his son’s illicit relationship with the teacher.

Mark Creighton was arrested on Thursday on charges of endangering the welfare of a child.

On Wednesday, a second witness revealed they told the teen’s father of the alleged wrongdoings, to which he replied he was aware Clifton-Carmack and his 16-year-old son were in a “sexual relationship,” according to court documents.

The father also allegedly shared he knew that his son and the math teacher used other students as “lookouts” to have sex during school hours.

Creighton “knew of the relationship of his minor child and the 26-year-old teacher, and instead of reporting the information, he continued to cover for them and allowed the relationship to continue” and “even allowed Hailey to come over to his residence and see the victim while he was present,” according to prosecutors.

When the witness told Creighton they would come forward with the information, he responded by telling them that his son and Clifton-Carmack “are going to do it behind my back, so I may as well let it happen.”

He also reportedly told a witness he would lie for his son if he had to.

The teen’s father is being held on a $50,000 bond.

[cdyssey]

Abbott 2.19 Thoughts:

Finally getting to sit down and watch Abbott. 😭 Lots of errands this morning. Alas.

Sad cold open with everyone either panicked or resigned to what’ll happen if Legendary Charters takes over. :(

“I’M GONNA BUTTER UP DELISHA SLOSS LIKE A HOT DINNER ROLL AND SEE WHAT SHE CAN DO FOR US ON THE SCHOOL BOARD LEVEL.” BARBARA HOWARD, MA’AM, MARRY ME SKWJDIWJWJSAJ.

The way Mel was looking at her during that sequence!! When she bit her lip!! LAW just makes the most sapphic looks, lmfao.

“People always open the door for me because they think I’m a lost child.” AKQKQNSJDIWIENDNS. Quips about Janine’s height are always my fave bc I’m literally Quinta’s height.

AVA DOES LOOK GREAT. THAT DOUBLE-BREASTED BLACK BLAZER. MA’AM?

Ava said I’mma show all the ladies of Abbott how hot I am and walk off. And she’s so right.

“Oh, hey, you’re the mom with the bi—“ KAKQJWJSDNS. Love that green eye shadow. So pretty.

“EXTRA PETITE BITCH.” AKQKQOWJDJSJ. I love her.

Obsessed with Barbara being obsessed with buttering up metaphors this episode.

JACOB SAYING SON OF A BITCH AND SLAMMING THE FRIDGE DOOR. OMFG.

“I’ll do it with you after school Janine.” / Barbara: “Oooooooh!” HELP WOQOQOWJDJSJIWWJDJ.

“I’ll get engaged with you.” KQQOQOJWWIIED. Goddammit, I love Gregory Eddie.

Melissa turning a random yt dude into “Jacob” when that angry parent confronted her, lmfao.

Erica!!!!! I’m so glad that Abbott has leaned into recurring characters this season. They really add to the life of the show.

Melissa: “I get it. I wouldn’t sign anything I handed me.” That line is actually really sad. What the fuck

Ava going for a job interview?! 😭

Ava listening in on her neighbors arguing is so fuckjng funny lmao.

Loving Jacob’s energy in this episode. Chris Perfetti is having a lot of fun playing angry and stressed.

Barbara slapping her wife when she makes a mean quip towards Allie, lmfao.

Ava knows tons of names. “Barbara, Melissa, Jason, Marge…” AKSNDNS.

Jacob getting ready to FIGHT Mr. Morton.

BARBARA HOWARD GOING “WE HAVE TO TRICK THEM.” HELP ME?! DID I JUST HEAR THAT OUT OF MY FAVORITE WOMAN OF GOD’S MOUTH?!

Melissa, agreeing immediately: “No, let’s trick them.” JAKQKWSJDJWJSJ. Mel and Ava have rubbed off on Barbara, and it’s just really glorious, huh? This is not the same Barb from “Ava vs. Superintendent” or “Fundraiser.”

“Why can’t you ever give me credit for a good idea?” / “Stop making everything about you, Janine.” PLEASE. I love Ava and Janine’s push-and-pull dynamic. I think it would be fun to have them in a bottle episode, where they’re like trapped in a closet or car or elevator together or something.

Ava’s face being on the A.V.A. banner. WNDJWNS.

“Barbara’s working on a motivational speech!” / “And to them I say, this is how you Abbott!” [To Ava] “I’m thinking about ending with a song.” / “We welcome your vocal acrobatics.” BARBAVA ENJOYERS, RISE.

It will be a genuine travesty if they done let SLR sing for real on the show sometime before it’s over.

Also, I’m loving Ava’s walk-and-talk with the camera. It’s such a pointed reminder of how much in the public eye this all is and how the characters are so aware of that.

Gregory is sooooo pressed that Janine suggests calling Tariq, lmao.

Jacob dropping his phone trying to look up Jazmine Sullivan, lolololol. Chris is killing the physical comedy in this ep.

MR. J PRETENDING A CURLING IRON IS A METAL DETECTOR HELP ME WMWJKEWJSJ.

“Guilty. Serving a life sentence as an educator.” ☠️

“Listen, lady. I’m just tryin’ to dunk a white dude.” AKQKWKDJWJSJSISJ

Ava lying about Jazmine S. bc Barb said to trick people. Omfg. Oh, how the tables have turned!!!

Hulu is showing me a Jennifer Coolidge commercial, and that makes me happy. She deserves the world.

TARIQ!!

Gregory: “Get on the stage.” AKQOQOOWOWJDIEOWIEIDJD

Barbara Howard’s mouth falling the fuck open when Tariq first starts rapping. I’m laughing so hard. I love Sheryl.

“Never have I ever been so happy to hear such explicit content.” AJSJWJW

DRAEMOND!

“Did y’all get a youth pastor to do standup during my set?” AKWNDNS, Draemond does look like a youth pastor, lmfao.

MELISSA GETTING READY TO THROW A BASEBALL AT BARB, WAITING FOR HER SIGNAL. WAIT, IT’S A CUPCAKE. EVEN BETTER.

“This man is playing the Powerball wit’ our kids!” QKQKQKQOOQOWRODOEJEJDS. I fucking love Tariq.

I’m going to have “Abbott on Abbott on Abbott” in my head all week, lmao.

“Bless your soul, Draemond.” THAT WAS A BARBARA HOWARD FUCK YOU!!!!!!!

“AND THIS ONE DECIDED TO BE A JACKASS.” HELP ME HELP ME HELP ME WOWOQOOQWNEOWOWOOWKSDJWJWJS.

BARBARA HOWARD, I LOVE YOU.

“What in the Immaculate Reception?” KQKQKQKWOWOQOEIFIEJWIDSJ

“JANINE, DON’T TRY AND FIX THAT.” AKQOQKWDNSN. SHERYL WAS ON IT THIS EPISODE.

Looks like the end stinger is setting up a Tariq return to Philly!

Biggest Laugh: Everything Sheryl Lee Ralph did in this goddamn episode, but specifically JACKASS.

Favorite Scene: All the teachers in the library. That scene was so chaotic, and we got Barbara Howard proposing chicanery!!

Final Thoughts: I’m really hoping that this isn’t the end of the charter drama even if it’s a temporary resolution! It’s such an interesting conflict, and it’d be fun to see it played with a little more. Loved the camaderie between the teachers in this episode—how they were all on the same page and working together for this cause and school that they believe in. This was a very feel good episode for our favorite work family. ☺️

[cryptid-husband]

Nex Benedict's death from the view of a queer American.

I really prefer to keep things on the lighter side on socials and such, but as a queer person living in the US, hearing about Nex Benedict has been infuriating on so many levels. To start, regardless of identity, it is the responsibility of schools to ensure a safe environment for their students. Owasso High School failed to do so. It is the responsibility of those in charge of the well-being of other people to ensure that anyone injured in their care receives proper treatment. Owasso High School failed to do so. It is the responsibility of a school to report assault and to understand how head injuries/trauma should require a hospital visit. Owasso High School failed to do so. It is the responsibility of a school to confront bullying. Owasso High School not only failed to do so, but also enabled it. Ryan Walters, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, claims safety of students is his top priority (CNN), yet has backed several laws explicitly targeting trans and otherwise LGBTQ+ youth. Ryan Walters claims safety of students is his top priority, yet he backed the policy forcing transgender students to use gendered bathrooms matching their sex assigned at birth. It was this policy that led to Nex's death. Ryan Walters claims that he respects everyone, and yet he backed the policy making it impossible for transgender students to be respected at school in the name of "truth". Real truth is realizing that only Nex knew exactly who they were, and what they want to be called and identified as is something only they can decide. Walters has not only cultivated an environment that allows hatred towards trans and nonbinary youth, but actively encourages it through the constant denial, erasure, alienation, and ignorance he allows to run rampant. The "truth", Walters, is that you cannot claim to respect a human life and in the same breath deny them the basic right of security. You cannot claim to care for the students in your jurisdiction and appoint Chaya Raichik to a position where she can cause even more harm towards a group of those students. You cannot claim to believe in America's "values and traditions" while denying the freedom of existence to a select group of people because you don't understand them. You cannot chastise teachers for endorsing "pornography" and "radical gender theory" while forcing your beliefs on every student attending public school in your state. I agree that it's horrible some people are taking this horrific event and trying to use it for political gain; but if anyone's doing that, it's Walters. The queer community's outrage over the death of a child in their community is not political. Despite your beliefs, human rights are not politics. At least, they shouldn't be.

Even outside of Nex's identity, the fact Owasso failed to address Nex's bullying and cultivated an environment that allowed a student to be beaten by their peers is disgusting. Even if trauma sustained from this altercation isn't Nex's direct cause of death, it still happened, and it still happened on Owasso's campus. Regardless of the intricacies of the situation, blame should sit with Owasso High School, Walters, and the rest of the board of education. They should still take responsibility for their failures. Their failure to protect a student. Again, regardless of the intricacies, a student died after sustaining injury on your campus. You failed to protect them.

Unfortunately, the hate-fueled deaths of trans and nonbinary American citizens are not anything new. But it's disgusting that it's still happening. I've wasted many a breath explaining why the transphobic beliefs someone holds are outdated, anti-science, and frankly, ridiculous, and I sadly think that this tragedy is an example of why these wasted breaths will still be needed for a long time to come. My hope is that maybe something said will change someone's mind one day. Until then, I will continue calling myself an American not out of patriotism or pride, but because I and so many others are American citizens and we deserve the same rights and protections you do.

My heart goes out to Nex's family and friends, and I sincerely hope they receive some form of justice and closure. Nex's life was unfairly stripped from them, and my hope is that they will be remembered and live on through their loved ones and advocates all across the country who are trying to prevent more tragedies like this one. While I do not know Nex or anyone related personally, as a gender nonconforming individual myself I would like to say that they are loved and respected by their community and that they were so amazing for simply being who they were. May they find some sort of respite.

[scotianostra]

April 11th 1882 we saw an incident during the Highland Clearances happened on Skye that has become known as The Battle of the Braes.

This confrontation between the local crofters and the police led to the appointment of the Napier Commission and ultimately the introduction of the Crofters’ Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886, granting security of tenure to crofters.

After gathering themselves together on arrival at Portree, the expeditionary force of two sheriffs, one police superintendent, nine Inverness-shire constables and forty seven Glasgow constables marched on Braes to arrest the five crofters for deforcement. 

The Highland Clearances began in the mid to late 18th century and continued intermittently into the 19th century. Landlords in the Highlands and Islands decided that there was a more profitable venture than accommodating crofters and so began evicting families who had worked the land for centuries to make way for sheep, as they believed they could make more money that way.

The ‘Land Wars’ of the late 1800s began when the crofters who wanted the right to their own land officially recognised in the law – a right they had enjoyed under the clan system for centuries. It all came to a head in April of 1882, at what became known as ‘Blàr a’ Chumhaing’, or The Battle of the Braes, near Portree in Skye.

Lord MacDonald decided to raise the rent levied on the people of Braes. With their lease almost up, they agreed to pay the new rate. Despite this, MacDonald refused to renew their lease.

The crofters decided to withhold their rent until the matter was resolved, with some of them continuing to graze their sheep on the land at Ben Lee (see Òran Beinn Lì by Màiri Mhòr nan Òran) where they had been forbidden. MacDonald tried to evict the crofters, involving law enforcement, but the attempt to clear the crofters off their land by the Sheriff’s Officer from Portree was in vain: they forced him to burn the summons papers.

The five ringleaders, Alexander Finlayson, Malcolm Finlayson, Peter MacDonald, Donald Nicolson and James Nicolson, were arrested. They were to be taken to Portree before being sent to Inverness for trial. The arrests themselves were not disputed but objections to the men being removed from the island and sent to Inverness led to an immediate riot. 

Realising that this was going to be a harder task than expected, the Sheriff called in reinforcements from Glasgow: an additional fifty officers in total. The crofters were not prepared to give up their land without a fight, and so when the officers arrived from Glasgow on 19th April 1882, they were met with sticks and stones hurled at them by around a hundred or so locals. Vastly outnumbered, the police eventually retreated, but not before several people were injured. A handful of crofters were arrested and handed fines, but they garnered support in the media from across the country.

The government could no longer avoid the issue: they had to do something to address the plight of the crofters. They called a public inquiry, the Napier Commission, to investigate the living conditions of the crofters and cottars that lived in the Highlands and Islands. Security of tenure for crofters is a lasting legacy of this historic commission, headed up by Francis Napier, 10th Lord Napier.