My preface/prologue

I’m not yet prepared to publish the six pages I’ve written of the notes I took of our District’s black ex employee but turned over to Attorney Mary Rice. They are still in draft form and subject to further amendments……..I just realized I forgot to describe how she described being pressured (unsuccessfully) to forge public documents…..damn. More work.

Here’s the prologue with names blacked out much as all the email the District had pertaining to Jane Bushey blacked out (redacted) the names of the accusers and senders of said email. (Geez, its as though the District thought it was protecting the identity of spies from terrorists)

The experience of XXXX XXXXXX as an employee of the Duluth School District 2012-2013

This is a first draft of my recollections of an Interview with XXXX XXXXXX conducted at Grizzley’s Restaurant, in Superior Wisconsin on Monday, July 14, 2014. These notes are written to support Art Johnston as he faces charges of racism. They are based on six pages of notes taken by me, Harry Welty, and my subsequent fleshing out of those notes based on additional recollections of information provided by XXXX XXXXXX in my interview with her/him. These have been written with two views in mind.

First, I mentioned this interview and notes to Attorney Mary Rice the following day, Tuesday, July 15, during a two hour interview/deposition which was mandated by the Duluth School Board. The Rice Interview was authorized for an investigation of charges leveled against Board member Art Johnston. Ms. Rice requested my notes from the XXXXXX’s interview and I agreed to give them to her along with my extended typed recollections of the meeting. I had not intended the information to be considered complete after one meeting as my note taking is hasty and crude and was not tape recorded. I had intended to interview XXXX XXXXXX in a follow up interview to clear up any misconceptions or mistakes I might have made in typing up my original notes.

Second, from the outset of the charge of racism made against Art Johnston I intended to write an extensive rebuttal to said charge. I have been leaning toward a theory that, in fact, it has been the School Administration that has played fast and loose and carelessly [with] our minority population. Further, it is my opinion that this carelessness was accelerated with the inception of the Red Plan which divided Duluth geographically in such a way as to isolate, concentrate and disadvantage poor and minority children.

As mentioned at the beginning these notes are a rough draft. They contain additional questions for XXXX XXXXXX to clear up which can generally be read in parentheses (). I have sent this version, sans this prologue, to XXXX XXXXXX in hopes he/she will offer corrections and amendments. I am sending it to Attorney Rice in this early rough draft stage to expedite her investigation. It is not intended to be my final word or description of the interview with XXXX XXXXXX, his/her story, the larger story of race and the Duluth School District or the efforts of Art Johnston to mitigate the District’s imperfect record of dealing with its minorities.

Harry Welty

Thursday, July 17, 2014

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