Thank you so much to all the thoughtful neighbors out there who wrote
me with words of sympathy,concern, and advice about the experience I
had with a large group of students harassing me and my baby daughter
at the Tenley metro on Monday.

Also thank you to Kathy Smith for operating the Communit-E listserve
and posting my message, and checking in with Commander Solberg.

I wanted to let you all know that either due to the power of this
listserve, or my calls to Wilson (but probably the power of the
listserve) I got an email from Chancellor Rhee Tuesday morning and two
people from her staff have followed up with me. Before the end of the
day I also heard from the assistant principal at Wilson High in charge
of security and the principal at Wilson called me from home while out
sick. Rhee's office said that the Director of School Operations has
reached out to the DCPS school security office and the administration
at Wilson to coordinate with MPD for better coverage at the Metro
station during dismissal. I will update this listserve as the admin
updates me.

The assistant principal apologized and asked me to come in to look at
yearbooks to try and identify the students so the school could take
action. He explained that he is very aware that behavior at the metro
is a problem, thought it was due to the increase in 9th graders this
year (although as you all pointed out, this has been going on for
years), and they coordinate with MPD who is supposed to have coverage
at the station as part of a program called "Safe Passage." Wilson
security patrols their grounds at this time as well.

I have not heard from MPD or Mary Cheh's office as to an explanation
of why the two police officers that WERE present were not doing
anything, but hopefully there will be more offiers actively
patrolling, at least for a short time. I am not that hopeful the
problem will get better, but am glad that the city has been responsive
thus far.

I have pasted below messages that many of you sent me with other
horrifying incidents over the years. I stripped out identifying
information, so I hope you don't mind. I just think this should be
recorded somewhere.

____________________

I want you to know I had a similar experience at the Tenley Metro
elevator several years ago when I was pregnant and having trouble with
my sciatic nerve. One girl repeatedly struck me on the head with her
umbrella. It was really scary.

I have been frightened myself when attempting to use that elevator at
that time. My husband had a similar experience at Angelico's when he
was just trying to pick up his take out order. Screaming, cursing
him, pushing and shoving, and basically just acting horribly. What an
absolute shame that these kids think they have to act like this for
whatever their reasons.

My husband had a similar experience with a Wilson student. The
student was riding his bike on the sidewalk and nearly ran into my
husband as he swerved back and forth for no reason. As he rode by, my
husband stopped in his tracks and shook his head back and forth. The
student must have seen him since he circled back and asked what his
problem was, and then proceeded to berate him with "just because I'm
black..." My husband just kept on walking saying "there's no issue,
turn around and ride away", but he kept at it and then threatened him.
My husband then stopped and said "you picked a fight with the wrong
guy", "it's not because you're black it's because you're a nuisance",
etc and stood his ground until the student drove away.

This episode seems emblematic of larger community/societal
issues...kids should not walk the streets intimidating citizens under
the pretense of "entitlement or victimization". The idea of
oppression is laughable, but more importantly becomes a crutch no
self-respecting educator should condone.

I used to live on Warren St and would dread nearing the metro with all
those students hanging out & harassing people at all hours of the day.
It seems to have increased with the arrival of Best Buy, where
students also congregate. The problem unfortunately continues when you
board the metro @ Tenley, when all the students board there. I try to
sit in the first car near the driver so I can alert the driver if they
continue harassing people while on the metro.

I, too, had a kid call me a b*tch in front of my kids after I told
him to watch his mouth around my children. Real kids with parents who
care don't do that kind of stuff. It's really heartbreaking.

My own daughter is 10 and as we walk to Janney (4th grade) each
morning we have taken to crossing the road to avoid all the
anger/rough language that seems to emanate from the kids hanging
around the CVS.

I just wanted to express my sympathies with what you went through.
We used to live right near you on Brandywine near 43rd (now we live
near the Friendship Heights metro) and although I never experienced
anything like what you went through, there were definitely a lot of
unpleasant experiences.

I have had my own experiences with those kids, and it literally just
turns your stomach. (I no longer visit CVS in the after-school
hours, b/c I got tired of seeing all of the shoplifting.)

Another virtually-daily spectacle at that station (above-ground) at
3:30 is the students rampaging through CVS and other stores,
shoplifting, harassing passers-by, and banging on the hoods of
whatever unfortunate motorists happen to trapped at the Albemarle red
light.