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This Week’s
I pride myself on being a responsible reporter. I’m thorough as possible in gathering and reporting the facts. And, I make every attempt to talk to those on both sides of a controversial issue. Naturally, what I report may not always be the truth, unless I witnessed the incident, especially when reporting on a hot button topic. (You know what they say about an argument — there are two sides and the truth.) Every journalist worth his weight — and in my case that’s considerable — will contact everyone involved in a story to dig up as much information as possible. Occasionally, someone may refuse to comment or can’t be reached before deadline. That information should be included in the story to insure accuracy. Last week, I learned of an incident at a local high school in which a student claimed he had been physically "roughed up" by a New York City police officer assigned to the school. (The facts are incomplete as of this writing.) The student said he had done nothing wrong, nor did he provoke the abuse, yet he was handcuffed and later taken to the 69th Precinct where he was charged with resisting arrest. I telephoned the principal of Canarsie High School last Friday seeking to determine if the student was going to be suspended, which, in such cases, is often the result. I was confident the principal, Dr. Joel Shapiro, who has made education a career and has worked in New York City schools for over 40 years, would not reveal any details and refer me to the Department of Education. Nevertheless, it was my duty to try and elicit a comment. Local schools readily dispense good news to the Canarsie Courier, but tend to be tight-lipped when there’s an inquiry about potential bad news. So be it. It comes with the territory in my profession. After briefly stating why I called, Dr. Shapiro tersely said, "You know, you have more nerve than brains." When I asked what prompted that impolite remark, he added, "You know I can’t comment on a private matter about a student…Never call me again…about anything." He could have said, "No comment," and left it at that. Besides, when a student is arrested, it is no longer a private matter. It’s on the public record with the New York City Police Department, though under-age student’s names are traditionally withheld. But I was obligated to get a response from the head of the school. Last June, this newspaper ran a front-page story about Shapiro being "under fire" from disgruntled parents who called for his removal, citing a list of grievances, including a few that were deemed serious. When contacted at that time, he told me he had no comment. That response became part of the story. However, it seems, Dr. Shapiro is still angry that the Courier ran the story and holds a grudge for bringing the matter to the community. When my editor contacted Shapiro minutes after he hung up on me last week, he made a reference to the June, 2003 story and hung up on him. It should be noted that the Department of Education initiated an investigation based on the parents’ complaints last spring. The DOE evidently found no basis for the charges because Dr. Shapiro is still the principal at Canarsie High School. When he was initially appointed interim acting principal four years ago, Dr. Shapiro was cooperative and willing to speak with the Courier. In fact, weeks after the story ran when I contacted him on another "good news" article, he thanked me for the story on his appointment. I’ve had a handful of occasions during my years at the Courier in which I’ve written about community activists, religious leaders or politicians in which they’ve disagreed with me. But, when I required a comment from them on a subsequent occasion, they responded courteously. No grudges, no animosity, like mature adults. One complaint presented by parents of Canarsie High School students last spring included the principal’s "lack of empathy, concern and respect" for students, teachers and administrators. One thing’s for sure, with his rude remark and responses last week, Dr. Shapiro also demonstrated he lacks any tolerance for negative criticism and is a principal in need of a few principles.
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