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Richardson Responds To Murphy Brawl

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∞ Fred Richardson Letters

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By Jessica Taloney Reporter

M30o93H7pQ09L8X1t49cHY01Z5j4TT91fGfr Richardson Responds To Murphy Brawl

Published: Thu, March 27, 2008 - 5:15 pm
Last Updated: Sat, March 29, 2008 - 7:01 pm

Jessica Taloney

If Murphy High School's principal had his way, two of the girls involved in Wednesday's fight that injured a teacher would not have been on campus.
Dynesha and Dykesha Harris, both 17, were arrested after school officials say they got in altercation with two other students, whose names have not been released.
Investigators say a teacher trying to break up the fight was injured when he was hit by a broomstick the Harris sisters were using as a weapon.
Principal Doug Estle says he saw this fight coming. Estle says the Harris kids are involved in an ongoing dispute with another family. Estle requested to transfer Dynesha and Dykesha Harris last summer after their brother was arrested for his involvement in an unrelated teacher attack in May 2007.
The transfer was stopped by Mobile City Councilman Fred Richardson, who wrote letters to the Mobile County School Board, the school superintendent and the NAACP. Richardson called Estle's reason for wanting to transfer the twins "inadequate," and he said it lacked substance.
Richardson refused to do an on-camera interview Wednesday, but Thursday he agreed to talk to News Five's Jessica Taloney.
"What you do for one that's fighting is the same thing you ought to do for all the kids that fight," said Richardson, who said he doesn't understand why the Harris sisters are being charged as adults.
The councilman has long been an advocate for treating all kids fairly, but he's come under fire for what some say is taking his advocacy power too far.
When we first questioned Richardson on the letters he wrote last summer he seemed to not remember them clearly.
"You wrote letters to the school board, the school superintendent, and the NAACP," said News Five's Jessica Taloney. "No, no, no, I did not, I did not," replied Richardson. But, it's unclear whether Richardson was denying all the letters or just the last one. "When I met with the superintendent about the getting the girls back in school, the NAACP president was there. I didn't invite him. The mother invited him," said Richardson. But, In a letter obtained by News Five, Richardson clearly asked NAACP President Jimmie Gardner to "look into the situation."
Richardson, Gardner, Estle and Dr. Harold Dodge, who was the superintendent at the time, met with the Harris family in August. At the meeting, it was decided that Dynesha and Dykesha would be allowed to return to Murphy.
Richardson says he's glad he intervened because he believes all kids should be allowed to go to school.

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Why was a councilperson even involved with something like this?

Posted by BamaBob on 03/28/08 - 5:03 pm • Report Abuse .

Fred Richardson needs to be thrown out of office. And in reguards to him not knowing what was going on. He use to work at the Post Office (have you ever tried to get an answer from them?) enough said

Posted by asda on 03/28/08 - 11:50 am • Report Abuse .

Uncle Henry was giving this a lot of air time on 710 this morning. Interesting how FR involves himself in these situations and then denies doing so. Makes a person wonder what else goes on with these people that we never hear about.

Posted by BamaBob on 03/28/08 - 8:43 am • Report Abuse .

Did I just read that Fred Richardson does not understand why these girls are being charged as adults? You have got to be kidding. See, this is what is wrong with our community.
Has Richardson just lost his mind? How in this world did that guy get in public office???

I guess it is ok, in Richardson’s mind, for a teenage student at school to haul off and knock the fire out of an innocent adult teacher with a stick.

If you attack an adult you should be treated like an adult.

Posted by working4u on 03/28/08 - 7:52 am • Report Abuse .

if mr. fred richardson is the best councilman his district can put forward,then it doesn’t say much for his district,now does it?besides proving that he’s beligerant and a fool he’s now proven himself to be a liar ie..the naacp letter..wonder what we’ll find out next about him..hmmmm...and just so you know mr. richardson..it’s the law that all kids go to school..not a ‘belief’...a safe school.

Posted by primate502002 on 03/28/08 - 6:52 am • Report Abuse .

What happens when white kids get into trouble? Do any of the council people call in the NAACP, or do they just send them to a private room to be paddled by a judge?

What is going on in this crazy world of Mobile Politics and criminal justice?

Posted by BamaBob on 03/27/08 - 8:27 pm • Report Abuse .

i agree with “janet”

Posted by seebiscuit on 03/27/08 - 8:10 pm • Report Abuse .

Here’s another “twist”. I’ve been taught that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Maybe DHR needs to look into what kind of environment these young adults are being raised in to harbour such violent and out of control tendencies. School is supposed to be a safe place to learn. Not a place of guns and violence.

Posted by Janet on 03/27/08 - 7:58 pm • Report Abuse .

They have a right to go to school juve school is where they need to be going, Richardson has really been a public eye soar here lately. The game he is playing, I dont know.

Posted by reality on 03/27/08 - 7:45 pm • Report Abuse .

What kind of game is this guy playing?

Posted by BamaBob on 03/27/08 - 5:57 pm • Report Abuse .