Minnesota: Mpls school dept. threatens to fire teacher who monitored arrest of African American man

Minneapolis Public Schools tries to fire teacher Crystal Spring for watching cops arrest someone

Crystal Spring has been directing the Social Justice Black Box theater program at Washburn High School since 2008, helping students develop plays based on their own life experiences. The night of May 19, Spring was driving home after a 14-hour day when she heard yelling in the intersection of Franklin and Clinton Avenues. A number of people had gathered by the side of the road, where Minneapolis Police officers were arresting an African American man. Curious about what was happening, Spring pulled over and sat in her car, watching. A police officer told her to move her car, so she ...

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http://www.citypages.com/news/minne...ring-for-watching-cops-arrest-someone-8351583

 

The courts have ruled, over & over, that criticizing the police is protected free speech. Whether you criticize them politely, say "(expletive deleted) you", or flip the finger at them makes no difference -- it's all free speech protected by the First Amendment.


Mpls school dept. threatens to fire teacher who monitored arrest of an African American man

A teacher at Washburn High in Minneapolis was threated with being fired because she stopped to monitor the arrest of an African American man by Minneapolis police and then was arrested for obstructing justice, City Pages reports. Accounts differ on what led to Crystal Spring’s arrest in May at Franklin and Clinton Avenues. Police say she continually confronted them. She says she parked and moved her car twice at their request and when they asked her what she was doing at the scene, she said he was watching. She ended up in the back of a squad car. Minneapolis Public ...

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http://blogs.mprnews.org/newscut/20...-monitored-arrest-of-an-african-american-man/

 

Plot twists in case of Minneapolis drama teacher's arrest

It’s a plot you might see in a student theater production: A young white high school drama teacher on the way home from a long day stops to witness the arrest of a black man. Police tell her to move along; this is not your business. The teacher, Crystal Spring, whose students perform self-written plays on social justice issues, continues to monitor the arrest to make sure the man’s rights are not violated. Police arrest the teacher for obstruction and disorderly conduct. The witnesses against her are three black employees of a fast-food restaurant, where the call to report the ...

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http://m.startribune.com/plot-twist...ama-teacher-s-arrest/383002521/?section=local

 

Mpls Schools apologizes to teacher it intended to fire

Michael Thomas, the interim superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools, did the incoming permanent superintendent a huge favor today, cleaning up a developing mess after the system’s human resources department moved to fire a teacher who was arrested while monitoring the arrest of a black man last month. Last week, the department sent a letter to Crystal Spring, a teacher at Washburn High School, saying she’d likely be terminated when the full school board met this afternoon. It had taken the police department’s side in a disputed account over what happened when Spring watched the police arrest. Police and some witnesses ...

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http://blogs.mprnews.org/newscut/2016/06/mpls-schools-apologizes-to-teacher-it-intended-to-fire/

 

Plot twists in case of Minneapolis drama teacher's arrest

It’s a plot you might see in a student theater production: A young white high school drama teacher on the way home from a long day stops to witness the arrest of a black man. Police tell her to move along; this is not your business. The teacher, Crystal Spring, whose students perform self-written plays on social justice issues, continues to monitor the arrest to make sure the man’s rights are not violated. Police arrest the teacher for obstruction and disorderly conduct. The witnesses against her are three black employees of a fast-food restaurant, where the call to report the ...

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http://m.startribune.com/plot-twists-in-case-of-minneapolis-drama-teacher-s-arrest/383002521/

 

Recommendation to fire Washburn teacher reversed

Word that a popular Washburn High School theater teacher was placed on administrative leave and facing termination after her May arrest in Minneapolis prompted an outpouring of support from students, parents and friends. Many planned to rally in support of Crystal Spring at the June 14 Board of Education meeting. But the district abruptly changed course hours before the meeting, with Interim Superintendent Michael Thomas announcing Spring’s reinstatement and pledging to review the district’s termination procedures in a letter to the community. “When this came to my attention, I found myself immediately questioning the process that resulted in the recommendation ...

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http://www.southwestjournal.com/new...mmendation-to-fire-washburn-teacher-reversed/

 

Teacher Watches Arrest, Nearly Gets Fired

High school drama teacher Crystal Spring stopped on her way home last month to observe police arresting a young black man-and nearly ended up losing her job. Spring, who is white, was arrested in Minneapolis on May 19 and spent the night in jail when ...

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http://www.wjbc.com/news/teacher-watches-arrest-nearly-gets-fired/

 

Teacher Watches Arrest, Nearly Gets Fired

High school drama teacher Crystal Spring stopped on her way home last month to observe police arresting a young black man—and nearly ended up losing her job. Spring, who is white, was arrested in Minneapolis on May 19 and spent the night in jail when police accused her of running and yelling in the street and interfering with officers making an arrest after being repeatedly told to step back, Array reports. Spring said all she did was peacefully observe the arrest, but Minneapolis Public Schools sided with police after learning of the incident. Officials placed Spring on administrative leave and ...

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https://www.newser.com/story/226680/teacher-watches-arrest-nearly-gets-fired.html

 

Washburn theater teacher will keep her job after arrest

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - A Washburn High School teacher said she was simply trying to record Minneapolis police making an arrest, but officers felt she was getting in the way, so they arrested her. Later, she found herself out of a job until the school had a ...

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http://www.fox9.com/news/159849693-story

 

Charges dropped against Washburn High School drama teacher

She witnessed an arrest. She was handcuffed in a squad car. She spent a night in jail. She nearly lost her job. Now, two months later, an obstruction charge against Washburn High School teacher Crystal Spring has been dropped due to a lack of evidence. “She’s very happy and relieved,” said attorney Jordan Kushner, who said the Minneapolis city attorney’s office notified him of the decision on Friday. Spring, 31, was arrested May 19 in south Minneapolis. She was driving home about 10 p.m., she said, when she saw two police officers arresting a black man on the side of ...

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http://m.startribune.com/charges-dr...school-drama-teacher/387023451/?section=local

 

Charges dropped against Washburn High School drama teacher

She witnessed an arrest. She was handcuffed in a squad car. She spent a night in jail. She nearly lost her job. Now, two months later, an obstruction charge against Washburn High School teacher Crystal Spring has been dropped due to a lack of evidence. “She’s very happy and relieved,” said attorney Jordan Kushner, who said the Minneapolis city attorney’s office notified him of the decision on Friday. Spring, 31, was arrested May 19 in south Minneapolis. She was driving home about 10 p.m., she said, when she saw two police officers arresting a black man on the side of ...

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http://m.startribune.com/charges-dropped-against-washburn-high-school-drama-teacher/387023451/

 

Charges dropped against Washburn High School drama teacher

She witnessed an arrest. She was handcuffed in a squad car. She spent a night in jail. She nearly lost her job. Now, two months later, an obstruction charge against Washburn High School teacher Crystal Spring has been dropped due to a lack of evidence. “She’s very happy and relieved,” said attorney Jordan Kushner, who said the Minneapolis city attorney’s office notified him of the decision on Friday. Spring, 31, was arrested May 19 in south Minneapolis. She was driving home about 10 p.m., she said, when she saw two police officers arresting a black man on the side of ...

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http://www.startribune.com/charges-dropped-against-washburn-high-school-drama-teacher/387023451/