Several media representatives were not allowed in the courtroom Thursday morning when a chancellor heard arguments from Memphis City Schools and the City of Memphis which are suing each other over school funding. I’d like to tell you what happened but Chancellor Kenny Armstrong would not allow anyone else into the courtroom, including the media. It turns out supporters of both MCS and the city packed the courtroom early. Normally, a judge would allow media members to at least stand inside the courtroom and listen but not Chancellor Armstrong. Because of this, we can’t tell you what is being said on your behalf. We’re also hearing the school board attorney asked to keep the media, or at least TV cameras, out of the courtroom.
UPDATE: When the court took a lunch break we were able to grab a seat inside.
What do you think about the media not being allowed inside the courtroom to cover this matter?
Any trial held in secret is a trial that needs to be uncovered.
The fact that the media was excluded from one of the most important courtroom hearings in Memphis’ history is just further confirmation that the city’s government is overrun with corruption. How can any judge (or chancellor) deny access to such an important event? Doesn’t anyone care that Memphis is fast becoming the laughing stock of the nation? It’s apparent to me that the children of Memphis will be the losers – again. This issue just furthers my desires to leave the city where I grew up. What a shame it is to see such an important city going down the drain at the hands of a bunch of selfish, corrupt politicians. When will the people of Memphis stand up against Willie and his thugs? STAND UP MEMPHIS! SEND A MESSAGE TO THE MAYOR AND TO THE WORLD THAT THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!
We the people of memphis have a legal right to know what is going on behind that door, it is us who will be funding this lawsuit, our tax dollar…Let the people hear and stay informed on matters that are directly affecting us as a whole…
Are you kidding me? Do you actual believe that you should be allowed to usurp Judge Armstrong’s courtroom rules because you are the “media”? If you wanted to report on the case, you (George Brown), the reporter should have been at the front door an hour before the court started like most of the people did. You should not have been given any special treatment due to your inability to think as a reporter. Common sense would dictate that this is one the biggest stories in the history of this state, this city, this school district, and possibly this country at this time. And if you were interested in hearing all of the facts presented; well, your common sense would have prevailed. Now, you are in fact unable to provide a first-hand account as to what was said and done in the courtroom. Shame on you! I bet you that the CA reporter Dakari was able to enter the courtroom, because he was there on time!
I guess you and I will have to read Dakari’s article on The CA website before we can learn the fate of our school district.
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George: I actually wasn’t originally assigned to the story but I understand the point you are making. Journalists in every city are allowed into court one way or the other. One bailiff told me we should have been there at 8:30 am for a case that didn’t start until 11 am. Again, I understand your point but if you’re happy getting one version of the story then you think differently than most. Say hello to Dakari for me.
Nothing in this city surprises me anymore. Actually, if something was done for the good of education, that would surprise me. The elected council is corrupt with backward ideas that never benefit the students in our community. Why else would they be suing each other, behind closed doors, for money that the students and teacher will never see. But I guess we couldn’t have well educated out standing citizens that would actually want to make the Mid-South a better place. They might lose their jobs!
“We’re also hearing the school board attorney asked to keep the media, or at least TV cameras, out of the courtroom.”
Has Dorsey Hopson taken the bar exam for the State of Tennessee? Is he licensed to practice law in this state? Or did he file a motion to appear pro hac vice? His name doesn’t show on the list of active Tennessee attorneys. What’s up with that? http://www.tbpr.org
Addressing the decreasing enrollment of Memphis city schools….I would like to know the enrollment history of the city schools (excluding the recently annexed schools).
If it is true that enrollment is down and each student costs X amount of dollars to teach…. …..then where is the money going?
WadePutnam said it all.
I am very disappointed in the coverage of this mcs verses the city council. Why are there not any reporters sitting on the door steps of every memphis city council members’ and memphis city school board council members’ offices and homes. The fact that mcs is the second largest employer in the county is a disgrace. Other areas of this region are getting the business and incomes that Memphis City has thrown away. As the school system thrives so goes the business community.
Is it just me, or doesn’t anyone else see the need to put our children back in their own neighborhood schools? Get rid of bussing, unless it is a hardship, like kids in county schools being too far to walk from home. Let the neighborhoods support the schools like they used to. Kids behaved better then because the teacher or principal know who their parents were. Oh, and by the way, no one in our neighborhood expected they would close a school in our area and rename it an “Academy.”
The media here in Memphis doesn’t need to be part of anything. They are the main reason that the races are against one another in this city. If our media knew how conduct themselves as other city media does, it wouldn’t be a problem. Our media is backward and racist and they never tell the whole story, only the part they want us mad about. The media here (especially the Commercial Appeal) need to be replaced with a more professional media, then they would be justified for being mad about not being let into any area to cover news. MEMPHIS MEDIA NEED TO STOP BEING SO BIAS.
This article might not make it out there for everyone to read and that will be one of the example of bias and bad media coverage. They want there opinion heard, but not anyone else that disagree with them.
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George: It is fair to criticize the media but I do take offense to calling us racist. It’s funny that one email will say we favor white people and the next will say we’re always on the side of the black people.
These individuals that use the racist card should take a look at themselves. Quit using the Race card and work together and get this problem straightened out.
So George, are you denying the fact that a lot of this complaining and finger pointing done by the media and people who don’t like our black politicians is racially motivated mess? Man, take a look at the system before herenton took office, this town was just about ran by the KKK and there was no complaining white people, Mississsippians, or Arkansas people. If the investigations into our leaders (which are drummed up by you-know-who) would have been in full effect back then like they are now, our jails would be busting at the seem with all of those crooks from back then. They are proberly the ones that started all of this crook stuff and loop-holes now when somebody get the seat they want to cry foul after they have made fortunes for their people. Also, why is there only one group of people here in Memphis that say there isn’t a race problem in this city? Why is that?
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GEORGE: i’m not denying or taking a position, just reporting what happened. Almost everyone I speak with says there is a race problem in Memphis but they feel it is two sided. I’ve been told by black and white people that they’ve never met as many racist black people as in Memphis but I’m sure others would say the same about what people. I don’t think anyone denies there’s *always* been a lot of courruption, it’s just that it gets a lot more attention everywhere now.