Apparently the shouting got so bad at a school meeting last night, one assistant principal walked out. I thought Newsweek told us only a few short months ago that the multicultural experiment with Somali refugees in Lewiston was going fabulously well? Newsweek credited Somalis for creating an economic boom. No cultural clash here they said. Judging from this story today it sure doesn’t sound like its all sweetness and light! Hat tip: Jane Doe. From the Sun Journal:
LEWISTON – Somali parents, many of whom got so upset that they yelled at school officials, crowded a community room Wednesday night and ticked off ways they’re unhappy with local schools.
[….]
One father said his children bring home forms to sign. The parents, some of whom do not know English or have had no schooling, don’t understand what they’re signing and don’t know what kind of help their children can receive.
One mother said the school teaches health education classes that go against their culture. They received a permission slip to sign, but it didn’t adequately explain what’s covered in the class. If someone told them the class covered sex education, that would be clearer, she said.
Near the end of the meeting, parents were complaining about the ELL program, teachers and discipline. Abdirisak Maalin accused Somali representative Abdi Musa of not interpreting correctly. People were yelling at the same time, making it hard for anyone to be heard, despite pleas for order. [Ah, isn’t diversity beautiful!]
“This is ridiculous. I’m leaving,” said Paul Amnott, assistant principal at Lewiston High School.
But don’t stop there! Go to the Sun Journal and read the comments. There were 120 when I visited a little while ago and they, much more clearly than the news accounts, demonstrate how roiled this town is over the Somalis.
Be sure to revisit my post from earlier today on a federal raid in Lewiston yesterday, here.
* For new readers, the US State Department has admitted over 80,000 Somali refugees to the US in the last 25 years and then last year had to suspend family reunification because widespread immigration fraud was revealed through DNA testing.