Lake Isabella, which is more commonly referred to as the Kern River Valley, has been for as long as I've lived here, been a very close knit rural community just thirty miles east of Bakersfield. Recently, the valley has been recovering from the suicides of two young teenage high school students, and has drawn out the apparent lack of respect and support from the local high school's principal, Jeanie Brachear. She was the Vice Principal of the high school when I was attending back in 2004 and many people have publicly complained about her tenure, thus far.
Mr. Stahl's editorial demonstrates this woman's inability to help the families of these two children who are riddled with grief into the holiday season and while I'll admit myself that I have suffered with depression and thoughts of suicide before, I never imagined that it would hit here at home, at a time when it seems many teenagers nationwide are suffering from this situation.
Mr. Stahl's editorial is from the Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010 edition of the Kern Valley Sun:
"Like most of you, I’ve been reading about the tragic deaths of two students in our Valley. These two children somehow saw suicide as the answer to what, was to them, a life spiraling out of control. Still another young lady attempted the same with her precious life. It’s extremely sad to see that people so young and with so much promise, can be in such a dark place in their minds, that this drastic and desperate act seemingly is their only hope.
I’m not a psychologist, and I’m not even going to begin to go into the why’s, how’s, and could’s about these children and the deep heartache they must have felt. I sincerely hope and pray that somehow their parents and families will find comfort in each other and their friends.
I have to tell you though, the response to these horrific events from the authorities at the High School, and the District has been inexcusable at the best, and cannot be tolerated. I know that what I’ve read in the newspaper, and have seen in short blurbs on TV has only touched the surface. My wife and I do not have kids in the school, and we were not raised in the Valley, but we have the privilege of knowing more than a handful of students in our schools including the high school. In my conversations with them, I can see their frustration and grief over the situation. They are so wrapped up in this that it has consumed their lives.
The theme throughout the kids’ conversation is pretty simple and quite loud. “No one wants to hear what we have to say!” Why would they insist that this is the case? After all, from what I hear, counselors were called in by the District and spent two whole days talking to students and staff members. Then at the decision of the principal, they were thanked and told that they were no longer needed. A memorial for the first victim, 17-year-old Caitlyn MacKenzie Rhynes, was set up in front of the school and allowed to stay until, according to a staff member,the principal had it removed. When a memorial for the second victim, 15-year-old Steven Whisler, was being arranged, the school’s Fine Arts building was suggested and this all knowing, ever controlling principal said, ”No!” based on some logistic reasoning that the young man was not due to return to the school until January.
If you read the article in last week’s paper about the school’s employees speaking out about their boss you can get a pretty good understanding of how “Dr.” Brachear runs her school. Pretty much how Nurse Ratchet ran the ward in ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’; with an iron fist and a calculating stone heart.
What the heck is this all about? Who are the people we have allowed to teach, watch and safe-guard our kids? If you go to the Kern Valley High School web-site you can read their mission statement.
I’ll tell you what it says:
“The Mission of Kern Valley High School is to provide a well- rounded, academically challenging environment, which supports the development of productive, self-motivated and responsible citizens”
Since when does the ‘development of productive, self-motivated and responsible citizens’ include the stifling of their thoughts and feelings. Repressing their ideas and telling them that because we have acronyms, either before or after our names, we know best. “We know what you should be feeling right now, and we know how to fix it. You don’t have to tell us anything.”
Well, I’m sorry Dr. Brachear, but they do have to tell you how they feel, and better yet, you have to listen to them. You have to get off that high horse of yours and realize that from what I have read and from what the kids, in all of their glory are saying, is that you are not doing your job. I know, John Teves from the District has said, on television,that you are doing everything you can to help, and that the District has not, as of last Thursday evening, gotten any formal complaints against you. Well, it was on the TV, so it must be true. Right?
Actually, I guess we don’t know how you really feel about any of this. According to all the reports, neither you nor the District has phones that can make outgoing calls. Are we to take this refusal to answer the publics questions through the press, as a feeling of indifference or an admission of guilt?
Yeah, I sound sarcastic, maybe even a bit out of line. Well this is an opinion column, not a news report. It’s about observation and a response to what I see. Just for the record, in my observation, your response has been one of disrespect, and disregard for the lives of the children that you have been entrusted with and for their parents! The response to this is simple. You are in way over your head, and bowing out is an option.
Remember, we know how you are supposed to be feeling right now, and we are here to fix it. All you have to do is…….leave."
I give Mr. Stahl and the Kern Valley Sun a great deal of credit for publicly criticizing Jeanie Brachear, the Kern Valley High School and the Kern High School District's handling of these suicides. This is a very serious matter and it is not just in our small communities, but a nationwide concern.
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