Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 110, No. 8, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 26, 1992 Page: 3 of 60
sixty pages : ill. ; page 24 x 15 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
THE POLK COUNTY ENTERPRISE, SUNDAY J
Y 26,1992 - PAGE 3A
Students give conflicting versions
y, even me loaener wno gave me
rporali-punishment,' taw any
uliei or Injuries, other than the
e teacfrSr who saw a red mark?"
from page 1
about ‘Let ‘cm fight it out, when
one gets hurt had enough, they’ll
quit.’ Coach King denied it," Smith
said.
Smith testified there was a com-
plaint from the Hugheses that King
allowed the fight to continue. He
verified that a written complaint
had been filed by Edith Hughes
(Guy’s mother) with • a medical
statement attached.
"I decided it would be best to
take statements from the students in
that class, so I told them to write
down what they saw in their own
words," Smith said.
"Were there students who saw
nothing?" Jones asked. "Yes,"
Smith answered.
"Were there students who saw
varying degrees?" Jones asked.
"Yes," Smith answered.
"There was nothing that said
Coach King helped start the fight?"
Jones asked. "No," Smith said.
Following the taking of the state-
ments, Smith said he turned the
matter over to the superintendent.
"Do you know how much time
passed from the time Coach Kin;
first saw the fight to the time hi
broke it up?" James asked. "No.
One statement gives a series of
minut6s...thrqe to five minutes,"
Smith answered. "From the time he
saw It until the time he stopped it?"
James questioned. "No one said,"
Smith anwered.
"Is it the school's policy to
physically Intervene in a fight?"
James aejted, "The policy is to take
whatever action necessary to stop
the fight," Smith answered.
"Is oral intervention sufficient to
break up a fight?" James asked. "If
it stops the fight," Smith answered.
Smith testified that the Hughes’
written complaint, the medical
statements, nor the students' state*
menu were ever shown to King.
When questioned, Smith said,
"The boys said they were playing
around, it got out of hand, they
made up, got two licks each and
that was It.
"And Ouy went through the
whole school day after this?r James
asked; "Yes," Smith answered.
"And no teachers throughout the
day, even the teacher who gave the
cori
bruises
one teadfCr
James ’asked. "No," Smith
answered.
"Then why is Coach King being
singled out? ' James asked. "He's
not being singled out because of the
injuries. Smith said.
"So the fight lasted live minutes
according to one student's state*
ment?" James asked. "Yes," Smith
answered.
"Whose statement was that?"
James asked. "Ouy Hughes',"
Smith answered.
Following further testimony,
Smith testified, "Any physical con-
frontation between studenu results
in three days suspension has been
my practice all along."
"Has there always been a rule
that students go home after a
fight?" James asked. "Yes," Smith
said. "Why not this time?" James
questioned. Smith said there had
been somfc confusion with the’as-
sistant principal but that he had
• since been verbally reprimanded.
After being sworn in, David A.
"Shorty" Hughes testified that he
arrived home from work at ap-
proximately 3:45 p.m. on the day of
the incident and learned of it at that
time.
Hughes testified that his son had
two black eyes, cuu on his cheeks
and a knot on his head and that
when he inquired what had hap-
pened, his son told him he had been
In a fight at school.
"I Kept asking him what hap-
pened and I got to noticing ne
wasn't feeling too good so I told
my wife we better take him to the
doctor so we took him to the emer-
gency room," Hughes said. "Dr.
Wood wanted to leave him in the
. hospital overnight and observe his
concussion.
"He was put in a private room
and discharged around 8:30 or 9
a.m. the next morning and they told
me to put an ice pack on his head,
give him Tylenol and that he could
not have any activity for a week,"
Hughes said.
Tie got to feeling bad over the
weekend so we took him back to
Dr. Wood on Monday and he sent
him to a neurologist in Lufkin. We
took him to Lufkin on Tuesday and
the neurologist gave him some anti-
lnflamatory medicine because he
had headaches and ringing of the
ears and his movement wasn't up to
par. The neurologist told him he'd
hurt and go through those things,"
Hughes said.
"we went back to the neurologist
on Jan. 10 and he ran an EEG and
we went back Monday and got a
catscan," Hughes said.
When it came out in testimony
that Hughes was upset because his
son was at school and the school
had not notified him of the inci-
dent, James asked, "You realize
that you stand there, a trustee of
this school, and are laying the
predicate for a lawsuit against the
school district, don’t you?"
"What do you mean?” Hughes
asked.
"You’re upset with the school for
negligence?" James asked. Hughes
answered, "Yes."
"You’re not upset with the boy?"
James questioned. "Boys will be
boys. They’re friends now,"
Hughes answered.
"So you brought a written com-
plaint to the school against Coach
King?” James asked and Hughes
answered in the affirmative. "Are
you making formal complaints
against the other six teachers who
saw Guy after this beating?" James
questioned and Hughes said no.
"So Coach, King stands here ac-
cused of being the sole person be-
hind this?" James asked.
When it was Guy Hughes’ turn
to testify, he testified that he did
not know whether he saw King or
not, but that he and Childree were
on the sideline of the basketball
court joking around and started
fighting. He also said that the bas-
ketball team was having pictures
taken on the gym floor and that.
King was with them.
When aiked how the fight
started, Hughes said, "We were
Joking around, He (Childree) got
mad and pushed me. We were
pushing on each other. Joking
around for about two or three
minutes and then he swung at me
and I hit him and he taekleame and
we went to the floor and my head
hit the floor, That was the last I
remembered."
Testifying that the fight lasted
approximately four minutes,
Hughes testified ho laid on the floor
awhile, remembered getting up and
saw King when he got up.
"You can't remember him saying
or doing anything?" Jones asked. '1
don’t remember him doing any-
thing, 1 don't remember whether he*
did or did not," Hughes answered.
"Did Coach King encourage you
and John Childree to get in a
fight?" Jones asked. "I don't
remember,"' Hughes answered.
"You don't think he was the
cause?" Jones asked. "No sir,"
Hughes said.
Hughes testified that after he
stood up King sent the two boys to
the office and that Targac talked to
them and gave them "pops." He
said that although King did not ac
boys to tni
"We were slapping each other and
pushing, rolling on the floor and I
hit Guy’s head on the floor”.
"Where was Coach King?" Jones
asked. "I think he was in his of-
fice...somewhere around there... not
in his office, but talking to his stu-
dents," Childree said.
"Did Coach King see you?"
Jones asked. "No sir," Childree
answered. "How do you know?"
Jones asked. "He didn’t say any-
thing," Childree said. "So if he’d
have seen you, he’d have said
something?" Jones asked. "Yes sir,"
Childree anwered.
Childree testified that the two
boys stopped fighting on their own
and that King told them, "When
y’all get through fighting, go to the
office."
When James questioned Childree
regarding the fight, Childree said,
"He swung and missed. Then I
swung and missed. I grabbed him
and threw him to the floor. We
were rolling and then I got on top
of him. I grabbed him and hit him
in the face about three or four times
with my right hand while my left
hand was on the gym floor."
"How long did all this take
place?" James asked. "Between
four and five minutes," Childree
answered.
Childree testified that he did not
bang Hughes' head on the floor,
that he aid see King during the
fight and that he did not hear
anybody but King My anything
during the fight,
"Where wm he?" James asked.
"It's hard to say," Childree
answered. "What was Coach King
doing?" James asked. "Reading the
newspaper," Childree Mid, "Could
it have been a gradebook?" James
asked. "Yes sir," Childree
answered,
"Did it Mem odd when Coach
King said, 'When you're through
fighting, go to the office,' ” James
asked. No, that's what he Mid the
last time," Childree Mid referring
to an earlier altercation in which he
was involved)
"Why is It that you only hoard
what Coach King said but you
didn't hear what, anybody else
Mid?" James asked. ''His voice is
affirmative, adding that he had con-
fiscated many weapons from stu-
dents over the years. King also tes-
tified that over the span of his
career, he has broken up many
fights.
When questioned whether
Hughes was bleeding or had black
eyes, King said no.
When questioned by Jones about
whether or not he made efforts to
stop the fight, King said he did.
"It’s like talking to your child," he
said. "First you say ‘no,’ then you
raise your voice.”
"There seems to be some tes-
timony that you delayed getting to
them,” Jones questioned. "No sir,"
King said. ”1 didn’t race over there,
but I was telling them to stop the
whole time 1 was walking toward
them." . ...
"You do recognize that these
children were under your supervi-
sion and that if you didn’t take ac-
tion, that could be perceived as
child abuse?" Jones asked. "Yes
sir,” King answered. \ .
"Do you take whatever steps you
can do to keep a child from getting
hurt?" Jones asked. "Yes sir," King
answered.
Regarding testimony claiming
that King said, "When you’re
through fighting, go to the office,"
King said, "It was not a question,
but a statement. I said, ‘You're
through fighting. Go to the office.'
. It
"You didn’t tell them to go
ahead and fight It out?" Boardmom-
her Wayne Coker asked. "No air, I
have a little more seme than that,"
■ King Mid,
Following testimony, the board
entered into a brief executive ses-
sion with Jones. Upon return,
Coker made the motion that King
be reinstated. Boardmembor
Johnnie Mae Wyatt seconded the
ENTERPRISE PHOTO BY EMILY BANKS
MOMENT OF TRUTH - A pensive expression adorns Coach
Lester King’s face as he patiently waits-to hear the outcome
of his' termination of coritract/dismissal hearing before the
Board of Trustees of the Goodrich Independent School Dis-
trict Thursday. Following a hearing that lasted nearly five
hours and included the testimonies of 14 witnesses, GISD
trustees unanimously voted to. reinstate King as teacher and
coach.
i
* ip
:J
X
vyi
motion and of tne boardmomberx
voting, a unanimous veto wax caxt.
Boardmembor David A. "Shorty"
Hughes hud earl lor excused himxclf
from hi* board duties because of
loud<..deep," Childree Mid.
Nine additional students, ranging
from a Mventh-grader to a 10th-
company the boyx to tne office, he
arrived shortly and told Targac the
boys had been In a fight and that
Targac could give them "pops" or
do whatever he wanted,
the coach went bock to olaai.
HafeAfkull
and than
"Were you bleeding anywhere,"
Jones asked. "No sir," Hugnes Mid.
"Did anybody ask you how you
felt?" Jones asked. "No sir,"
Hughes said. "Did you tell anybody
how you felt?" Jones asked. "No
sir," Hughes Mid. "Did you go to
lunch?" Jones asked. "Yes sir,"
Hughes said. "Were you able to
eat?". Jones asked. "Yes sir,"
Hughes said.
"Did you complain to your
teachers about yoar head?" Jones
asked. "No, but I went to the office
sixth period and asked for a
Tylenol for my headache," Hughes
said. "She couldn't give me one so
I took one when I got home."
Hughes testified he went straight
home after school, went inside,
took a Tylenol and laid down on
his bed. He said both his eyes were
black and that his father took him
to the hospital when he arrived
from work and that he spent the
night in the hospital.
He also testified that although
this was not his first fight ever, It
was his first fight this year.
"When did your eyos start black-
ening?" James asked. "Sixth or
Mventh period," Hughes Mid.
"How long did the light last?"
James asked. "Three to four
minutes," Hughoi said. "Specifical-
ly?" James asked. "Three and a half
minutes," Hughes said.
"Tell us what this young man
was doing to you during this time,"
James said. "He beat my head on
the ground for a little over a
minute," Hughes said. "What about
the remaining time?" James asked.
"He was sitting on top of me while
he was beating my head on the
ground," Hughes said.
"You don't remember Coach
King trying to stop it?" James
asked. "No sir," Hughes said.
"You’ve had a few little dif-
ficulties with the coach during your
time in that class?" James asked.
"Ye« sir," Hughes said.
!”lou and John made up and
y’all are buddies again?" James
asked. "Yes sir," Hughes said.
"Have y'all talked about this
fight?" James asked. "No sir,"
Hughes said.
When Jones asked John Childree
to describe what happened, he said,
'grMlofrtesdfled as to what they saw
during the fight - and although the
nine 'version! were reftiotely’
similar) no two were Identical.
As to where King was when the
fight started, students gave the fol-
lowing different answers: upstairs,
downstairs, In the doorway, In his
office and in the gym,
When questioned as to how tong
the fight lasted, the students1
answers varied all tha way from 30
seconds to 10 minutes.
One student sold he did not Hear
King say anything to them, but that
he might nave said something,
Another student Mid King Mid
something to the boys, Another stu-
dent said King Just watched tho
fight. •
While one student Mid he told
them to stop and they did not, one
student said King broke up the
fight, one said King saw the fight
and still another student said King
did not see the fight.
One student said King couldn’t
see the fight for the people and
another student said King tried to
stop the fight as soon as possible
but there were too many people in
the way.
However, several students tes-
tified that King's reaction time
from the time he mw the fight until
the time he did something was a
short time.
Some of the students testified
that when they gave their state-
menu to the school, no one asked
where King was or what he was
doing during tho Incident.
However, they Mid, over the
Christmas holidays King asked
Mveral of the students to write sn
additional its tom ont stating specifi-
cally where the coach wm and how
he reacted.
King, a teacher and coach for 12
years, testified that he had been
taking pictures on the gym floor
with the basketball team and had
gone downstairs to put the
uniforms up when he heard "a
thump.”
He said he uw Hughes and
Childree rolling on the floor fight-
ing and told them to stop as he
walked toward them. He said he
told them to stop a second time and
they continued. He said he yelled
the third time and they stopped.
King said leu than a minute passed
from the time he uw them until the
time the fight was broken up.
When asked what the school’s
policy is regarding breaking up
fights between studenu, King said
he did not know. When asked if it
is safe for teachers to physically get
in the middle of two studenu fight-
ing, King said no. "Is it possible
that students carry weapons?"
James asked. King answered in the
hid involvement in the proceedings,
"I didn't like die hearing at ull. I
thought the kids were harassed,"
.Hughes said the following mom*'
big, . . ,
HTiat.wae the board’.s 'decision
(reinstating King)," he said) As a
mqmbor of the board, 1 had to go
along with tho decision. As a
.parent, ^didn't Hko It."
Hughes Indicated his son has
been, harassed by other students
ever since dtc Initial incident and
that if the harassment docs not sub-
side, he may lake Guy out of the
Goodrich school system and enroll
him in another school district,
King returned to GISD at 7 a.m.
Friday and took his basketball team
to High island that night, where the
Goodrich Hornets beat the High Is-
land Cardinals 91 to 25,
Grant awarded
The Bi
Bust
I has
NACOGDOCHES
Texas AIDS Frojec
been awurded a $36,000 grant from
the Texas Department of Highways
fora van.
According to Donna Lewis,
BTAP administrative assistant,
"Providing transportation to our
clients has been one of the more
difficult tasks for the project.
Frequently there are too many
people to transport in a single
vehicle. We are pleased to be
awarded a large capacity van that
will allow more people to access
our services.' •
The East Texas AIDS Project is
the only organization serving
persons with AIDS and HIV
positive in the 12-country area they
serve.
Kerr's
7a
TUNCITEMEMT
T\ • /jn t • r
—
Book It Now Aod SAVE By Locking In Prices
Huge Selections
■ (Over 80 Styles To Chose From)
For all Occasions See Our Formalwear'Speciallsts
327-8110 : “ 4*2 N. Jackson
VOTERS
Precinct #1
Polk County
Your Next Commissioner Should
1Z9
~ v w
1 "r..- jp Have Rood Building Experience
■ JL 'SUm' Ipntghtn hat experience in Prtvata
bueinau.
has completed an Instruction Training Count tor
eurfaco minen from Text! ASM.
has 30 yMri experience in building state & Inurttata
. Highway* and airport runways with 26 yMto of It
IWHI In the supervision with the seme company,
la hot supervision sxperience In making tttbalizad base hot mix, and rock crusher materiel that
passed suti inspection for road building.
■o hot 10 years experience In local government and In spending local city tax dollars.
Cheek All The Candidates Qualifications And Then
Go To Tho Polls March 10 And Vots For Expariuca.
Vote For I.E. "Slim* Speights For Your Next Pel #1 Road Commissioner In Folk County.
Pd. Political Ad By B.E. Speights, P.O. Box 362, Goodrich, TX. 77335
Av .-**>*•
\
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 110, No. 8, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 26, 1992, newspaper, January 26, 1992; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth781390/m1/3/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.