I have gotton lots of hits indicating searches for a picture of Karl R. Krawitz, and searches for a possible public apology to the Shawnee Mission East senior, Emma Sullivan, for attempting to force her to write an apology for tweeting "Brownback sucks" to her friends at a statehouse field trip in Topeka. Krawitz is the principal of Shawnee Mission East, and apparantly a local stooge of republican politicians. Initially, Miss Sullivan had intended to go ahead and write the apology, but has since changed her mind. Then, in a very political turn of events, Governer Brownback apologised to Miss Sullivan, stating that his staff had overreacted. Considering the fact that almost every publication in the nation had run the story, this was politically savvy of him.
I perused all available information to find out if Karl R. Krawitz has any intentions of apologising to his student for bullying her and humiliating her in front of her peers, but did not find much about him at all. What I did find was the website for Shawnee Mission East, where the incident is not mentioned. And...while I suppose one could email Mr. Karl Marx Krawitz, (another "Krawtiz" search) a couple of other bloggers and posters had a better idea. On the school website is a link for the reporting of bullying incidents, and I clicked on that and wrote my concerns about school administrators who bully students over politcal issues, depriving them of their constitutional rights. If you wish to do the same, just click on the link to Shawnee Mission East, provided above.
The last item I wanted to cover in this post is Karl R. Krawitz's picture, something for which lots of people have searched today. All I could find was a thumbnail, which I will include. I absolutely look forward to his public apology to Emma Sullivan, for bullying her concerning matters political and pressuring her to write a letter she did not need to write, and his public apology to the student body at Shawnee Mission East, for setting such a terrible example. Now that Browncrack has apologised, Krawitz is left holding the bag.
Karl R. Krawitz
I perused all available information to find out if Karl R. Krawitz has any intentions of apologising to his student for bullying her and humiliating her in front of her peers, but did not find much about him at all. What I did find was the website for Shawnee Mission East, where the incident is not mentioned. And...while I suppose one could email Mr. Karl Marx Krawitz, (another "Krawtiz" search) a couple of other bloggers and posters had a better idea. On the school website is a link for the reporting of bullying incidents, and I clicked on that and wrote my concerns about school administrators who bully students over politcal issues, depriving them of their constitutional rights. If you wish to do the same, just click on the link to Shawnee Mission East, provided above.
The last item I wanted to cover in this post is Karl R. Krawitz's picture, something for which lots of people have searched today. All I could find was a thumbnail, which I will include. I absolutely look forward to his public apology to Emma Sullivan, for bullying her concerning matters political and pressuring her to write a letter she did not need to write, and his public apology to the student body at Shawnee Mission East, for setting such a terrible example. Now that Browncrack has apologised, Krawitz is left holding the bag.
19 comments:
Do you know if this is the same Karl Krawitz who was mentioned in a lawsuit in 2006, regarding teen suicide?
http://web.mac.com/davidg5imac1/DavidChartrand/Mares_v.SMSD.html
OMG! It is the same general area, so I am betting that it probably is!! Tommorrow, I intend to do more research on this, though! That is a very informative link...very sad information. Thankyou for telling me.
Why should he apologize. He said that it'a a private matter between the student and the school, which by the way, she was representing on her trip to Topeka to visit the governor. Their sports teams aren't allowed to disrespect the opposing team, seems that the government club should be held to the same standards.
You heard an 18 year old who might be an "adult" in the eyes of the law, but was pretty immature in her actions. She represented the school, and Dr Krawitz is well within his rights to ask her to apologize for her actions.
By the way...I didn't vote for Brownback since I am pretty much a liberal. But I know Dr Krawitz and I can guarantee you that he never "yelled at her for an hour" to "force" an apology. But...why bother....in this age of twits who tweet, we'll fall all over freedom of speech...but let me ask you to do this...if you are ever on a business trip..disrespect your hosts. AFter all...it's your right.
She was not on a business trip. And Kansas is not a business, it's a state. And education is more than just a product that gets bought or sold.
The only thing Emma Sullivan did that was not mature was assuming that no one would censor her tweets. And plenty of people have argued that Brownback's office should not have censored tweets.
Dr. Krawitz should apologize for insinuating that she did anything wrong, and for pressuring her to express an opinion that she had not, in any way, formed.
its still disrespectful of her to say that sort of thing while representing her school.. it is her right to say what ever she pleases but she was representing her school
I disagree. She was not representing her school, and even if she was, why should a governer who cares as little for education as Brownback does deserve undue respect?
While we're at it, why don't we lead by example? We still have quite a few teachers at my kids' school who enjoy whining about Obama's birth certificate. They know that this is crazy, yet they continue. It's rude. Why not treat the President with respect? Kansas cannot have it's cake and eat it, too.
Julie....she got on a bus, provided by the school district, that took her government club, sponsored by the school, to Topeka. If that's not representing her school, what is? My kid plays sports for that school. All athletes are told several times that they represent the school on and off the court...why does this not apply to government clubs?
For what it's worth, I'm pretty liberal. I don't care for Brownback...I didn't vote for him, I don't like where he's taking the state. Also...Dr Krawitz is more liberal than conservative. By the way...considering Emma got 12,000 twits to follow her, one who posted Dr Krawitz home address, and Dr Krawitz has receive death threats...is that just 'free speech' too?
That's the beauty of twitter...cowards like Emma don't have the guts to say it to Brownback's face, so they twit it out to the other twits of the world.
Emma Sullivan did not stand up on the bus and shout "Brownback Sucks!", nor did she say it to a journalist or publish the comment on her own. She tweeted it, and the only way that Brownback, his "henchmen" and the rest of the world could possibly know is censorship. Thanx to the Patriot Act, Browncrack can do this, but she is still only representing herself and her own opinions when she email and tweets her friends or talks to them in person. Even on the bus. And she is not a coward; I'm sure she would have said it louder, had she known that the whole world was listening. Twittergate. The latest in Kansas GOP.....
Krawitz is getting death threats??! Holy shit.
Let's try a little old fashioned etiquette Juli...if you are going someplace to learn how government works, how about shutting off the cell phone? Problem solved. No urge to tweet. Once you are away from the event, twit to your hearts content. Although later in life Juli will be working for a company that will have a "social media" policy, where she can be fired for expressing her "freedom of speech". Too bad she missed out on the opportunity to learn what 'freedom of speech' actually entails. And yes, Krawitz is getting death threats. That's why many students in the school are "bullying" her and "not supporting" her.. It's called "unintended consequences", but I doubt she's learned that either.
I agree about the cell phone, but if the cell phone was the issue, then Krawitz should have said that. Lots of schools have rules concerning cell phones. But Krawitz did not touch the cell phone issue; in fact, I am getting the impression that if she tweeted about what a great guy Brownback is, it would have been okay. Krawitz was pandering to someone who wanted to censor communications, and make an example out of anyone who is malcontent. Kinda like Mao.....
Inasmuch as death threats are concerned, you and I both know that is over the top. I hope it stops. As for students bullying Emma Sullivan, she is old enough to take legal action on her own if they cannot resist the urge to harass her.
If you consider ignoring harassment, then okay. My kid showed me one tweet on Emma's account. "11,000 followers and 3 friends". Emma could have been an adult and simply said she was sorry if her actions reflected poorly on Shawnee Mission East...THEN stand by her criticism of Brownback.
My kid got in worse trouble than a tweet at East...Krawitz didn't "yell at her for an hour". He certainly discussed what she did, but there was no yelling involved. when asked what he said to Emma, he said "it's a private matter". But not to Emma it wasn't. She tweeted her side of events (I'm sure it wasn't embellished at all). She could have kept it private, but that wouldn't have made for good press on CNN.
No; I do not consider ignoring to be the same thing as bullying. I simply took the last comment at face value.
I guess Krawitz learned a lesson, because after the media got involved, and it was clear that Emma and Brownback's staff were talking, his "no comment" stance made him appear more like Stalin than Brownback did. And then Brownback issued an apology to Emma, leaving Krawitz looking like a heel. Really....the only thing Krawitz can do to save face now is apologize!
I still maintain the opinion that Brownback's office should not have been monitoring the tweets, and taxpayors should not be paying people in Brownback's office to inspect and monitor social media for disparging commnets about their furor!
Yes; the whole thing made very good press for CNN. Especially when republicans are having such a hard time finding a viable candidate! If Brownback ever decides to run for president again, his slogan can always be, "Brownback Sucks"!
You miss the point Juli...the one who needs to learn a lesson is Emma. I'm not sure about you, but if my kid were talked to by the principal, I would prefer that the discussion between him and my daughter be kept private. Krawitz is too smart to engage in a "he said/she said" war of words with an immature 18 year old. This is good for Emma, as she would look like a whiny kid who won't admit that her actions were inappropriate on a school function, and who cannot handle anyone telling her that. Her mom apparently won't.
As I said, I'm a liberal. Didn't vote for Brownback, don't like his policies. But there is something that the age of twitter has cost us...respect. A good rule of thumb that is never followed is this - if you aren't willing to tell someone something to their face - don't put it out on the WORLD wide web.
Thankfully, her 15 minutes of fame are up. She'll just fade into the background with the satisfaction of having 12,000 twits "following" her every word. She'll need to keep THAT in mind when she tweets in the future.
I have missed no point, and neither did Emma. The point is, we have a governer who does not value education, uses the medical industry to discrimate against women, and uses religion to scare people who don't know any better. Brownback is one of the reasons I think Christianity is not valid. I have heard about people who manipulate others that way, but have never lived this close to someone who is that evil. Emma was not gunning for fifteen minutes of fame....she was just telling her small collection of friends what she thought of someone who abuses power. She never thought her tweet would go beyond beyond the cell phone screens of her friends. Since Browncrack not only uses religion to scare people, but uses social media to monitor people, her tweet went all over the world. The only reason this became public or a big deal was Brownback; stop blaming the young woman who simply said he sucks.
The age of twitter has not cost us respect. In fact, very few humans truly understand respect. Was Brownback's office treating Emma Sullivan with respect when they eavesdropped on her? Why didn't Krawitz simply tell Brownback that he was sorry if Emma hurt his feelings, but that Emma has a right to her opinion and had not done anything wrong? In my opinion, Emma was the only one in that situation who had respect, and she gave Brownback's decisions about cutting funds for certain programs all the respect that was due! She attends Shawnee Mission East, therefore, her opinion is representative of at least one student there. I do not see why anyone has a problem with her.
Brownback has too many things in common with dictators of underdeveloped countries. He sucks.
"She never thought". That's true enough. Perhaps she has learned that since twitter is accessed on the WORLD wide web, things she puts out there are available for MORE than her 60 followers to see. Because it's not just Brownback's office that monitors social media...Employers do too. So perhaps she should think before she tweets, especially...and this is important...while attending a function that was sponsored by her school.
Perhaps some students at Shawnee Mission East have an issue with her because her actions and her report of Krawitz "yelling at her for an hour" resulted in death threats against Dr K and some calls for his resignation.
And again, I don't like Brownback either. But my issue isn't with Brownback...it's with Emma's quest for 15 minutes of fame after the fact which resulted in the painting of Dr Krawitz as some right wing nut who marching in lockstep with Brownback. I wish they would have taped that "hour long yelling at" session. As I said - my kid has been in trouble at East and Krawitz did not "yell at her for an hour". He didn't "yell at her" at all. He DID however point out what was wrong in what she did. NOthing wrong with that. And - it's something that Emma needs to learn because it can (and most likely will) happen to her when she moves out into the real world of adulthood.
I guess you and I are going to have to agree to disagree here, because I do not think it is Emma's fault that Krawitz got death threats. THAT is squarely on the people who sent death threats. Also, if Brownback's office had not been precariously walking the balence beam between looking at tweets and interfering with the first amendment, this whole thing never would have happened, and Krawitz would not even be in the news. No; I do not think he is a right-wing nut in lockstep with Browncrack.....I think he is another sheep, unfortunatly grazing in koolaide watered pastures. Goddess help him.
You wanna know who else monitored communications and available meida? Richard Nixon. While I would hesitate to think of eavesdropping as just a republican thing, I am shocked at the audacity of Browncrack's office to step on a person's first amendment rights. They went too far.
Just FYI it has recently come out that she was not required to apologize
http://voices.kansascity.com/entries/principals-tough-email-teen-tweeter-brownback/
I'm aware of that. I do not think Krawitz had a legal way to force such a thing.
Post a Comment