Criminal and Civil Lawsuit / Alachua County School Board, Alachua County Superintendent & Veita Jackson Carter
From: HK Edgerton, hk.edgerton@gmail.com
Date: Wed, Sep 30, 2009
To: supt@gm.sbac.eduDear Dr. Boyd,
This letter is intended to serve as my intent to file both criminal and civil charges against an employee of yours, a one Veita Jackson-Carter acting in her capacity as Principal of Hawthorne Middle/High School, and as such an employee under your supervision, thereby leaving me no other choice but to add both your office and the Alachua County School Board as parties to the civil lawsuit.
I will allege that Ms. Veita Jackson-Carter entered into a verbal contract with me to deliver as a guest speaker at 8:00 AM on the morning of September 14, 2009, a speech to the Middle School students of Hawthorne, and later that afternoon I was to address the High School students. I was led to believe that shortly after the students would be allowed to vote on whether or not they would continue wearing apparel depicting the Confederate Flag.
After spending several hours preparing my message, tailoring two different ones because of the age differences of the children, and driving some 12 hours to reach the school, I was informed by Ms. Jackson-Carter that she had changed her mind; I would only be able to address the entire school for 15 minutes from the Media Center. I would spend some thirty minutes with Ms. Jackson-Carter, showing and explaining the materials I would use for the now shortened presentation (shirts that bore the images of Black Confederate soldiers, to include the historic Dixie Outfitters shirt that bore my very own image, the Un-Civil War edition by Mike Scruggs, a laminated copy of several Black Confederate soldiers, their units and their roles in the Confederate Army, a collectors edition of several essays on the love between the Southern African Slave, and his Southern White master, and other memorabilia from the Historic March Across Dixie, and especially to include the most noted letter from Rev. R.L. Dabney in September of 1865 to Union General Howard of the Freedman’s Bureau) . After agreeing that I could use these materials, I would present them to Ms. Jackson-Carter and let her know that I needed to return to my car to get the same for my presentation.
Ms. Jackson-Carter expressed grave reservations of me returning to my car un-escorted without security. In her own words; "While that flag is a Badge of Honor for you, there are members of my staff and students who see it differently and it could get you hurt." I confess that I did not sense these hostilities, but she assured me that it was her school, and that she knew her people. She would escort me to my car and back to the Media Center. After the shortened presentation, I would leave the same materials for Ms. Jackson-Carter to deliver to the School Board, and ask for a copy of the taped presentation. She would inform me that she needed permission from the School Board to give me a copy. I still don’t have that copy.
After my presentation, Ms. Jackson-Carter would announce to the listening audience that there would later be other guest from the University to discuss the same topic, and that there would be allotted time this very day to discuss the subject matter. I interjected that I would be available for the rest of the day should any of the students or faculty have questions of me. Shortly after returning to her office, Ms. Jackson-Carter would inform me that several teachers had asked if I would address their classes. She would escort me to the History class where I would spend some forty five minutes. Upon returning to the office of Ms. Jackson-Carter and asking of her whereabouts, she had told me she would take me to the next class. The staff looked somewhat befuddled, and told me that the Principal had issued a do not disturb order. They also told me that while they had not heard all of my presentation, they were impressed by what they had heard and were looking forward to seeing it run again. I was asked to have a seat and wait for the Principal to finish whatever business that she had.
After sitting in the outer office for some thirty minutes, I would again approach the front desk and ask if someone could place a note under the Principal, asking as to where I should go next? There was no response from Ms. Jackson-Carter’s door. I then asked if they would call her with my inquiry? There was a deafening silence from the intercom. I informed the staff that I had some twelve hours to drive on my return home, and could not just sit here with no response from the Principal. I was now left to make my way alone through the hall that led to my car where the Principal had indicated that my life would be in harms way. However, to make matters worse, thanks to her, I now had a bulls eye on my chest.
I would later learn that I had been used by the Principal to carry out a planned farce. Never were the children going to use my presentation to help them make an informed decision, my presence was only a part of the crafty procedure meant to deceive those who governed her actions. I was told that there had already been some sort of vote taken by the parents and students.
I can only conclude that Ms. Jackson-Carter through her actions not only conspired against the display and wearing of the Confederate Flag, but also conspired to see that some sort of bodily harm come to me with her actions. I also conclude that Ms. Jackson-Carter broke the trust of not only this community and her students, but also the trust of those who hired her. She has made a mockery of the Supreme Court decision of Tinker vs. the Des Moines, Iowa School Board and other court rulings. And I find it hard that she can continue to be called Principal.
I also seek compensation ($500.00) in the form of an Honorarium waive because of breach of verbal contract, 2. $20.00 X 12 for each of the shirts left in the possession of Ms. Jackson-Carter, 3. $24 X 3 for copies of the Un-Civil War Books, 4. $10 X 3 for each copy of the Rev. Dabney memorabilia, 5. $10 X 3 for the laminated copies of the Black Confederate soldier, 6. Mileage compensation $.54 per mile = , 1,200 (to and from destination = $648.00), $100.00 out of pocket expense for food. Total = $1,620.00.Respectfully,
HK Edgerton
President
Southern Heritage 4111995-2009 SWR, SHNV & TheSouthernAmerican.org
On The Web: www.southernwarroom.info/post?id=3690798