Racism Rules in Walthall County

Racism Rules in Walthall County

On Monday, April 2, 2007, a white school bus driver, Judy Thomas, and her nineteen-year-old daughter, Erica Thomas, unleashed a fury of white hatred on a bus of African American students that has been so-far supported by Dexter Attendance Center Principal Jerry Piget, Walthall County Schools Superintendent Greg Ellzey, and by the Walthall County Sheriff’s Department. After interviews conducted by the NAACP and the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement with the African American students as well as with their parents and other relatives, it has become clear that Walthall County is determined to earn its reputation as one of the most oppressive places in Mississippi.

African American students attending Dexter Attendance Center in Walthall County stated that on April 2, Erica Thomas, a nineteen-year-old who is not employed by the Walthall County School District and who had no legitimate reason for being on the school bus, was taunting the African American students stating words to the effect of “Nobody is going to tell my stepsons what to do.” After a few more taunts, Thomas’ stepson, a sixteen-year-old, strikes an African American twelve-year-old. The twelve-year-old’s sister, who is also sixteen, asks Erica Thomas’ stepson, “Why did you hit my brother? He is only twelve.” Words are then passed between Erica Thomas and the sixteen-year-old African American child, and a struggle ensues. Judy Thomas, the bus driver, pulls the bus to the side of the road to engage in the altercation by punching the sixteen-year-old African American child in the chest. After both Judy and Erica Thomas assault the sixteen-year-old child, Judy Thomas makes a phone call and the students hear her say “I’m on my way.” Then the African American students report that Judy and/or Erica state “Just wait. We are going to take care of you Niggers,” or words to that effect. Judy Thomas then deviates from the normal bus route and takes the bus to the home of a white friend. In her haste to get to her new destination, Judy Thomas slams on brakes three or four times, causing the students to be violently bounced around in the bus with a seven-year-old African American female student being flung against a bus window, leaving her with a noticeable bump and sending the child into an asthma attack. Once arriving at the new location, Judy and Erica Thomas exit the bus, taking Erica Thomas’ stepchildren and other white students with them. The white children who exit the bus are joined by other children and adults who are all given sticks, bats, and other objects as they stand outside the bus making statements to the effect of “Get off the bus Niggers.” Another white adult female enters the bus cursing and using racial slurs toward the black students. Also, Erica Thomas’ husband comes on the bus, making gestures toward the African American students. The brother of the seven-year-old who is having the asthma attack tries to inform Judy Thomas, but her only response is “I’m handling this now.” Finally, when the Walthall County Deputy arrives, Judy Thomas takes him aside, has a few words with him, and the deputy arrests the sixteen-year-old African American student who was merely coming to the aid of her brother as he was being assaulted by an adult. Eventually, the deputy takes both the sixteen-year-old African American child and Erica Thomas into custody. Only after the deputy leaves, does Judy Thomas resume her duty as bus driver, getting the children home over an hour late. When the seven-year-old child is returned to her mother who realizes that her child has a severe bump on her head and is looking pale, the seven-year-old is rushed to the hospital where the doctors inform the child’s mother that one of her lungs is not getting the proper amount of oxygen and immediately begin treatment. Later that night, the mother of the seven-year-old attempts to file charges against Judy Thomas, but Deputy Sheriff Larry Martin tells her that she cannot file charges at that time because he is not finished with his investigation.

On the morning of April 3, parents of some of the African American students go to the school to discuss the event with Principal Piget who refuses to discuss the issue stating that the parents would have to speak with the director of transportation. As the parents decide to wait, they notice that the normal bus route has been divided between an African American male bus driver who has picked up only the African American students, and Judy Thomas’ husband, Troy Thomas, also a bus driver for the school district, who has picked up the white students on the route. Judy Thomas is not driving a bus that morning and has not been back since the Monday, April 2, altercation. But, her absence seems to be of her own accord and not due to any action taken by the school district. As the buses are being unloaded, an altercation ensues on the school grounds. During the student altercation, students state that one of the white coaches, Ron Fortenberry, grabs only the African American children, especially one student in particular, and violently slams him into a car. Once order is restored, the principal suspends only the African American students and asks only the African American parents to leave. Later that morning after meeting with the superintendent and the director of transportation, the parents learn that a warrant has been issued for their arrest for simple assault on a minor and disturbing the peace for the incident that took place at the school that morning. The parents turn themselves into the sheriff department where they are held in a room from 9:30 am until after 2:00 pm when they are able to post bail. Their hearing is scheduled for April 16, 2007 at 1:00 pm. Three of the African-American students have been expelled and have not been in school since the incident and will have a hearing before the entire school board on Tuesday April 10, 2007 at 3:00 pm for “gang fighting” and could be sent to an alternative school as a result.

Since Tuesday, April 3, whites have been riding pass the homes of the African Americans students and relatives yelling threats, and the students state that they have distinctly heard the voice of Judy Thomas. However, no one in the African American community knows if the sheriff department is investigating the treats against the African Americans, but sheriff’s investigator Truett Simmons is investigating a claim that on Wednesday night someone fired shots at the home of Judy Thomas. It seems interesting that the sheriff department is not investigating this issue as racially motivated since Judy Thomas was heard calling the African American students “niggers” on more than one occasion. Also, the white students also referred to the African American students as “niggers.” Erica Thomas has been charge with simple assault for her altercation with the sixteen-year-old student; however, Erica Thomas’ stepson, who stuck a sixteen-year-old classmate, has had no punishment served against him, and he is not scheduled to appear before the school board like the African American students. The NAACP and the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement are calling for State and Nationwide attention, support, and involvement for the African American children and their parents. They are asking for all who can to make their presence known at the April 10 school board hearing at 3:00 pm. For additional information contact the Mississippi NAACP at (601) 353-8452 or the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement at (601) 832 6468. Both the NAACP and the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement are seeking to bring legal and media assistance to the families. Both organizations are asking that African Americans around the State contact their local and state-wide news outlets and demand that this event be covered until justice prevails. Readers can also contact Walthall County Schools Superintendent Greg Ellzey by phone at (601) 876-3401 or by fax at (601) 876-6982.