Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Oklahoma high school kids mock deaf people in video

From Danica Lawrence at Fox 23 in Okla.:

It's suppose to be a Grove High School project.

Two girls, Natalie and Sonja are satirising a school issue. They chose teen pregnancy.

"It's outrageous they they did this video out in the school," says 20- year-old Bridget Welch.

Welch, a 2009 graduate of Grove High School, who was pregnant at 16, feels the girls are bullying pregnant moms and says the video does more than that.

"All it really did was make fun of pregnant people, and stereotype how deaf people talk and how Hispanic people talk," says Welch.

The mother of one of the girls in the video says this video is being blown out of proportion.

I contacted the teacher who created the assignment. This is what he wrote back.

"Unfortunately due to privacy laws, FERPA and confidentiality, I cannot comment on student issues without parental permission." And the Superintendent says the same.

But some FOX23 viewers had plenty to say....

One person writes:

"They like to sweep everything under the rug (referring to Grove High School officials) I was a teen mom in grove in 2004. I not only was a teen mom, but I have a deaf daughter. She can't speak at all, let alone talk the way that was portrayed in that video. It is very disheartening to watch such inappropriate behavior be chalked up to being "simply a project." I am completely disgusted. "

-Jennifer Wicha- Former teen mom.

Another writes:

"Those girls who made that video are excellent students & good examples. What you don't know is these pregnant girls go on Facebook & attack the virgin girls. They weren't picking on people, they were addressing a HUGE problem!" -Jamie Watoyi