Here is a little tidbit from someone who is very familiar with the “investigation” conducted by Dist 11.
The “investigator”, Donna Lavalle, worked in the HR office at District 11 Service Center. She interviewed 5 students, 4 of whom were involved in the gun incident. Guess what their story was. The fifth student said none of the allegations occurred. She then called the two teachers in and conducted a very hostile interrogation, When she was told about the gun incident and that it was perhaps a motivation for the false allegations by these students., her reply was “that’s irrelevant!” When asked about how many students she had interviewed, Lavalle lied and said she had interviewed all the students in both Cleveland and Filsons’ classes. There are witnesses for all of these incidents, who will step forward at the proper time. Lavalle has resigned from Dist 11 and most were glad to see her go. That the State Dept of Human Rights based their decision on this rush to judgment, without doing an independent investigation or even attempting to contact the two teachers, is criminal.

This Dist 11 “investigation” was sloppy, biased, and incomplete. District 11, denying that the harassment ever took place, settled with the DHR against the wishes of the Cleveland and Filson. A confidentiality agreement was signed by all parties. District 11 gave the Merritts $25K to shut up and make this all go away, and in the process, destroyed the lives of two good teachers. Merritt was the perfect poster-boy, and the family, feeling that $25K was not up to their expectations, broke the confidentiality agreement, went to the media at the same time that the DHR broke the confidentiality agreement. The teachers, assured by their principal that all was OK, stood helplessly while the media, egged on by the Merritts, and helped by the strident, shrill drumbeat of the STRIB, descended like a pack of howling wolves, or should we say willing lapdogs.

This is red meat to even the dumbest defense attorney. District 11, the DHR, and the Merritts better find a hole to crawl into and a rock to pull over the top. All of the editorial writers, letter-to-the-editor writers, bloggers, Merritt facebook fans and death threat phone callers who based their actions on false information and wishful thinking will probably never apologize when this is settled. Like cockroaches in a slum house kitchen, they will scurry for a hiding place when the light is turned on.

Nobody ever says WHY he was going to bring a gun to school. Maybe to show it off. Maybe he was just joking around. Obviously though, the school didn’t think it too big of a deal and no discipline was imposed for it. Aren’t you glad, though, that when other students or the Police Liaison Officer hears about this, they don’t ignore it?

It is only idle speculation as to WHY he was talking about bringing a gun to school. Nobody ever said it was because he was being teased by his teachers. In fact, his mother won’t even address the subject. She very skillfully dodges the point by saying that he didn’t bring a gun.

How’s this for a theory: He was joking around. He got overheard by multiple parties. Cleveland and/or Filson reported it. He was worried about getting into the Army or Law Enforcement with it on his record. He panicked and blamed the teachers. His mom bought into it and the whole thing got out of hand.

All the pieces fit. A young man panics when confronted with the consequences of a joke gone wrong, blames someone else. His mother (who I assume, loves him dearly and with reservation) believes him and helps him sue – he’s too far in now to take the panic-induced lie back and has to go through with it to the bitter end.

I’m sure we’ve all done stupid things as a kid. But trashing two human beings to cover a mistake is something that has to be remedied.