LETTERS ON LETTERS
As the administrative liaison between Markham Middle School and Mr. Fred’s Common Ground Inc. program, I feel compelled to respond to the false charges leveled against him by Alfee Enciso (Letters, Aug. 4) regarding Liz Brody’s June 23 “Close-up” article (“Palm Latitudes”) on Mr. Fred. The truth of the matter is that Fred Williams is viewed as a hero by students and parents.
Mr. Enciso writes that Mr. Fred has been the cause of “numerous gang riots when he left the gate open.” This is absurd. We have not experienced any riots. To the contrary, I can recall numerous times when Mr. Fred prevented potential gang fights by convening meetings of African-American and Latino male students from opposing “turfs” and counseling them on how to resolve their perceived differences peacefully. School administrators were aware of and involved in these sessions.
Mr. Fred should be appreciated and commended, not attacked and vilified by vitriolic cheap shots.
BOB THOMAS
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
MARKHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL
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