I am writing to express my disappointment at The Citizen’s online article dated 10/17/2008, “MHS cheerleaders suspended for drinking.” I would direct my comments to the specific author of this piece; however, none of your journalists seem to have taken credit for it, given the byline that reads “The Citizen.”

I have been working closely with the McIntosh High School Football/Competition Cheerleaders and their booster club for the past two seasons. My company was – and remains – a proud sponsor of the squads and parent organization. Along with my employees, I have attended countless games, practices, special events and competitions and had many opportunities to work one-on-one and in small groups with both Varsity and JV cheerleaders.

The girls are exceptional. They are courteous and polite. Motivated and dedicated. And, they are very, very talented. So talented, in fact, that they’ve placed or won at several competitions and helped Fayette County squads dominate AAAA cheerleading at the state final in Columbus last November.

Unfortunately, your readers don’t hear about their accomplishments. While there is endless space for football, basketball, baseball and softball news, when it comes to cheerleading, the ink runs out.

I used to think cheerleading wasn’t a sport – then I went to a competition (my first) and found out how wrong I was. I haven’t seen a Citizen journalist covering any competitions, so perhaps your assignment editor is ignorant about the sport too.

Or perhaps it simply prints and sells better when cheerleading news is splayed out in a grossly misleading, salacious gossip piece.

I can’t remember the last time I read a statement from “Official” Melinda Berry-Dreisbach regarding suspension of a minor at one of her schools. Perhaps you’ve started a blotter-style column about kids and the darndest things they do, and I’ve simply missed it.

I’ll gloss over legalization for the sake of brevity and stick with just the facts.

Fact: Parenting of minor children belongs at home. Not via tattletales, not at school and certainly not in a public forum.

Fact: FERPA (20 U.S.C. § 1232g) and O.C.G.A. statues exist to protect students from inappropriate disclosure of identifiable information, including release of information regarding drug and alcohol violations.

Fact: Inaccurate and misleading articles combined with disclosure of identifying information via school official and for-profit website – “eight McIntosh football cheerleaders were suspended this week for being intoxicated with alcohol” and “I am surprised that the parents of the sober girls have not wanted the President of MHS Cheer Booster removed as she is a mom of one of those girls” (comment by reader on 10/17/2008 remains in comment section as of 10/20/2008) — would make me call my lawyer.

It probably goes without saying that I feel sorry for the girls (involved and on the sidelines, so to speak). I also feel sorry for their parents. But I’m even sorrier that the local newspaper would turn this incident into news, and subsequently into gossip mill garbage. That’s just what you’ve done. It reeks.

By the way, the AJC writer who borrowed your story had the chutzpah to put his name on the byline. Real journalists do that.

Emily Ray

thefotolounge

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