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August 15, 2015 - August 21, 2015, The Afro-American
WASHINGTON-AREA
Race for President of the Ward 8 Democrats
D.C. Charter School Scam Charges Dismissed Against Former News Anchor J.C. Hayward
By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com
By AFRO Staff The Washington area’s longest-serving female news anchor has been cleared of allegations of misusing funds from Options Public Charter School in Northeast D.C. J.C. Hayward, former WUSA9 news personality, was dismissed by the D.C. Office of the Attorney General on Aug. 11. According to WUSA9, Hayward and the charter school agreed to dismiss all claims, but required Hayward to pay back $8,500 to the school, which is allegedly the total amount of funds she received. “Ms. Hayward has always disputed these claims from the beginning and
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Former WUSA9 news personality, J.C. Hayward
has professed her profound commitment to helping atrisk young people in the Metropolitan Washington D.C. area,” according to a statement released from her lawyer, Jeffrey S. Jacobovitz. Hayward has dealt with the legal battle since 2013, when she was accused of aiding three managers and a board chairman in a scam which involved the creation of two for-profit companies that provided services to the school at inflated prices, as reported by the Washington Post. According to WUSA9, even though Hayward has been dismissed from the civil lawsuit, the settlement between both parties does not admit guilt nor offer exoneration. WUSA9 reports that the Attorney General’s office said it will continue to pursue the case against the other defendants, including Options’ managers — Dr. Donna D. Montgomery, Dr. David Cranford, and Paul S. Dalton – and Jeremy L. Williams, former chief financial officer of the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board, who are accused of mishandling $2.8 million of taxpayer funds. “She is now in the process of setting up a scholarship endowment in perpetuity for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington,” the statement said. “Ms. Hayward is delighted that she will be able to leave a lasting legacy. This lawsuit closes a small chapter in her life.”
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D.C.’s quadruple murder in May is only one occurrence in the city’s rising homicide count.
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D.C. Homicide Rate Rises, City Leaders Search for Solutions By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com
The rise in homicides in the District has generated a robust discussion among city leaders and residents on what should be done to prevent more unnecessary killings. Statistics compiled by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, as of Aug. 11, report that there were 91 homicides in the city, compared with 71 at this point last year, an increase of 28.2 percent. D.C. Council member Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5), who is the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, said that the rising homicide rate must be addressed by city leaders. “Reducing instances of gun violence is not just the job of the Metropolitan Police Department, but the responsibility of every government agency,” McDuffie said. The homicide rate was on a downward trajectory for about 15 years until 2013. MPD statistics report that the lowest rate in 20 years took place in 2012, with only 88 homicides, compared with 397 in 1996. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier have stated publicly that the rampant use of synthetic drugs is one of the reasons for the homicide uptick. “I think that is part of what we’re dealing with right now, is this influx of synthetic drugs and the impact that it is having,” Lanier said on June 27 after a community meeting. “You will get lots of batches of it where it is much, much more potent, and when it happens you see these spikes in overdoses and violence.” District community and law enforcement leaders agree with Lanier that synthetic drug use isn’t the only reason homicides have risen recently. “The reasons for the rise are complex,” Delroy Burton, the chairman of the D.C. Police Union, said.
“One of the problems is that during the administration of Mayor Vincent Gray, the mayor and Cathy Lanier bragged about the low rate of homicides but didn’t talk about the rise in other crimes such as robberies and assaults. One crime was going way down but that was balanced by the rise in other crimes and nothing was really done about those crimes.” Burton said the MPD is operating without adequate staffing and that has an effect on fighting homicides. “Lanier said that in order to be fully manned, there should 4,000 officers on the force,” Burton said. “We have 3,869 officers and even though we have 150 officers in the police academy now, when the new officers come on duty, the force will still be short of 4,000 because of officers who are retiring, on administrative leave, on military leave and those who are being disciplined.” Burton said that the homicide rise could be that people haven’t learned to resolve conflicts amicably. “When I was younger, when a conflict arose, we fought it out with our fists and moved on,” the union chairman said. “These days, people will go get a gun and shoot someone if they feel disrespected.” Douglass Sloan, an advisory neighborhood commissioner for single-member district 4B09, said police officers need to be more visible in the city. “We need more cops on foot patrols,” Sloan said. “Officers need to get out of their cars and engage people in the community.” Sloan agreed with McDuffie that District agencies like the District’s Department of Parks and Recreation could do more, such as opening their centers on Sundays so that young people can have a safe place to go and engage in productive activities. D.C. Council members have attempted to get the community involved in stemming the homicide tide. D.C. Council member Brandon Todd (D-Ward 4) held a community meeting with residents and police officials in his ward on July 23. McDuffie Continued on D2
The Ward 8 Democrats, the most influential of the District’s political machines, will hold its biannual convention to select its officers on Sept. 19. Natalie Williams, current president of the Ward 8 Democrats, told the AFRO on Aug. 10 that she will not seek re-election, citing her work as the chairman of the 8A advisory neighborhood commission
“It used to be fun to belong to the Ward 8 Democrats but now it is frustrating.” – Charles Wilson
chairman and as the deputy chief of staff for D.C. Council member Vincent Orange. “Great leaders know when to access the needs, set a tone, and pass the torch for others to lead,” Williams said. While she had conflicts with other members, she is credited with raising a record amount of money for the organization and setting up a gala fundraiser honoring the late Marion S. Barry taking place Aug. 20 at The Arc. Continued on D2
D.C. Council Members Struggle Meet The Pastor in Fight for Statehood at Maryland Clergyman Leads Congregation Legislators Conference through Community Service By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com
By Mt. Ennon Baptist Church
Two members of the D.C. Council almost persuaded an influential political association to back District statehood but fell short because of last minute maneuvering by opponents. D.C. Council members Vincent Orange (D-At Large), Anita Bonds (D-At Large), and Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) represented the District at the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) Legislative Summit that took place in Seattle from Aug. 3-6. The NCLS is the bipartisan trade association for legislators in the 50 states, the District, and territories, and
“Taxation without representation meant a lot in 1776 and it means the same today.” – Anita Bonds possessions such as Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Bonds presented a pro-D.C. statehood resolution with the support of Orange to the conference’s Law, Criminal Justice and Public Safety committee on Aug. 3. Bonds’ resolution calls on the legislators to “support the residents of the District of Columbia with the same rights enjoyed by all other residents of America.” Continued on D2
According to his congregation, the Rev. Dr. Delman L. Coates is no ordinary clergyman. Instead, he is anointed by God to be a teacher, preacher, and community advocate. Coates is committed to connecting the ministry and work of the church to social justice and community revitalization. He serves the Lord by giving back to his community and encouraging his parishioners to work on the behalf of the less fortunate. One example of that commitment is Coates’ recent appeal to his more than 8,500 member congregation to raise money for college scholarships and grants to area public schools leading up to the church’s Easter celebration. Exceeding their goal, members contributed $170,000, which will be divided between college scholarships and public school grants, providing assistance to
students and Prince George’s County. Not only has Coates organized opportunities to provide financial contributions
The Rev. Dr. Delman L. Coates is the pastor of Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Md.
to his community, but he also has donated his time and encourages church members to do the same. Concerned with helping people and the welfare of his constituents, Coates held a Day of Service to celebrate his 11th anniversary. Coates and more than 400 members and staff volunteered to beautify internal and external areas of Surratsville High School, as well as provide groceries and toiletries to nursing homes (Bradford Oaks and Villa Rosa), a rehabilitation center (Larken Chase), senior living homes (Clinton Manor, Branchwood Towers, Trinity Terrace, and Gateway Village), and a veteran home (Charlotte Hall) in Southern Maryland. Currently, as a convener for the Maryland Coalition for Justice & Equality, Coates is actively fighting to pass legislation to address the state’s foreclosure crisis and community concerns about police accountability. Continued on D2