Mary Mitchell

Say Mary, do you think that the person who recorded the tape also had an intimate knowledge of the room because they too had done involved themselves with him?

He is an embarrassment. The sad thing is that he is not enough of an exception in that situation. Black men abusing their position in the name of sex (well they are hardly the only ones, but being a black man, it bothers me more when they do it). It seems that too many black men use their position of power for sexual escapades and it is just ridiculous. Preachers, teachers, principal, administrators, managers in fast food restaurants, dentists men of all most every position. It is a shame, a damned shame.

You do remember the girl who worked at the McDonald's on 87th who was murdered because she became pregnant by her married manager. It seems that we can not be trusted to simply handle our business and call it a day. I know that this is not true, I know that there are black men who do not use sex as currency in employment and I know that it is a majority of men. But it does seem that every time you turn around you see it, you hear about it, and it hurts our community.

Mary nice job reporting this idiot. I applaud the condemnation of the deed and ignoring the race, its refreshing in these times.

Holy Moly! That was a refresshing column from you Mary. All goes to show, there is hope in this world; Your coming around!!

There are no excuses, defenses or overtones. From what I've read, this same pathetic excuse for an alleged educator, likes to refer to white children as "white trash". And this same "successful administrator" blames the video planter as the person responsible for hurting his family, friends and the children he educates. PLEASE!!! Step up to the plate loverboy, admit you are solely responsible and take what you got coming.

This guy was arrogant just like President Clinton. But they are also human as the guy stated. There is no telling what a MARRIAGE relationship is at any given time. Just like Hillary and Chrisha, many women do not care and MIGHT be part of the reason their husbands go astray - or dare I say it, might have their own thing on the side. To say otherwise is to assume. To illiminate the human factor for why people make mistakes is wrong. I felt embarrassed for THEM. When two people have a great marriage - we say THEY both contributed. When stuff like this happens all of the sudden its just one person.

And just like Bill, it is also quite possible for ole Leroy to be a hard working competent person at his job. You don't get to the top without some hard work. Being intelligent has nothing to do with being SMART. That being said, all of this had nothing to do with race, but humanity.

Yes, he is an embarrassment. Mary, my girlfriend lives in Lynwood. Therefore, I've known about problems with this guy for awhile. The sex video inside school premises was only the final straw. The rumor is this guy alienated alot of parents by calling some of the children 'white trailer trash'. Several trailer courts feed children into this school system. The local paper out here, the NWI Times (formerly Hammond Times) has been on top of this story. One of the reporters is a lady named Joan Carreon. I forgot the male reporter's name. Call the paper if you want to know. Anyway, he's had a iffy past, also. He seems to have been run out of other school systems. I only say that because he had been a asst. principal at Thornton High School in Harvey. And I would question why a guy leaves a $135,000 for a $85,000 job. I'm told he was NOT that well-liked, although I can only go by what I hear. Also, he ran the Brooks Junior High School, but appears to have been replaced. So he came to Lynwood with baggage, as they say. Yet, evidently the school board didn't care. Which is probably why they were all soundly defeated for re-election the other day.

The Sandridge principal is a disgrace, he sickens me, I feel so bad for his wife she deserves more, if she wants to stand by her man I suppose she should.

He deserves to lose his job and I really don't want to see his face on TV anymore, he should stop trying to find excuses for his stupidity, or should I say his so call weaknesses, who cares if he was taped because he's black, that will teach him to fool around at work.

what a jerk

Ms. Mitchett: I agree with you that Coleman is an idiot. Clearly this very poor judgement calls in to question his ability to govern and lead a school. But as big of a fan as I am of your column, as an African American male, I must say that I'm VERY disappointed in your arguments in this particular one. You seemingly mocked his wife for standing by her husband. There is no myth affirmation here as you suggested. Its simply a husband and wife trying to get through a very difficult moment. I applaud Mrs. Coleman for understanding what you clearly don't: The MUCH more egregious crime lies with the anonymous peeping tom that used this act for purely political (dare I say racist?) motives than with a cheating husband with very bad judgement.

But on another note, one has to wonder abouth the black board members judgement in placing him in office in the first place. Lynwood needs better black school officials...

Hello Ms. Mitchell,

You have created another clever and to-the-point article about people. Mr. Coleman cannot be a very good administrator (or MATURE adult) to make decisions in this manner. This person needs a different career, at the very least, return to Elementary School – AS A Student!

I have been a proponent of decent: education, media information, and adult performance. We are in a country that allow people to do many things, but not in public (Not Fit For Human Consumption). Sexual activities do not belong in the public media or any public institution. I have nothing against anyone person’s choice of pursuits, but (Not Fit For Human Consumption) not in public.

Many of our problems with our children seem to involve poor programming choices of many TV programs. Sex and sexual orientation does not belong on (public) TV, these are private matters. I don’t understand why any person, or group, would publicize their sexual choices (unless they are advertising). I don’t see the need to make a public statement about gender choices. I repeat that these are Private areas of anyone’s life. What are next, x-rated movies on “The Sunday Night Movie”?

Many of Our children (age 10 –20) are mis-guided and out-of –control. I would like to see Old-School philosophy back in trend. We will respect each other (children and adults) much better. Maybe certain married people will think twice before violating their sworn-to vows to their mates and their occupations.

There are many great administrators and people around us. Let us support them and spread good behavior. “It takes a village to raise a child”. We are the village and the world’s people (all ages) are the children. In the words of the non-profit organization U. S. Jay-Cee’s (United States Junior Chamber of Commerce), “You can best help yourself, by helping your community.”

Peace,

Brian J.

P. S. My prayers and compliments go to Mrs. Coleman for her Strong presence as a true wife. It takes great courage and strength to continue her vows and support her husband (…in sickness and in health…)!

I'm surprised that the Reverand Jesse Jackson hasn't been called in to minister to poor ole Leroy and Janet! He would probably want to get in on da action too.

I agree. Right or wrong just because other people in his position may be involved with teachers-- their tryst, hopefully, are not in close proximity to students and staff.

Their dumb actions caused his wife and family great pain; regardless of the ruthlessness of another race to unethically pursue you- when its to their advantage.
Hopefully, all learn from this in every way possible.

This article is a prime example of why you felt the need to stop reading posts and monitoring your blog. I have accepted you are not a feminist, but a Black feminist who has serious issues because of previous relationships.

Mitchell's comment: Frankly, after the DVD surfaced, I don't know how Coleman had the nerve to go home. And once he got there, I don't know why his wife hadn't thrown his clothes into the street.

My Comment: Frankly it is his home. Why shouldn't he go home?

Mitchell's comment: Lofton looked a lot younger than his wife, and that must have cut her to the bone.

My Comment: Would you have felt better if it was a much older woman? I really do not comprehend why this statement was made. Are you feeling old?

Mitchell's comment: It's one thing for a married man to get caught in an affair, but in a sex tape?

My Comment: Ms Mitchell, this is 2007 and nearly every electronic gadget can take a photo of some type. Have you heard of YouTube? So what is the amazement of a perverted invividual viewing these tapes from Decemeber, January and finally releasing them now? How many viewings was needed if you feel this association begin much sooner than the recent release of the tape? Or did the pervert taking the video needed to watch "HOW LOW CAN A PERSON GO" before dispensing them to the children's parents?

Mitchell's comment: Coleman isn't the first man to get caught in a sex scandal.

My Comment: Nor will he be the last. And plenty of women will be video-taped as well in such scandals.

Mitchell's comment: But he's probably the first to argue that the white man made him do it.

My Comment: Racially motivated? Probably or Not Necessarily So! The alleged culprit did not state it was racially motivated by your article, another individual made the claim as from your article.

Arguing the white man made him do it? That is your statement as well!

Mitchell's comment: I also got the sense that Lofton, who rifled through papers on Coleman's desk whenever he wasn't in the room, was using sex to further her career.

My Comment: Your sure have a lot of premonitions on this one. Do you know the lottery numbers for the Big Game?

Mitchell's comment: Coleman is the idiot for not going to a hotel.

My Comment: So he would not have been an idiot if going to a motel, and the pervert who put the camera in his office simply sat outside the motel and took pictures? Is that where you are going with this?

Mitchell's comment: it affirms the myth that men just can't help themselves.

My Comment: I have to presume the myth is women can't help but disiplay themselves in such a degrading manner. I hope this is not what you mean, but I have to take it as such.

Ms. Mitchell, go take the twig out of your eye; I am going to do the same thing. Both of us have no right to judge people in weak moments in their lives, regardless of our alleged higher moral standards.

Remember, they are still human beings, regardless of the sin commited by the flesh.

I would like to know who put the camera up in the secret place of the most high? Who circulated the DVD'S throughout the schoo district? Those are my questions

to Douglas: "Ms. Mitchell, go take the twig out of your eye; I am going to do the same thing. Both of us have no right to judge people in weak moments in their lives, regardless of our alleged higher moral standards."

"Remember, they are still human beings, regardless of the sin committed by the flesh."

Douglas, two things: (1) Did you have the same compassionate feelings and forgiveness for Don Imus?

(2) Even if we were to forgive him for having an affair with a teacher in his office on PUBLIC school district property, how do we forgive him for his nasty 'white trailer trash' comments at young little children and a very iffy record at other schools?.....Far as I'm concerned, Mary is 100% right on this one.

The Mrs. will stand by her man as she has in the past. His behavior is nothing new to her it's just that everyone (that she thought didn't know)knows what an idiot he is. What an educated fool.

"Mary nice job reporting this idiot. I applaud the condemnation of the deed and ignoring the race, its refreshing in these times."

"Holy Moly! That was a refresshing column from you Mary. All goes to show, there is hope in this world; Your coming around!!"

If you guys had simply read more than one of Mary's previus columns, you would have known that this is not the first time she has criticized the misdeeds of a black person. Stop pretending to be shocked.

Mary,

By suggesting that he should have been "smart" enough to go to a hotel, you are condoning adultry!

I agree with another's comment that the age of the other perpetrator is irrelevant.

His wife was not disgraced, she didn't do anything!

And, you say you felt her embarrassment. I do hope that she was not embarrased since it is her husband who is guilty of the wrongdoing, not her!

Rita Brunn
Illinois Master Gardener

One more thing, Mary. What difference does it make that he was black?

How many years will it take when we ALL agree that the color of one's skin is not relevant? Your column begins with: Black principal caught on sex tape!

Rita Brunn
Illinois Master Gardener

Excellent post Douglass. Ms. Mitchell has some serious baggage that she brings to all of her columns, especially when it comes to dragging black men in the mud.

She is the Oprah of the print media. Obviously scarred in her personal life and cannot separate that from reporting on things objectively.

Mary,

I have submitted two previous blogs on this subject and neither was printed. This is the first time I have had a blog(s) rejected!

Phil Ponce, whose tv show you often grace, does read the mail aloud to his viewers (even if he does not like or agree with the contents).

I am taking the time to resubmit since I believe the questions posed are extremely relevant and thought provoking for your readers.

You infer that the principal would have been “smart” had he gone to a hotel! Do you condone adultery?

You stated that you felt embarrassed for his wife. Why should his wife feel embarrassed at all? She was not a perpetrator!

Also, how many years will it take (is the answer blowin’ in the wind on that one too) when we no longer refer to an individual’s color when talking or writing? The introduction to your story begins with: Black principal caught on sex tape. Would you have written: White principal caught on sex tape had that been the case?

Rita Brunn

since when is adultery grounds for dismissal in any job, whether in education or not?

that's his wife's problem, not mine, not ours.

since when is making sex tapes grounds for dismissal in any job, whether in education or not?

was he making these tapes on school time? was he distributing them in the school? From what I have read the only thing he's guilty of is hourlong escapades during presumably school hours, which is perhaps a fireable offense but that's not what the "outcry" is about.

the guilty party here is the person doing the taping and the person who sent them out to the parents.

I tell you what is an embarrassment: Emil Jones and Todd Stroger. DO blacks in cook county simply vote for whomever is Black? I am not convinced that any voter really believes the promises of politicians, so I will not say that somehow black voters believe the election promises.

Anyway, cook county is doomed due to poor fiscal responsibility of the democrats. Take from the productive, give to the unproductive."

May 3-2007...Just saying Hello Ms Mitchell.
Pre-Happy Mother's considering you have not posted new entries lately
*Peace*...Yes you are missed...*smile*

thank you mary , why are black women and their hairstyle any ones business except, their own. Or has society become show shallow that all women are expected to look like white women with straight long glued hair that belongs to someone else.We as women of color , with our own natural hair, should be applauded for having the wisdom to present ourselves as we are and not some gluded blond as you see so many black women.

Mary, Mary, Mary, If you knew the inside scoop on this one. Any and every person who spoke negatively about the black board members should "Burn in Hell". They did nothing but look out for the educational well-being for all the children. The two white board members knew of Coleman/Lofton's discussing sex acts back in December. They said nothing. Their children knew because they would go around the school announcing "Coleman/Lofton are going to be fired and won't be back next year. They knew that they could use this information around election time to gain control of the board.
Out of the four recently elected white male board member, only one has any proof of graduating from High School. And has publicly stated "It's OK to get an (F)". If you knew how unfair, as well as unreasonable the white trailer community is, you would not give praise for anything they do. Mary, it is very racial. The black people are divided, (that expected) because thats what we do. The whites stick together no matter what. They cover and make excuse for everything they do. One white board member doesn't even live in the district and was elected to run our school. I'm disappointed in this town, the mayor, the first lady, the community leaders that do not stand for fairness.

A good friend of mind informed me just yesterday that her 11 year old son was kicked off the Lynwood Little League Baseball team because his parents refused to pay additional money that was waive the previous year by the board for volunteer services. His parents decided to donate $250 anyway, toward uniforms for the team that year because they felt the league could use the funds. Now, the new baseball board, made up of mostly the same people, decided to overturn the waiver and charge the extra to some of the former baseball board members this new season. A fee of $150 is required to play baseball for this season, this fee has been paid by her and her husband. They have refused to pay this extra charge, and has since been banned from the park.

Mary, they have never been violent, just vocal about what this board has done. He was even arrested without probable cause. Mary, Mary, Mary, this is revenge on the Black board members who lost her seat and her husband a code officer for the Village. Guess who is on the baseball board, you guessed it, 2 of the school board members from District 172 and all of their friends who received citation from the code officer being black or white because there are no faces on those houses.

Mary, she told me the officers on the Lynwood Little League board stole $15,000 from the funds collective from last year. And all checks issued bounced.

Mary, if you can shedd some light on this please do.

Can you guys follow up more on the Obama MySpace story? This story is shocking to me. I was all set to vote for Obama, but after reading what he did to that poor guy, it feel likes he stomping on our personal freedoms.

It feels very Big Brother to me. As a blogger myself, what he did scared the heck out of me.

I just read your article concerning R. Kelly at the opening of the play "The Color Purple" and I shook my head.

First, I feel that the crimes he is accused of committing are appaling. Having said that, he is INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW. How many brothers have been railroaded, robbed of some sort of life because they were presumed guilty? You have even written an aritcle about a teenage boy walking from school and was kicked out of school because he was arrested and accused in a crime he did not commit, but he fit the description. Whether you like him or not, he has a right to life. Now if he is found guilty, throw the book at him, sue him for all of his Grammy's etc, but until such time, leave him alone. Consider that since his "indictment", no one else has come forward with any claims similar in nature.

As for irony, Alice Walker and Oprah have built their success entirely upon demonizing Black men. In Oprah's early talk show years, most of her shows were about "Men Who..." and you could finish the sentence daily with a negative. I was certainly sure to get a phone call from my then girlfriend to watch those shows. And let us not forget Oprah starring in the Color Purple, and the Women of Brewster Place, etc. The irony is that she actually invited a Black Male to this event. It looks like she can forgive. Can you?

Are you sure you're up to this blog thing?

I'm posting on May 9 and the last post you have showing to this thing is April 21 -- two and a half weeks ago. And you haven't blogged anything since this you posted this article on April 20 as far as I can tell.

At the risk of not getting this post published (because frankly you seem to be too sensitive to criticism to even think about being out here with a provocative blog) are you still covering Obama? 'Cause this blog is getting weak and tired. It's starting to just take up space.

I suspect a lot folks, like me, are losing interest and skipping over your site.

Yes he did make a mistake and yes he is human and that's what humans do.We make mistakes and learn from them.

to Derek: Shouldn't Lynwood need better 'school board officials' and not better 'black school board officials', per se? Why does it matter what race they are? There are plenty of white and hispanic children in this district, also. Afterall, was it racist that Coleman called a couple of the children "white trailer trash'? I think it was.....Don't believe that, get a hold of 'The Times' reporters who handled story. Newspaper is ran out of Munster, Indiana, headquarters.

chances are you'll never get my message. It appears this blog is finished.

"But he's probably the first to argue that the white man made him do it."
Why did you have to addd this at the end of your story?

Easy to forget that in this day and age someone is always watching.

Ms Mitchell:
Regarding Todd Strogers proposed doubling of taxes, did you ever stop to think that if he really needed the money or could tell us what it was to be used for - that he wouldn't make a statement such as "if I don't need the money , I'll give it back. Maybe even to the rich people." Sounds like a confiscatory policy to me! Maybe if you weren't so busy race baiting every chance you get, you could think about this stuff logically.

Amen Douglass!! This coming from the very SAME person who whines like crazy about racism yet ONLY targets black males and the very same person who defended sleazebag Bob Greene even though he had an affair with a teen-age girl. Question Mary since when did 17 year-olds become 'adults'?!! Certainly none I know but that apparently wasn't an issue when you were writing your millionth column attacking R.Kelly but YOU want to be the wise,sage,intellectually superior voice when it comes to all issues race?!! Hardly and adultery I wonder WHERE that's outlawed if it is over HALF of the United States Congress,Clinton included,should be in jail cells funny how when Clinton not only had affairs but LIED about to our faces every single solitary HYPOCRITE in this country's attitude was 'it's no big deal' or 'that's his persoanl life/none of our business' but this is?!! I don't think so if people especially you Mary want to be so holier than then don't be so damn half-assed about it or sit in judgement of others carrying banners of righteousness that are VERY undeserved. Maybe a white man didn't make him do it but why are we so much MORE forgiving if HE were.