Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Interview With Jalania McCullough, Cordelia Ned
Aired November 10, 2003 - 09:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get to the story now in South Carolina. Students and parents at a Charleston, South Carolina high school still angry about an incident about a week ago.
Last Wednesday the principal of Stratford High School invited police in to raid the school at about 6:30 in the morning looking for drugs. The police came in, drew their guns, made the kids lay on the hall floor and even handcuffed a few while they searched.
So far the school has not returned our phone calls and the police are waiting for approval from superiors before appearing on our program.
With that as a backdrop, with us now from Charleston, South Carolina Jalania McCullough, a student who was in that hallway, and her mother, Cordelia Ned, is with us also. Good morning to both of you.
Jalania, tell me your story. What do you see, what did you experience last Wednesday?
JALANIA MCCULLOUGH, STUDENT IN STRATFORD RAID: When I came in, about 6:25, 6:30, we went to our regular routine spot in the hallway, and we sat down. And about 15 minutes later we heard some screaming down the hallway saying, Get down, get down.
So I got up to see what was going on. And there were cops coming in from the outside door and from the back hallway and they had guns pointing everywhere telling us to get down. And one came from down the stairs pushing me from behind tell me to get down. So when I got on the ground, he had a gun at my head and said, Don't move. And he went and got the canine unit.
HEMMER: Jalania, were the police explaining what they were looking for at the time the raid was happening?
MCCULLOUGH: No, sir.
HEMMER: They did not. Are drug as problem in your school?
MCCULLOUGH: I guess so if they had a drug raid.
HEMMER: Yes.
I want to talk to your mother quickly here. Before I do that listen to a portion of what the principal has said about why this raid wad ordered. Listen and we'll talk about here in a second. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE MCCRACKIN, PRINCIPAL: Stratford High School has always had a reputation of being a safe, clean school. And I'll utilize whatever forces I deem necessary to keep this campus safe and clean.
I don't think it was an overreaction on our part. I'm sure it was an inconvenience to those individuals who were on that hallway, but I think there's a valuable experience there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Ms. Ned, he says he'll use whatever force is necessary. Was this force necessary, do you believe?
CORDELIA NED, MOTHER OF STUDENT IN SCHOOL RAID: No, sir. No.
HEMMER: What do you think was the appropriate response that should have been conducted by the police and the high school then?
(UNINTELLIGIBLE)
HEMMER: If you can hear me again, I'll try it again. What do you think should have been the appropriate response if drugs are an issue at that school?
NED: He should have lined each individual up and searched them.
HEMMER: Have the you talked with the principal and expressed your opinion?
NED: We did, but he never showed up.
HEMMER: Would you like to have a meeting with him?
NED: No.
HEMMER: No?
NED: No.
HEMMER: But if you got that chance to talk to him what would you like to express toward him?
NED: I would ask him why to have innocent kids's lives endangered. My daughter here could have been dead.
HEMMER: Yes. Some people in the community are saying that it's more important to root out the drugs than it is to not scare students. What do you say to those in your community that feel that way?
NED: Come back?
HEMMER: If you could again, tell us how do you react to those in the community who say this was a small problem considering the potential for drugs at that high school? NED: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) big problem. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) my kid, this is big problem.
HEMMER: Jalania, what do you say to those who say this was the wrong move?
MCCULLOUGH: I tell them to put their self (sic) in the position I was. It was very horrifying to be there with guns and dogs and stuff. It was very horrifying.
HEMMER: Yes. Tell us now, you're starting a new week of school on this Monday. What's the reaction from students and parents now, about five days later?
MCCULLOUGH: I said they'll be more angry and I guess more cautious.
HEMMER: Do you think the police will come back with the dogs?
MCCULLOUGH: I hope not. I don't know.
HEMMER: Well thanks to both of you. Cornelia (sic) Ned and Jalania McCullough. A student on left and the mother on the right. Appreciate your time from South Carolina.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 10, 2003 - 09:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get to the story now in South Carolina. Students and parents at a Charleston, South Carolina high school still angry about an incident about a week ago.
Last Wednesday the principal of Stratford High School invited police in to raid the school at about 6:30 in the morning looking for drugs. The police came in, drew their guns, made the kids lay on the hall floor and even handcuffed a few while they searched.
So far the school has not returned our phone calls and the police are waiting for approval from superiors before appearing on our program.
With that as a backdrop, with us now from Charleston, South Carolina Jalania McCullough, a student who was in that hallway, and her mother, Cordelia Ned, is with us also. Good morning to both of you.
Jalania, tell me your story. What do you see, what did you experience last Wednesday?
JALANIA MCCULLOUGH, STUDENT IN STRATFORD RAID: When I came in, about 6:25, 6:30, we went to our regular routine spot in the hallway, and we sat down. And about 15 minutes later we heard some screaming down the hallway saying, Get down, get down.
So I got up to see what was going on. And there were cops coming in from the outside door and from the back hallway and they had guns pointing everywhere telling us to get down. And one came from down the stairs pushing me from behind tell me to get down. So when I got on the ground, he had a gun at my head and said, Don't move. And he went and got the canine unit.
HEMMER: Jalania, were the police explaining what they were looking for at the time the raid was happening?
MCCULLOUGH: No, sir.
HEMMER: They did not. Are drug as problem in your school?
MCCULLOUGH: I guess so if they had a drug raid.
HEMMER: Yes.
I want to talk to your mother quickly here. Before I do that listen to a portion of what the principal has said about why this raid wad ordered. Listen and we'll talk about here in a second. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE MCCRACKIN, PRINCIPAL: Stratford High School has always had a reputation of being a safe, clean school. And I'll utilize whatever forces I deem necessary to keep this campus safe and clean.
I don't think it was an overreaction on our part. I'm sure it was an inconvenience to those individuals who were on that hallway, but I think there's a valuable experience there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Ms. Ned, he says he'll use whatever force is necessary. Was this force necessary, do you believe?
CORDELIA NED, MOTHER OF STUDENT IN SCHOOL RAID: No, sir. No.
HEMMER: What do you think was the appropriate response that should have been conducted by the police and the high school then?
(UNINTELLIGIBLE)
HEMMER: If you can hear me again, I'll try it again. What do you think should have been the appropriate response if drugs are an issue at that school?
NED: He should have lined each individual up and searched them.
HEMMER: Have the you talked with the principal and expressed your opinion?
NED: We did, but he never showed up.
HEMMER: Would you like to have a meeting with him?
NED: No.
HEMMER: No?
NED: No.
HEMMER: But if you got that chance to talk to him what would you like to express toward him?
NED: I would ask him why to have innocent kids's lives endangered. My daughter here could have been dead.
HEMMER: Yes. Some people in the community are saying that it's more important to root out the drugs than it is to not scare students. What do you say to those in your community that feel that way?
NED: Come back?
HEMMER: If you could again, tell us how do you react to those in the community who say this was a small problem considering the potential for drugs at that high school? NED: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) big problem. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) my kid, this is big problem.
HEMMER: Jalania, what do you say to those who say this was the wrong move?
MCCULLOUGH: I tell them to put their self (sic) in the position I was. It was very horrifying to be there with guns and dogs and stuff. It was very horrifying.
HEMMER: Yes. Tell us now, you're starting a new week of school on this Monday. What's the reaction from students and parents now, about five days later?
MCCULLOUGH: I said they'll be more angry and I guess more cautious.
HEMMER: Do you think the police will come back with the dogs?
MCCULLOUGH: I hope not. I don't know.
HEMMER: Well thanks to both of you. Cornelia (sic) Ned and Jalania McCullough. A student on left and the mother on the right. Appreciate your time from South Carolina.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
