Mooney minority alumni: Classroom activity on cotton picking unnecessary

YOUNGSTOWN — Cardinal Mooney High School’s Minority Alumni Council said an despite the all-inclusive-environment defense to a controversial classroom activity, the activity was “inappropriate and unnecessary.”

Students in an African-American history class engaged in a project Thursday in which they picked seeds out of cotton as part of a lesson on 19th-century slavery in the United States while “period music” played.

Principal Mark Vollmer on Friday issued a statement and released the letter he sent home to an offended family that said repeatedly that all students participated, not just black students.

The letter went on to say the class is “part of the state-approved United States History curriculum” and “is structured as an impressive and kinesthetic experience” to “enhance [students’] understanding” with “supplemental materials.”

The MAC wrote back today saying that although the coursework was based on Ohio Learning Standards, the group “maintains that the manner in which it was executed was unfortunately inappropriate and unnecessary.”

For the complete story, read Tuesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com