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u.s. news Diahuebs 3 Juni 2021

Colorado shooting victims demand answers on public donations

(AP) — Several families tions.
and survivors of those Mackenzie’s group wants an
killed in the March mass They’re also asking that Ken- audit of the fund, the Com-
shooting at a Colorado neth Feinberg be appointed munity Foundation Boulder
supermarket have de- special master to design and County and other nonprofits
manded the appointment administer the relief effort. that have solicited donations.
of a special master to help Feinberg is a Washington, He said he hoped other vic-
distribute public dona- D.C.-based attorney who tims’ families would join the
tions for victims to a cen- oversaw compensation pro- effort.
tralized account. They grams after the 9/11 terror
say the nonprofit groups attacks, the Boston Marathon Jordan Finegan, executive di-
handling the funds are not bombing, the Pulse night- rector of the Colorado Heal-
being transparent about club massacre in Florida, the ing Fund, said Tuesday the checks.
donations provided to vic- Aurora, Colorado movie the- group has been very clear and Feinberg, who spoke with
tims. ater attack and many other open about charging a 5% ad- Mackenzie this week, said Tatiana Hernandez, CEO
mass shootings. ministrative fee. that “in my way of thinking of Community Foundation
Their campaign has reopened the best route is to divide the Boulder County, echoed
a debate that emerged after “Millions are being collect- “Our focus is just to make proceeds on a pro rata basis Siegel’s belief that dona-
past mass shootings over how ed because of this tragedy,” sure that the best possible and that’s it.” The focus is on tions should be used as part
Americans can best help alle- Mackenzie said in an inter- things are happening with immediate victims and survi- of a “comprehensive and
viate the anguish of personal view. “There is no victims’ these donations,” she said in vors, he said. holistic” approach to heal-
and financial losses that sur- fund. You don’t treat people an interview. About $700,000 ing the broader community
vivors endure after their lives this way, especially people in direct and indirect cash “There’s no reason to set up after a mass shooting. Her
have been shattered by sense- who are grieving the loss of payments have been distrib- an administrative compensa- group’s board just approved a
less violence — and how the their loved ones in the most uted through the group’s ser- tion system,” Feinberg said. $500,000 grant to be distrib-
administrative costs of fund horrific way I can imagine.” vice providers, Finegan said. “And all of this should be uted directly to the families
gathering and administration done pro bono, including a of the Boulder shooting vic-
play a role. His 62-year-old wife was Steve Siegel, a founding ex- public audit afterwards. This tims.
shopping at King Soopers ecutive board member for much came in, this much
The groups giving out do- when she was killed, follow- the Colorado Healing Fund, came out.” “Donor intent is paramount
nated money to survivors of ing a long career as a photo also defended the group’s ap- to us, and I believe we were
the 10 people killed March editor and photographer for proach — saying the entire Siegel said it would be unwise very clear with our donors
22 at the King Soopers mar- magazines including Cosmo- community was affected by to appoint Feinberg, whom that there was a broader lens
ket — Community Founda- politan and Vogue. She and the supermarket attack, not he called a “spectacular man,” that we were taking than sim-
tion Boulder County and Mackenzie had two children. just the immediate families because the attorney “has an ply immediate support for
the Colorado Healing Fund of those who were killed. approach to things that is victims’ families,” she said.
— defend their work and StandUpBolder has claimed diametrically opposed to the
dispute that the appointment that the Colorado Healing “It’s kind of like you throw way I see these things.” Mackenzie said his group has
of a special master is needed. Fund, a nonprofit created in a big rock in the middle of launched an online petition
They have raised a collective 2018 to help the public se- a pristine lake and it creates If someone specifically desig- to ask Gov. Jared Polis and
$5.86 million so far. curely contribute to victims concentric circles,” he said. nates a donation for a victim Attorney General Phil Weiser
of mass casualty crimes in the “That’s the way I see this or purpose, that’s how the an audit of the donations so
Boulder resident John Mack- state, is keeping 5% of dona- world when you have mass money will be spent, Siegel far and to appoint Feinberg.
enzie, whose wife, Lynn tions for administrative costs. tragedy. It doesn’t mean that said. The donation would be After the 2012 Aurora mass
Murray, was among those you just divide the number sent to the Colorado Organi- shooting in which 12 people
killed, announced that he and StandUpBolder also said by whoever falls into any of zation for Victim Assistance, were killed, then-Colorado
three other victims’ families the healing fund is making those concentric circles. It another nonprofit group that Gov. John Hickenlooper,
and supporters have created a spending decisions without means you need to be ready makes the direct payments to now a U.S. senator, appoint-
group called StandUpBolder victims’ input and plans to for the demands or the needs victims. The Colorado Heal- ed Feinberg as special master
to demand that government distribute some of the mon- that are placed upon a com- ing Fund’s bylaws as a non- after several families claimed
officials intervene and audit ey to other nonprofits in the munity in the aftermath of a profit and a foundation pro- a victims fund was being mis-
the handling of the dona- community. major shooting.” hibit it from directly sending managed.

Black students in Washington upset by school project

(AP) — A family in Spokane, Washington, is Brandi Feazell said. “Separating them from the rest told the class they were going to see who could
demanding that a school administrator be re- of the class would only compound their pain and clean cotton the fastest.
moved after he suggested he could segregate isolation and do nothing to change the racist cul-
two Black middle school students who were ture and policies that led to this inappropriate and “The teacher kept saying, ‘We don’t need slaves
directed to clean freshly picked cotton as part harmful lesson in the first place.” anymore,’ ” one of the girls said. “That really hurt
of a classroom assignment, according to law- because it felt like she was saying there was a time
yers for the family. Spokane Public Schools issued a statement say- when slavery was OK.”
ing the students were learning about the industrial
Taylor Skidmore, assistant principal at Sacajawea revolution and the cotton gin, and the incident is The twins have been out of school since the cotton
Middle School, offered to remove the 14-year-old being investigated. lesson and do not feel comfortable going back until
twins from their social studies class when their the incident is addressed, their mother said.
mother called to raise concerns about the cotton “We take all complaints very seriously and are com-
lesson, according to a statement Wednesday from mitted to investigating them fully,” the district said. In addition to asking that Skidmore be removed,
ACLU of Washington and TeamChild, a legal firm. “There are conflicting reports regarding this inci- the family wants the social studies teacher and oth-
dent.” er school administrators who failed to act promptly
Mother Brandi Feazell said she was shocked at to face discipline.
Skidmore’s suggestion to segregate her daughters “Once the third-party investigation is completed,
from their class,. we look forward to coming back to share the out- They are also asking for a public apology from Spo-
comes,” the district said. kane Public Schools and for anti-racism training to
“As two of the only three Black students in the class be implemented districtwide.
that day, my daughters already felt singled out dur- On May 3, the twins said their fifth-period social
ing an activity that required them to clean cotton,” studies teacher took out a box of raw cotton and