Saturday, December 11, 2010

An apology to Springfield Technical Community College

I owe an apology to Springfield Technical Community College and here it is. 

About ten days ago I wrote a post on the experience of several women who attended a Rosa Parks Day event at the college.  Within 36 hours I began hearing from several people who work at STCC and who told me that what I had written was far from accurate, and that I had offended many people who had worked hard on the event and felt I had completely misrepresented what had actually happened.

I did try to set up a meeting with the women who attended the event and those who told me my post was way off the wall, so that I could find out exactly what happened and how my post was inaccurate, because, after all, I hadn't been there.  And that is exactly the STCCers' point: I hadn't been there, so how, if I hadn't checked with the STCC side of the story, could I possibly know what had happened?

My request for a meeting was turned down, but in my investigation I did find at least a couple of inconsistencies in the women's stories.  I don't blame them at all, seeing as I am the one who wrote what I wrote, but in spite of not being able to confirm details through a face to face meeting, I no longer have confidence in what I wrote.

I am very sorry that because of my irresponsibility, in failing to check my facts and to get both sides of the story, I hurt a number of good people whose only intent was to have a wonderful celebration for Rosa Parks and the students of STCC.  I hope they accept this heartfelt apology.

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