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All content from the former Blog Page, 'Time to tell our story' (at www[dot]timetotellourstory[dot]blog) has been moved to this website. Most of the content has been integrated into this website, however, for those interested in reading the original Blog content is listed below.
Let the Truth Be Told
Staying silent in times of injustice is no different from taking the side of the oppressor.
Fighting for My Family: My Renton Prep Experience (Part 1)
I have waited almost 2 years to share my family’s heartbreaking experience with Renton Prep, but choose now to do so in the hopes that no other student, parent, family, or teacher endures the same nightmare.
Up until May 2016, Renton Prep Christian School (“Renton Prep”)/Amazing Grace Christian School (“Amazing Grace”) were the only schools my 3 daughters, Jasmine (9th), Randi Jade (6th), and Hailey Fernandez (4th), had attended in the entirety of their academic careers—over 10+ years.
On the morning of May 25, 2016, Dr. Michelle Zimmerman, Director of Innovative Teaching & Learning Sciences at Renton Prep and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIE Expert), clearly told the students in the 6thgrade homeroom of Renton Prep that “Her [Randi’s] father threatened to punch [her] dad [Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman].”
“Her [Randi’s] father threatened to punch [her] dad [Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman].”
Although Michelle later testified at trial that she did not remember saying “punch” prior to reviewing video footage of her statement, these were the exact words Michelle told the students when explaining why her father, David-Paul, had dis-enrolled the Fernandez girls the night before (May 24, 2016). The dis-enrollment followed a 5/24/16 meeting with the Fernandez and Akamine-Rogers families and children, arranged by David-Paul, the purpose of which was to discuss concerns regarding the handling of a 5/20/16 situation that involved Renton Prep high school students voicing concerns to Renton Prep teacher/David-Paul’s wife, Gloria Zimmerman, and to view the video of that meeting.
At the meeting, the Zimmermans denied that Randi had been wrongfully made to apologize to a certain then-6th grade student, until the section of video played, showing Gloria clearly making Randi apologize to that student. Once the video evidenced the truth, Gloria verbally apologized to Randi in front of everyone in attendance of the 5/24/16 meeting. Randi graciously accepted Gloria’s apology, and my husband, Rod, and I thanked Gloria for apologizing to our daughter.
Shortly after the apology, I opted not to waste any more time watching the rest of the video involving Gloria and the students, and instead respectfully expressed my desire for “everyone [students] to be treated fairly,” and indicated to Gloria that “you shouldn’t pick sides” and that “no one should be judged and [told] ‘I believe you, and I don’t believe you.’” My requests were based upon the partial transcript of the 5/20/16 meeting between Gloria and the Renton Prep students, which had been deemed relevant and transcribed by Michelle of her own free will, and emailed to the parents prior to the meeting. [NOTES: 1) Interestingly, the section where Gloria made Randi apologize, in the beginning of the meeting, was not included, as Michelle chose not to include the first 30 minutes of the meeting in the transcript; and 2) The transcript reflected a number of instances where Gloria cut off and interrupted Randi (indicated in the transcript as dashes “–“) whenever Randi attempted to explain herself.] To my requests, Gloria responded, “Okay, so it is against me? Not even ______, it’s me?” [NOTE: I will not publish the name of the minor, then-6th grade female student, to whom Gloria referred, and will instead write it as “_____.” This is the same child the Zimmermans claimed they were trying to protect and the student Gloria wrongfully made Randi apologize to.] Gloria continued, saying, “It really seems to me that I’ve been on trial and I’m convicted,” and proceeded to stand up, followed by Michelle, and then David-Paul, who advised those in attendance that “if this is no longer a good fit, then you need to find a new school. I love y’all dearly.” Feeling personally attacked, the 3 Zimmermans then walked out mid-meeting, without any resolution, turning the lights off and leaving us in the dark, even though we remained in the room, continuing the discussion with Renton Prep teacher, Lauri Nichols, who graciously chose not to walk out on us.
Within 30 minutes, and just 3 days before the end of the 2015-2016 school year, David-Paul emailed me a notice of dis-enrollment of my 3 daughters, Jasmine, Randi, and Hailey, with no explanation provided.
My daughters were devastated, torn, heartbroken – I cannot adequately put their pain into words. My eldest daughter, Jasmine Fernandez, provided her account in a Google Review submitted in October 2017.
I acknowledged David-Paul’s decision to dis-enroll my daughters, and responded to his dis-enrollment email with “As you wish.” I accepted that this chapter of our lives was over, and it was God’s plan for us to move on – UNTIL the following morning when Michelle told 6th grade Renton Prep students that my husband, Rod Fernandez, threatened to punch her dad. This spread like a wildfire….
Never had I, nor Rod, my 3 daughters, my cousin: Dede, my brother and sister-in-law: Sean and Kara, or any of my extended family or close friends whose children also attended the Schools, been informed/notified/even hinted, by the Zimmermans or any representative of Renton Prep, that my 3 daughters were dis-enrolled due to Rod threatening David-Paul Zimmerman when he met with him on Friday, May 20, 2016. Rod simply came to David-Paul to express his disappointment in seeing his 2 eldest daughters crying following the situation with Gloria earlier that day. In fact, it was at that very meeting, when Rod attempted to leave, as he was running late for work, that David-Paul grabbed Rod’s arm and guided the 3 of us (me, Rod, and David-Paul) to hold hands in a circle while he prayed, hugged Rod, told both Rod and myself that he commended and respected Rod for having his daughters’ hearts, and indicated that he would arrange for a time for Rod and I to return the following week to view the video of Gloria and the Renton Prep high school students. My 3 daughters attended school on Monday and Tuesday as usual. We truly had no clue of any allegations against my husband, Rod, until I had learned from others and inquired with David-Paul about the statement Michelle had made on 5/25/16 to the students in the 6th grade homeroom as to why my 3 daughters were dis-enrolled.
After being contacted with multiple inquiries from Renton Prep/AGCS families and students regarding Michelle’s 5/25/16 statement to the 6th graders, I made numerous attempts to confirm what Michelle said, through David-Paul Zimmerman, Executive Director/Administrator/Pastor of Renton Prep/AGCS, as well as Mike Nichols, President of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church dba Renton Prep. They chose NOT to confirm what was said by Michelle. In fact, we were not able to view the 5/25/16 video or even hear Michelle’s statement to the students in the 6th grade homeroom class for ourselves until after a defamation suit was filed against Michelle Zimmerman and Amazing Grace Lutheran Church dba Renton Prep (King County Superior Court No. 16-2-22512-8 KNT – Judge Regina Cahan).
David-Paul even called me on the evening of 5/28/16, crying and asking for reconciliation, and praying out loud. David-Paul sent me an unsolicited email that same evening, RE-enrolling my 3 daughters back to Renton Prep/AGCS, just 4 days after he DIS-enrolled them. I did not accept his offer, and remained firm and clear that reconciliation was conditioned upon him providing me with the statement Michelle made to the 6th grade class. David-Paul had promised during our telephone conversation that he would ask Michelle what she had said (given that Michelle lives at home with her parents, David-Paul & Gloria), as he claimed to me that he had absolutely no idea what she had said, and that he would let me know so we could work towards making things right. [NOTE: David-Paul has attempted to portray that his 5/28/16 re-enrollment of my 3 daughters occurred FOLLOWING an apology from me. That is simply untrue.]
In the end, David-Paul failed to fulfill his promise to me, choosing not to respond and, instead, escalated my final 5/29/16 request to him (to simply view/obtain the videos depicting his allegations and Michelle’s statement), to the Amazing Grace Lutheran Church dba Renton Prep’s President, Mike Nichols, who emailed me and informed me that no staff member of Renton Prep/AGCS were to correspond with me, my family, extended family, or children through any means, nor discuss the incidents that had occurred, unless approved by their legal counsel. In addition, Mr. Nichols instructed that all further communications were to go solely through him.
February 2018: By their own attorney’s admission, HALF of the elements of defamation by Dr. Michelle Zimmerman against Rod Fernandez were proven. We pursued our case based on PRINCIPLE and HAVING A VOICE, while fully aware that Defamation cases are rarely pursued because they are extremely difficult to prove. Unfortunately, Washington state does not require a defendant to “prove the literal truth of a claimed defamatory statement,” and the defendant need only show that the “gist” of the story is truthful. Defendants’ case was paid for by the Schools’ insurance company, while my family “invested” thousands of dollars in legal fees in order to stand up to the Zimmermans and tell our story to ensure that the truth had been heard. Despite David-Paul’s fervent attempt to represent this case to the community and social media (i.e. his personal LinkedIn account – saved screenshots of which I have in my possession) as an issue of BULLYING by my daughters, Jasmine and Randi, and/or Rod and myself, as parents, this case was solely about defamatory statements made by Michelle Zimmerman against my husband, Rod Fernandez. Our case never involved any type of bullying by my daughters, Jasmine, Randi, my niece, Eidrea, or any of the other students involved in the 5/20/16 matter involving Gloria Zimmerman and Renton Prep high school students. These students merely attempted to bring concerns to a Renton Prep teacher. Any bullying claims whatsoever alleged by the Zimmermans by the Fernandez family are simply hurtful and untrue, and just a means to deflect the sole purpose of the lawsuit: DEFAMATION BY MICHELLE ZIMMERMAN.
The truth is not always discovered through the justice system. The truth did not prevail through a judgment in this case, however our truth was heard.
We – the Fernandez, Huertas, and Akamine-Rogers families – “fought the good fight,” not just on principle, but for all the former teachers, parents, and students who were treated unjustly while at Renton Prep and AGCS. In the words of my 16 y/o daughter, Jasmine Fernandez, who bravely sat next to Judge Regina Cahan in the witness chair on February 7, 2018, oftentimes looking and speaking directly to David-Paul Zimmerman and Michelle Zimmerman, amidst her tears and pain while testifying in Court, while the Zimmermans, themselves, were forced to acknowledge, look, listen to her voice, and hear her story: “Staying silent in times of injustice is no different from taking the side of the oppressor.”
We will never take the side of the oppressor again.
-Dawn Huertas Fernandez, February 2018
Dear People of Color: My Renton Prep Experience (Part 2)
NOTE: Normally I wouldn’t post this type of content on my LinkedIn; however, given Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman’s decision to portray my family in a false and negative light, in his own February 4-5, 2018 LinkedIn posts, it left me with no alternative but to utilize LinkedIn as the final platform to share my family’s experiences, clarify the truths, and voice the lessons that I have learned through this closing addendum to my story.
My Take-A-Ways From This Experience:
With every life experience, there are valuable lessons if you choose to see them. I have to admit, I still struggle to process the aftermath of the nearly two-year saga, with Renton Prep/Amazing Grace Christian School (“AGCS”), and its damaging effects to my family. It has been emotionally taxing, physically draining, and most definitely character building.
As a Person of Color who grew up in the South Seattle, Rainier Beach/Skyway area, it wasn’t until this experience that I became acutely aware of the disparities and challenges I faced growing up, and that People of Color (POC) in this community still face today. This case highlighted issues I only truly understood after seeing them through the eyes of my teenage daughter, Jasmine, who is a passionate advocate for the systematic injustices and inequities experienced by POC. It was through this case that I became TRULY WOKE.
Like many parents, my husband and I were looking for a school that provided a safe, nurturing, and academically challenging environment for our 3 daughters. We invested countless hours, enormous effort, and a significant financial sacrifice over the 10+-year period our girls attended Renton Prep/AGCS. We had hoped they would be loved, treated equally, and empowered to use their voices. It was our priority to provide our children a Christian environment that would instill confidence, especially given that our children are Students of Color.
That, however, did not end up being the case.
After much reflection, I feel a sense of responsibility to not only share my family’s personal experiences, but also my observations of certain patterns and implicit messaging that, I believe, were propagated by the school Administration while we were at Renton Prep and Amazing Grace Christian School. In my view, these patterns and messages, both implicit and explicit, diminish the voices of students and families of color and perpetuate the cultural disparities that continue to exist in our communities.
A school’s Administration can choose to respond by facing these issues head on, with humility, and making changes to empower the historically disadvantaged groups who make up the majority of their student body, or it can choose to continue their status quo. Either way, I aim to inspire and empower prospective parents and teachers who may be considering this, or any other school to: (1) ask difficult questions of school leaders (2) move the bar up to expect more from schools (3) be a better advocate for themselves and their children than I was (4) access the tools to help them make a truly informed decision about the best and safest school environment.
Below, I have categorized what I believe are important areas to examine when contemplating the best school culture and environment for your child:
School Diversity:
According to The State of Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public and Private Education, during the 2017-2018 school year, Renton Prep/AGCS students were 30%Asian, 29% Black, 28% Other, 11% White, and 2% Hispanic. Yet, according to Renton Prep/AGCS public posts and online profiles, at least 9 of 13 teachers are White and at least 5 of 7 Administrators are White. I was only able to personally confirm that 3, or maybe 4, of Renton Prep/AGCS’s faculty are teachers of color.
Teacher Required Cultural Competency Training:
In 2017, when asked if he and the staff of Renton Prep/Amazing Grace Christian School (“Schools”) had any “cultural competency training” or “any formal program in cultural sensitivity,” Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman responded, “We do that every August, and we have about a month of training, which is part of it, and then throughout the year.” Yet, when questioned about a statement Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman made about “many other ethnic groups who come in here and call you all kinds of stuff,” his response was:
“African American fathers often will get into the white privilege.”
“Chinese fathers, who are very masculine oriented, tend to — my perception, tend to not listen to female teachers, especially when it comes to their little boys.”
“Ethiopian fathers are very oriented towards males, less supportive of girls because they have a certain place they’re supposed to be.”
Being a first-generation Filipina-American, whose parents immigrated from the Philippines, I was disheartened to hear, first-hand, Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman, make racist remarks and culturally insensitive comments regarding Filipinos, African Americans, and other ethnic groups, during a conversation I had with him in 2016, all of which was captured on audio-video recording and available to the public. Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman stereotyped Filipino Men/Fathers and Other Ethnic Groups, in his statement:
“I’m gonna say this and it’s going to sound racist: Filipino men have a certain style. I’ve had so many Filipino fathers in here. [T]here’s kind of a pattern, but I know it’s cultural, but unlike, you know [Rod] doesn’t call names like many other ethnic groups who come in here and call you all kinds of stuff.”
Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman freely spoke to me about “a ‘certain family group’ that basically got in [his] face,” which he immediately explained, “and then I had to send that apology out,” and indicated, “If I named the names you’d know, the Filipino dads who’ve come in here with a certain attitude.”
School Policies that Signal Lack of Cultural Awareness or Perpetuate the Marginalization of People of Color:
On Saturday, May 21, 2016, a school wide meeting was scheduled to take place at the Renton Prep campus to “discuss all aspects of the [Schools’] dress code, including hair styles, i.e, head carvings, corn-rows, dreadlocks…” Just the day before, Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman informed me of his belief that “there’s an activism that’s resurfacing,” and explained in detail about an African American father who questioned Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman’s policing of black hair, specifically stating,
“We can’t have this on our hair? Who the hell are you to tell me what my son can wear. You’re just speaking from white privilege.”
Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman commented to me, “And it’s like, ‘Oh, okay, here’s the game,’” before recounting his response to the parent, “You know what, all I can say is, after Saturday we’ll come up with a solution, but you probably want to start looking for another school.” Again, all of this is captured on audio-video recording and available to the public. Furthermore, when the topic of this meeting was brought up in conversation between my cousin, Dede Akamine, and Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman’s wife and Renton Prep teacher, Gloria Zimmerman, that same day at the International Potluck, Gloria’s adamant response to my cousin was that she was not going to attend that “ridiculous meeting.”
At another point in the 2014-2015 school year, I was supervising my daughters at the Amazing Grace Christian School campus playground after school when my niece’s father drove up in his truck, parked alongside the street next to the school, and walked down to the playground to pick up my niece. As the two of us spoke in front of the school playground, Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman approached the two of us and said [referring to my niece’s father], “Oh, wow, I thought– who is this Mexican drug dealer?”
School Security Policy/Plan:
In 2017, when asked what kind of security Renton Prep has in place, and whether they have security guards or a security guard station at the School, Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman responded, “We videotape and monitor every classroom, every open space.” When further probed, “But do you have a security staff that is responsible for–,” Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman interjected: “We have a security plan that our staff, in August, go through with a company out of Portland.”
When further inquired as to whether Renton Prep, as an organization, has a policy for dealing with a parent exhibiting threatening behavior, Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman responded, “As a pastor, it’s left up to my discretion.”
Bullying Policies and the Administration of those Policies:
In 2017, when asked about Renton Prep’s Anti-Bullying Policy, Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman stated,
“The policy is pretty clear about the directions and the processes that [Renton Prep] follow[s] through in terms of the investigative process, reports/documents/contacts that are made. But in any policy that [Renton Prep] [has], ultimately I [Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman] always have the decision to make the ultimate decision based on safety. So even though there is an outline that we have that we go through, the congregation has entrusted with me to make emergency decisions on the spot. I can ask you to walk out of the school and not come back without any further discussion.”
What is disheartening to me is that Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman went as far as to post on his LinkedIn (which he subsequently took down shortly after my daughter, Jasmine, and other family members responded – then apparently blocked them from viewing his LinkedIn account), dialogue that falsely portrayed my family’s two-year ordeal as being a Bullying issue when, in fact, it was a Defamation claim against his daughter, Michelle Zimmerman. Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman attempted to falsely portray my then-12 year-old daughter, Randi, as being a liar when, in fact, his wife, Gloria Zimmerman, apologized to Randi, 4 days after wrongfully making Randi apologize to the then-6th grade student that they falsely claimed my daughter was jealous of. Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman also falsely stated in his post that “Parent [referring to my husband, Rod] shifted blame to the victim [the then-6th grade student]“ – which is, again, simply NOT the truth, and evidenced in audio-video recording available to the public. In the same breath, Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman testified at trial that my daughters, Jasmine and Randi, were exemplary students and leaders of the Schools, and had NEVER been in trouble while at Renton Prep/Amazing Grace Christian Schools. What disturbs me most, is that Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman is presumed to be a “Man of the Cloth,” and the sole “Pastor” of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church (dba Renton Prep/Amazing Grace Christian School), as part of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.
Faculty Turnover – both year-to-year and sudden mid-year:
Since the commencement of my family’s 10+ year tenure at Renton Prep and Amazing Grace Christian School, beginning in 2006, there have been an exodus of Renton Prep/Amazing Grace Christian School teachers and staff members who have either left mid-year or did not return the following year.
Just a little over 1 month into the 2015-2016 Renton Prep/Amazing Grace Christian School year, 3 newly hired Renton Prep teachers resigned from their teaching positions at Renton Prep, following their allegations, which were shared with me in detail by Dr. Michelle Zimmerman, Director of Innovative Teaching & Learning Sciences at Renton Prep and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIE Expert).
Part of the teachers’ allegations included:
1) “leadership is ‘toxic’ as evidenced by ‘high staff turnover’ and how [Renton Prep Administrators] ‘manipulated staff’ to get them to quit;”
2) “The Zimmermans are toxic;”
3) one former teacher described that she was “so terrified [by Michelle] she [couldn’t] talk [to Michelle] (as [this former teacher] clenched up like she was bracing from being hit [by Michelle]), then said somewhat quietly that she didn’t think [Michelle] would really hit her.”
4) one former teacher alleged that she was “too scared to work [at Renton Prep] because it [was] so toxic she literally felt ill and [didn’t] think she [could] physically subject herself to teaching in a school like [Renton Prep];”
5) one former teacher claimed that “she’s just wanting to do this out of good Christian transparency and to reclaim a failing school for God’s kingdom because the leadership is toxic.”
Michelle further expressed her concern when Renton Prep took a survey of the students “to see if the kids fe[lt] safe, [and] if they believe[d] the teachers care[d] about them etc….,” and “[a]lot of [Michelle’s] came back with thinks [sic.] like “she’s ruthless” “she doesn’t explain what tondo [sic.] and changes things.” Additionally, Michelle wrote that “[these] are all [the] district would need to see to substantiate allegations of how [Michelle] bullied kids and terrif[ied] them,” pointed out her concern that “there would be back up from parents to support those facts of how [Renton Prep] ‘kicked out’ teachers that parents and students loved,” and acknowledged that “[i]t wouldn’t take much to get a parent group going and riled up in support.”
Sadly, following the resignation of these 3 Renton Prep teachers (I know of one Renton Prep teacher who, according to the Zimmermans, apologized for her accusations, and remains employed at Renton Prep to this day), Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman emailed me just days later on Sunday, October 11, 2015, asking for my help in getting “a letter out to parents today before they find out after tomorrow that 3 teachers have resigned” and wrote “I do want to play coy with our parents.” At that time, I refused to even consider the possibility of any truth to the allegations made by the teachers, even though other Renton Prep students and parents had expressed to me that they truly believed these teachers had only intended to protect the students. Unfortunately, I committed most of that Sunday afternoon/evening, to assist the Zimmermans in finalizing a letter to the parents of Renton Prep/Amazing Grace Christian School. To this day, I deeply regret my decision to partake in, what I now realize was ‘damage control.’
Frequency of Expulsion or Dis-enrollments by Administration; Student Turnover – both year-to-year and sudden withdrawal; Transparency regarding how discourse is handled:
Although I have no statistics regarding Renton Prep’s frequency of expulsion or dis-enrollment by the School’s Administration, Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman was asked, in 2017, if Renton Prep had a “specific policy difference between expulsion and disenrollment,” in which he responded, “Absolutely. And that’s also very clear in our handbook, we can disenroll at ANY time for ANY reason. That’s over and over throughout the handbook.”
A Commitment to Empowering People of Color (POC):
My eldest daughter, Jasmine, shared with me that during the 2015-2016 school year at Renton Prep, Dr. Michelle Zimmerman prompted a discussion among the Renton Prep students of the 6th-10th grade classes to explain why the students should take a stance on the All Lives Matter Movement, ratherthan the Black Lives Matter Movement. This was a very harmful act for students of color, particularly black students, because it glossed over the actual issues that black communities are faced with, thus fueling destructive notions of colorblindness to race. Keep in mind that, as Dr. David-Paul Zimmerman will often emphasize, the demographic of Renton Prep/AGCS Schools primarily consists of students of color.
Based on my conversations with Jasmine, it is her belief that the Schools devalue statements and opinions that differ from or challenge their own beliefs. As a person of color, she believes that her identity as a Filipina-American was never respected, but exploited by the Schools for the sake of Microsoft conferences and “urban-based” awards and titles.
Jasmine further shared her beliefs,
“It feels as if the value of students of color lie in their ability to diversify a demographic; we are perceived as numbers, not lives.”
“Our cultures are never recognized, addressed, or celebrated in the classroom, and in the case that they do receive some form of recognition, they are often utilized to further push the Schools’ “diverse” agenda. Especially given the overrepresentation of white people among the teachers and staff of Renton Prep/Amazing Grace Christian Schools, it feels as if very little thought and effort is put into catering to our specific needs, concerns, and desires as people of color.”
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In no way am I attempting to persuade anyone to believe or take sides in anything that I have posted. I am simply sharing my family’s story and truths, together with hindsight from our experiences, which I believe is my responsibility to impart – especially to people of color. These are the personal views and opinions of my family and I, based on our beliefs, acquired facts, first-hand knowledge, interactions, and experiences, and material evidence saved in our possession, and do not represent the views, opinions, and beliefs of any entity whatsoever with which we have been, are now, or will be affiliated.
The author(s) and the blog are not to be held responsible for misuse, reuse, recycled and cited and/or uncited copies of content within this blog by others.
-Dawn Huertas Fernandez, March 2018