The first bell at Peotone Junior High School rang out at 8:20 a.m. All of the children, grades sixth through eighth, flowed up the stairs like a swift river current. As everyone arrived at their dingy, gray lockers, Coach Matthies, a bald, muscular gym teacher, howled, “Graffiti! All over the lockers!” Moments later, the other teachers scurried into the hallway and read, “Jose is a beast” written in a vibrant pink spray paint. Immediately, Jose was requested in the office over the intercom. Jose Gonzalez is a slim, Hispanic eighth grader who can’t write English but can speak it. Everyone thought he graffitied the locker, but Jose can’t write in English so it couldn’t possibly have been Jose. Tears were streaming from his deep, brown eyes like a rushing waterfall as he hurriedly made his way to the office. Once he was in Mr. Wenzel’s office, Jose pleaded in poor English, “It wasn’t me, I promise!” “I’m sorry, Jose, but I have to suspend you for a week.” stated Mr. Wenzel. “No, I can’t even write in English.” Jose cried. “We will see if Sasha can figure this out, but until then you are suspended.” Mr. Wenzel said caringly. Dejectedly, Jose shambled home and sat on his dull, blue bed and cried yet again. Meanwhile, Sasha Smith was called down to Mr. …show more content…
She decided to go straight to the office with her observation. Mr. Wenzel went straight to the boys’ locker room and investigated after distinguishing what Sasha had observed. As he walked into Mr. Matthies office, the aroma of coffee overwhelmed him. He found the pink paint can in his drawer and a receipt from Home Depot in the trash can. Immediately after seeing the receipt he sprinted back to the office. Moments later, “Mr. Matthies can you please report to the office,” was heard on the speaker. Mr. Matthies slowly walked from near the lunch room to the office unsuspecting of his