Aspies For Freedom

Knife attack injures Central student
By OSEYE T. BOYD  
oboyd@muncie.gannett.com

MUNCIE, INDIANA - The start of Homecoming Week at Central High School was disrupted by alarm and concern Monday morning after one student attacked another with a knife.  Junior Leigh Ann Vorhees was sitting alone in a classroom during first period when fellow junior Travis Marlett entered the room and assaulted her with a six-inch kitchen knife with a homemade handle, police and school officials said.
Vorhees, who suffered a neck wound, was treated and released from Ball Memorial Hospital.
The attack upset Central students and parents alike. By mid-morning, several students stood in front of the guidance office crying and consoling one another, while others talked on cell phones, visibly shaken by the incident. A steady stream of parents flowed in and out of the building to check on or pick up their children.
Vorhees received stitches for the cut to her throat as well as stitches on her hand for a wound she suffered after she grabbed the attacker's knife.
"She was able to get the knife away from him," said Sgt. Al Williams, day-shift supervisor for the Muncie Police Department. "She's very fortunate. The injuries are in an area that could've been life-threatening. She did an excellent job of defending herself."
The victim's father, Skip Vorhees, said Monday evening that his daughter, a volleyball player, might return to school as early as today.
Rumors had circulated throughout the community that she was dead or on life support, Skip Vorhees said. "She wants to go back and show everybody that she's fine," he said. "This could've been 10 times worse."
Vorhees suffered some muscle damage to her neck, but doctors told the family the muscles would probably heal. No long-term damage is expected.
The suspect was taken into custody by city police and was being held in the county's juvenile detention center on a preliminary charge of attempted murder. He will go before Delaware Circuit Court 2 Judge Richard Dailey in juvenile court this morning for an initial hearing.
Prosecutor Mark McKinney said he intended to ask the judge to waive Marlett to an adult court.
'An isolated incident'
At the time of the attack, about 8:30 a.m., Vorhees - working as a teacher's helper during first period - was alone in the classroom after the teacher left to make copies, Muncie Schools Supt. Marlin Creasy said during a press conference.
Before the attack, Marlett feigned a stomach ache to get a pass to leave class to go to the nurse's office, Creasy said.
According to police, Marlett, who is autistic, didn't go to the nurse's office. Instead, he went upstairs and into the victim's classroom to get a tissue, then returned minutes later and attacked Vorhees with the knife, officials said.
"This is an isolated incident," Creasy said. "It in no way reflects the high standards or typical student behavior at Central High School, nor the students within the Muncie Community Schools. It appears to have been a totally unprovoked incident."
Random violence
Serious incidents such as this attack aren't common at Central, according to Creasy, but they aren't unheard of. In 2002, two Vietnamese brothers were arrested after they attacked another Central student with a hammer. The brothers told police they acted in self defense after being racially harassed and bullied.
In Monday's attack, there was no apparent relationship between the students, school officials said. Muncie police have discovered no motive for the attack, and initial indications are that it was a random act of violence.
Vorhees is the daughter of Delaware Circuit Court 1 Judge Marianne Vorhees, but police said they could not immediately find a connection between the suspect and Judge Vorhees's court.
"I think she (Leigh Ann Vorhees) just happened to be the one in that classroom," Williams said.
A male teacher across the hall from the classroom heard the commotion and held onto Marlett until security arrived, police said.
Along with security guards, school administrators and teachers also rushed to the scene. Extra guidance counselors were called in from throughout the school system to help students who were upset by the incident.
Concerned parents
Central Principal Dick Daniel made a brief statement on the public announcement system to inform the entire student body, faculty and staff of the incident and to quell rumors.
Daniel described Vorhees as a "great student, great kid, great athlete, all-around good kid" during the press conference.
About 230 students received parent permission to sign out of Central for the rest of the day. Central's enrollment is about 1,200.
Daniel also sent a letter home with students to inform parents of the incident and said school officials would talk with any concerned parents.
The Vorhees family expressed concern for the attacker's family.
"Our hearts really go out to the other family and what they must be going through," Skip Vorhees said.

The article points out that he is autistic as though that somehow was the cause of his aggressive behavior. I don't like to keep playing the same chord, but the way that this information is presented is discriminatory.  

they also state " In 2002, two Vietnamese brothers were arrested after they attacked another Central student with a hammer." which is directly referring to the boys race, when describing an earlier incident.

I wish to speak to you concerning an article you wrote.  I feel the article “Knife attack injures Central student” was a very unprofessional and slanderous piece of journalism.  

First of all, I do not understand why you felt the need to bring up the fact that Marlett is autistic unless you are trying to say that autistics are dangerous.  I can assure you that your assumption is flawed.  Many in my family are autistic and none of them seem to have the dangerous, unprovoked violent nature that you seem to want to convey is the norm for autistics.  Autistics have been more victims than predators, as you would have your readers believe.

Quote: “According to police, Marlett, who is autistic, didn't go to the nurse's office. Instead, he went upstairs and into the victim's classroom to get a tissue, then returned minutes later and attacked Vorhees with the knife, officials said.”

I find no reason that you should even bring up the fact that Marlett is autistic unless you are trying to slander those of us that are trying to struggle to survive in a world of such prejudice against autistics just because we are different.

I am angered also by your bias reporting concerning the brothers that were arrested in 2002, stating the fact that they were Vietnamese.  This also, was totally unnecessary to the story and yet, it seems you have a need to state the boys race, when describing this earlier incident.  

Quote: " In 2002, two Vietnamese brothers were arrested after they attacked another Central student with a hammer." You are directly referring to the boys race, when describing this earlier incident.

Do you really think that this is responsible journalism?  As I see it, it was not relevant  to the story any more than it would have been pertinent to a story to state a  persons sexual preference or whether an accused person is  African American Christian or Muslim.  Prejudice is a hard thing to change in this world.  Hopefully people will realize that your article was just written in ignorance of the gentle kindhearted nature that many autistics have.  I’m sure many Vietnamese brothers and sisters are just as kindhearted.   Too bad you cannot meet some of us, maybe you would change your mind.

Sincerely,
Patti Shepard

Thank you for your reply.
Actually, as an African-American I am very sensitive to discrimination
of any kind. Race was mentioned with the Vietnamese brothers because as
stated in the next sentence they were retaliating after being teased
and harassed because of their ethnicity.
Autism is a fact and is used to give a description of the boy. It is
very relevant to the way in which the boy's investigation will be
handled. It also could've helped some readers have more empathy and compassion
they otherwise might not have.
I have spoken with school officials today and received compliments on
my article. I also received a positive e-mail from a mother whose son is
autistic as well.

Oseye T.  Boyd
Education Reporter
The Star Press
P.O. Box 2408
Muncie, IN 47307-0408

.... and dare I say it, Aspies could be discriminatory even toward other Aspies.

This is of course, complete nonsense. None of the editors at wikipedia have been "discriminatory" to you or any autistic. You, on the other hand, have personally attacked nearly every other editor of the autism-related pages, claimed "censorship" by us, equated some of us to Nazis, and continually push an agenda without regard for making articles better. Please stop this FUD.