BANGOR, Maine — A former student who was assaulted at the Job Corps center in Limestone and his mother have sued the company that operates the school over the student’s dismissal last year.
Gregory Poindexter and Chevonne Handy of Stamford, Conn., allege that Poindexter was assaulted by three other students when he was 17, then kicked out of school because of alleged gang activity.
Because Poindexter was underage when the incident happened, his mother is a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
Portland attorney James Clifford filed the lawsuit April 13 against Career Systems Development Corp. and U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis in U.S. District Court in Bangor. The U.S. Department of Labor is the federal agency charged with oversight of the Job Corps program.
The lawsuit has not been served on Career Systems, according to the court docket.
“I can’t comment on something I haven’t seen,” Jeff Stinson, senior vice president of human resources for the firm, located in Irvine, Calif., said Tuesday.
Poindexter and his mother are seeking his reinstatement into the Job Corps program along with unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
The complaint alleges that Poindexter was denied due process during the dismissal proceeding and was discriminated against on the basis of race. The lawsuit also charges that Career Systems Development Corp. was negligent in caring for Poindexter after the assault, in which his jaw was broken, and in its oversight of students at the Loring Job Corps Center.
Poindexter, now 19, was studying welding when he was a student at school in Limestone.
He was attacked on Dec. 5, 2010, according to the complaint. He was granted medical leave the next day. A senior staff member from the Loring center accompanied him from Presque Isle to Boston, directed him to the gate for his connecting flight, then left the airport.
His connecting flight to White Plains, N.Y., was canceled because of a snowstorm and his mother could not reach him because Career Systems’ staff had taken his cell phone, the complaint said. Airline staff noticed he was a minor and traveling alone. He arrived home on Dec. 7.
On Dec. 8, Handy was told her son had been dismissed after a hearing held that day before the Behavior Review Board. Neither Handy nor her son was informed of the hearing, according to the complaint.
“CSD stated that the three-member board unanimously found Mr. Poindexter had engaged in ‘gang activity including wearing of gang clothing, colors, or making signs or handshakes that are associated with known gangs’ and ‘inciting disturbance and creating disorder,’” the complaint said.
Clifford denied Tuesday that Poindexter was involved in any type of gang activity.
The attorney appealed the board’s decision. It was denied on Feb. 1, 2011, according to the complaint.
Assault charges were filed in connection with the assault on Poindexter against two former students at the Loring Job Corps Center in Caribou District Court, according to Clifford.
Franklin Leonard, 19, of Limestone was convicted of Class D assault in March 2011 after a trial, John Pluto, assistant district attorney for Aroostook County, said Tuesday. Leonard was sentenced to 90 days in jail with all but six days suspended and ordered to pay a $500 fine.
Poindexter testified against Leonard, according to the complaint.
A second student was charged but not convicted, the prosecutor said.
Leonard faced up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $2,000.
Thanks Job Corps for bringing gangs to maine
Gangs are in Maine and have been for some time. Job Corps is not responsible for that. I have no affiliation or involvement with Job Corps, so this is not a defense of it.
However, your uninformed comment and the agreement by seven people who “liked” it is a concern because it is yet another example of the thought process, or more accurately, the lack thereof, that affects and becomes public opinion and ultimately, public policy.
1 in 10 students is actually @ job corp to better themselves it is such a sham.
You meant “more” gangs to Maine
Lots of importation going on statewide in various capacities.
Thanks Job Corps for bringing an excellent alternative education program to Maine. One that benefits us not only by serving at risk kids, but also one that brings diversity to a State that needs it. As the comments that appear with this article will undoubtedly illustrate, Maine needs more educated people – thanks for your role in helping us to get there.
The only comment I will make is related to my experience with job corp students that have gone through the culinary program operated in Bangor. My overall experience is that they have been very poorly trained and do not have the skills that would make them desirable to hire for work in an significant kitchen position.
Perhaps it is not the students fault as much as it is the training program that they go through, the qaulity of the instructors and the overall ability to teach the culinary arts in an appropriate way.
My son went through the culinary arts program at Job Corps, graduated a 2 year program in 1 year, about 3 years ago, now has an excellent job and a great future. Perhaps some of the “graduates” you’ve dealt with were there because their parents forced it so they chose not to take it seriously. Like anything in life, it is what you make of it….
I don’t really care about gangs being in the state for a long time ……….. I do care that you have now brought them the Aroostook County. From personal experience I have seen some of these kids in action at the mall and at Walmart and if I was a parent of one of these kids they would have been raised to a higher standard than these kids. The are confrontational and very rude and don’t seem to have much supervision. My 8 year old acts better than they do on a bad day. You can see that some just leave the program and stay in the community and tell all their friends to come here “NO COMPETITION” for gangs. For those who want the program to work for them that’s great but for those who are just here to cause trouble ” Go Back to where you came from and crawl back under the rock you call home cause we don’t need you kind here. If this kid was doing what they said good riddens to you.
Just an FYI there are many young adults from Maine and The County at Job Corps.
Ah yes Job Corp, how nice to know things havent changed much, since the days when I was a student at Husson College and you could drive on campus and see them making out on the front lawn of Bell Dorm, or those nights when the moon was full and they were conducting occult rituals down by the bell tower, that was really going on by the way during the late 80’s and early ’90’s. Doesnt seem like things in the program have gotten mucn better, my nephew went into the program and came out worse than when he went in. What’s worse than a few bad apples spoiling the bunch? Putting all of your bad apples together in one place and then turning them loose on Bangor and Limestone.
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The job corps program takes the kids from other states that no one wants or cares about and dumps them off on the unsuspecting population of Anytown USA. They aren’t told of the records these kids tend to have or any mental issues they may have. As a result of the dumping process, the folks from Anytown USA, is stuck with footing the bill. Nice job, feds, the tax payers pay twice.
Job Corps is a great program. It is to help young adults out who will be our future. If people knew exactly what the program did for young adults they would not be so critical. It is about time for people to open their eyes and make the decision to help our yound adults out because they are the future. As far as criminal records and/or mental health issues students are screened for the program but what about the ones we have in our own high schools. Does that mean we don’t accept them into public schools if they have issues? Something to think!!
I went through same problem same school with my son, he went to Limestone to take the welding and had 4 fingers broken by the Kids brought in from other states, Vt, Ma. and N.Y, they even found a gun 4 doors down from my sons room and still refused to do anything, It was easier to bring son home and have him do a GED than deal with Job Corps red tape to which they denied everything and kids got off scott free to this day my son has troubles with that hand, but it is our problem not thiers. they are accountable for nothing.
Limestone Job Corps doesn’t offer welding. If comments are going to be made lets get the information correct.
As a former employee of Loring Job Corp Center, this is something I can really picture being true and actually happening. During my tenure of employment there, it seemed like they were letting thing go and pushing things under the rug that they shouldn’t. Rules applied to some students but not always to others. These are not sour grapes comments as I left my position in good standing for a better job and could go back if I wanted. This is just and observation from the time I was employed there.