I am Lesley Stanley, and I am a proud graduate of Oakland Community College, class of 2010. I have faced many obstacles in life. In 2004, I was sentence to prison, and came home in 2008. Before I was convicted, my the employer, Sears Roebuck and Company had paid for a degree from Oakland Community College (OCC). It was one of my goals, upon release that I finish my education. It took time, because my financial-aid had went into default, due to my being gone. I finished, however, and my life went back into a tail-spin. I survived that experienced, and went forward in a zealous attempt to finish my education. In the fall of 2016, I was admitted into Walsh College. They have a relationship with OCC, and I had to take three classes at OCC that Walsh did not offer. Those three course were Accounting I, Accounting II and Economics II. My fist course, Accounting I, was with Meg Costello Lambert a racist.
I had been listening to her in class, and wanted to get clarification on an assignment. I think that she misconstrued my comments. During the email exchange, she scolded me about making her an enemy and being confrontational. I reminded her that email communications can be misleading, and that it wasn't my purpose to confront her or accuse her falsely. I just need clarification on an assignment. I wasn't finished, however, and went on to say that Black people are always accused of being aggressive. I then added, especially Black women, but I meant no disrespect towards her at all. She finally came down, and expressed that I just wanted to learn and was concerned about my education. All of those things were true, and I thought the situation was over.
The following Monday, during class, she attacked me personally. She was going over the practice assignment with the class, and gave her complete resume, and added that she had been doing accounting for so long that she could, "Teach it to a monkey holding a banana." Gestured towards me. Now, the shameless woman at the Michigan Department of Civil Right, explained that she didn't have to be talking to me. I am a Black woman, and any reference to monkeys, bananas, gorillas or chimps gets me upset. Since our email exchanges had to do with me getting a clear understanding of the material, it seemed to me that I understood more than she thought I could. She was shock that I had got a clear understanding of the material, and could ask effective questions on it. Thus, she had taught Accounting to a Black person. Obviously, she feels that we are unable to understand concepts effectively. Thus, her superior attitude towards African-Americans.
She is very arrogant, because she understands her concentration very well. She floored me with her comments, because she is a working professional and I thought they had that all under control in Oakland County. I thought they had taken their racism underground, and only talk about it at parties and other places they gather to have meetings about keeping us poor and disenfranchised here in Oakland County. Keeping the land, jobs and education out of our reach. The class was taught in two parts and I got an "A-" in the first 6 weeks and a "C+" in the second portion. After getting less on my test, but getting 100% on homework, I went to her boss. A man named Thomas Hendricks. He told me, as her boss that no matter what I did, she didn't care. It wouldn't make any difference to her, and she would do whatever she wants. When she found out that I had spoken to her boss, she came into class and verbally attacked me.
I can't remember what I had asked her, but she answered me, "I don't know, why don't you ask my boss." I was speechless and could only muster a "What?" She then went on, "You did talk to the Dean, didn't you?" I just shook my head and asked, "Can we talk about this later?" She turned up her nose and replied, "I don't want to talk about it now, and I don't want to talk about it ever!" It was early, but I was awoke, and in a dream state. All of the other students turned to look at me and I just looked at my book. This was not the place for a street fight. I couldn't turn to the things that "we" are accused of being. I couldn't be angry, loud, vulgar and vicious. I had to remain calm and respectful, not to her but myself and my fellow students that were looking to me to see how I would react. She would go on to drop hints about her "friends" at Walsh, because I was a student at Walsh, and visiting OCC. She's a tyrant and self-proclaimed demi-God at OCC.
I took it as a threat. She has lived up to that threat, too. In exchange for my going to the Chair of Business, she is the department head at the Auburn Hills Campus. Thomas Hendricks felt just as helpless as me. Even with the Civil Rights investigation, she harassed me in class, marked my test down and caused me irreparable harm. Walsh College has been a nightmare. Her "friend" Ed Callaghan, ex-President of OCC, professor and member of Walsh's Board has made sure I'm thoroughly harassed at Walsh. I was supposed to graduate this semester, but instead I have two classes left. Due to the systematic racism and interference I get from instructors. They employ her same tactics, but unlike Lambert they aren't even supposed to be in their positions. Meg Lambert may have the credentials, education and business experience, but her views on race, social and economic class-hierarchy issues and power struggles with the administration makes learning difficult. In 2016, she was in trouble for making copies!
I remember, when I first started going to OCC, regularly, in 2000. I had a very hard time with my instructors, because they refused to believe that I was capable of learning and getting good grades. I fought for my grades, and they refused to list me as a honor student every semester. Check the Dean's List for 2000-2002, I'm not on a single roster, listing honor students. My cumulative grade point average at graduation as 3.69 and 3.68. I got two degrees in General Studies and Management. I looked every semester and I wasn't there. How can an institution of higher-learning deny a student accolades for being intelligent, when that is the whole basis of education; learning. Meg Lambert and Edward Callaghan, along with Bill Isanhart subject me to their superior idea of what a Black student is. I also believe that it has to do with my situation with the police. Since Meg Lambert would evoke the name of my so-called victim in class. She even had a fellow student befriend me, in order to belittle and abuse me in class. This woman helped me without provocation, but then when I asked for help cursed me and called me a bitch.
She admitted knowing and enjoying Meg Lambert's class and as a person. The young woman was White, of course, but I never want to see people by race. It belittles your existence as a human being. Roseanne's attack on a former White House Aid, to former President Barack Obama on Twitter, it has brought it all back to me. Roseanne lost her job, her show was cancelled. Meg Costello Lambert still works for OCC. Your school got a letter, and claimed that I didn't show any outrage about her comments at the time they were made. I never confronted her or talked to her about it. My answer to that is, what was I to say? Walk up to her and say, "I didn't like it when you called me a monkey." She knew I wouldn't like it, and that's why she said it. I didn't understand, and when you get an organization involved in a situation like this, they speak for you and you have no recourse. For my case to be dismissed, because I was non-confrontational is sad, because that's a double edge sword. In our first communication in a email, she accused me of being an "Angry Black Woman". Her "Monkey" comment was mean to provoke me to anger. I felt by ignoring it, I wasn't giving her the satisfaction of letting her know I cared. Besides, not confronting someone, doesn't mean it didn't happen. They never interviewed any of the students in the class, and for me, no one wanted to know the truth.
But when she began to change my test scores on the online tests, I couldn't keep on with the charade. I was being harassed and my education compromised by her vindictive ways. She is the type of person that will get you back. That became evident, when she called me a monkey. There is no length to her acts of retaliation. Whatever it takes, racial epithets, getting friends to harass me at another college or changing test scores. I'm a survivor, however, and not a victim. I will never let how someone feels about African-Americans change who I am or stop me from winning, no matter who they are. Ed Callaghan doesn't appear on Walsh's website as a member anymore. I mentioned him in a letter to their accreditation firm. He was my professor in 2010, and gave me two of the five "B's" I ever got at OCC in the same semester. The idea that he is or was on Walsh's board, while I'm there could be coincidence. The idea that she is "friends" with Meg Lambert, as she stated in class, but I've had an extremely rough time at Walsh. My adverse relationship with the police is also a factor. Meg Lambert bragged about her "Cop Family" all the time. You must read my conflict with the police on this blog. The Police!
I pray that you will take this seriously. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights are bogus and a part of the corruption. They never did their job, in fear that they will be subject to the same type of harassment that I am subject to. They could be a part of the problem, but whatever the situation. it's not fair to me or any other Black student at OCC. I see you plaster African-American student on your website, but be honest, you don't have many successful students of color at OCC? It may be an attempt to get them to come, but until you change the position professors have at your college, when they come, they won't stay, because they don't feel supported, important or capable of doing the work. College is a higher level of education where most students are independent. Except, not all students are able to succeed without assistance. Can you say that your black students are being supported and assisted at OCC?. I know my niece was asked to quit, due to her poor skills. You have English as a Second Language, but nothing to make incapable students capable. Not just Black students, but all students. Illiteracy, is not just a "Black" problem. Or are they accused of being hostile, when they reach out for help and guidance. Or is it assumed they don't have the skills to succeed, a horrible stereotype that has plagued African-Americans for years. Believe it or not, even at the college level these things are needed. I hope you read this letter with caring, hope and understanding. I also hope that you will create plan of action that includes the removal of Megan Costello Lambert.
Lesley Stanley
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| This is what Ed Callaghan feels about me! |
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